Access point and method for wireless multiple access

• US 20060221904A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Sharony, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/095,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Described is an access point a plurality of antennas, a plurality of transceivers and a processor. Each of the antennas receives a first signal from each of a plurality of wireless devices. The first signal includes a first identifier of a corresponding wireless device. Each of the transceivers is coupled to each of the antennas. The processor is coupled to each of the transceivers. The processor generates a first communication matrix which includes the first identifier from each of a selected number of the wireless devices. The selected number is no greater than a number of the antennas. The processor utilizes the first communication matrix to resolve multiple wireless communications received from the selected number of the wireless devices within a single time slot over a radio channel.

Claims

1. An access point, comprising:

a plurality of antennas receiving a first signal from each of a plurality of wireless devices, the first signal including a first identifier of a corresponding wireless device;

a plurality of transceivers coupled to each of the plurality of antennas; and

a processor coupled to each of the plurality of transceivers,

wherein the processor generates a first communication matrix including the first identifier from each of a selected number of the wireless devices, the selected number being no greater than a number of the antennas, and

wherein the processor utilizes the first communication matrix to resolve multiple wireless communications received from the selected number of the wireless devices within a single time slot over a radio channel.

2. The access point according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antennas transmits a corresponding second signal to the wireless devices, the second signals being utilized to generate a second communication matrix by the corresponding wireless device.

3. The access point according to claim 2, wherein the second signal is a training packet.

4. The access point according to claim 1, wherein each of the wireless devices is one of a cell phone, a scanner, a PDA, a network interface card, a laptop and a handheld computer.

5. The access point according to claim 1, wherein the first identifier is a vector.

6. The access point according to claim 1, wherein the access point has a first communication mode (“

FCM”

) during which the access point receives each of the first signals in a single time slot, and a second communication mode (“

SCM”

) during which the access point one of transmits and receives multiple wireless communications in a further single time slot.

7. The access point according to claim 6, wherein the FCM utilizes an IEEE 802.11 standard and the SCM utilizes a multiple-in-multiple-out (“

MIMO”

) mode.

8. The access point according to claim 1, wherein the processor updates the first communication matrix after one of at least one time slot and a refresh period.

9. An access point, comprising:

four antennas receiving a first signal from each of a plurality of wireless devices, the first signal including a first identifier of a corresponding wireless device;

four transceivers coupled to the antennas; and

a processor coupled to the transceivers,

wherein the processor generates a first communication matrix including the first identifier from each of a set of four of the wireless devices, and

wherein the processor utilizes the first communication matrix to resolve four further signals received from the wireless devices within a single time slot over a radio channel.

10. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by an access point, a predetermined number of first signals using a first wireless communication mode (“

FCM”

), the predetermined number of the first signals corresponding to a number of transmitting antennas of the access point, the FCM providing a time slot for each of the first signals to be transmitted, each of the first signals being utilized to generate a first communication matrix by a corresponding wireless device;

receiving, from each of a plurality of wireless devices, a second signal using the FCM;

generating, by the access point, a second communication matrix as a function of the second signals corresponding to a number of selected wireless devices, the number being no greater than the predetermined number; and

initiating wireless communications with at least one of the selected wireless devices using a second wireless communication mode (“

SCM”

), the SCM employing the second communication matrix to allow multiple wireless communications between the access point and the selected wireless devices during a single time slot over a radio channel.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each first signal includes a first identifier identifying a corresponding antenna from which the first signal was transmitted.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the second signals includes a second identifier identifying a corresponding wireless device from which the corresponding second signal was transmitted.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first signal is a training packet.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the FCM utilizes an IEEE 802.11 standard and the SCM is a multiple-in-multiple-out (“

MIMO”

) mode.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined number of first signals is at least two.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined number of first signals equals the number of transmitting antennas.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein a number of the time slots equals the predetermined number.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein each of the first and second identifiers is a vector.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the time slot for each of the first signals is obtained using a carrier sense multiple access (“

CSMA”

) mechanism.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first communication matrix is utilized by the corresponding wireless device to conduct wireless communications using the SCM.

21. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second signal is a request signal by the corresponding wireless device to conduct wireless communicates using the SCM.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second communication matrix includes the second identifier identifying each of the selected wireless devices.

23. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

updating the second communication matrix after one of at least one time slot and a refresh period.

24. The method according to claim 10, wherein the initiating step includes the following substeps:

transmitting, by the access point, data packets to each of the selected wireless devices in the single time slot; and

receiving, from each of the selected wireless devices, at least one of an acknowledgment signal and a further data packet in a further single time slot subsequent to the single time slot.

25. The method according to claim 10, wherein the SCM allows wireless communication between the access point and the selected wireless devices on a same frequency.

26. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the wireless devices is one of a cell phone, a scanner, a PDA, a network interface card, a laptop and a handheld computer.

27. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the first signals and the second signals travels along a unique path in a space.