Distributed MAC architecture for wireless repeater

• US 8,355,358 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• 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): BEHARRY, NOEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/591,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20100177677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315
• US Class Current: 370/315
• 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 system for handing over a mobile station between repeaters in a communications network, comprising:

a switch including a first instance of a switch media access control (MAC) sublayer and a second instance of the switch MAC sublayer;

a first repeater including a first instance of a repeater MAC sublayer, the mobile station being associated with the first repeater; and

a second repeater including a second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer; and

a third repeater including a third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer,

wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer are arranged to form a first logical access point, the first logical access point being configured to allow the mobile station to be handed over from the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer to the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer without having to re-associate with the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer, and

wherein the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer and the third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer are arranged to form a second logical access point, the second logical access point being configured to allow the mobile station to be handed over from the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer to the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer after re-associating with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer are configured to execute a first MAC sublayer in a distributed fashion.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is configured to perform functions relating to at least one of a group consisting of:

time synchronizing, receiving, and transmitting of frames between the first repeater and the mobile station.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer is configured to perform functions relating to at least one of a group consisting of:

association, de-association, authentication, and de-authentication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises:

a switch management entity (swME) configured to authenticate the mobile station with the first repeater to associate the mobile station and the first repeater.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the swME is configured to authenticate the mobile station with the first repeater when a MAC address of the mobile station is listed on an access list.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is configured to send an association request to the switch to hand over the mobile station to the second repeater,

wherein the switch, in response to the association request, is configured to send a response to the second repeater representing that the mobile station is associated with the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is configured to send a re-association request to the switch to hand over the mobile station to the third repeater,

wherein the switch, in response to the association request, is configured to send a response to the third repeater representing that the mobile station is re-associated with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

9. A system for handing over a mobile station between repeaters in a communications network, comprising:

a first logical network, the first logical network including a first and second instance of a switch media access control (MAC) sublayer, and a first instance of a repeater MAC sublayer; and

a second logical network, the second logical network including a second instance of the switch MAC sublayer and a second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer,

wherein the second logical network is configured to allow the mobile station to be handed over from the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer to the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer after re-associating with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first logical network comprises:

a switch including the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer;

a first repeater communicatively coupled to the switch, the first repeater including the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer; and

a second repeater communicatively coupled to the switch, the second repeater including the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer are configured to execute a first MAC sublayer in a first distributed fashion, and

wherein the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer are configured to execute a second MAC sublayer in a second distributed fashion.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is configured to perform functions relating to at least one of a group consisting of:

time synchronizing, receiving, and transmitting of frames between the first repeater and the mobile station.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer is configured to perform functions relating to at least one of a group consisting of:

association, de-association, authentication, and de-authentication.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer is configured to send an association request to the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer to hand over the mobile station to the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer,

wherein the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer, in response to the association request, is configured to send a response to the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer representing that the mobile station is associated with the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the second logical network further includes a third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer,

wherein the second logical access point is configured to allow the mobile station to be handed over from the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer to the third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer repeater without having to re-associate with the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the second logical network comprises:

a third repeater communicatively coupled to the switch, the third repeater including the third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer,

wherein the switch includes the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

17. A method for handing over a mobile station between repeaters in a communications network, comprising:

associating the mobile station with a first repeater having a first instance of a repeater media access control (MAC) sublayer, the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and a first instance of a switch MAC sublayer forming a first logical network;

sending an association request to a switch having the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer and a second instance of the switch MAC sublayer to hand over the mobile station to a second repeater, the second repeater including a second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer, the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer forming a second logical network;

sending a response to the second repeater that the mobile station is not associated with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer; and

handing over the mobile station from the first repeater to the second repeater after re-associating the mobile station with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending a second association request to the switch to hand over the mobile station to a third repeater, the third repeater including a third instance of the repeater MAC sublayer, the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer, and the second and the third instances of the repeater MAC sublayer forming the second logical network;

sending a response to the third repeater that the mobile station is associated with the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer;

handing over the mobile station from the second repeater to the third repeater without having to re-associate the mobile station with the the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the first instance of the switch MAC sublayer are configured to execute a first MAC sublayer in a first distributed fashion, and

wherein the second instance of the repeater MAC sublayer and the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer are configured to execute a second MAC sublayer in a second distributed fashion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second instance of the switch MAC sublayer and the second and the third instances of the repeater MAC sublayer are configured to execute a second MAC sublayer in a distributed fashion.