SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A MESH NETWORK USING A PLURALITY OF WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS (WAPs)

Abstract

A first access point located in a first cell may be coupled to a second access point located in a second cell. Service may be initially provided to an access device by the first access point cell. The access device may subsequently be serviced by a second access point whenever a signal for the access device falls below a specified threshold level. The second cell may be a neighboring cell, which may be located adjacent to the first cell. A first signal may be transmitted from a first beamforming antenna coupled to the first access point, to the second access point via an uplink channel. Similarly, a second signal may be transmitted from a second beamforming antenna coupled to the second access point, to the first access point via a downlink channel. The uplink and downlink channels may be a backhaul channel.

1 - 99 . (canceled) 
     
     
         100 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program that, when executed by processing circuitry within a first wireless access point, causes the processing circuitry to:
 establish a communication link between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point via a beamforming antenna communicatively couple to the first wireless access point;   assign a dedicated frequency to the communication link; and   send network traffic from the first wireless access point to the second wireless access point via the communication link.   
     
     
         101 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 100 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 2.401 Gigahertz and 2.495 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         102 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 100 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 4.905 Gigahertz and 5.865 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         103 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 100 , wherein the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point are configured to communicate with a wireless client device on a separate frequency from the dedicated frequency. 
     
     
         104 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim of  103 , further causing the processing circuitry to send, via the communication link, session context data associated with the wireless client device to the second wireless access point in response to receiving a message from the second wireless access point indicating a dissociation from the first wireless access point by the wireless client device and a re-association with the second wireless access point by the wireless client device. 
     
     
         105 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 104 , wherein the message is associated with a signal strength of a wireless communication link between the second wireless access point and the wireless client device rising above a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         106 . A system comprising one or more processors, one or more circuits, or a combination thereof within a first wireless device, wherein the one or more processors, the one or more circuits, or the combination thereof are operable to:
 establish a communication link between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point via a beamforming antenna communicatively couple to the first wireless access point;   assign a dedicated frequency to the communication link; and   send network traffic from the first wireless access point to the second wireless access point via the communication link.   
     
     
         107 . The system of  claim 106 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 2.401 Gigahertz and 2.495 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         108 . The system of  claim 106 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 4.905 Gigahertz and 5.865 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         109 . The system of  claim 106 , wherein the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point are configured to communicate with a wireless client device on a separate frequency from the dedicated frequency. 
     
     
         110 . The system of  claim 109 , wherein the one or more processors, the one or more circuits, or the combination thereof are further operable to:
 send, via the communication link, session context data associated with the wireless client device to the second wireless access point in response to receiving a message from the second wireless access point indicating a dissociation from the first wireless access point by the wireless client device and a re-association with the second wireless access point by the wireless client device.   
     
     
         111 . The system of  claim 110 , wherein the message is associated with a signal strength of a wireless communication link between the first wireless access point and the wireless client device falling below a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         112 . A method of communicating between wireless access points in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:
 establishing a backhaul communication link between a first wireless access point located in a first cell and a second wireless access point located in a second cell;   assigning a dedicated frequency to the backhaul communication link; and   communicating between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point via the dedicated frequency.   
     
     
         113 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the first cell comprises a first wireless network and the second cell comprises a second wireless network. 
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the first cell and the second cell are components of a wireless network. 
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point are configured to communicate with a wireless client device on a separate frequency from the dedicated frequency. 
     
     
         116 . The method of  claim 115 , further comprising determining whether to create a client communication link between the wireless client device and the first wireless access point or the second wireless access point based at least on a comparison of a first signal strength and a second signal strength, wherein the first signal strength measures a first signal level between the wireless client device and the first wireless access point and the second signal strength measures a second signal level between the wireless client device and the second wireless access point. 
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 2.401 Gigahertz and 2.495 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the dedicated frequency is between 4.905 Gigahertz and 5.865 Gigahertz. 
     
     
         119 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein communicating between the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point is provided by a first beamforming antenna communicatively coupled to the first wireless access point and a second beamforming antenna communicatively coupled to the second wireless access point.