Distributed MAC architecture for a wireless repeater

• US 7,643,460 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bajic, Zeljko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Robert W
• Application Number:
  US11/526,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating between devices is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises running two or more instances of a switch MAC sublayer on a switch and managing the two or more instances of the switch MAC sublayer as multiple logical access points inside the switch.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

running a first instance of a first repeater Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer within a first repeater configured to process network packets from a mobile station, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is associated with a corresponding first instance of a switch MAC sublayer within a switch such that the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the corresponding first instance of the switch MAC sublayer functionally cooperate to execute a MAC layer in a distributed fashion, the switch being configured to manage a plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer, each of the plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer corresponding to a plurality of instances of the repeater MAC sublayer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

running a second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer within a second repeater configured to process the network packets from the mobile station, wherein the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is associated with a corresponding second instance of the switch MAC sublayer within the switch such that the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the corresponding second instance of the switch MAC sublayer functionally cooperate to execute the MAC layer in the distributed fashion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer with the mobile station; and

re-associating the mobile station with the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer after the mobile station moves from the first repeater to the second repeater, wherein the first and second repeaters each present to the mobile station a unique logical address corresponding to the first and second instances of the switch MAC sublayers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein communication between the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the corresponding first instance of the switch MAC sublayer is managed by a management entity for the switch.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

coupling the first and second repeaters to respective first and second ports on the switch, the first and second ports being different.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

coupling the first and second repeaters to the respective first and second ports on the switch via a wired connection.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC is from among the plurality of instances.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer is configured as a logical access point for one or more repeaters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first repeater is from among the one or more repeaters.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer with the first repeater; and

associating the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer with a second repeater,

wherein a mobile station that moves from the first repeater to the second repeater does not need to re-associate with the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

11. An architecture, comprising:

a first repeater having a first instance of a repeater Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer that corresponds to a first instance of a switch MAC sublayer, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the corresponding first instance of the switch MAC sublayer functionally cooperate to execute a MAC sublayer in a distributed fashion; and

a switch, coupled to the first repeater, configured to manage a plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer, each of the plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer corresponding to a plurality of instances of the repeater MAC sublayer.

12. The architecture of claim 11, further comprising:

a second repeater having a second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer that corresponds to a second instance of the switch MAC sublayer, wherein the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer functionally cooperate to execute the MAC sublayer in the distributed fashion.

13. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the first and second repeaters are coupled to first and second ports on the switch, the first and second ports being different.

14. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the first and second repeaters are coupled to the first and second ports via a wired connection.

15. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the first and second repeaters each present a unique logical address to associated mobile stations, the unique logical address corresponding to corresponding instances of the switch MAC sublayer.

16. The architecture of claim 12, wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC is from among the plurality of instances.

17. The architecture of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of instances of the switch MAC sublayer is configured as a logical access point for one or more repeaters.

18. The architecture of claim 17, wherein the first repeater is from among the one or more repeaters.