SYSTEMS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS FOR RANGE EXTENSION OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20140126462A1
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vardhan, Anurag, Krasnyanskiy, Maksim, Cherian, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for communicating data in a wireless communications network are described herein. In some aspects, a relay may associate with an access point and then clone the access point by transmitting the service set identifier of the access point. An association between a wireless node and a relay may be formed such that the relay provides relay services for wireless network communication between the access point and the wireless node. In some aspects, the relay may generate messages which communicate its available capacity so that downstream nodes may determine from which relays service may be available. In addition, each node may generate messages for upstream relays which communicate the load an association with the node would cause. Through such communication between relays, admission control may be used to minimize associations being dropped because of insufficient available capacity.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

at a relay apparatus associated with one or more other devices, generating a message for another relay, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of other devices with which the relay apparatus is associated; and

transmitting the message to the other relay.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is transmitted with an association request or an action frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the relay apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a quantity of other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message from the other relay indicating whether the available capacity of the other relay is sufficient to serve the relay apparatus.

6. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, the relay apparatus being associated with one or more other devices, the relay apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to generate a message for another relay, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of other devices with which the relay apparatus is associated; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the message to the other relay.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the message is transmitted with an association request or an action frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the relay apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the message includes a quantity of other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a message from the other relay indicating whether the available capacity of the other relay is sufficient to serve the relay apparatus.

11. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, the relay apparatus being associated with one or more other devices, the relay apparatus comprising:

means for generating a message for another relay, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of other devices with which the relay apparatus is associated; and

means for transmitting the message to the other relay.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message is transmitted with an association request or an action frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the relay apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message includes a quantity of other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for receiving a message from the other relay, wherein the message indicates whether the available capacity of the other relay is sufficient to serve the relay apparatus.

16. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

at a relay apparatus, receiving a message from another device, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of devices with which the other device is associated; and

determining whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the other device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the message includes a quantity of devices associated with the other device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device comprises comparing the number of devices with which the other device is associated with an available capacity of the relay apparatus.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising sending a message to the other device indicating whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an association request from the other device; and

accepting or rejecting the association request based on the determination.

22. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message from another device, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of devices with which the other device is associated; and

a processor configured to determine whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the other device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the message includes a quantity of devices associated with the other device.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein determining whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device comprises comparing the number of devices with which the other device is associated with an available capacity of the relay apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a message to the other device indicating whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an association request from the other device, and wherein the processor is configured to accept or reject the association request based on the determination.

28. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving a message from another device, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of devices with which the other device is associated; and

means for determining whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the message includes a list of IDs of devices associated with the other device.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the message includes a quantity of devices associated with the other device.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein determining whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device comprises comparing the number of devices with which the other device is associated with an available capacity of the relay apparatus.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising means for transmitting a message to the other device indicating whether the relay apparatus has sufficient available capacity to serve the other device.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the receiving means is configured to receive an association request from the other device, and wherein the apparatus is configured to accept or reject the association request based on the determination.

34. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

at a relay apparatus associated with one or more other devices, generating a message for the other devices, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve; and

transmitting the message to at least one of the other devices.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the message is transmitted with a beacon.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the message is transmitted with a probe response.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the message includes a number representing how many additional nodes can be serviced by the relay apparatus.

38. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a message for another relay, wherein the message includes an indication of the number of other devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the message to the other relay.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the message is transmitted with a beacon.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the message is transmitted with a probe response.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the message includes a number representing how many additional nodes can be serviced by the relay apparatus.

42. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for generating a message for the other devices, wherein the message includes an indication of a number of other devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve; and

means for transmitting the message to at least one of the other devices.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the message is transmitted with a beacon.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the message is transmitted with a probe response.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the message includes a number representing how many additional nodes can be serviced by the relay apparatus.

46. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

at a relay apparatus, wherein one or more other devices are associated with the relay apparatus, and wherein the relay apparatus is in communication with a relay device, receiving a message from the relay device, wherein the message includes an indication of a number of other devices the relay device has available capacity to serve; and

determining whether the relay device has available capacity to serve the relay apparatus and the other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising generating a second message, wherein the second message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve is the lesser of the relay apparatus'"'"' own available capacity and the available capacity of the relay device.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

receiving another message from another relay device, wherein the other message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the other relay device has available capacity to serve;

determining which of the relay devices have available capacity to serve the relay apparatus; and

sending an association request to the determined relay device.

50. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, wherein one or more other devices are associated with the relay apparatus, and wherein the relay apparatus is in communication with a relay device, the relay apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a message from the relay device, wherein the message includes an indication of a number of other devices the relay device has available capacity to serve; and

a processor configured to determine whether the relay device has available capacity to serve the relay apparatus and the other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, further comprising generating a second message, wherein the second message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve is the lesser of the relay apparatus'"'"' own available capacity and the available capacity of the relay device.

53. The apparatus of claim 50, further comprising:

receiving another message from another relay device, wherein the other message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the other relay device has available capacity to serve;

determining which of the relay devices have available capacity to serve the relay apparatus; and

transmitting an association request to the determined relay device.

54. A relay apparatus for wireless communications, wherein one or more other devices are associated with the relay apparatus, and wherein the relay apparatus is in communication with a relay device, the relay apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a message from the relay device, wherein the message includes an indication of a number of other devices the relay device has available capacity to serve; and

means for determining whether the relay device has available capacity to serve the relay apparatus and the other devices associated with the relay apparatus.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising generating a second message, wherein the second message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the number of additional devices the relay apparatus has available capacity to serve is the lesser of the relay apparatus'"'"' own available capacity and the available capacity of the relay device.

57. The apparatus of claim 54, further comprising:

receiving another message from another relay device, wherein the other message includes an indication of a number of additional devices the other relay device has available capacity to serve;

determining which of the relay devices have available capacity to serve the relay apparatus; and

transmitting an association request to the determined relay device.