Coverage enhancement using dynamic antennas and virtual access points
First Claim
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1. An access point for enhanced coverage of a wireless local area network, the access point comprising:
- an antenna apparatus that provides a plurality of antenna patterns for communication over a wireless local area network; and
a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;
maps a plurality of virtual access points, each virtual access point identified by a BSSID access point identifier and corresponding to at least one of the plurality of directional antenna patterns, andeffectuates simultaneous transmission of a broadcast communication on each of the virtual access points from the plurality of virtual access points, each broadcast communication including a same SSID network identifier, and wherein transmission of a first broadcast communication on a first of the plurality of virtual access points at a first periodic interval is phased relative to a second periodic interval of a simultaneously transmitting second broadcast communication from a second of the plurality of virtual access points, wherein the first periodic interval is offset from the second periodic interval by a time interval less than the first periodic interval.
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Abstract
Mechanisms for wireless local area network coverage enhancement using dynamic antennas are provided. The dynamic antennas may be used, for example, in an antenna apparatus of an access point. The access point maps a plurality of virtual access points (VAPs), each VAP corresponding to at least one of a plurality of directional antenna patterns of the antenna apparatus. The processor transmits broadcast communication on each of the VAPs a further distance from the access point as compared to transmitting on an omnidirectional antenna pattern of the antenna apparatus.
234 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An access point for enhanced coverage of a wireless local area network, the access point comprising:
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an antenna apparatus that provides a plurality of antenna patterns for communication over a wireless local area network; and a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor; maps a plurality of virtual access points, each virtual access point identified by a BSSID access point identifier and corresponding to at least one of the plurality of directional antenna patterns, and effectuates simultaneous transmission of a broadcast communication on each of the virtual access points from the plurality of virtual access points, each broadcast communication including a same SSID network identifier, and wherein transmission of a first broadcast communication on a first of the plurality of virtual access points at a first periodic interval is phased relative to a second periodic interval of a simultaneously transmitting second broadcast communication from a second of the plurality of virtual access points, wherein the first periodic interval is offset from the second periodic interval by a time interval less than the first periodic interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for enhanced coverage of a wireless local area network at an access point, the method comprising:
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executing instructions stored in memory to map a plurality of virtual access points that each is identified by a BSSID access point identifier and corresponds to at least one of the plurality of directional antenna patterns; and executing instructions stored in memory to effectuate simultaneous transmission of a broadcast communication on each of the virtual access points from the plurality of virtual access points, each broadcast communication including a same SSID network identifier, and wherein transmission of a first broadcast communication on a first of the plurality of virtual access points at a first periodic interval is phased relative to a second periodic interval of a simultaneously transmitting second broadcast communication from a second of the plurality of virtual access points, wherein the first periodic interval is offset from the second periodic interval by a time interval less than the first periodic interval. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for enhanced coverage of a wireless local area network at an access point, the method comprising:
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mapping a plurality of virtual access points that each is identified by a BSSID access point identifier and corresponds to at least one of the plurality of directional antenna patterns; and effectuating simultaneous transmission of a broadcast communication on each of the virtual access points from the plurality of virtual access points, each broadcast communication including a same SSID network identifier, and wherein transmission of a first broadcast communication on a first of the plurality of virtual access points at a first periodic interval is phased relative to a second periodic interval of a simultaneously transmitting second broadcast communication from a second of the plurality of virtual access points, wherein the first periodic interval is offset from the second periodic interval by a time interval less than the first periodic interval.
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Specification