Wireless LAN with dynamic channel access management
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- assigning one of a plurality of stations in a wireless network to manage transmission traffic across the wireless network, said one station corresponding to a channel access manager (CAM);
assigning at least one of said plurality of stations as a proxy CAM (PCAM) to perform proxy operations for the CAM to enable the CAM to control channel access for stations in the wireless network that are outside of a communication range of the CAM but within communication range of a PCAM; and
managing data transmissions between said plurality of stations that are sent over a wireless communication channel provided by the wireless network with the CAM and said at least one PCAM.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for implementing a peer-to-peer wireless local area network (WLAN) that does not require a conventional wireless access point, yet facilitates many of the features provided by an access point, such as channel access management and Quality of Service functions. A method for dynamically selecting a Channel Access Manager (CAM) that (preferably) has the ability to communicate with the greatest number of wireless stations in a given WLAN is provided. The CAM is then used to manage channel access for the WLAN. A method for selecting one or more proxy CAMs that establish communication paths between the CAM and wireless stations with which the CAM traditionally would not be able to communicate is also provided. The invention also provides a method for resolving the issues that occur when a new station is added to the WLAN, and provides optimize routing of messages to maximize transmission bandwidths.
42 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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assigning one of a plurality of stations in a wireless network to manage transmission traffic across the wireless network, said one station corresponding to a channel access manager (CAM); assigning at least one of said plurality of stations as a proxy CAM (PCAM) to perform proxy operations for the CAM to enable the CAM to control channel access for stations in the wireless network that are outside of a communication range of the CAM but within communication range of a PCAM; and managing data transmissions between said plurality of stations that are sent over a wireless communication channel provided by the wireless network with the CAM and said at least one PCAM. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a machine-readable media on which a plurality of instructions comprising a wireless network driver are stored that when executed by each of a plurality of stations in a wireless network enables management of network transmission traffic across the wireless network perform operations including, selecting a station from among said plurality of stations to perform network communication traffic management operations, said station comprising a channel access manager (CAM); selecting at least one of said plurality of stations as a proxy CAM (PCAM) to perform proxy operations for the CAM to enable the CAM to control channel access for stations in the wireless network that are outside of a communication range of the CAM but within communication range of a PCAM; notifying each station that is within communication range of the CAM of which station is the CAM; notifying any station for which a PCAM is to perform CAM proxy operations for of which station is the PCAM for that station; and obtaining channel access authorization from the CAM or a PCAM prior to transmitting data between stations. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:
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a first station comprising a channel access manager (CAM) station; and a plurality of client stations, each client station linked in wireless communication with at least one other client station and/or the CAM station, at least one of the client stations operating as a proxy CAM (PCAM) station. wherein the CAM station performs network transmission traffic management operations for the WLAN by controlling when transmission between client stations may occur and wherein said at least one PCAM station performs proxy operations for the CAM to enable the CAM to control channel access for stations in the WLAN that are outside of a communication range of the CAM station but within communication range of a PCAM station. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification