KR20140015823A

KR20140015823A - Automatic channel assignment of mobile access point and apparatus thereof

Info

Publication number: KR20140015823A
Application number: KR1020120081186A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김재형
Original assignee: 현대모비스 주식회사
Priority date: 2012-07-25
Filing date: 2012-07-25
Publication date: 2014-02-07

Abstract

Disclosed is an automatic channel changing method considering a surrounding wireless environment at a current position of a mobile AP. The present invention provides an environment to enable clients to use stable and fast data communication by continuously searching the surrounding wireless environment by comprehensively considering the speed and position of a vehicle and the state of the AP and allocating a channel with low channel congestion and interference to the mobile AP. [Reference numerals] (AA) Start; (BB) Yes; (CC) No; (DD) End; (S210) Set a first communication channel; (S220) Wireless LAN station connected or not?; (S230) Invest a surrounding AP by considering a movement speed and distance; (S240) Update channel congestion data; (S250) Change to a second communication channel based on the updated channel congestion data

Description

Automatic channel assignment method of mobile access point

The present invention relates to a method for automatically assigning a channel of a mobile WLAN access point, and more particularly, to a method of automatically allocating a channel in consideration of a surrounding wireless environment at a current location of a mobile access point.

Recently, due to the development of wireless communication technology and the rapid growth of wired / wireless network environment, wired network is already common in daily life, and wireless network is also becoming popularized and popularized while making up for shortcomings of existing wired network. .

Wireless networks are represented by IEEE802.11b, IEEE802.11a, and the like, and Korean Laid-Open Patent Publication 2003-0026817 discloses connection compatibility between a wireless LAN terminal having an IEEE802.11b wireless communication function and a device connected to a wired LAN terminal. In order to maintain, a wireless communication technology using a wireless base station device called an Access Point (hereinafter referred to as an "AP") having a wireless LAN interface and a wired LAN interface is disclosed. Due to such a change in communication conditions, radio resources, which are limited resources, are gradually increasing in occupancy, and radio quality is also deteriorated due to an increase in the number of APs and mobile stations.

Existing APs use a fixed channel of one of the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands when the power is turned on. In addition, even in the case of an AP to which a channel search algorithm with low channel congestion is applied, when the power is turned on, the AP is searched once and the allocated channel is fixed.

When multiple clients access a single AP, the signal strength between the AP and the client is good, but normal data communication may occur due to interference between channels or excessive data traffic of the AP. In particular, in the case of a mobile AP (for example, a smartphone and a vehicle AP), data communication using Wi-Fi is greatly influenced by a wireless environment of a corresponding region. For example, when the AP is powered on, data communication is performed only through a fixed channel as in the prior art. If all APs in the vicinity use the same channel or adjacent channels, a clean channel is used. The communication quality is poor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for the mobile AP to automatically change the channel in consideration of the surrounding wireless environment at the current location in order to solve the above problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a channel changing method suitable for each situation according to a situation such as before or after a client is connected.

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

According to an aspect of the present invention, an automatic channel allocation method for a mobile access point includes assigning a channel having the lowest channel congestion as a first communication channel when the access point is powered on. And searching for a surrounding wireless environment at a current location of the access point, and changing the communication channel of the access point to a second communication channel according to the search result.

The searching of the surrounding wireless environment may include determining whether to search for a neighboring AP based on the moving speed and the moving distance of the access point.

The determining of whether to search for the neighboring AP includes: starting the search for the neighboring AP when the access point moves more than a predetermined threshold distance from the point where the search for the neighboring AP was last stopped based on the current time point; If the moving speed of the access point exceeds a preset threshold speed, stopping the discovery of the neighboring AP.

The searching of the surrounding wireless environment may include broadcasting a probe request to all channels that can communicate at the current location of the access point, and receiving a probe response from the neighboring AP. And receiving beacon information, which is a magnetic information transmission signal, from a neighboring AP, and updating a previously prepared channel congestion table using the probe request and the beacon information.

The changing to the second communication channel includes changing the communication channel to the channel with the lowest channel congestion based on the updated channel congestion table.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatically allocating a mobile access point, including determining whether a client terminal connected to the access point exists before searching for the surrounding wireless environment, and as a result of the determination, the access point If there is a client terminal connected to the, may further comprise the step of confirming the release of the connection between the access point and the connected client terminal.

The checking of the release of the connection may include periodically checking data throughput between the access point and the connected client terminal, and if the data throughput is less than or equal to a preset threshold, data traffic at the access point. Checking the channel congestion, checking channel congestion between the first communication channel and the remaining channel allocated to the access point, and determining whether to transmit notification information to the client terminal using the data traffic and the channel congestion. It includes a step.

The determining of whether to transmit the notification information may include transmitting the notification information when the data traffic exceeds a preset threshold or when the channel congestion of the first communication channel exceeds the channel congestion of the remaining channels. do.

As described above, according to the present invention, the surrounding wireless environment is continuously searched in consideration of vehicle speed, location, and AP status, and a channel having low channel congestion and interference is allocated to the mobile AP. It provides an environment that allows them to use more reliable and faster data communication.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a Wi-Fi device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flow chart of a method for providing a connection user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of profile information constructed for each application database and AP stored in a memory;

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Is provided to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components throughout the drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wireless LAN AP 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless LAN AP 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a configuration including a CPU 110, a RAM 120, a flash ROM 130, a switch 140, a wireless LAN controller 160, and an antenna 170. Have

The CPU 110 reads a control program loaded on the RAM 120 to control the wireless LAN controller 160.

The RAM 120 stores a program for controlling the operation of the WLAN AP 100 or is used as a temporary storage area of communication packets transmitted and received between the WLAN controllers 160.

The flash ROM 130 stores system setting values of a control program or an access point loaded on the RAM 120.

The switch 140 is used to indicate, by user input, to start searching for a wireless free channel.

The location detecting module 150 detects the location information of the WLAN AP 100 in conjunction with the GPS to generate movement information, and transfers the movement information to the CPU 110.

The wireless LAN controller 160 controls packetization, modulation and demodulation and encryption of data transmitted and received between the wireless communication device and the wireless LAN AP 100.

The antenna 170 is used for receiving data from the wireless LAN station and transmitting data to the wireless LAN station.

When the WLAN AP 100 moves, the speed detecting module 180 detects a moving speed, generates speed information, and transfers the speed information to the CPU 110.

The channel congestion table 190 stores congestion for each channel as data.

That is, when the switch 140 operates and starts searching for a free channel of the radio according to a user input, the WLAN AP 100 broadcasts a probe request to all 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels. Probe response is received from the neighbor AP. In addition, the WLAN AP 100 collects beacon information, which is a self-information transmission signal, from the neighbor AP to determine information of the neighbor AP.

That is, the WLAN AP 100 analyzes the channel congestion using the probe request and the beacon information received from the neighboring APs, and allocates the channel having the lowest channel congestion as the communication channel. In addition, the WLAN AP 100 creates a channel congestion table 190 based on the analyzed channel congestion.

On the other hand, if the wireless LAN AP 100 is installed in the vehicle, the surrounding wireless environment changes from time to time according to the current position of the vehicle, that is, the current position of the wireless LAN AP 100, accordingly the currently allocated communication channel You need to change The present invention relates to a method for automatically changing a channel in a mobile WLAN AP 100 in which a surrounding wireless environment changes from time to time. A detailed description thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

2 and 3 are flowcharts illustrating an embodiment of an automatic channel allocation method of a mobile AP.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the power is turned on by a user's manipulation of the switch 140 in the WLAN AP 100, the CPU 110 reads a control program loaded on the RAM 120. In addition, the process for allocating a communication channel is executed. For example, the WLAN AP 100 broadcasts a probe request on all 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels, and receives a probe response from a neighboring AP. In addition, the WLAN AP 100 collects beacon information, which is a self-information transmission signal, from the neighbor AP to determine information of the neighbor AP. Thereafter, the WLAN AP 100 analyzes the channel congestion using the probe request and the beacon information received from the neighboring APs, and allocates the channel having the lowest channel congestion as the first communication channel (S210).

In this specification, the terms first communication channel and second communication channel are used. The first communication channel refers to a communication channel initially allocated when the power of the WLAN AP 100 is turned on. The second communication channel refers to a surrounding communication environment as the WLAN AP 100 moves. Therefore, the communication channel changed in the first communication channel is collectively referred to.

Thereafter, the wireless LAN AP 100 checks whether a wireless LAN station (for example, a client terminal, etc.) is connected (S220).

If no client terminal is connected to the WLAN AP 100, the WLAN AP 100 searches for a neighboring AP in consideration of factors related to a moving speed and a moving distance (S230).

In one embodiment, the location detection module 150 detects the location information of the WLAN AP 100 in conjunction with the GPS to generate movement information, and the speed detection module 180 when the WLAN AP 100 moves. The speed information is generated by identifying the moving speed. The movement information and the speed information are transmitted to the CPU 110. The CPU 110 performs the neighbor AP search control based on the speed information and the movement information. In detail, when the speed information exceeds a preset threshold, that is, when the moving speed of the WLAN AP 100 exceeds the preset threshold, control to stop searching for neighboring APs is performed. In addition, based on the location information of the current wireless AP 100 acquired in conjunction with the GPS, and performs a control to start the search for the neighboring AP when moving to a predetermined threshold or more in the region where the last search for the neighboring AP stopped.

As a result of the discovery of the neighboring AP in operation S230, the WLAN AP 100 analyzes the channel congestion using the newly received probe request and beacon information from the neighboring AP, and accordingly, the channel congestion stored in the channel congestion table 190. The data is updated (S240). Subsequently, the WLAN AP 100 changes the communication channel to a channel having the lowest channel congestion, that is, the least allocated AP and the least peripheral interference (hereinafter referred to as the second communication channel) based on the updated channel congestion data. (S250).

If there is at least one client terminal connected to the WLAN AP 100 in step S220, the WLAN AP 100 periodically checks data throughput between itself and the client terminal (S310). .

If the WLAN AP 100 does not come out with a certain level of data throughput (S320), that is, if the throughput is less than a preset threshold, the neighboring AP scans and collects data usage of the current AP. Here, the data usage includes information such as data traffic of the AP and the number of client terminals currently connected.

For example, the WLAN AP 100 compares the data traffic with a preset threshold among the collected data usage information (S331), and further, the WLAN AP 100 compares the congestion of the currently allocated channel with another channel. The degree of congestion is compared (S333).

If the data traffic exceeds the preset threshold (= A), it means that the data traffic exceeds the available level that the WLAN AP 100 can handle. In addition, the congestion degree of a channel currently allocated to the WLAN AP 100 is greater than that of other channels (= B), which means that many APs use an allocated channel or that interference by adjacent channels is large. When such a result is obtained, the WLAN AP 100 needs to change a channel in order to provide stable data communication to the client terminal, and transmits the fact to the client terminal to which the fact is connected (S340).

For example, the WLAN AP 100 may transmit information to a client terminal when the data traffic exceeds a preset threshold or when the currently allocated channel has a greater congestion than other channels. Send the fact. In other words, when the data traffic exceeds the available level to be processed, the WLAN AP 100 transmits the information to the client terminal with the corresponding information in the beacon and probe response. The information is provided to the client terminal as a GUI, and the GUI may include information for exceeding data usage of the currently connected AP and inducing a connection to another AP.

In addition, the data traffic of the WLAN AP (100) did not exceed the available level that can be processed, but the interference of the neighboring AP or the AP and the client terminal using the current channel can not provide a normal data communication service The information is transmitted to the client terminal so that the above-described GUI is displayed.

Through the GUI provided by the client terminal, the user of the terminal recognizes that the data communication service is unstable, and the terminal user releases the communication connection with the AP currently connected through the UI of the terminal.

When the WLAN AP 100 confirms that the connection with all the client terminals connected thereto is released (S350), the WLAN AP 100 changes the allocation of the communication channel from the first communication channel to the second communication channel (S360).

Meanwhile, the method for automatically changing channels according to the present invention described above may be embodied as computer readable codes on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording media storing data that can be decoded by the multimedia device. For example, there may be a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, an optical data storage device and the like. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed and executed as a code that can be distributed to multimedia devices connected to a computer network and read in a distributed manner.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

If the access point is powered on, allocating a channel having the lowest channel congestion as the first communication channel;
Searching for a surrounding wireless environment at the current location of the access point; And
Changing the communication channel of the access point to a second communication channel according to the search result
Automatic channel assignment method of a mobile access point comprising a.

The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for the surrounding wireless environment comprises:
Determining whether to search for a neighboring AP based on the moving speed and the moving distance of the access point.
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of whether to search for the neighboring AP comprises:
Starting the neighbor AP search when the access point is moved beyond the preset threshold distance from the point where the neighbor AP search is stopped last based on the current time point; And
If the movement speed of the access point exceeds a preset threshold speed, stopping searching for the neighboring AP;
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

The method of claim 1, wherein the searching for the surrounding wireless environment comprises:
Broadcasting a probe request to all channels that can communicate at the current location of the access point;
Receiving a probe response from a neighbor AP;
Receiving beacon information, which is a magnetic information transmission signal, from a neighboring AP; And
Updating a previously created channel congestion table using the probe request and the beacon information.
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

The method of claim 4, wherein changing to the second communication channel comprises:
Changing the communication channel to the channel with the lowest channel congestion based on the updated channel congestion table;
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

The method of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of searching for the surrounding wireless environment,
Determining whether a client terminal connected to the access point exists;
As a result of the determination, when there is a client terminal connected to the access point, confirming the release of the connection between the access point and the connected client terminal
Automatic channel allocation method of a mobile access point further comprising.

The method of claim 6, wherein the step of confirming the release of the connection,
Periodically checking data throughput between the access point and the connected client terminal;
Inspecting data traffic at the access point when the data throughput is below a predetermined threshold;
Checking channel congestion between the first communication channel and the remaining channels assigned to the access point; And
Determining whether to transmit notification information to the client terminal by using the data traffic and the channel congestion degree.
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to transmit the notification information,
Transmitting the notification information when the data traffic exceeds a preset threshold or when the channel congestion of the first communication channel exceeds the channel congestion of the remaining channels.
Automatic channel allocation method for in-portable access points.

A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing an automatic channel allocation method of an access point according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

A memory storing a control program for controlling the operation of the mobile access point for automatic channel allocation of the mobile access point, and one or more processors for reading the control program and controlling the automatic channel allocation of the access point,
The control program,
A first instruction for allocating a channel having the lowest channel congestion as the first communication channel when the access point is powered on;
A second instruction to determine whether to search for a neighboring AP based on the movement speed and the movement distance of the access point;
And a third command for updating a previously prepared channel congestion table and changing a communication channel to a second communication channel having the lowest channel congestion based on the updated channel congestion table according to the search result.
Mobile access point.

The method of claim 10, wherein the control program,
A fourth command for determining whether there is a client terminal connected to the access point, and if the client terminal connected to the access point exists as a result of the determination, confirming the release of the connection between the access point and the connected client terminal Further includes a fifth instruction to
The fifth command periodically checks data throughput between the access point and the connected client terminal, and if the data throughput is less than or equal to a preset threshold, checking data traffic at the access point;
Examining channel congestion between the first communication channel and the remaining channel allocated to the access point, and determining whether to transmit notification information to the client terminal using the data traffic and the channel congestion.
Mobile access point.

The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether to transmit the notification information comprises:
Transmitting the notification information when the data traffic exceeds a preset threshold or when the channel congestion of the first communication channel exceeds the channel congestion of the remaining channels.
Mobile access point.