Communication between wireless access points over LAN cabling
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for network communication, comprising:
- a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; and
a plurality of access points interconnected by the cable and arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station, the access points being adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor,wherein the access points comprise message processors, coupled to the second conductor, which are adapted, upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, to arbitrate among the access points receiving the uplink signal by sending and receiving the control messages over the second conductor so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal.
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Abstract
Apparatus for network communication includes a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors. A plurality of access points are interconnected by the cable and are arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station. The access points are adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus for network communication, comprising:
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a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; and a plurality of access points interconnected by the cable and arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station, the access points being adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor, wherein the access points comprise message processors, coupled to the second conductor, which are adapted, upon receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, to arbitrate among the access points receiving the uplink signal by sending and receiving the control messages over the second conductor so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Apparatus for network communication, comprising:
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a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; and a plurality of access points interconnected by the cable and arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station, the access points being adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor, wherein the access points are adapted to convey the data over the LAN in accordance with a first media access control (MAC) protocol, and to exchange the control messages using a second MAC protocol, different from the first MAC protocol, wherein the second MAC protocol comprises a multiple access protocol, which can be used by two or more of the access points to transmit the control messages over the second conductor substantially simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. Apparatus for network communication, comprising:
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a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; a plurality of access points interconnected by the cable and arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station, the access points being adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor; and a switching hub, which is coupled to the first conductor so as to control a flow of the data to and from the access points over the LAN, substantially without affecting the control messages on the second conductor, wherein the second conductor is configured as a shared medium, so that the control messages transmitted onto the second conductor by any of the access points are received by all the other access points via the shared medium.
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11. Apparatus for network communication, comprising:
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a cable arranged to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; a plurality of access points interconnected by the cable and arranged in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station, the access points being adapted to convey data to and from the mobile station over the LAN via the first conductor and to exchange control messages among the access points via the second conductor; and a DC power source, which is coupled to provide electrical power to the access points over the second conductor, wherein the access points comprise modulation circuitry, coupled to the second conductor, for conveying the control messages over the second conductor simultaneously with the electrical power.
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12. A method for network communication, comprising:
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arranging a plurality of access points in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to communicate over the air on a common frequency channel with a mobile station; linking the access points together by a cable to form a wired local area network (LAN), the cable comprising at least first and second conductors; and conveying data via the first conductor over the LAN to and from the access points for transmission over the air to and from the mobile station; and exchanging control messages among the access points via the second conductor, wherein exchanging the control messages comprises receiving at one or more of the access points an uplink signal transmitted over the WLAN by the mobile station on the common frequency channel, and arbitrating among the access points receiving the uplink signal by sending and receiving the control messages over the second conductor so as to select one of the access points to respond to the uplink signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification