Multiplex communication between access points and hub
First Claim
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1. An access point for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising:
- a plurality of wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of the WLAN;
a physical layer interface, which is adapted to be coupled to a communication medium, so as to connect the plurality of wireless communication units to communicate with a hub over a single physical link of the communication medium; and
a multiplexer, coupled between the wireless communication units and the physical layer interface so as to selectively convey the data from the plurality of the wireless communication units to the physical layer interface for transmission over the single physical link,wherein the multiplexer is adapted to generate frames of the data for transmission over the physical link, and to combine chunks of the data from two or more of the wireless communication units into each of at least some of the frames.
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Abstract
An access point for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN) includes a plurality of wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of the WLAN. A physical layer interface in the access point is adapted to be coupled to a communication medium, so as to connect the plurality of wireless communication units to communicate with a hub over a single physical link of the communication medium.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An access point for use in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising:
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a plurality of wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of the WLAN; a physical layer interface, which is adapted to be coupled to a communication medium, so as to connect the plurality of wireless communication units to communicate with a hub over a single physical link of the communication medium; and a multiplexer, coupled between the wireless communication units and the physical layer interface so as to selectively convey the data from the plurality of the wireless communication units to the physical layer interface for transmission over the single physical link, wherein the multiplexer is adapted to generate frames of the data for transmission over the physical link, and to combine chunks of the data from two or more of the wireless communication units into each of at least some of the frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for mobile communication, comprising:
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a hub; a communication medium coupled to the hub; and a plurality of access points, each of which comprises; two or more wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of a wireless local area network (WLAN); and a single physical layer interface, coupled to the communication medium, so as to connect the two or more wireless communication units to communicate with the hub over the communication medium, wherein the access points have respective service areas and are arranged so that at least some of the service areas substantially overlap, and wherein the hub and the wireless communication units are arranged to exchange control messages over the communication medium, via the single physical layer interface, so as to determine which of the wireless communication units is to serve each of the mobile stations. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for mobile communication, comprising:
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a hub; a communication medium, coupled to the hub; and a plurality of access points, each of which comprises; two or more wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of a wireless local area network (WLAN); a single physical layer interface, coupled to the communication medium, so as to connect the two or more wireless communication units to communicate with the hub over the communication medium; and a multiplexer, coupled between the wireless communication units and the physical layer interface so as to selectively convey the data from the plurality of the wireless communication units to the physical layer interface for transmission over the communication medium, wherein the multiplexer is adapted to generate frames of the data for transmission over the communication medium, and to combine chunks of the data from two or more of the wireless communication units into each of at least some of the frames. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method for mobile communication, comprising:
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arranging multiple access points in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising two or more wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of the WLAN, wherein the access points have respective service areas and are arranged so that at least some of the service areas substantially overlap; coupling each of the access points to communicate with a hub over a single, respective physical communication link among multiple links provided by a communication medium that is connected to the hub; conveying the data between the plurality of the wireless communication units and the hub over the single link; and exchanging control messages between the access point and the hub over the single, respective link, so as to determine which of the wireless communication units is to serve each of the mobile stations. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for mobile communication, comprising:
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arranging an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising two or more wireless communication units, which are adapted to exchange data with mobile stations by transmitting and receiving signals over the air on different, respective frequency channels of the WLAN; coupling the access point to a hub over a single physical communication link; and conveying the data between the plurality of the wireless communication units and the hub over the single link, by multiplexing between the wireless communication units and the single physical link so as to selectively convey the data from the plurality of the wireless communication units to the single physical link for transmission to the hub, wherein multiplexing between the wireless communication units comprises generating frames of the data for transmission over the communication medium, while combining chunks of the data from two or more of the wireless communication units into each of at least some of the frames. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification