System and method for co-located and co-channel Wi-Fi access points

• US 9,155,110 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeffery, Stuart S., Harel, Haim, Chen, Phil F., Kludt, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Moutaouakil, Mounir
• Application Number:
  US13/925,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]

Abstract

A wireless communication system may include a first transceiver co-located with a second transceiver. The first and second transceivers may be configured to transmit data to at least one user equipment, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol. A processor may identify data transmission from the second transceiver and allow data transmission from the first transceiver simultaneously with data transmission from the second transceiver, on one frequency.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first transceiver and second transceiver, each of the first transceiver and second transceiver co-located to each other and each configured to transmit data to at least one user equipment using the same communications resources, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol; and

a processor to;

identify data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment by detecting a signal preamble from the second transceiver by measuring a time difference between when the second transceiver transmits the signal preamble and when the first transceiver receives the signal preamble, and

allow data transmission from the first transceiver simultaneously with the data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment, on one frequency.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is to transmit a timing strobe contemporaneously with transmitting the signal preamble to the first transceiver.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to compare the measured time difference with a predetermined time difference, and to identify data transmission from the second transceiver if the measured time difference is less than the predetermined time difference.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to detect a signal preamble received from the second transceiver by identifying a distinguishable element in the signal preamble.

5. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting data, by a first transceiver and a second transceiver co-located to each other and using the same communications resources, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol;

identifying data transmission sent from the second transceiver to at least one user equipment by detecting a signal preamble from the second transceiver by measuring a time difference between when the second transceiver transmits the signal preamble and when the first transceiver receives the signal preamble; and

allowing data transmission from the first transceiver simultaneously with the data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment on one frequency channel.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising compare the measured time difference with a predetermined time difference, and to identify data transmission from the second transceiver if the measured time difference is less than the predetermined time difference.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting a signal preamble received from the second transceiver comprises identifying a distinguishable element in the signal preamble.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising transmitting, by the second transceiver, a timing strobe concurrent with the signal preamble to the first transceiver.

9. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first transceiver and second transceiver, each of the first transceiver and second transceiver co-located to each other and each configured to transmit data to at least one user equipment using the same communications resources, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol; and

a processor is to;

identify data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment by determining whether an address field sent in a generic data packet is included in a stored list of addresses, the list comprising addresses of transceivers co-located with the first transceiver, and

allow data transmission from the first transceiver simultaneously with the data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment, on one frequency.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9, comprising suppressing an update to a Network Allocation Vector in the first transceiver.

11. A method of wireless communication comprising:

transmitting data, by a first transceiver and a second transceiver co-located to each other and using the same communications resources, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol;

identifying data transmission sent from the second transceiver to at least one user equipment by determining whether an address field sent in a generic data packet is included in a stored list of addresses, the list comprising addresses of transceivers co-located with the first transceiver; and

allowing data transmission from the first transceiver simultaneously with the data transmission sent from the second transceiver to the at least one user equipment on one frequency channel.

12. An access point device, comprising:

a transmitter to transmit data according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol;

a receiver to receive and identify data from a co-located access point; and

a processor to detect a signal preamble received from the co-located access point, determine a time difference between when the co-located access point transmitted the signal preamble and when the receiver received the signal preamble and to control the transmitter to transmit data to a user equipment simultaneously with data transmission by the co-located access point.

13. The access point device of claim 12, wherein the receiver is to receive a timing strobe from the co-located access point that is concurrent with the signal preamble.

14. An access point device comprising:

a transmitter to transmit data according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol;

a receiver to receive and identify data from a co-located access point;

a processor to control the transmitter to transmit data to a user equipment simultaneously with data transmission by the co-located access point; and

a memory to store an address list of co-located access points, wherein the processor is to compare an address received in a generic data packet with the stored address list.