OPERATION METHOD FOR ACCESS POINT AND OPERATION METHOD FOR RELAY

• US 20160219591A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: LEE, Jae Seung, KWON, Hyoung Jin, LEE, Sok Kyu, CHEONG, Min Ho
• Granted Patent: US 10,136,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An operating method of an access point (AP) and an operating method of a relay are disclosed in which the AP may determine whether to associate with the relay based on at least one of first information indicating whether use of an overlapping channel is restricted, second information indicating whether an operation using a non-overlapping channel is supported by the relay, and third information indicating whether use of a channel identical to a channel used by the AP is requested.

Claims

1. An operating method of an access point (AP), comprising:

transmitting a first signal comprising first information indicating whether use of an overlapping channel is restricted;

receiving a second signal comprising second information indicating whether an operation using a non-overlapping channel is supported by a relay, and third information indicating whether use of a channel identical to a channel used by the AP is requested; and

determining whether to associate with the relay based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information.

2. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the overlapping channel is a channel in which a basic service set (BSS) of the AP overlaps a BSS of the relay, and

the non-overlapping channel is a channel in which the BSS of the AP does not overlap the BSS of the relay.

3. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a first bit of a predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the AP,

the second information comprises a second bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay, and

the third information comprises a third bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay.

4. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining to reject association with the relay when the first information indicates that the use of the overlapping channel is restricted, the second information indicates that the operation using the non-overlapping channel is supported by the relay, and the third information indicates that the use of the channel identical to the channel used by the AP is requested.

5. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining to accept association with the relay when the second information indicates that the operation using the non-overlapping channel is not supported by the relay.

6. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the first signal is comprised in at least one of a beacon signal and a probe response signal, and

the second signal is comprised in at least one of an association request signal and a probe request signal.

7. The operating method of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the beacon signal and the probe response signal further comprises channel information on at least one neighboring AP of the AP, and the association request signal further comprises a list of candidate channels desired to be used by the relay, and

the determining comprises determining whether to accept association with the relay based on the channel information and the list of the candidate channels.

8. An operating method of a relay, comprising:

receiving, from an access point (AP), a first signal comprising first information indicating whether use of an overlapping channel is restricted;

transmitting a second signal comprising second information indicating whether an operation using a non-overlapping channel is supported and third information indicating whether use of a channel identical to a channel used by the AP is requested; and

receiving a response signal indicating an acceptance or a rejection of association with the AP, and

wherein whether the association with the AP is accepted or rejected is determined based on at least one of the first information, the second information, and the third information.

9. The operating method of claim 8, wherein the overlapping channel is a channel in which a basic service set (BSS) of the AP overlaps a BSS of the relay, and

the non-overlapping channel is a channel in which the BSS of the AP does not overlap the BSS of the relay.

10. The operating method of claim 8, wherein the first information comprises a first bit of a predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the AP,

the second information comprises a second bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay, and

the third information comprises a third bit of the predetermined subfield comprised in a relay element to be transmitted by the relay.

11. The operating method of claim 8, wherein, when the first information indicates that the use of the overlapping channel is restricted, the second information indicates that the operation using the non-overlapping channel is supported by the relay, and the third information indicates that the use of the channel identical to the channel used by the AP is requested, the associated with the AP is rejected.

12. The operating method of claim 8, wherein, when the second information indicates that the operation using the non-overlapping channel is not supported by the relay, the association with the AP is accepted.

13. The operating method of claim 8, wherein the first signal is comprised in at least one of a beacon signal and a probe response signal, and

the second signal is comprised in at least one of an association request signal and a probe request signal.

14. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the beacon signal and the probe response signal further comprises channel information on at least one neighboring AP of the AP, and the association request signal further comprises a list of candidate channels desired to be used by the relay, and

whether the association with the AP is accepted or rejected is further determined based on the channel information and the list of the candidate channels.

15. An operating method of an access point (AP), comprising:

receiving, from a station, relay capability information indicating whether the station is operable as a relay and a relay operation request requesting an operation as the relay;

determining whether to allow the station to operate as the relay based on the relay capability information and the relay operation request; and

transmitting, to the station, a result of the determining.

16. (canceled)