US-12627665-B2 - Admitting an entity computing device to a network based on a signal strength and network conditions

US12627665B2US 12627665 B2US12627665 B2US 12627665B2US-12627665-B2

Abstract

A method for admitting an entity computing device to a network includes receiving, by a network computing device, a request from an entity computing device for admission to a network and the network computing device determining whether a signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies a signal strength threshold value. In response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, the network computing device determines whether one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied, and in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied, the network computing device admits the entity computing device to the network.

Inventors

Muhib T. Oduwaiye
Ravi Kiran Gundu
Arvind Kumar Kopparapu

Assignees

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230720

Claims (16)

1 . A method, comprising: receiving, by a network computing device, a request from an entity computing device for admission to a network; determining, by the network computing device, whether a signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies a signal strength threshold value; in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determining, by the network computing device, whether one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied, admitting, by the network computing device, the entity computing device to the network; and dynamically adjusting the signal strength threshold value by: determining a current noise floor level associated with the network; determining a first candidate signal strength threshold value which is calculated by adding a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value to the current noise floor level; determining a second candidate signal strength threshold value based on a configured received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value; and setting the signal strength threshold value to one of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value, according to which of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value has a lowest absolute value.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network conditions associated with the network include one or more of a channel utilization condition, a number of computing devices connected to the network condition, and a backhaul utilization condition.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining, by the network computing device, whether the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied comprises: determining whether a channel utilization associated with the network is less than a channel utilization threshold value; determining whether a backhaul utilization associated with the network is less than a backhaul utilization threshold value; and determining whether a number of computing devices connected to the network is less than a device count threshold value.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the signal strength threshold value is dynamically adjusted to the second candidate signal strength threshold value, determining, by the network computing device, whether the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value comprises: determining whether a RSSI associated with the entity computing device is less than or greater than the configured RSSI value.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SNR value is a configured SNR value.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SNR value is a highest value between a SNR value associated with the entity computing device and a SNR value associated with the network computing device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determining, by the network computing device, whether one or more network conditions associated with a further network are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network are satisfied, ranking each of the network and the further network, by the network computing device, based on the one or more network conditions associated with the network and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network; and admitting, by the network computing device, the entity computing device to the network when the network is higher ranked than the further network.
8 . A network computing device, comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the at least one memory to: receive a request from an entity computing device for admission to a network; determine whether a signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies a signal strength threshold value; in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determine whether one or more network conditions are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions are satisfied, admit the entity computing device to the network; and dynamically adjust the signal strength threshold value by: determining a current noise floor level associated with the network; determining a first candidate signal strength threshold value which is calculated by adding a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value to the current noise floor level; determining a second candidate signal strength threshold value based on a configured received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value; and setting the signal strength threshold value to one of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value, according to which of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value has a lowest absolute value.
9 . The network computing device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more network conditions associated with the network include one or more of a channel utilization condition, a number of computing devices connected to the network condition, and a backhaul utilization condition.
10 . The network computing device of claim 9 , wherein to determine whether the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied, the at least one processor is configured to: determine whether a channel utilization associated with the network is less than a channel utilization threshold value; determine whether a backhaul utilization associated with the network is less than a backhaul utilization threshold value; and determine whether a number of computing devices connected to the network is less than a device count threshold value.
11 . The network computing device of claim 8 , wherein when the signal strength threshold value is dynamically adjusted to the second candidate signal strength threshold value, to determine whether the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, the at least one processor is configured to: determine whether a RSSI associated with the entity computing device is less than or greater than the configured RSSI value.
12 . The network computing device of claim 8 , wherein the SNR value is a configured SNR value.
13 . The network computing device of claim 8 , wherein the SNR value is a highest value between a SNR value associated with the entity computing device and a SNR value associated with the network computing device.
14 . The network computing device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to: in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determine whether one or more network conditions associated with a further network are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network are satisfied, rank each of the network and the further network based on the one or more network conditions associated with the network and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network; and admit the entity computing device to the network when the network is higher ranked than the further network.
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes executable instructions configured to cause one or more processor devices of a network computing device to: receive a request from an entity computing device for admission to a network; determine whether a signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies a signal strength threshold value; in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determine whether one or more network conditions are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions are satisfied, admit the entity computing device to the network; and dynamically adjust the signal strength threshold value by: determining a current noise floor level associated with the network; determining a first candidate signal strength threshold value which is calculated by adding a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value to the current noise floor level; determining a second candidate signal strength threshold value based on a configured received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value; and setting the signal strength threshold value to one of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value, according to which of the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value has a lowest absolute value.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the SNR value is a configured SNR value, or the SNR value is a highest value between a SNR value associated with the entity computing device and a SNR value associated with the network computing device.

Description

BACKGROUND Network computing devices (e.g., an access point) may admit entity computing devices (e.g., user equipment) to a network when a signal strength associated with the entity computing device is sufficiently strong. SUMMARY The disclosure relates generally to techniques implemented by a network computing device for admitting an entity computing device to a network. For example, the network computing device can implement various techniques which consider factors beyond the signal strength associated with the entity computing device, before admitting the entity computing device to the network. According to an example of the disclosure a method for admitting an entity computing device to a network includes receiving, by a network computing device, a request from an entity computing device for admission to a network; determining, by the network computing device, whether a signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies a signal strength threshold value; in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determining, by the network computing device, whether one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied; and in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied, admitting, by the network computing device, the entity computing device to the network. In some implementations, the one or more network conditions associated with the network include one or more of a channel utilization condition, a number of computing devices connected to the network condition, and a backhaul utilization condition. In some implementations, determining, by the network computing device, whether the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied comprises: determining whether a channel utilization associated with the network is less than a channel utilization threshold value; determining whether a backhaul utilization associated with the network is less than a backhaul utilization threshold value; and determining whether a number of computing devices connected to the network is less than a device count threshold value. In some implementations, determining, by the network computing device, whether the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value comprises: determining whether a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the entity computing device is less than a reference RSSI threshold value. In some implementations, the method includes dynamically adjusting the signal strength threshold value based on a current noise floor level associated with the network. In some implementations, dynamically adjusting the signal strength threshold value based on the current noise floor level associated with the network comprises: determining the current noise floor level associated with the network; determining a first candidate signal strength threshold value based on a difference between a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value and the current noise floor level; determining a second candidate signal strength threshold value based on a configured received signal strength indicator (RSSI); and setting the signal strength threshold value to a lowest absolute value between the first candidate signal strength threshold value and the second candidate signal strength threshold value. In some implementations, the SNR value is a configured SNR value. In some implementations, the SNR value is a highest value between a SNR value associated with the entity computing device and a SNR value associated with the network computing device. In some implementations, the method includes in response to determining the signal strength associated with the entity computing device satisfies the signal strength threshold value, determining, by the network computing device, whether one or more network conditions associated with a further network are satisfied; in response to determining the one or more network conditions associated with the network are satisfied and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network are satisfied, ranking each of the network and the further network, by the network computing device, based on the one or more network conditions associated with the network and the one or more network conditions associated with the further network; and admitting, by the network computing device, the entity computing device to the network when the network is higher ranked than the further network. According to an example of the disclosure, a network computing device for admitting an entity computing device to a network is provided. The network computing device includes: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the at least one memory to: receive a request from an entity comput