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

• US 9,497,781 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magnolia Broadband Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeffery, Stuart S., Harel, Haim, Kludt, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Sciacca, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US14/173,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 370/445, 370/448
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless communication system may include a plurality of co-located transceivers. The plurality of 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 receive a signal preamble and a sender address of the signal preamble and determine whether the sender address is included in the stored list of addresses. If the sender address is included in the stored list of addresses, the processor may allow simultaneous data transmission from two or more of the co-located transceivers.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of transceivers co-located to each other and each configured to transmit data to at least one user equipment using the same frequency channel, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol, wherein the co-located transceivers are grouped together into one base station;

a processor to;

initiate a clear channel assessment upon receipt of a data packet;

determine whether a signal preamble is present in the data packet;

if the signal preamble is not present in the data packet, terminate the clear channel assessment; and

if the signal preamble is present in the data packet;

a) update a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) with a duration value from the received data packet,

b) receive a sender address of the signal preamble,

c) determine whether the preamble is from a co-located transceiver based on whether the sender address is included in a stored list of addresses of co-located transceivers, and

d) allow simultaneous data transmission from two or more of the co-located transceivers, if the sender address is included in the stored list of addresses by resetting the NAV timer to zero.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to allow simultaneous data transmission from two or more of the co-located transceivers by suppressing activation of a backoff procedure.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the processor is to suppress activation of the backoff procedure by resetting a backoff timer to zero.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to track an activation status of a backoff procedure for at least two consecutive signal preambles received.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the processor is to suppress activation of a backoff procedure if, during a previous preamble, the activation status of a backoff procedure was off.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 4, wherein the processor is to allow activation of a backoff procedure if, during a previous preamble, the activation state of a backoff procedure was on.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transceivers are isolated from each other by a minimum of −

100 dBm.

8. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting data, by a plurality of transceivers co-located to each other and using the same frequency channel, according to a collision sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol, wherein the co-located transceivers are grouped together into one base station;

initiating, by a processor, a clear channel assessment upon receipt of a data packet;

determining, by the processor, whether a signal preamble is present in the data packet;

if the signal preamble is not present in the data packet, terminate, by the processor, the clear channel assessment; and

if the signal preamble is present in the data packet;

a) updating, by the processor, a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) with a duration value from the received data packet;

b) receiving, by the processor, a sender address of the signal preamble;

c) determining, by the processor, whether the preamble is from a co-located transceiver based on whether the sender address is included in a stored list of addresses of co-located transceivers; and

d) allowing simultaneous data transmission from two or more of the co-located transceivers, if the sender address is included in the stored list of addresses by resetting the NAV timer to zero.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein allowing simultaneous data transmission from two or more of the co-located transceivers comprises suppressing activation of a backoff procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein suppressing activation a backoff procedure comprises resetting a backoff timer to zero.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising tracking an activation state of a backoff procedure for at least two consecutive signal preambles received.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising suppressing a backoff procedure if, during a previous preamble, the activation status of a backoff procedure was off.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising allowing a backoff procedure if, during a previous preamble, the activation status of a backoff procedure was on.

14. An access point device, comprising:

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

a receiver configured to;

update a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) with a duration value from a received data packet,

initiate a clear channel assessment upon receipt of a data packet,

determine whether a signal preamble is from a co-located transceiver based on whether the signal preamble is present in the data packet wherein the co-located transceivers are grouped together into one base station,

if the signal preamble is not present in the data packet, terminate the clear channel assessment, and

if the signal preamble is present in the data packet receive a sender address of the signal preamble; and

a processor configured to reset a NAV timer to zero of said access point if the sender address is included in a stored list of addresses of co-located co-channel access points.

15. The access point device of claim 14, wherein the list of addresses include the BSSID of each of the co-located access points.

16. The access point device of claim 14, wherein the processor is to track an activation status of a backoff procedure for every preamble received.

17. The access point device of claim 14, wherein the processor is to suppress a backoff procedure if the sender address is included in said stored list of addresses.