KR101388557B1 - System and method for selecting channel, access point, and recording medium thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a channel selection system and method, an access point (AP) thereof, and a recording medium therefor. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals, priority of a plurality of channel selection criteria predetermined according to each communication service is set, and a plurality of channels according to the set priority. The AP includes an AP for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals based on a selection criterion, and a terminal for exchanging data with the AP using an operation channel selected by the AP.

Description

System and method for channel selection, its AP, recording medium therefor {System and method for selecting channel, access point, and recording medium}

The present invention relates to a wireless access system, and more particularly, to a method for selecting a channel in a wireless access system, an apparatus supporting the same, and a recording medium therefor.

Recently, with the emergence of smartphones, the use of wireless communication services has been gradually expanded to provide various multimedia services such as video calls and Internet access as well as voice. As a result, the demand for high-speed data transmission as well as various applications has greatly increased, and as a solution, a wireless local area network (WLAN) that provides high-speed wireless access, which is more economical in terms of cost and easier to use. The research is being actively conducted.

Currently, research on an effective channel selection algorithm of wireless access point (AP) as one of core technologies for providing high-speed wireless communication and various application services has been actively conducted. In particular, the channel selection algorithm of the AP considering neighbor interference in a high-density WLAN environment is very important in terms of quality of service (QoS) or maximizing system throughput. This is because the performance of the WLAN channels operating in the unlicensed band basically varies greatly depending on which channel is used.

However, since the existing channel selection algorithm selects a channel using information only around the AP, it is difficult to find an optimal channel. In particular, in the case of VoIP (Voice over IP) service, a problem in terms of quality of service is likely to occur due to bidirectional communication characteristics between the AP and the terminal.

In addition, the existing channel selection algorithm is limited to provide a variety of applications because the channel is selected in consideration of maximizing yield performance. For example, VoIP traffic generates short frames of 208 bytes at 20 msec intervals, so the demand for yield performance is not high.However, frame loss rate seriously affects the quality of VoIP. The method may not be the optimal channel for VoIP service.

Finally, existing channel selection algorithms do not use statistical information for each AP. Statistical information analyzing usage patterns of each AP. For example, statistical information on usage patterns such as usage, signal strength, and usage time of neighboring interfering APs that generate interference may be used. Although it can be a great help to improve the existing channel selection algorithm has a problem that can not use this statistical information.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stepwise channel selection algorithm according to a priority that should be guaranteed when there are various applications to be provided.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems as an example thereof, and a channel selection method for maximizing the quality of a real-time service such as VoIP provided in a wireless access system, particularly a wireless LAN system. The purpose is to provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a channel selection method for maximizing data transmission yield performance provided in a WLAN system.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that supports the above-described methods.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not intended to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Lt; / RTI >

Current wireless communication systems are mainly provided with applications such as voice and video telephony, video, and the Internet, but their range of use is gradually increasing due to ease of use and cost efficiency. Therefore, an effective channel selection system for quality assurance of various applications is one of the key technologies for this.

The existing channel selection system proposed so far is difficult to apply in such an environment. The reason is that the existing channel selection system aims to optimize one specific application such as throughput and voice communication. Therefore, it is unclear how effective the existing channel selection system is when there are various applications.

Hereinafter, the present invention proposes a step-by-step method according to the priority of the application to be provided in order to select the optimal channel. The priority of the applications provided varies according to the user's choice or the provider's criteria. The proposed method first selects at least one optimal channel considering the application aspects that must first ensure quality. After that, one or more optimal candidate channels of the application to be guaranteed next are selected from the selected channel candidate group, and the operation is repeated to select one operation channel satisfying various applications. This method can be easily applied to the channel selection method proposed previously, and is very effective when there are multiple applications to be provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the channel selection system of the present invention sets priorities for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service in consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals. And a terminal for exchanging data with the AP using an operation channel selected by the AP and an AP for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying a plurality of channel selection criteria in accordance with priority.

In addition, the present invention proposes a step-by-step channel selection method in consideration of VoIP and yield as an example of a channel selection method. In order to achieve the above object, the channel selection system of the present invention selects a candidate channel list including one or more channels capable of minimizing the influence of interference with neighboring APs for VoIP service, and yields throughput from the selected candidate channel list. AP for selecting an operation channel capable of maximizing) and a terminal exchanging data with the AP using an operation channel selected by the AP.

AP of the present invention for achieving the above object, the priority for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria in accordance with each communication service in consideration of each communication service provided to a radio frequency (RF) unit and a plurality of terminals. And a control unit for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying a plurality of channel selection criteria in stages according to the set priority.

In the AP of the present invention, the plurality of channel selection criteria include values of the degree of interference and the throughput from neighboring APs.

In order to achieve the above object, the AP of the present invention selects a candidate channel list including one or more channels capable of minimizing the influence of interference with a radio frequency (RF) unit and a neighboring AP, and yields the selected candidate channel list. and a control unit for selecting an operation channel capable of maximizing throughput.

In the AP of the present invention, when the terminal is located at a specific location, the control unit controls the influence of interference on the hidden AP, which is a neighboring AP detected only by either the terminal or the AP, and the neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel. The candidate channel list is selected in consideration.

In the AP of the present invention, the control unit selects a candidate channel list using information on the neighbor AP received from the terminal, the information on the neighbor AP is the size of the signal received from the neighbor AP measured by the terminal, the neighbor AP And a service set identifier (SSID) of the operating channel of the neighboring AP.

In the AP of the present invention, the control unit, to the hidden AP that is the neighboring AP which is detected only in one of the terminal or the AP when the terminal is located in a specific location by using information about the neighboring AP measured by the terminal at a plurality of locations. Score the impact on the candidate channel list.

In the AP of the present invention, the controller selects an operation channel in consideration of the interference effect on the channel adjacent to the operation channel of the neighboring AP.

In the AP of the present invention, while communicating with the terminal through the selected operating channel, the controller reselects the operating channel using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP periodically received from the terminal.

In the AP of the present invention, the controller selects a candidate channel list using information on call quality in a currently operating channel received from a terminal in a VoIP (voice over IP) call.

In the AP of the present invention, the controller selects a candidate channel list using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP at the position where the VoIP call is received from the terminal that has finished the VoIP call.

In the AP of the present invention, when the AP is reinstalled at another location, the control unit reselects the candidate channel list using information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal, but the information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal is determined by the terminal. The measured size of the signal received from the neighboring AP, the operating channel of the neighboring AP and the service set identifier (SSID) of the neighboring AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention for achieving the above object, in consideration of each communication service provided by the AP to a plurality of terminals, setting the priority for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service And selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying a plurality of channel selection criteria step by step according to the priority set by the AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the plurality of channel selection criteria include values of the degree of interference and the throughput from the neighboring AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention for achieving the above object, the AP selects a candidate channel list including one or more channels that can minimize the impact of interference with the neighboring AP and the AP yields in the candidate channel list selected selecting an operating channel capable of maximizing throughput.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the selecting of the candidate channel list may include selecting a candidate channel list from a hidden AP or an AP and an adjacent channel, which are neighbor APs detected only by either the terminal or the AP when the terminal is located at a specific location. The candidate channel list is selected in consideration of the influence of interference on the operating neighboring AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, selecting the candidate channel list, the AP selects the candidate channel list using the information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal, the information on the neighboring AP neighbors measured by the terminal The size of the signal received from the AP, the operating channel of the neighboring AP and the service set identifier (SSID) of the neighboring AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the step of selecting a candidate channel list, the neighbor is detected only in any one of the terminal or the AP when the terminal is located in a specific location by using information about the neighbor AP measured at a plurality of locations The candidate channel list is selected by scoring the influence on the hidden AP which is the AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the selecting of an operation channel selects an operation channel in consideration of interference in a channel adjacent to an operation channel of a neighboring AP.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the selecting of an operation channel may be performed by using information on channel utilization of a neighboring AP periodically received from the terminal while the AP communicates with the terminal through the selected operation channel. Reselect the channel.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, selecting the candidate channel list, the AP selects the candidate channel list by using information on the call quality in the currently operating channel received from the terminal in the VoIP call.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, the selecting of the candidate channel list may include selecting a candidate channel list using information on channel utilization of a neighboring AP at a VoIP call ending position received by the AP from a terminal that has finished a VoIP call. do.

In the channel selection method of the present invention, when the AP is reinstalled at another location, the candidate channel list is reselected using the information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal, but the information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal is measured by the terminal. A signal received from one neighboring AP, the operating channel of the neighboring AP, and the service set identifier (SSID) of the neighboring AP.

The computer-readable recording medium which records the program of the present invention for achieving the above object, prioritizes a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service in consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals. Means for setting a rank and means for selecting an operation channel for each of a plurality of terminals by applying the plurality of channel selection criteria step by step according to the set priority.

A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program of the present invention for achieving the above object includes means for selecting a candidate channel list including one or more channels capable of minimizing the effects of interference with neighboring APs and the selected candidate channel list. Means for selecting an operating channel that can maximize throughput.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a stepwise channel selection algorithm according to a priority corresponding to a purpose to be guaranteed when there are various applications requiring QoS guarantee.

According to the present invention, it is possible to maximize the quality of real-time services such as VoIP and the yield performance of data transmission by selecting channels step by step.

In addition, according to the present invention, by detecting the surrounding communication environment through the cooperation of the terminal as well as the AP, there is an effect that can maximize the quality of the real-time service and the yield performance of data transmission.

The effects obtained in the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
1 is an exemplary diagram of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.
2 shows an example in which a frame collision occurs due to a hidden AP.
3 shows an example of measuring a frame loss rate due to a hidden AP.
4 shows an example in which a frame collision occurs due to a neighboring interference AP operating in an adjacent channel.
5 shows an example of measuring a frame loss rate due to a neighboring AP operating in an adjacent channel.
6 shows an example of measuring yield performance in an adjacent channel according to desired signal strength and interference signal strength.
7 shows a distribution form of a channel used in a WLAN system.
8 illustrates an example of an attenuation effect due to a signal of an adjacent channel in a WLAN system.
9 shows an example of a signal transmission / reception process according to a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) coding scheme.
10 shows an example of measuring whether to decode an adjacent channel of a DSSS / CCK signal according to signal strength or channel spacing.
11 illustrates a phased channel selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a diagram illustrating a house in which an AP is installed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 illustrates an example of collecting information of a neighboring AP for each location in FIG. 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 illustrates an example of extracting a hidden AP from information about each AP collected in FIG. 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 shows an example of assigning a score for each channel in consideration of interference effects of a hidden AP according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 shows an example in which VoIP quality is estimated for each channel in consideration of interference effects of neighboring APs operating in an adjacent channel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
17A to 17C illustrate an example of assigning a score by estimating a yield for each channel in consideration of an influence of an AP detected in a neighbor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 illustrates an example of accumulating and collecting information on a neighboring AP from a terminal during operation of an AP according to an embodiment of the present invention.
19 shows the results of measuring VoIP service quality performance (loss rate) and yield performance for each location.
20 shows the result of measuring the WLAN yield performance of the AP.
21 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless access system in which the present invention is implemented.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The following detailed description includes specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. In the description of the drawings, there is no description of procedures or steps that may obscure the technical gist of the present invention, nor is any description of steps or steps enough to be understood by those skilled in the art.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as "comprising" or " including ", it is meant that the element does not exclude other elements, do. Also, the terms " part, "" module," and " module ", etc. in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function or operation and may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software have. Also, the terms " a or ", "one "," the ", and the like are synonyms in the context of describing the invention (particularly in the context of the following claims) May be used in a sense including both singular and plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The specific terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the use of such specific terms may be changed into other forms without departing from the technical idea of the present invention.

1. WLAN system general to which the present invention can be applied

1 is an exemplary diagram of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.

The WLAN system includes one or more basic service sets (BSSs). The basic service set is a set of stations (STAs) that can successfully synchronize and communicate with each other, and does not indicate a specific area.

A station is any functional medium including medium access control (MAC) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard and a physical layer interface to a wireless medium, including an access point (AP) and a non-AP station (AP). Non-AP STA). A station is a device operated by a user, and includes a terminal, a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), and a mobile terminal. May also be called other names, such as Mobile Subscriber Unit. For convenience, the station assumes a non-AP station.

The basic service set can be divided into an infrastructure based basic service set (BSS) and an independent basic service set (IBSS).

FIG. 1A illustrates an infrastructure based WLAN system. An infrastructure based WLAN system is composed of a distribution system (DS) connecting basic service sets and respective basic service sets.

The basic service set consists of multiple stations and APs. An AP is a functional entity that provides access to a distribution system via wireless media to an associated station. Many stations have a connection mechanism as a wireless medium and are wirelessly connected to the AP. Communication between stations is typically via an AP, but direct communication is also possible between stations when a direct link is established.

Basic services are interconnected through a distribution system. The distribution system can extend wireless coverage by connecting a plurality of basic service sets using an AP to form a single network. A station may send data through a distribution system for stations that are coupled to a basic set of services that it manages. In addition, data can be delivered through a distribution system when one station moves to another set of basic services. In addition, the AP may transmit data to an external network such as a wired network through a distribution system. Such a distribution system does not necessarily need to be a network, and there is no limitation on its form as long as it can provide certain distribution services defined in IEEE 802.11. The network extended by the distribution system is called an extended service set (ESS). Within the same set of extended services, stations can seamlessly communicate, moving from one base service set to another. This set of extended services has its own unique identifier, Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID).

FIG. 1B illustrates an independent basic service set operating in an ad-hoc mode. Since the standalone basic service set does not include an AP, there is no centralized management entity. That is, in the independent basic service set, stations are managed in a distributed manner, and communication between stations included in different independent basic service sets cannot be directly performed. The plurality of independent basic service sets may be configured in such a manner as to sufficiently maintain the distance between the independent basic service sets or use different carrier frequencies.

2. Wireless AP Channel selection algorithm

2. 1. VoIP  Quality of service ( QoS )

Hereinafter, it is assumed herein that VoIP service quality means voice call quality for satisfying a user's request. In general, factors for determining the call quality of VoIP include delay, jitter, packet loss, and the like, and methods for satisfying all of these factors to ensure the desired call quality. Suggest.

2. 1. 1. VoIP  Frame collisions ( collision Quality degradation pattern

In general, in case of VoIP, the channel occupancy time used to send one frame is not long due to the short signal length. As a result, multiple access points (APs) normally perform carrier sense multiple access / collision avoidance (CSMA / CA).

In the case of using the radio channels by using the above, frame loss due to the collision between the frames caused by occupying the channels at the same time hardly occurs. On the other hand, when several APs do not normally divide the wireless channel by CSMA / CA, a considerable amount of frame loss may occur due to a collision caused by several APs attempting to occupy the channel at the same time. CSMA / CA between several APs do not operate normally and transmission occurs at the same time, so that a frame collision can be classified into the following two cases.

2. 1. 1. 1. Hidden AP ( Hidden AP ) Occation

2 shows an example in which a frame collision occurs due to a hidden AP. 3 shows an example of measuring a frame loss rate due to a hidden AP.

In general, when two APs using the same channel exist, the corresponding channels are divided in time and shared within a distance in which signals of the other parties can be received. However, as shown in FIG. 2, although the target AP and the hidden AP cannot receive the signal of the counterpart AP due to the signal strength or physical obstacle, the station 1 connected to the target AP (interference from the hidden AP) interference A hidden AP problem occurs when affected.

The hidden AP is a target AP (a station located at a point where a target AP is installed) and a station at a specific location when the station is located at a specific location among neighboring APs located near the target AP other than the target AP to which the station is connected. This means that the AP is not detected. That is, the AP is detected only at the target AP (only at a station located at the point where the target AP is installed) or only at a station at a specific location. Such a hidden AP may have a signal strength of a certain level or more (for example, 10 dB) compared to a signal of the target AP.

A simple experiment was conducted to determine how the hidden AP affects the VoIP communication between the target AP and station 1. First, the target AP was configured to transmit VoIP type data (208 bytes framed at 20 msec intervals), and the amount of frame loss of the target AP was measured while varying the traffic amount of the hidden AP. The results are shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bar graph at the top shows the frame loss rate of the target AP when heavy-traffic is applied, and the bar graph at the bottom is almost loaded with the hidden AP. It represents the light loss rate of the frame (light-traffic).

The frame loss rate occurring in the link between the target AP and the station 1 represents a loss close to 90% due to the collision between packets with heavy-traffic load. If the loss rate is 90%, the R-score will be close to zero and serious VoIP degradation can occur. R-score is a method of evaluating the performance of VoIP traffic, and higher numbers mean better voice quality.

2. 1. 1. 2. Neighbors operating on adjacent channels AP In the case of

4 illustrates an example in which a frame collision occurs due to a neighbor AP operating in an adjacent channel. Here, the neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel is an AP using a channel overlapping with the channel set in the target AP. When the data is transmitted simultaneously with the target AP, the neighboring AP refers to an AP where normal service becomes difficult.

Referring to FIG. 4, even when not all of the hidden APs are detected by the AP connected to the AP, when the neighboring AP operates in the adjacent channel, the CSMA / CA may not operate normally and transmission may occur simultaneously.

To check this, the target AP and the neighboring AP are set to operate in adjacent channels, and the target AP is configured to transmit data of VoIP type (frames of 208 bytes are transmitted at 20 msec intervals), and the file is transmitted to the neighboring AP. As shown in FIG. 5, the frame loss rate of the target AP is measured when the overload traffic is generated. In this case, the signal strength from the target AP and the signal strength from the neighboring AP are similar in the experimental environment.

5 shows an example of measuring a frame loss rate due to a neighboring AP operating in an adjacent channel.

Referring to FIG. 5, when a neighboring AP operates in an adjacent channel, that is, when channel separation is 1 to 3, it indicates that the VoIP frame has a significantly low packet delivery ratio (PDR) value.

2. 1. 2. VoIP  How to troubleshoot quality problems

-Optimal channel selection through scoring by channel according to problem factors

2. 1. 2. 1. Hidden AP ( Hidden AP ) Occation

As described above, when a hidden AP problem occurs, serious frame loss may occur due to collision between frames. A general frame collision can occur in various forms due to the time difference between a desired frame and an interference frame. However, a VoIP frame has a shorter length than other frames, so that a collision comes later than an interference frame. do. In general, WLAN devices preferentially decode the first signal, so the signal of a later VoIP frame cannot be decoded no matter how strong. Therefore, simply increasing the transmission signal strength cannot solve the frame collision problem caused by the hidden AP.

In order to solve this problem, it is effective to identify the channel in which the problem of the hidden AP occurs in advance and to avoid the corresponding channel when possible when selecting a channel to operate the target AP. That is, the channels that can satisfy the QoS (QoS) of the VoIP are selected by excluding the affected channels from the hidden AP in advance among the channels that the target AP can select as the operation channel.

2. 1. 2. 2. Neighbors operating on adjacent channels AP In the case of

In the 802.11 standard related to WLAN, a clear channel assessment (CCA) of three modes (CS (Carrier Sensing), ED (Energy Detection), and ED / CS) has been defined to effectively avoid collisions between frames. Through this, the WLAN devices determine whether the state of the wireless channel is busy or idle, and transmit only when idle, thereby avoiding collision. However, these methods can cause serious problems when there are neighboring APs operating in the adjacent channel (checked through the above experiment).

Through more detailed experiments and theoretical analysis, the signal strength from the target AP and the signal strength from the neighboring AP are very important among various causes of the problem. In particular, a signal to interference power ratio (SIR) expressed as a ratio of signal strength from a target AP to signal strength from a neighboring AP is a key factor in determining whether a problem occurs.

For example, assuming that the target AP transmits the VoIP frame at a specific transmission rate, when the neighboring AP operates in the adjacent channel, the VoIP frame from the target AP and the interference frame from the neighboring AP collide with each other. In this case, it was confirmed that the decoding probability of the target VoIP frame is increased when the SIR is above a certain threshold.

As a result, SIR threshold is closely related to transmission speed. The higher the baud rate, the higher the threshold, and vice versa, the lower the baud rate, the lower the required threshold.

Therefore, assuming that the transmission speed of the target AP is operating at 1 Mbps (assuming that the target AP basically tries to lower the transmission rate when several frame collisions occur), -3 dB (PDR when the transmission rate is 1 Mbps) Based on the SIR threshold of the value 1), it may be determined whether a corresponding channel is a problem. That is, as in the case of Hidden AP, the VoIP service is excluded from the operation channel to be selected by the target AP in advance, because the target AP may be affected by the neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel among the channels that can be selected as the operation channel. Channels that can satisfy the quality (QoS) are selected.

2. 2. Yield ( Throughput ) Performance

Hereinafter, in the present specification, throughput means the amount of data per unit time delivered from a specific node or terminal on a network to another node or terminal. In this case, a bit per second (bps) or a packet per second (pps) may be used as a unit. Hereinafter, a scheme for satisfying smooth transmission and reception of VoIP voice data is proposed.

2. 2. 1. Causes of problems with yield performance

The yield performance of the WLAN system is significantly affected by the operation of neighboring APs. In particular, the trend of yield performance may vary greatly depending on whether the operating channel used by the neighboring AP is the same channel as the channel to which the target AP is to operate or an adjacent channel.

2. 2. 1. 1. neighborhood AP Wow target AP Works on the same channel

When the neighboring AP and the target AP operate on the same channel, each AP divides the wireless channel through contention. As a result, there is less access to the target AP than accessing the wireless channel, which reduces yield performance. The degree of reduction in yield performance may be closely related to the amount of traffic or channel occupancy time of the contention neighbor AP.

2. 2. 1. 2. Neighbors AP Wow target AP Operates on adjacent channels

As in the above-described VoIP case, when the neighboring AP and the target AP operate on the adjacent channel, the CSMA / CA may not operate normally and a collision may occur. That is, the target AP continuously transmits frames to the target laptop, but in the target laptop, almost all frames are broken due to collisions with frames of neighboring APs operating in adjacent channels, so that the actual yield performance is significantly lower. May have

2. 2. 2. How to troubleshoot yield performance

- Neighborhood AP Optimal channel selection through scoring for each channel according to the operation of

2. 2. 2. 1. Neighbors AP Wow target AP Works on the same channel

As described above, when the neighboring AP and the target AP operate on the same channel, each AP divides and uses a wireless channel through contention. Therefore, the yield performance of the target AP is approximately reduced by the number of APs operating in the same channel as compared to when used alone. In other words, when the number of neighboring APs operating in the same channel is n, the expected target AP yield is reduced by 1 / (n + 1) times as compared to when used alone.

2. 2. 2. 2. neighbors AP Wow target AP Operates on adjacent channels

As described above, when the desired signal strength and the interference strength are similar, the actual yield performance may be frequently lower than when operating in a channel such as a neighboring AP.

To check this, first, the target AP and the neighboring AP are set to operate in adjacent channels, and the target AP and the neighboring AP are set to transmit 1500 bytes of data in a general data format to measure yield performance in the adjacent channel. The results are shown in FIG.

6 shows an example of measuring yield performance in an adjacent channel according to desired signal strength and interference signal strength.

Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the yield performance result in the adjacent channel varies greatly with a Signal to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR). The higher the high-SINR, the better the yield performance results when selecting channels including adjacent channels. The lower the -SINR, the better the performance performance results when the adjacent channels are not used.

2. 3. Further Research

2. 3. 1. Partial overlap ( partially - overlapped ) channel modelling

7 shows a distribution form of a channel used in a WLAN system.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the case of the ISM band of the 2.4 GHz band used by the WLAN system, a total of 14 channels are distributed in a form overlapping each other as shown below. In general, 13 channels are used in Korea among a total of 14 channels, and an orthogonal channel set that does not affect each other among 13 channels is {1, 6, 11}. Here, orthogonal means that each of the operating channels is physically separated on the frequency side and thus has little effect on interference with each other. However, in order to become orthogonal channels to each other, the channel interval must be 5 or more, and it is not easy to satisfy these conditions in a high-density WLAN environment with many APs. Therefore, in many cases, the bandwidths of the channels overlap each other, thereby affecting each other. Such a channel is called a partially-overlapped channel.

Signals coming from adjacent channels are attenuated in terms of signal magnitude compared to signals coming from the same channel. This attenuation effect can be obtained by mathematically analyzing the spectrum and the filter of the actual transmitted signal.

8 illustrates an example of an attenuation effect due to a signal of an adjacent channel in a WLAN system.

Referring to FIG. 8, when a signal is received based on the center frequency Fc of a specific channel, when a channel used by an actual station is different from a transmission signal, only a part of the entire signal spectrum is received by the filter. The farther the channel is used from Fc, the smaller the magnitude of the signal spectrum obtained by the filter. This can be obtained as Equation 1 below in the form of a simple integration. In addition, when the actual attenuation effect is obtained using Equation 1, it is shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1 shows an example of the actual attenuation effect due to the signal of the adjacent channel.

0 One 2 3 4 0 dB -0.28 dB -2.19 dB -8.24 dB -25.5 dB

2. 3. 2. DSSS ( Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum ) + CCK  Whether to decode the signal on adjacent channels

Commonly used 802.11g / n based WLAN devices use two types of modulation (DSSS + CCK) and OFDM (modulation) at the same time. Signals according to these two coding schemes have different characteristics. In particular, unlike the OFDM signal, since the DSSS + CCK signal can be decoded in the adjacent channel, it is necessary to consider whether the decoding is possible in the adjacent channel when analyzing the influence of the interference received by the target AP. In particular, the hidden AP should be excluded from the operating channel of the target AP because it is determined that the channel may have problems in the adjacent AP as well as the operating channel of the hidden AP depending on whether the frame is decoded. Is one of.

9 shows an example of a signal transmission and reception process according to a DSSS coding scheme.

Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9A illustrates a block diagram of a device for transmitting and receiving a signal using a DSSS coding scheme, and FIG. 9B illustrates a waveform of a signal transmitted and received using a DSSS coding scheme.

DSSS coding method is to multiply the existing signal d (t) by the chip sequence c (t), and the receiver multiplies the received signal by c (t) to recover the original d (t). Say. When recovering the original d (t), it is determined whether the signal is positive or negative by integrating during the signal interval as shown in FIG. 9 to estimate the original signal d (t). By using the DSSS method, since the interference received at the time of reception is spread, it is possible to reduce the interference effect coming into a specific frequency band when decoding.

Measurement Results Whether the DSSS / CCK signal is decoded in the adjacent channel is affected by the signal strength and channel spacing.

10 shows an example of measuring whether to decode an adjacent channel of a DSSS / CCK signal according to signal strength or channel spacing.

Referring to FIG. 10, FIG. 10A illustrates whether to decode according to channel intervals. As can be seen from the results, it is confirmed that the decoding is hardly performed when the channel interval is 2 or more. In addition, in (b) of FIG. 10, the degree of decoding for each signal strength in the channel interval 1 is shown. The higher the signal strength, the better the decoding. Therefore, when determining whether a channel is a problem caused by the hidden AP, not only the operating channel of the hidden AP but also the channel interval 1, among which multiplying the actual decodable probability value according to the signal size of the hidden AP and scoring the table. It is desirable to write.

3. Stepwise Channel Selection Method

3. 1. Stepwise Channel Selection Method

11 illustrates a phased channel selection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the AP selects, as a candidate channel list, a channel group that can satisfy the QoS of the VoIP among all available channels (S1101). The AP may select a channel for minimizing the influence of factors that hinder voice quality as a candidate channel list. In this case, factors that inhibit voice quality may include an influence by a hidden AP, an influence by a neighboring AP operating in an adjacent channel, and the like.

Subsequently, the AP selects a channel group capable of maximizing throughput from the candidate channel list (S1103).

On the other hand, the AP may select a channel at the point of time when the first AP is installed, operating time, rebooting. The amount of statistical information may vary when the AP selects a channel at each time. Hereinafter, the process of selecting a channel by the AP will be described in detail for each period.

3. 1. 1. During installation

Both QoS and WLAN yield performance of VoIP may be affected by interference from neighboring APs. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the AP is installed in the house.

12 is a diagram illustrating a house in which an AP is installed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, when a target AP is initially installed in a house, a neighbor AP detected from various locations (for example, each room and a living room) using an AP or a VoIP service using a terminal is searched using a terminal. (probe) measures information about a neighbor AP such as a received signal strength (RSS), a neighbor channel's operating channel, and a service set identifier (SSID), and the target AP uses information received from the terminal. The channel can be selected more effectively.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of collecting information of a neighboring AP for each location in FIG. 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a result of searching for an installation location of an AP, information of a neighboring AP detected in rooms 1 to 3, that is, a basic service set identifier (BSSID), a channel number, and a received signal size (RSS) of the neighboring AP. Indicates. To this end, the information about the neighboring APs detected in the living room, which is the installation location of the target AP, as well as the rooms 1 to 3 may be detected using a terminal (station) after the installation engineer or the user moves each location.

The terminal transmits information about the neighbor AP at each of these locations to the target AP. In order to be able to transmit such information, the target AP must be temporarily operating in any channel, and the terminal delivering the information must also be operating in the same channel by associating with the target AP. The target AP selects a channel through the method shown in FIG. 11 based on the received information.

In FIG. 13, it can be seen that neighboring APs searched according to respective positions are different. This is because attenuation of about 10 dB occurs every time the signal passes through the walls of the house. As a result, signals from neighboring APs may or may not be searched at specific locations as they pass through the walls. Since the neighboring AP may operate like a hidden AP when the VoIP terminal operates at a specific location, causing problems such as frame loss, it is preferable to consider all the information of neighboring APs that are different from each other.

VoIP Quality of service for QoS Selection of candidate channel list considering S1101 )

1) Exclude problem channel caused by hidden AP

The target AP searches for the hidden AP based on the received information.

FIG. 14 shows information about each AP collected in FIG. 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention for each link in each room 1 to 3, and shows an example in which the hidden AP is extracted.

Referring to FIG. 14, FIGS. 14A to 14C show a result of extracting a hidden AP for each link in each room 1 to 3.

The neighboring APs indicated by dotted lines in each of the tables of FIGS. 14A to 14C show an AP operating as a hidden AP in each location link.

As described above, the hidden AP is a target AP (a station located at a point where the target AP is installed) and a specific when the station is located at a specific position among neighboring APs located near the target AP other than the target AP to which the station is connected. An AP that is not detected by all stations in a location. An AP is detected only by a target AP (only by a station located at a point where a target AP is installed) or only by a station at a specific location. That is, AP 'D' detected by the terminal located in Room 1 in FIG. 14A but not detected by the target AP becomes a hidden AP. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 14B, AP 'E' is hidden. It becomes an AP, and AP 'F' becomes a hidden AP as shown in FIG. In addition, the AP 'F' detected by the target AP but not detected by the terminal located in the room 3 is also a hidden AP.

If the hidden AP is operated by the target AP in the operating channel, there may be a problem in VoIP performance. In addition, it is possible to determine whether the hidden AP causes a problem in the adjacent channel through the strength of the interference signal. Specifically, as described in (2. 1.), it may be determined whether or not VoIP quality is reduced from the hidden AP.

15 shows an example of assigning a score for each channel in consideration of interference effects of a hidden AP according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 (a) shows an example of assigning a score to AP 'D', and FIG. 15 (b) shows a score for a hidden AP for each link at each location in the same manner as (a). For example.

Referring to FIG. 15, in the case of 'D' AP, which is a hidden AP in 'Link analysis 1' of FIG. 14, a point is given to a table to indicate that a problem may occur if a target AP operates in an operation channel. do. In addition, in the case of hidden AP 'D', the signal strength is -69 dBm, so if data is transmitted through a DSSS / CCK signal, there may be a problem caused by the hidden AP also in adjacent channel 1. Therefore, in order to indicate that there is a possibility that a problem may occur to the adjacent channel 1 in the above case, 0.45 points are applied to the adjacent channel (the packet capture ratio of FIG. 10 (b) is applied). Repeating the above analysis for each link at each position is as shown in FIG. 15B.

2) Exclude the problem channel caused by the neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel

As described above, whether or not a problem occurs due to the neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel is determined according to the SIR. SIR refers to a ratio of a signal received from a target AP (RSS) and a signal received from a neighbor AP (RSS), for example, the size of a signal received from a target AP and a signal received from a neighbor AP. It can also be obtained by the difference in size. It is assumed that the transmission speed of the target AP is 1 Mbps, and the corresponding SIR threshold is -3 dB to indicate one point on the channel in which the problem occurs. In general, the SIR threshold value or the assumed transmission speed of the target AP may be dependent on the chipset. However, based on this example, it can be easily applied in various cases.

The neighboring AP is an AP located in the vicinity of the target AP. When the station is located at a specific position, it refers to a target AP (a station located at a point where the target AP is installed) or all APs detected at a station at a specific position. The measured neighboring AP information is used.

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of assigning a score by estimating VoIP quality for each channel in consideration of interference effects of neighboring APs operating in an adjacent channel according to an embodiment of the present invention. 14 and 16, when the terminal is located in room 1 of FIG. 14, the signal size (RSS) of the signal received from the target AP is -69 dB and the signal is received from the AP 'A'. It can be seen that the magnitude (RSS) is -65 dB. That is, the SIR value, which is the ratio of the signal size from the target AP to the neighboring AP 'A' in room 1, is -4 dB below the SIR threshold value. In this case, when the target AP is operated in the operation channel 2, which is the adjacent channel of the neighboring AP 'A', it may affect the quality of VoIP service by being affected by the adjacent channel interference from the neighboring AP 'A' in room 1. . Therefore, 1 point is given to channel 2 to indicate the possibility of such a problem.

3) Selection of candidate channel in terms of VoIP quality through repetition for each location

If the above analysis is repeated for each link at each position, a score table can be obtained as shown in FIG. These scores shown in the table indicate the possibility of frame loss from hidden APs at each location link and the influence of neighboring APs operating in neighboring channels, so that the VoIP quality is good on the lowest score channel. This is high. When one channel receives the lowest score, one channel is selected as the operation channel of the target AP, and when there are several channels, the corresponding channels become the operation channel selection candidate group of the target AP. For example, in FIG. 16, channels 8 to 13 are set as candidate groups for operating channel selection. Among the candidate groups, the channel having the highest yield performance is selected as the operation channel of the target AP through the following process.

Channel selection with the highest WLAN yield performance among candidate channel list S1103 )

As described above, in terms of WLAN yield performance, the performance is different depending on whether the target AP operates on the same channel as the neighboring AP or on the adjacent channel.

17A to 17C illustrate examples of assigning a score for each channel of a neighboring AP located near a target AP according to an embodiment of the present invention. The neighbor AP information uses the previously measured information. FIG. 17A illustrates an example of assigning a score to AP 'B', and FIG. 17B illustrates an example of assigning a score to all neighboring APs in the same manner as in (a), and then adding the average of the scores.

The scoring method is considered in two cases. First, when operating on the same channel as the neighboring AP, the channel will be divided by competition, so the average transmission rate used according to the RSS of the target AP is predicted and the yield is estimated accordingly. That is, the yield performance of the target AP is reduced by the number of APs operating in the same channel as compared to when used alone. In other words, when the number of neighboring APs operating in the same channel is n, the expected target AP yield is reduced by 1 / (n + 1) times as compared to when used alone. Based on this, the expected yield obtained by dividing by the number of APs operating in the channel is calculated. For example, in channel 9 of 17a, due to the presence of neighboring AP 'B', its yield (channel 9) is reduced to 1/2 compared to when operating alone. Since the RSS between the target AP and the terminal measured in FIG. 14 has a high value (about 30 dB) in most rooms, as shown in the table in FIG. 17C, the target AP has a 54 Mbps transmission rate in order to obtain the maximum yield. Will work. The yield obtained at this time is 9.51 Mbps, which can be expected to achieve this value if operated alone. Therefore, in consideration of the basic operation of the WLAN, when the target AP operates on channel 9, the value of 9.51 / 2 can be predicted as the expected yield when considering that the channel is divided in half by competition with neighboring AP 'B'. have.

In addition, when operating in the adjacent channel with the neighboring AP, the average transmission rate according to the SINR of the target AP is predicted, and the expected yield is calculated accordingly. In the case of the adjacent channel, unlike the case of operating in the same channel as the neighboring AP in the above case, it was confirmed that many collisions occur between packets by continuously transmitting their own packets without dividing channels. In this case, its SINR value is the most important factor that determines the success of decoding the packet. Therefore, after calculating the SINR value of the corresponding channel based on the RSS information of the neighboring AP measured in FIG. 14, the target AP at the SINR value based on FIG. 17C (this table is measured through simulation). The yield is estimated by assuming that the transmission rate is selected to obtain the maximum yield. For example, referring to FIG. 17A, channel 8 operates in a neighboring channel with a neighboring AP 'B'. Based on FIG. 14, since the SINR value between the target AP and the neighboring AP 'B' is about 6 dB, it can be predicted that the expected yield has a value of 2.8 Mbps if it is assumed that the target AP operates at an optimal transmission speed of 6 Mbps. By repeating this process, the expected yield according to its SINR can be confirmed through a table (Fig. 17b). As a result, the target AP selects a channel that is expected to have the highest yield among the candidate group channel lists selected through FIGS. 15 and 16 as an operation channel. That is, in FIG. 17C, channel 12 having the highest score among channels 8 to 13 is selected as the operation channel.

In this case, when there are a plurality of channels having the same expected yield value among the channels included in the candidate group channel list, a random channel may be selected from the plurality of channels.

3. 1. 2. In operation

As described above, since the target AP does not have statistical information on the channel utilization of the neighboring AP at the time of installation, when all neighboring APs have a sufficiently large channel utilization, the channel is expected to be least affected in terms of the quality and yield of VoIP service. You will choose this. However, during operation, only neighboring APs that have a real impact can be more accurately selected by examining the neighboring APs having a high channel utilization in the main use time of the target AP and generating statistical information. The information can be collected as shown in Table 2 so that the information of the main usage time can be reflected in the statistical information. In addition, it is possible to check the optimal channel during actual operation by using it, and if necessary, change to the corresponding channel to provide better service.

The channel utilization information of the neighboring AP is a very important factor in predicting the VoIP performance and yield of the actual target AP and setting the optimal channel by moving to the corresponding channel. For example, when the VoIP performance of the target AP is a problem from the hidden AP in the environment where the hidden AP is present, it corresponds to a case where the traffic volume of the hidden AP is large. Therefore, no matter how many hidden APs exist, if the APs are not actively active, that is, the channel utilization is not actively activated, the VoIP performance of the target AP does not matter. The same applies to the yield. Whether operating in the same channel as the neighboring AP or in another channel, the example in the above installation assumes that the channel utilization of the neighboring AP is active. However, if the channel utilization of the neighboring AP is not active, the target AP will not be much different from using it alone even if there are many neighboring APs in the vicinity.

Table 2 shows a method of collecting information about the neighboring AP during the operation of the AP.

During the VoIP call / Immediately after the VoIP call When a terminal such as a laptop (lap-top) is connected Measures the quality (R-score) of active channels during VoIP calls
Immediately after the end of the VoIP call, the UE probes for a neighboring AP from its location.
-Measurement and collection of channel utilization information of the neighboring AP where the UE is discovered
At this time, the AP uses the information collected from the terminal in step S1101 considering the VoIP quality. -UE periodically measures and collects channel utilization information of neighboring APs
At this time, the AP uses the information collected from the terminal in step S1103 considering the yield

The collected information as shown in Table 2 is accumulated as statistical information as shown in FIG.

18 illustrates an example of accumulating and collecting information on a neighboring AP from a terminal during operation of an AP according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 18, a channel selection method in operation is the same as in installation. However, when giving scores in the scorecard, the channel can be selected considering only the APs that actually affect the scores based on the created statistical information only for APs having high channel utilization in the main usage time. That is, in the example of FIG. 18, x marks are separately marked for APs causing problems when measuring information among several neighboring APs. This means that the channel utilization of the corresponding APs was active at the time of measurement, and the remaining neighboring APs showed no significant channel utilization. Therefore, when the channel is changed during operation, the channel is selected based on the x-marked neighbor APs, and the APs that do not use the channel among the neighbor APs are ignored. This enables more efficient channel selection by considering neighboring APs with high channel utilization causing actual problems.

3. 1. 3. On reboot (reinstall)

Rebooting the AP can be divided into simple reboot and reinstallation. Table 3 shows a method of selecting an operation channel when the AP reboots.

Simple reboot Reinstall -The user turns off and restarts the AP when not in use (no change).
-Since there is no change in environment, the channel used before rebooting is used as it is. -If your AP is installed in another location (the environment is changed)
-Since there is a change in environment, the information of neighboring APs is newly updated.

Referring to Table 3, in case of simple reboot, the environment information is not changed, so it operates with the method described in (3. 1. 2.) with the information before the reboot.

On the other hand, in case of reinstallation, since environment information has been changed, a function of searching for neighbor AP information is added to the VoIP terminal. If the neighbor AP information is measured and transmitted to the target AP using the VoIP terminal, the channel is selected through the method described in (3. 1. 1.) and then the method described in (3. 1. 2.) Will work. If the function of searching for neighboring AP information is not added to the VoIP terminal, the channel is selected through the method described in (3. 1. 1.) considering only the neighboring AP information that the target AP searches for, and then ( 3. It works by the method described in 2.).

3. 2. Comparison with other channel selection methods

In order to compare with other channel selection methods, it is possible to configure the environment in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 and measure the yield performance when assuming a frame loss rate when using VoIP at various locations and a wireless LAN device such as a notebook computer. It was. Hereinafter, it is assumed that all APs are heavy-traffic.

In the above environment, when using another existing channel selection method, which channel is selected is as follows.

LCCS ( Least Congested Channel Scan ) algorithm

The LCCS algorithm selects the channel where the least AP is detected using only the information probed by the AP. Channel 5 is selected for a given topology.

Pick - rand and Pick - first

Equation 2 is an objective function of the Pick-rand and Pick-first algorithms.

If the channel is selected with the objective function shown in Equation 2, channel 5 is selected in the given topology.

Hminmax

Equation 3 is the objective function of Hminmax.

If the channel is selected with the objective function shown in Equation 3, channel 5 is selected in the given topology.

CFAssign - RaC

The CFAssign-RaC algorithm operates in a client-assisted manner, using the information measured by the client to select the most contention free channel. In a given topology, channel 2 is selected.

19 shows a result of measuring VoIP service quality performance (loss rate) for each link at each location.

Referring to FIG. 19, the graph above shows an uplink result associated with VoIP traffic sent by the terminal to the AP, and the graph below shows a downlink result related to VoIP traffic sent by the AP to the terminal.

First, when looking at the VoIP quality of service performance of each link at each location, the existing algorithms do not consider VoIP quality of service, so the R-score is low in the selected channel, whereas the channel selected by the channel selection method according to the present invention is the quality of VoIP quality of service. Considering this, we can see that R-score chooses a good channel.

20 shows the result of measuring the WLAN yield performance for the traffic of the AP.

Referring to FIG. 20, since the existing algorithms use only the AP's surrounding information on the selected channel, the maximum throughput performance is high around the AP, but the influence of the hidden AP when the WLAN device such as a notebook is not near the AP It can be seen that the yield performance is seriously deteriorated because it is not considered. On the other hand, the channel selected through the channel selection method according to the present invention has a maximum yield performance slightly lower than that of other algorithms, but operates in a client-assisted manner to obtain a channel with evenly high yield performance at all positions. You can see that it is selected.

4. Implementation system of the present invention

21 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless access system in which the present invention is implemented.

The AP 210 includes a controller 211, a memory 212, and an RF unit 213. The controller 211 implements the proposed function, process and / or method. Layers of the air interface protocol may be implemented by the controller 211. The memory 212 is connected to the controller 211 and stores various information for driving the controller 211. The RF unit 213 is connected to the control unit 211 and transmits and / or receives a radio signal.

The terminal 220 includes a controller 221, a memory 222, and an RF unit 223. The controller 221 implements the proposed function, process and / or method. Layers of the air interface protocol may be implemented by the controller 221. The memory 222 is connected to the control unit 221 and stores various information for driving the control unit 221. The RF unit 223 is connected to the control unit 221 to transmit and / or receive a radio signal.

The memories 212 and 222 may be inside or outside the controllers 211 and 221 and may be connected to the controllers 211 and 221 by various well-known means. Also, the AP 210 and / or the terminal 220 may have a single antenna or multiple antennas.

The embodiments described above are those in which the elements and features of the present invention are combined in a predetermined form. Each component or feature shall be considered optional unless otherwise expressly stated. Each component or feature may be implemented in a form that is not combined with other components or features. It is also possible to construct embodiments of the present invention by combining some of the elements and / or features. The order of the operations described in the embodiments of the present invention may be changed. Some configurations or features of certain embodiments may be included in other embodiments, or may be replaced with corresponding configurations or features of other embodiments. It is clear that the claims that are not expressly cited in the claims may be combined to form an embodiment or be included in a new claim by an amendment after the application.

In this document, embodiments of the present invention have been described mainly based on the data transmission and reception relationship between the AP and the terminal. The specific operation described herein as being performed by an AP may be performed by its upper node, as the case may be. That is, it is apparent that various operations performed for communication with a terminal in a network including a plurality of network nodes including an AP can be performed by other network nodes other than the AP or the AP. The AP may be replaced by terms such as a base station, a fixed station, a Node B, an eNode B (eNB), an internet router, an IP router, and the like. In addition, the terminal may be replaced with terms such as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile subscriber station (MSS), and the like.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be implemented by various means, for example, hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In the case of hardware implementation, an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) field programmable gate arrays, processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and the like.

In the case of implementation by firmware or software, an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in the form of a module, procedure, function, etc. that performs the functions or operations described above. The software code can be stored in a memory unit and driven by the processor. The memory unit is located inside or outside the processor, and can exchange data with the processor by various means already known.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all aspects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the invention are included in the scope of the invention.

Channel Selection Scheme in the Wireless Access System According to the present invention, the present invention has been described with reference to the example applied to the IEEE 802.11 system. However, the present invention can be applied to various wireless communication systems in addition to the IEEE 802.11 system.

210: AP 211: control unit
212: memory 213: RF unit
220: terminal 221: control unit
222: memory 223: RF unit

Claims (26)

In consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals, priority is set for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service, and the plurality of channel selection criteria are gradually staged according to the set priority. An access point (AP) for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals;
Including a terminal for exchanging data with the AP using the operating channel selected by the AP,
Wherein the plurality of channel selection criteria comprises a value of a degree and throughput of interference from a neighboring AP. An AP for selecting a candidate channel list including one or more channels in consideration of the influence of interference with neighboring APs, and selecting an operation channel capable of maximizing throughput in the selected candidate channel list; And
And a terminal exchanging data with the AP using an operation channel selected by the AP. RF (Radio Frequency) unit; And
In consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals, priority is set for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service, and the plurality of channel selection criteria are gradually staged according to the set priority. And a control unit for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying,
The plurality of channel selection criteria include values of the degree of interference and the throughput from neighboring APs. delete RF (Radio Frequency) unit; And
A AP including a controller for selecting a candidate channel list including one or more channels in consideration of the influence of interference with neighboring APs, and selecting an operation channel capable of maximizing throughput in the selected candidate channel list; Access Point). 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
If the terminal is located at a specific location, the candidate channel list may be determined in consideration of the influence of interference on a hidden AP, which is a neighboring AP detected only in one of the terminal or the AP, or a neighboring AP operating in the adjacent channel with the AP. Selected, AP. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
The candidate channel list is selected using the information on the neighbor AP received from the terminal,
The information on the neighbor AP includes an amplitude of a signal received from the neighbor AP measured by the terminal, an operation channel of the neighbor AP, and a service set identifier (SSID) of the neighbor AP. 8. The apparatus of claim 7,
By using the information about the neighboring AP measured by the terminal at a plurality of locations, if the terminal is located at a specific location, the influence on the hidden AP, which is a neighboring AP detected only in one of the terminal or the AP, is scored. An AP for selecting the candidate channel list. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
And selecting the operating channel by scoring the influence of the adjacent channel with the operating channel of the neighboring AP. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
While communicating with the terminal through the selected operating channel, the AP reselects the operating channel using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP periodically received from the terminal. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
Selecting the candidate channel list by using information on a call quality in a currently operating channel received from a terminal in a VoIP (voice over IP) call. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
And selecting the candidate channel list by using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP at the end of the VoIP call received from the terminal that has received the voice over IP (VoIP) call. 6. The apparatus of claim 5,
When the AP is reinstalled at another location, the candidate channel list is reselected using information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal.
The information on the neighbor AP received from the terminal includes the size of the signal received from the neighbor AP measured by the terminal, the operating channel of the neighbor AP and the service set identifier (SSID) of the neighbor AP. Setting priorities for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service in consideration of each communication service provided by an access point (AP) to a plurality of terminals; And
Wherein the AP selects an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying the plurality of channel selection criteria step by step according to the set priority,
Wherein the plurality of channel selection criteria comprises values of the degree of interference and throughput from neighboring APs. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the plurality of channel selection criteria comprises values of the degree of interference and throughput from neighboring APs. Selecting, by an AP, a candidate channel list including one or more channels in consideration of the influence of interference with a neighboring AP; And
And selecting, by the AP, an operating channel capable of maximizing throughput in the selected candidate channel list. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the candidate channel list comprises:
The AP may be configured in consideration of the influence of interference on a hidden AP, which is a neighboring AP which is detected only in one of the terminal or the AP when the terminal is located at a specific location, or a neighboring AP operating in an adjacent channel with the AP. A channel selection method for selecting a candidate channel list. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the candidate channel list comprises:
The AP selects the candidate channel list using the information on the neighbor AP received from the terminal,
The information on the neighbor AP includes the size of the signal received from the neighbor AP measured by the terminal, the operating channel of the neighbor AP and the service set identifier (SSID) of the neighbor AP. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the candidate channel list comprises:
By using the information about the neighboring AP measured by the terminal at a plurality of locations, if the terminal is located at a specific location, the influence on the hidden AP, which is a neighboring AP detected only in one of the terminal or the AP, is scored. And selecting the candidate channel list. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the operating channel comprises:
And selecting the operating channel by scoring the influence of the adjacent channel with the operating channel of the neighboring AP. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the operating channel comprises:
And reselecting the operating channel using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP periodically received from the terminal while the AP is communicating with the terminal through the selected operating channel. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the candidate channel list comprises:
And selecting the candidate channel list by using information on a call quality in a currently operating channel received by the AP from a terminal in a voice over IP (VoIP) call. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the candidate channel list comprises:
And selecting, by the AP, the candidate channel list using information on channel utilization of the neighboring AP at the position where the VoIP call is ended, received from the terminal that has received the voice over IP (VoIP) call. 17. The method of claim 16,
When the AP is reinstalled at another location, the candidate channel list is reselected using information on the neighboring AP received from the terminal.
The information on the neighbor AP received from the terminal includes a size of a signal received from the neighbor AP measured by the terminal, an operation channel of the neighbor AP, and a service set identifier (SSID) of the neighbor AP. Way. Means for setting priorities for a plurality of predetermined channel selection criteria according to each communication service in consideration of each communication service provided to a plurality of terminals; And
Means for selecting an operation channel for each of the plurality of terminals by applying the plurality of channel selection criteria step by step according to the set priority,
And the plurality of channel selection criteria are configured to include values of the degree of interference and the throughput from neighboring APs. Means for selecting a candidate channel list including one or more channels in consideration of the effects of interference with neighboring APs; And
And means for selecting an operating channel capable of maximizing throughput in the selected candidate channel list.

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