US 12,452,756 B2
Physical layer rate estimates in wireless communication systems
Harold A. Roberts, Excelsior, MN (US); Daniel J. Sills, Moss Beach, CA (US); and Eric I. Leal, Richardson, TX (US)
Assigned to Calix, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Calix, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/933,746.
Prior Publication US 2024/0098600 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. H04W 36/08 (2009.01); H04W 36/26 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 36/26 (2013.01) [H04W 36/08 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wireless communication system comprising:
memory configured to store information indicative of physical layer rates associated with power levels between a client device and respective access points of two or more access points, wherein the respective physical layer rates comprise physical layer rates between the client device and the respective access points, and wherein the power levels comprise information indicative of amounts of power in signals received by the client device from the respective access points as reported by the client device; and
one or more processors, implemented in circuitry and coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
during a communication session between the client device and a first access point of the two or more access points, determine a current power level between the client device and a second access point of the two or more access points that is reported by the client device;
access the stored information based on the current power level between the client device and the second access point to determine an expected physical layer rate between the client device and the second access point;
determine a current physical layer rate between the client device and the first access point;
determine whether to switch the communication session from between the client device and the first access point to the client device and the second access point based on the expected physical layer rate and the current physical layer rate,
wherein to determine whether to switch the communication session, the one or more processors are configured to:
determine a current end-to-end physical layer rate based on the current physical layer rate and physical layer rates between one or more intermediate access points and a wide area network (WAN);
determine an expected end-to-end physical layer rate based on the expected physical layer rate and physical layer rates between one or more intermediate access points and the WAN;
compare the current end-to-end physical layer rate and the expected end-to-end physical layer rate; and
determine to switch the communication session based on the current end-to-end physical layer rate being less than the expected end-to-end physical layer rate; and
cause the client device to switch communication session based on the determination to switch.