Control message management in physical layer repeater
First Claim
1. A repeater for use in a wireless local area network, comprising:
- a transceiver for receiving a signal on a first frequency channel and for transmitting the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and
a control message modulator/demodulator (MODEM) coupled to the transceiver for demodulating a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel and for modulating one or more transmit control message packets that are transmitted by the transceiver on the first frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that is modified from a corresponding portion of the receive control message packet by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the one or more transmit control message packets will be successfully decoded at a receiver.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A repeater is configured to selectively generate and transmit control message packets between wireless stations on both a transmit side and a receive side of the repeater. The repeater manages and manipulates an end to end protocol of the control message packets in a manner that does not change media access control (MAC) addresses of the end to end protocol so as to achieve a network objective, such as preventing other transmitters from transmitting while the repeater repeats a signal from its receive side to its transmit side. The control message management is applicable to analog signal repeaters as well as digital repeaters, such as symbol to symbol or packet to packet repeaters, in which physical layer control message management is performed.
298 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A repeater for use in a wireless local area network, comprising:
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a transceiver for receiving a signal on a first frequency channel and for transmitting the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and a control message modulator/demodulator (MODEM) coupled to the transceiver for demodulating a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel and for modulating one or more transmit control message packets that are transmitted by the transceiver on the first frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that is modified from a corresponding portion of the receive control message packet by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the one or more transmit control message packets will be successfully decoded at a receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 18, 19)
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6. A method for selectively modifying messages in a frequency translating repeater based on a parameter of the messages, the method comprising:
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searching for a preamble associated with a message received on a receive frequency channel; decoding the received message if the preamble is detected; generating a modified internal message that corresponds to a modified version of the received message; and transmitting the modified internal message on both the receive frequency channel and a transmit frequency channel to prevent further activity on the receive frequency channel. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 23, 24, 25, 40, 41)
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10. A modulator/demodulator (MODEM) in a frequency translating repeater comprising:
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a demodulator section for demodulating a received protocol message that is received on a first frequency channel; and a modulator section for modulating a modified version of the received protocol message that includes a modified parameter for transmission on both the first frequency channel and a second frequency channel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 26, 27, 28)
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12. A physical layer repeater, comprising:
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a transceiver for receiving a control message packet on a first frequency channel and for transmitting a modified version of the control message packet on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and a modulator/demodulator (MODEM) coupled to the transceiver for demodulating the received control message packet on the first frequency channel and for modulating the modified version of the control message packet with an unmodified media access control (MAC) layer transmitted on the second frequency channel to achieve a network objective, wherein the modified version of the control message packet includes a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the received control message packet and that includes the unmodified MAC layer, and a second portion that contains one or more modified header fields as compared to a corresponding portion from the received control message packet. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 29, 30)
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15. An apparatus comprising:
a physical layer repeater configured to wirelessly repeat signals and to selectively generate and transmit control message packets between wireless stations on both a transmit side and a receive side and to manipulate an end to end protocol of the control message packets in a manner that does not change media access control (MAC) addresses of the end to end protocol to achieve a network objective, wherein the physical layer repeater is configured to manipulate the end to end protocol of the control message packets by modifying at least a portion and less than all of the control message packets by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the modified control message packets will be successfully decoded for transmission to the receive side.
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16. An apparatus comprising:
a wireless repeater configured to wirelessly repeat signals and to selectively generate and transmit control message packets at the wireless repeater between wireless stations on both a first communication segment and a second communication segment to ensure that a media access control (MAC) level protocol between the first and second communication segments functions properly, wherein the wireless repeater is configured to selectively modify at least a portion and less than all of the control message packets deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the modified control message packets will be successfully decoded for transmission upon the first communication segment and/or the second communication segment.
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20. A repeater for use in a wireless local area network, comprising:
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means for receiving a signal on a first frequency channel; means for transmitting the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and means, coupled to the means for receiving and the means for transmitting, for demodulating a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel and for modulating one or more transmit control message packets that are transmitted by the means for transmitting on the first frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that is modified from a corresponding portion of the receive control message packet by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the one or more transmit control message packets will be successfully decoded at a receiver.
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21. A modulator/demodulator (MODEM) in a frequency translating repeater comprising:
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means for demodulating a received protocol message that is received on a first frequency channel; and means for modulating a modified version of the received protocol message that includes a modified parameter for transmission on both the first frequency channel and a second frequency channel.
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22. A physical layer repeater, comprising:
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means for receiving a control message packet on a first frequency channel; means for transmitting a modified version of the control message packet on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and means, coupled to the means for receiving and the means for transmitting, for demodulating the received control message packet on the first frequency channel and for modulating the modified version of the control message packet with an unmodified media access control (MAC) layer transmitted on the second frequency channel to achieve a network objective, wherein the modified version of the control message packet includes a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the received control message packet and that includes the unmodified MAC layer, and a second portion that contains one or more modified header fields as compared to a corresponding portion from the received control message packet.
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31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a repeater for use in a wireless local area network, cause the repeater to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
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program code to receive a signal on a first frequency channel; program code to transmit the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and program code to demodulate a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel and to modulate one or more transmit control message packets on the first frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that is modified from a corresponding portion of the receive control message packet by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the one or more transmit control message packets will be successfully decoded at a receiver.
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32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a modulator/demodulator (MODEM) in a frequency translating repeater, cause the MODEM to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
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program code to demodulate a received protocol message that is received on a first frequency channel; and program code to modulate a modified version of the received protocol message that includes a modified parameter for transmission on both the first frequency channel and a second frequency channel.
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33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a physical layer repeater, cause the physical layer repeater to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
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program code to receiving a control message packet on a first frequency channel; program code to transmitting a modified version of the control message packet on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; and program code to demodulate the received control message packet on the first frequency channel and to modulate the modified version of the control message packet with an unmodified media access control (MAC) layer transmitted on the second frequency channel to achieve a network objective, wherein the modified version of the control message packet includes a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the received control message packet and that includes the unmodified MAC layer, and a second portion that contains one or more modified header fields as compared to a corresponding portion from the received control message packet.
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34. A method of operating a repeater for use in a wireless local area network, comprising:
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receiving a signal on a first frequency channel; transmitting the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; demodulating a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel; and modulating one or more transmit control message packets on the first frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that is modified from a corresponding portion of the receive control message packet by deliberately introducing error so as to reduce a likelihood that the one or more transmit control message packets will be successfully decoded at a receiver. - View Dependent Claims (35, 39)
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36. A method of operating a repeater for use in a wireless local area network, comprising:
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receiving a signal on a first frequency channel; transmitting the signal on a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel; demodulating a receive control message packet on the first frequency channel; and modulating one or more transmit control message packets on the second frequency channel in response to the receive control message packet, wherein the one or more transmit control message packets each include a first portion that corresponds to an unmodified version of the receive control message packet and a second portion that contains one or more modified header fields as compared to a corresponding portion from the receive transmit control message. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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42. A method of operating a modulator/demodulator (MODEM) in a frequency translating repeater comprising:
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demodulating a received protocol message that is received on a first frequency channel; and modulating a modified version of the received protocol message that includes a modified parameter for transmission on both the first frequency channel and a second frequency channel.
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Specification