TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to wireless communications. More specifically, this disclosure relates to dynamic data rate selection in wireless networks.

BACKGROUND

Wireless communication networks include multiple types of wireless communication systems including 4G, 5G, Wifi®, satellite, and the like to communicate or transfer data between two devices using base stations, access points, and the like. The wireless communication systems use uplink and downlink communication channels or links to communicate data between the two devices. The uplink communication channel generally refers to communications from a user device toward a base station. The downlink communication channel generally refers to communications from the base station towards the user device. The uplink communication channel and the downlink communication channel each have data rates which are dynamically configurable. In the downlink communication channel, the data rate is based on a configured power level.

Dynamic rate selection techniques are used to dynamically change a downlink data rate in the wireless communication systems. These dynamic rate selection techniques are needed, for example, to account for channel quality and other service level characteristics. For example, in Wifi®, an access point's transmission power reduces with increasing distance and consequently, a measured received power level at a Wifi® user device decreases with increasing distance from the access point. The Wifi® user device reports the measured received power level and channel quality to the access point. The access point sets the downlink data rate based on the measured received power level. The amount of transmitted throughput in the downlink per received power level is fixed. That is, each power level has a set or supported data rate in the downlink. However, each of the wireless communication systems uses a different received power level to data rate classification or arrangement. Consequently, the quality of service for a user device can be impacted when accessing or using different wireless communication systems during a wireless communications session.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for dynamic data rate selection in wireless networks. In implementations, a method for dynamic data rate update includes sending, by a wireless controller to a base station, an access point power-data rate table, updating, by the base station, a base station power-data rate table with the access point power-data rate table based on checking defined thresholds, confirming, by the base station, the validity of the updated base station power-data rate table by receiving measurements from a user device responsive to communications using the updated base station power-data rate table, reverting, by the base station, to a previous base station power-data rate table if the measurements indicate that the updated base station power-data rate table is not correct, sending, by the base station to the wireless controller, one of the updated base station power-data rate table or the previous base station power-data rate table, updating, by the wireless controller, the access point power-data rate table with a received base station power-data rate table and sending, by the wireless controller, updated access point power-data rate table to an access point.

