Optimizing the Channel Load Reporting Process in IEEE 802.11k-Enabled WLANs

IEEE 802.11k is an extension of the IEEE 802.11 specification for radio resource measurements. In an IEEE 802.11k-enabled wireless LAN, an access point or other network element may request from a client or another access point to monitor and report the load of a channel. The authors call the latter a channel monitoring station. In this paper, they propose a mechanism for a channel monitoring station to efficiently derive accurate values of channel load. They especially focus on optimizing the duration of channel monitoring and thus minimize the impact on applications.