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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 4/10

Apple patents method to fix Wi-Fi signal strength readings

Apple has patented a way to measure how strong a wireless connection is by combining data from two different types of channels. The device listens to a short, wide channel for a signal check and a narrower channel for actual data to get a more accurate picture of the connection quality.

Why it mattersThis could help devices make better decisions about when to switch networks or adjust their power, leading to more stable connections.

In the filing’s own words

The subject disclosure provides systems and methods for improved signal strength determination for wireless communication. A client device may determine a signal strength, corresponding to a network connection to an access point, by using one or more beacons received over a first channel having a first channel width and data received over a second channel having a second channel width.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method, comprising: at a first device: receiving, from a second device, a beacon over a first channel having a first channel width; receiving data from the second device over a second channel having a second channel width different from the first channel width; determining, based at least on the beacon and the data, a signal strength corresponding to the second device; and operating in accordance with the determined signal strength.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Cross-channel signal strength measurement correction for wireless communication
Patent number
US12732918B2
Application number
18368013
Filed
Sep 13, 2023
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 52/245 Electricity & electronicsH04B 17/318 Electricity & electronicsH04W 84/12 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.