Method and systems to coordinate distributed MIMO communications

Abstract

Methods and systems for coordinating simultaneous transmission by two or more access points through a single channel of a wireless medium are described. In one aspect, a method includes determining, by a first access point, a time at which the first access point and a second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel, and transmitting, by the first access point, through the channel at that time.

Description

1 / 42 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COORDINATING SIMULTANEOUS TRANSMISSIONS THROUGH A SINGLE CHANNEL OF A WIRELESS MEDIUM TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] This application generally refers to wireless communication, and more specifically, to systems and methods for achieving synchronized access in distributed MIMO wireless communication. FUNDAMENTALS

[002] Wireless communication systems are widely developed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Wi-Fi or WiFi (e.g., IEEE 802.11) is a technology that allows electronic devices to connect to a wireless local area network (WLAN). A WiFi network may include an access point (AP) that can communicate with one or more other electronic devices (e.g., computers, cell phones, tablets, laptops, televisions, wireless devices, mobile devices, smart devices, etc.), which may be referred to as stations (STAs). The AP may be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and may allow one or more STAs to communicate across the network or with other STAs coupled to the AP.

[003] Many wireless networks use Collision-Aware Carrier-Sense Multiple Access (CSMA / CD) to share a wireless medium. With CSMA / CD, before data transmission on the wireless medium, a device can listen to the medium to determine if another transmission is in progress. If the medium is idle, the device can attempt a transmission. The device can also listen Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 7 / 104 2 / 42 in the middle during its transmission, in order to detect whether the data was transmitted successfully, or if perhaps a collision with a transmission from another device occurred. When a collision is detected, the device can wait for a period of time and then try to transmit again. The use of CSMA / CD allows a single device to utilize a particular channel (such as a frequency-division or space-division multiplexing channel) or a wireless network.

[004] Users continue to demand ever greater capacity from their wireless networks. For example, video sequencing over wireless networks is becoming increasingly common. Video conferencing can also impose demands for additional capacity on wireless networks. In order to meet the bandwidth and capacity requirements that users demand, improvements in the ability of a wireless medium to carry ever-increasing amounts of data are necessary. SUMMARY

[005] Various implementations of the systems, methods, and devices within the scope of the appended claims each possess several aspects, none of which alone is responsible for the desirable attributes described herein. Without limiting the scope of the appended claims, some important characteristics are described herein.

[006] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are presented in the attached drawings and in the description below. Other features, aspects and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings and... Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 8 / 104 3 / 42 claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be to scale.

[007] In certain embodiments, a method coordinates the simultaneous transmission of two or more access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The method comprises determining, by a first access point, a moment when the first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The method further comprises transmitting, by the first access point, a portion of data from a time-distributed MIMO communication through the channel.

[008] In certain embodiments, a method coordinates transmission by a plurality of access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The method comprises determining, by a device, a time when a first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The method further comprises transmitting, by the device, a trigger message.

[009] In certain embodiments, a wireless communication apparatus comprises an electronic hardware processor configured to coordinate the simultaneous transmission of two or more access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The electronic hardware processor is configured to determine a time when the first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The electronic hardware processor is additionally configured to transmit a portion of data from a time-distributed MIMO communication through the channel. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 9 / 104 4 / 42

[0010] In certain embodiments, a wireless communication apparatus comprises an electronic hardware processor configured to coordinate transmission by a plurality of access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The electronic hardware processor is configured to determine a time when a first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The electronic hardware processor is additionally configured to transmit a trigger message.

[0011] In certain embodiments, a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, perform a method for coordinating the simultaneous transmission of two or more access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The method comprises determining, by a first access point, a time when the first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The method further comprises transmitting, by the first access point, a portion of data from a time-distributed MIMO communication through the channel.

[0012] In certain embodiments, a non-transient computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, perform a method of transmission coordination by a plurality of access points through a single channel of a wireless medium. The method comprises determining, by a device, a time when a first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel. The method further comprises transmitting, by Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 10 / 104 5 / 42 device, a trigger message. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an illustrative wireless communication system in which aspects of the present description can be employed.

[0014] Figure 2 schematically illustrates an illustrative wireless device that can be used within the illustrative wireless communication system of Figure 1;

[0015] Figure 3 schematically illustrates an illustrative configuration of a MIMO wireless communication system according to certain modalities described herein.

[0016] Figure 4 schematically illustrates illustrative communication options compatible with a distributed MIMO wireless communication system according to certain modalities described herein.

[0017] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an illustrative plurality of basic service sets (BSSs) of a distributed MIMO wireless communication system grouped into groups according to certain modalities described herein.

[0018] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a scheme for providing synchronized access within a group, according to certain modalities described herein.

[0019] Figure 7 schematically illustrates another illustrative scheme for providing synchronized access within a group, according to certain modalities described herein. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 11 / 104 6 / 42

[0020] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an illustrative method of data transmission in a wireless network according to certain modalities described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Several aspects of the novel systems, apparatus, and methods are described more fully later with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the teachings can, however, be embodied in many different ways and should not be considered limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout this description. Instead, these aspects are provided so that this description is thorough and complete, and fully encompasses the scope of the description for those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings presented here, those skilled in the art should appreciate that the scope of the description should cover any aspect of the novel systems, apparatus, and methods described herein, whether implemented independently or combined with any other aspect of the description. Additionally, the scope should cover such apparatus or method that is practiced using a different structure and functionality as presented herein.It should be understood that any aspect described here can be substantiated by one or more elements of a claim.

[0022] Although particular aspects are described here, many variations and permutations of these aspects are within the scope of the description. Although some benefits and advantages of the preferred aspects are mentioned, the scope of the description should not be limited to particular benefits, uses, or objectives. Instead, Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 12 / 104 7 / 42 aspects of the description should be broadly applicable to different wireless technologies, system configurations, networks, and transmission protocols, some of which are illustrated by way of example in the figures and in the following description of preferred aspects. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the description rather than limiting it, the scope of the description being defined by the appended claims and their equivalences.

[0023] The term illustrative is used here to mean serving as an example, case, or illustration. Any implementation described here as illustrative should not necessarily be considered preferred or advantageous over other implementations. The following description is presented to enable anyone skilled in the art to create or make use of the embodiments described herein. Details are presented in the following description for explanatory purposes. It should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will realize that the embodiments can be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and processes are not elaborated upon in order not to obscure the description of the embodiments described with unnecessary details. Thus, the present application should not be limited by the illustrated implementations, but should be agreed upon as having a broader scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

[0024] Wireless access network technologies can include various types of wireless local area access networks (WLANs). A WLAN can be used to interconnect nearby devices, employing widely used access network protocols. The various Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 13 / 104 8 / 42 aspects described here can be applied to any communication standard, such as Wi-Fi or, more generally, any element of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless protocols.

[0025] In some implementations, a WLAN includes multiple devices that access the wireless access network. For example, there may be access points (APs) and clients (also referred to as stations, or STAs). In general, an AP serves as a hub for a base station for STAs on the WLAN. An STA can be a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, etc. In one example, an STA connects to an AP via Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocol such as 802.11ah) compliant with the wireless link to obtain general connectivity to the Internet or other wide area access networks. In some implementations, an STA can also be used as an AP.

[0026] An access point (AP) may comprise, be implemented as, or be known as an eNodeB, Radio Access Network Controller (RNC), eNodeB (eNB), Base Station Controller (BSC), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), Base Station (BS), Transceiver Function (TF), Radio Router, Radio Transceiver, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), Radio Base Station (RBS), or some other terminology.

[0027] A station (STA) may also comprise, be implemented as, or be known as a user terminal, an access terminal (AT), a subscriber station, a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, an agent of Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 14 / 104 9 / 42 user, a user device, a user device, or some other terminology. In some implementations, an access terminal may comprise a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local circuit (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable device possessing wireless connectivity capability, or some other suitable processing device connected to a wireless modem.Accordingly, one or more aspects taught here can be incorporated into a telephone (e.g., a cell phone or smartphone), a computer (e.g., a laptop), a portable communication device, a headset, a portable computing device (e.g., a personal data assistant), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a gaming device or system, a global positioning system device, a B-node (base station), or any other suitable device that is configured to communicate via a wireless medium.

[0028] The techniques described here can be used for various wireless communication networks such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, etc. The terms networks and systems are often used interchangeably. A CDMA network may implement a radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, etc. UTRA includes CDMA. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 15 / 104 10 / 42 Broadband (W-CDMA) and Low Chip Rate (LCR). CDMA2000 covers the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement a radio technology such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network can implement a radio technology such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, etc. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a version of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Cdma2000 is described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These various radio technologies and standards are known in the art.

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a 100 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple access system with APs and STAs. For simplicity, only one AP 104 is illustrated in Figure 1. As described above, AP 104 communicates with STAs 106a-d (also referred to here collectively as the STAs 106 or individually as STA 106) and may also be referred to as a base station or using some other terminology. Also as described above, a STA 106 may be fixed or mobile and may also be referred to as a user terminal, a mobile station, a wireless device, or using some other terminology. AP 104 may communicate with one or more STAs 106 at any given time via downlink or uplink. Downlink (i.e., forward link) is the communication link from AP 104 to STAs 106, and uplink Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 16 / 104 11 / 42 (that is, reverse link) is the communication link from STAs 106 to AP 104. An STA 106 can also communicate in a non-hierarchical way with another STA 106.

[0030] Parts of the following description will describe STAs 106 capable of communicating via Multiple Access Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA). Therefore, for these aspects, AP 104 can be configured to communicate with both STAs. SDMA and non-SDMA. This approach can conveniently allow older versions of STAs (e.g., legacy STAs) that do not support SDMA to remain deployed within an enterprise, extending their lifespan, while allowing newer SDMA STAs to be introduced as needed.

[0031] The MIMO 100 system can employ multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas for downlink and uplink data transmission. AP 104 is equipped with Nap antennas and represents the multiple input (MI) for downlink transmissions and the multiple output (MO) for uplink transmissions. A set of K selected STAs 106 collectively represents the multiple output for downlink transmissions and the multiple input for uplink transmissions. For pure SDMA, it is desirable to have Nap < K < 1 if the data symbol sequences for K STAs are not multiplexed in code, frequency, or time by some means. K may be greater than Nap if the data symbol sequences can be multiplexed using the TDMA technique, different code channels with CDMA, separate sets of sub-bands with OFDM, and so on. Each selected STA can transmit specific user data to and / or receive specific data. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 17 / 104 12 / 42 user from the AP. In general, each selected STA can be equipped with one or more antennas (i.e., Nut 1). The selected K STAs can have the same number of antennas, or one or more STAs can have a different number of antennas.

[0032] The MIMO 100 system can be a time-division duplexing (TDD) system or a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) system. For a TDD system, downlink and uplink share the same frequency band. For an FDD system, downlink and uplink use different frequency bands. The MIMO 100 system can also use a single carrier or multiple carriers for transmission. Each STA can be equipped with a single antenna (e.g., to keep costs under control) or multiple antennas (e.g., where additional costs can be borne). The MIMO 100 system can also be a TDMA system if the STAs share the same frequency channel by dividing the transmission / reception into different time partitions, where each time partition can be assigned to a different STA.

[0033] Figure 2 illustrates various components that can be used in a wireless device 202 that can be employed within the wireless communication MIMO system 100. The wireless device 202 is an example of a device that can be configured to implement the various methods described herein. The wireless device 202 can implement an AP 104 or a STA 106.

[0034] Wireless device 202 may include an electronic hardware processor 204 that controls the operation of wireless device 202. Processor 204 also Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 18 / 104 13 / 42 can be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). Memory 206, which may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM), provides instructions and data to processor 204. A portion of memory 206 may also include non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM). Processor 204 can perform logical and arithmetic operations based on program instructions stored within memory 206. The instructions in memory 206 may be executable to implement the methods described herein.

[0035] Processor 204 may comprise or be a component of a processing system implemented with one or more electronic hardware processors. The one or more processors may be implemented with any combination of general-purpose microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, dedicated hardware finite state machines, or any other suitable entity that can perform calculations or other information manipulations.

[0036] The processing system may also include machine-readable media for storing software. Software should be broadly understood to mean any type of instruction, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Instructions may include code (e.g., in source code format, code format). Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 19 / 104 14 / 42 binary, executable code format, or any other suitable code format). The instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processing system to perform the various functions described herein.

[0037] The wireless device 202 may also include a housing 208 which may contain a transmitter 210 and a receiver 212 to enable the transmission and reception of data between the wireless device 202 and a remote location. The transmitter 210 and the receiver 212 may be combined into a transceiver 214. A single or multiple transceiver antennas 216 may be attached to the housing 208 and electrically coupled to the transceiver 214. The wireless device 202 may also include (not shown) multiple transmitters, multiple receivers and multiple transceivers.

[0038] The wireless device 202 may also include a signal detector 218 that can be used in an effort to detect and quantify the level of signals received by the transceiver 214. The signal detector 218 can detect such signals as total energy, energy per subcarrier per symbol, power spectral density, and other signals. The wireless device 202 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 220 for use in signal processing. In some respects, the wireless device may also include one or more of a user interface component 222, a cellular modem 234, and a wireless LAN (WLAN) modem. The cellular modem 234 may provide communication using cellular technologies such as CDMA, GPRS, GSM, UMTS, or other cellular network technology. The modem 238 may provide communications using one or more Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 20 / 104 15 / 42 WiFi technologies, as well as any of the IEEE 802.11 protocol standards.

[0039] The various components of the 202 wireless device can be coupled together by a bus system, which may include a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus in addition to a data bus.

[0040] Certain aspects of this description support the transmission of an uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) signal between one or more STAs and an AP. In some embodiments, the signals may be transmitted in a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) system. Alternatively, the signals may be transmitted in a multi-user FDMA (MU-FDMA) or similar FDMA system. In some respects, these signals may be transmitted via one or more of the transmitter 210 and the modem 230.

[0041] Figure 3 illustrates four sets of basic services (BSSs) 302a-d, each BSS including one access point 104a-d, respectively. Each access point 104a-d is associated with at least two stations within its respective BSS 302a-d. AP 104a is associated with STA 106a-b. AP 104b is associated with STA 106c-d. AP 104c is associated with STA 106e-f. AP 104d is associated with STAs 106-h. An AP that is associated with an STA can be referred to as a BSS AP for that STA based on this description. Similarly, an AP that is not associated with a particular STA can be referred to as an OBSS AP for that STA based on this description. Associations between an AP and one or more stations provide, in part, communication coordination between devices within the Basic Services Set (BSS) defined by... Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 21 / 104 16 / 42 APs and their associated STAs. For example, devices within each BSS can exchange signals with each other. The signals can function to coordinate the transmissions of the respective AP 104a- of stations within the BSS of AP 302a-d.

[0042] The devices illustrated in Figure 3, including the STA 106a-h APs 104a-d, also share a wireless medium. Sharing the wireless medium is facilitated, in some respects, through the use of carrier-sense medium access with collision detection (CSMA / CD). The described modalities can provide a modified version of CSMA / CD that provides an increase in the capacity of the 302a-d BSSs to communicate simultaneously when compared to known systems.

[0043] Stations 106a-h within BSSs 302ad may have different capabilities to receive transmissions from their associated AP based, at least in part, on their position relative to other APs and / or stations outside their respective BSS (OBSS). For example, since stations 106a, 106d, 106e, and 106h are positioned relatively far from the OBSS APs, these stations may have the capability to receive transmissions from their BSS AP even with an OBSS AP or STA transmitting. Stations possessing such reception characteristics may be referred to as Reuse STAs throughout this description.

[0044] In contrast, STAs 106b, 106c, 106f, and 106g are illustrated in positions that are relatively close to an OBSS AP. Therefore, these stations may have a lower capacity to receive transmissions from their BSS AP during transmissions from OBSS APs and / or OBSS STAs. Stations possessing such receiving characteristics may Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 22 / 104 17 / 42 may be referred to as edge or non-reusable STAs throughout this description. In some respects, the methods and systems described may provide an enhanced capability for non-reusable STAs to communicate simultaneously while other OBSS devices are also communicating on the wireless medium.

[0045] In at least some of the aspects described, two or more 104a-d APs can negotiate to form an access point group. In other aspects, grouping configurations can be defined through manual configuration. For example, each AP can contain configuration parameters indicating whether the AP is part of one or more groups, and if so, a group identifier for the group. In some aspects, the configuration can also indicate whether the AP is a group controller for the group. In some of the embodiments described here, a group controller can assume functions that differ from the APs that are part of the group but are not a group controller. Thus, in some aspects, two or more 104a-d APs can be included in the same group. STAs associated with these access points can also be considered included in or part of the group of their associated AP. Therefore, in some aspects the STAsa-h illustrated above can be part of the same group.

[0046] The access point group can coordinate transmissions between you and your associated APs. In some respects, the group can be identified by a group identifier that uniquely identifies the group of access points comprising the group. In some respects, during the association of a station with any Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 23 / 104 18 / 42 one of the APs in a group, the group identifier is transmitted to the station during association, for example, in a response message to the association. The station can then use the group identifier to coordinate communications within the group. For example, one or more messages transmitted over the wireless network may include the group identifier, which a receiving STA can use to determine whether the message is addressed to it or not.

[0047] Modes that group access points can also use various methods to identify STAs within the group. For example, since known association identifier (AID) generation methods may not provide uniqueness across access points in some respects, medium access control addresses can be used to identify stations where appropriate. For example, known messages including user information fields that use association identifiers to identify stations can be modified to contain data derived from station MAC addresses in the modes described. Alternatively, association identifier generation methods can be modified to ensure uniqueness within a group of access points. For example, a portion of the association identifier can uniquely identify an access point within the group.Stations associated with this access point would receive association identifiers including the unique identifier. This provides unique association identifiers across access points within. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 24 / 104 19 / 42 a group. In some other respects, a membership identifier within a group may include the group identifier. This can provide uniqueness across groups to facilitate future cross-group coordination of communication.

[0048] Figure 4 illustrates three illustrative approaches to arbitrating the wireless medium with the 300 communications system of Figure 3. The 405 approach uses carrier-sense medium access (CSMA) to perform multi-user BSS transmissions. For example, each of the 420a-d transmissions can be performed by the 302a-d BSSs of Figure 3, respectively. The use of traditional CSMA in the 405 approach causes the medium to be used by only one BSS at any given time.

[0049] The 410 approach utilizes coordinate beamforming. With the 410 coordinate beamforming approach, 104a-d APs can coordinate transmissions between their respective BSSs. In some aspects, this coordination can be performed over the wireless medium, or, in some aspects, over a return access channel network. In these aspects, coordination traffic over the return access channel network is provided for improved utilization of the wireless medium.

[0050] With this approach, the reuse of STAs for different BSSs can be programmed to transmit or receive data simultaneously. For example, a relative resistance of a communication channel between STA 106a and AP 104a can allow these two devices to exchange data simultaneously with communication with OBSS devices, such as, for example, AP 104b and STA 106d. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 25 / 104 20 / 42 Additionally, the 410 approach provides non-reusable STAs and can be programmed to transmit simultaneously with OBSS devices. For example, STA 106b, which is inside BSS 302, can be programmed to communicate simultaneously with the communication between AP 104d and STA 106h of BSS 302d. Such simultaneous communication between a Non-reusable STAs (such as STA 106b) and, for example, AP 104d can be facilitated by programming AP 104d to transmit a signal to STA 106b simultaneously with AP 104d's transmission to STA 106h. For example, AP 104d can transmit a null signal for dominant interference signals to STA 106b. In this way, while transmitting a first signal to STA 106h, AP 104d can simultaneously transmit a signal, canceling the first signal, to STA 106b. Such simultaneous transmission by AP 104d can be provided by selecting individual antennas from a plurality of antennas provided by AP 104d for each of the transmissions.

[0051] The 415 approach illustrates a illustrative joint multi-user communication or distributed MIMO communication across 104a-d access points within 302a-d BSSs. With this 415 joint MIMO approach, a group of APs (such as 104a-d APs) can serve N 1-SS STAs simultaneously, where N is ~3 / 4 of the total number of antennas across all APs within the group. Distributed MIMO communications can coordinate a collection of antennas across multiple APs within a group to transmit to stations within the group. In this way, while traditional MIMO methods allocate transmitting antennas within a single BSS to stations within the group, Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 26 / 104 21 / 42 Distributed MIMO (Multi-Stream Information System) provides allocation of transmitting antennas outside of a BSS to facilitate communications with stations within the BSS.

[0052] In a distributed MIMO communication, a station in one BSS can communicate with one or more access points in a different BSS. Thus, for example, station 106a of BSS 302a in Figure 3 can communicate with access point 104d, which is in BSS 302d. This communication can occur simultaneously with the communication between STA 106a and AP 104a, the AP BSS of STA 106a. In some aspects of an uplink distributed MIMO communication, STA 106a can conduct one or more uplink communications to AP 104a simultaneously with AP 104d. Alternatively, a downlink distributed MIMO communication can include AP 104a transmitting data to STA 106a simultaneously with a transmission from AP 104d to STA 106a.

[0053] Thus, one or more of the distributed modes may utilize MIMO in the form of Cooperative Multiple Points (CoMP, also referred to as, for example, Network MIMO (N-MIMO), Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) or Cooperative MIMO (Co-MIMO), etc.), in which multiple access points, maintaining multiple sets of corresponding basic services, may conduct respective cooperative or joint communications with one or more STAs 106. CoMP communication between STAs and APs may utilize, for example, a joint processing scheme, in which an access point associated with a station (a BSS AP) and an access point that is not associated with a station (an OBSS AP) cooperate to engage in downlink data transmission to the STA and / or jointly receive uplink data. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 27 / 104 22 / 42 of the STA. Additionally or alternatively, CoMP communication between an STA and multiple access points can utilize coordinate beamforming, where a BSS AP and an OBSS AP can cooperate so that an OBSS AP forms a spatial beam for transmission away from the BSS AP and, in some respects, at least a portion of its associated stations, thus allowing the BSS AP to communicate with one or more of its associated stations with reduced interference.

[0054] To facilitate the coordinate beamforming approach 410 or the joint MIMO approach 415, an understanding of the channel conditional between an access point and OBSS devices can provide greater wireless communication efficiency.

[0055] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a plurality of Basic Service Sets (BSSs) 500 of an illustrative distributed MIMO wireless communication system. Each hexagon in Figure 5 represents an access point and associated stations, collectively referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). Individual BSSs are grouped into groups according to certain modalities described herein. In the example schematically illustrated by Figure 5, a first group (C1) comprises four BSSs, a second group (C2) comprises four BSSs, and a third group (C3) comprises four BSSs. In certain other modalities, a group may comprise 2, 3, 4, 5, or any number of BSSs, and a wireless communication system may comprise one or more groups (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, or other numbers of groups).

[0056] In certain modes, to perform distributed MIMO communications, the devices Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 28 / 104 23 / 42 within two or more BSSs of a group can transmit through a single channel simultaneously (e.g., transmit data from a plurality of BSS access points simultaneously through the single channel, or transmit data from a plurality of stations on different BSSs simultaneously to a single AP). In some respects, a centralized programmer (not illustrated) can coordinate transmissions across groups C1-C3. For example, coordination might include selecting the devices that will transmit simultaneously from multiple BSSs to achieve joint MIMO communication.

[0057] Figures 6 and 7 schematically illustrate two corresponding illustrative schemes for providing synchronized access to a single communication channel within a group, according to certain embodiments described herein. In some embodiments using the schemes in Figures 6 and 7, the Wi-Fi channel access rules are for an unlicensed band (other examples, according to certain embodiments described herein, may use different considerations). The group may comprise a plurality of access points and a plurality of stations and may be a wireless network or a part of a wireless network. In certain embodiments, a message (e.g., a frame, a trigger frame, a first message, a first frame, a first trigger frame, etc.)The signal can be transmitted from a component of the group (for example, from one access point among a plurality of access points or from one station among a plurality of stations). As an example, the drive panel 605 or 705 could be... Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 29 / 104 24 / 42 sent from one AP to multiple APs. In certain modes, the 605 or 705 trigger frame is received by an access point (e.g., from one of the other access points) and in response, at least in part, to the trigger frame, the receiving access point may set the time to a predetermined time value (e.g., a time value that is specified in a pattern; a time value that is calculated by the access point) or a time value indicated by the trigger frame (e.g., the trigger frame indicates, through one or more fields having one or more predetermined values, a time at which a first access point and a second access point simultaneously transmit data on a single wireless network channel). As described herein, in certain modes, the 605 or 705 trigger frame is used to request transmissions from the access points that receive the 605 or 705 trigger frame.The drive panel. A 605 or 705 frame may be an extension of a frame described in a particular standard, for example, a Drive Frame (e.g., for addressing multiple STAs) as described in IEEE 802.11ax. The 605 or 705 drive frame may be a frame or an extension of a frame described in one or more subsequent standards.

[0058] In certain embodiments, as schematically illustrated by figures 6 and 7, the 605 or 705 drive panel is transmitted via an access point. In certain other embodiments, the 605 or 705 drive panel is transmitted via a designated station (e.g., a previously determined designated station; a station selected to be the station). Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 30 / 104 25 / 42 determined through communication or negotiation between two or more components of the wireless network).

[0059] As schematically illustrated in Figure 6, one access point among a plurality of access points can be designated as the group leader. For example, the group leader can be a previously determined access point, the selection can be cloud-controlled, the selection can be negotiated over the air (e.g., selected through communication or negotiation between two or more components of the wireless network, such as two or more of the access points), or the selection can be based on the MAC addresses of the access points (e.g., a lower MAC address or a higher MAC address). The group leader can transmit the trigger frame to one or more other access points among the plurality of access points to initiate coordinated transmission from multiple access points.For example, as schematically illustrated in Figure 6, after performing a carrier-sensed multiple access (CSMA) backoff procedure / countdown procedure, the group leader can transmit the trigger frame to one or more other access points from among the plurality of access points. As described herein, the CSMA backoff procedure may simply be referred to as the backoff procedure, CSMA backoff procedure, countdown procedure, etc. Further details regarding the backoff procedure are described in relation to Figure 7 below.

[0060] After transmitting the drive frame 605, the group leader can transmit the data. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 31 / 104 26 / 42 for example, data in downlink) 615a on the single channel at the time indicated by the trigger frame 605, respectively. In certain modes, the group leader can determine the time based on the time of transmission of the trigger frame 605 by the group leader and a constant elapsed time after the time of transmission of the trigger frame. For example, the time separation between the transmission of the trigger frame 605 and the data transmission can be a predefined time (e.g., short interframe space or SIFS). Similarly, one or more other access points receiving the trigger frame 605 can determine the time based on the time of transmission of the trigger frame by the group leader (or based on the time of receipt of the trigger frame by the access point) and the same constant elapsed time (e.g., SIFS) after the time of transmission of the trigger frame 605 (or receipt).

[0061] In response, at least in part, to the trigger frame 605 received from the group leader, at least some of one or more other access points among the plurality of access points may transmit data (e.g., downlink data) 615b on the single channel at the time indicated by the trigger frame 605, respectively. This data transmission 615b from one or more other non-leader access points may then be synchronized (e.g., simultaneous) with the data transmission 615a by the group leader on the single channel. Each of the one or more non-leader access points (e.g., element AP-1 and element AP-2 of Figure 6) of the plurality of access points may perform a procedure of Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 32 / 104 27 / 42 corresponding verification (e.g., monitoring of both physical CCA and virtual NAV) to check if its carrier-sense (CS) state is busy before transmitting data on the single channel. As schematically illustrated in Figure 6, element AP-1 determines that its CS state is not busy during time period 610, therefore, in response, at least in part, element AP-1 performs data transmission 615b on the single channel, while element AP-2 determines that its CS state is busy during time period 610, therefore, in response, at least in part, element AP-2 does not perform data transmission on the single channel.

[0062] As schematically illustrated by Figure 7, in certain other embodiments, none of the access points is designated as a group leader. Instead, any of the access points among the plurality of access points can transmit the trigger frame 705 to one or more other access points to initiate coordinated data transmission from multiple access points. In certain embodiments, each of the access points can perform a CSMA backoff procedure / countdown procedure during the time period 702, and an access point completing its respective backoff procedure first can transmit the trigger frame 705.For example, as schematically illustrated in Figure 7, one of the access points (e.g., element AP-2) is the first to complete its CSMA backoff procedure / countdown procedure, and this access point is then shown transmitting the 705 drive frame to an or. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 33 / 104 28 / 42 plus other access points (e.g., AP-1 element and AP-3 element). In certain embodiments, the plurality of access points will perform the procedures to avoid collisions (e.g., reduce the probability of collisions) of multiple drive frames being transmitted through multiple access points.

[0063] In some respects, whether an AP is a group leader or not can determine whether the AP performs a backoff procedure before simultaneous transmission. For example, non-leader APs may not perform a backoff procedure, but instead may participate in simultaneous transmission without first performing a backoff procedure. Such APs can determine if the wireless medium (e.g., channel) is idle before transmission. For example, an AP can determine if the wireless medium is busy based on a free channel assessment (CCA). In one aspect, an AP can determine that the wireless medium is idle by monitoring a power level on the wireless medium (e.g., through power sensing (ED)). In another aspect, an AP can determine if the wireless medium is busy by detecting a packet transmission on the wireless medium (e.g., packet sensing (PD)).Additionally, APs can determine a wireless medium state in order to track a Network Allocation Vector (NAV). In one aspect, NAV can be configured on a neighboring BSS. It should be understood that the systems described here can implement any combination of NAV, ED, PD, and other mechanisms to determine if the wireless medium is busy. In one example, as illustrated in Figure 7, the AP-1 element, the AP-2 element, and the AP-3 element (also referred to as AP1, AP2, and...) Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 34 / 104 29 / 42 AP3, respectively, or collectively, as APs) can also perform a backoff procedure during time period 702. In one aspect, the AP that is the first to successfully complete the backoff procedure can send a multi-AP trigger. For example, if AP2 performs the backoff procedure before AP-1 and AP-3 perform the backoff procedure, AP2 can send trigger frame 705. In this example, both AP1 and AP3 can refrain from sending a multi-AP trigger. As further described with respect to Figure 8, the timing for transmitting a multi-AP trigger (e.g., trigger frame 705) and / or for performing simultaneous transmission can also depend on the results of the backoff procedure. In other aspects, no backoff procedure can be performed, as further described with respect to Figure 8.

[0064] After transmitting the trigger frame 705, the access point that transmitted the trigger frame can transmit data (e.g., downlink data) 715b on the single channel at the time indicated by the trigger frame 705. In certain embodiments, the access point that transmitted the trigger frame 705 can determine the time based on an addition of a time at the end of the trigger frame transmission 705 and a constant elapsed time after the time of trigger frame transmission. For example, the time separation between trigger frame transmission and data transmission can be a predefined time (e.g., SIFS). Thus, in Figure 7, the time for coordination data transmission is illustrated as the end of the trigger frame. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 35 / 104 30 / 42 actuation 705 plus an additional SIFS value 710. Similarly, one or more other access points receiving actuation frame 705 can determine the time based on the end of the transmission of actuation frame 705 by the access point (or based on the time of reception of the actuation frame by the access point that received the actuation frame) and the same constant elapsed time (e.g., SIFS) after the time of actuation frame transmission (or reception). In some respects, the actuation frame may indicate a time independent of the time of actuation frame transmission. For example, in some respects, the access points may synchronize their clocks, and the actuation frame may indicate a time based on the synchronized clocks, for example, through a bypass.

[0065] In response, at least in part, to the trigger frame 705, at least some of the one or more other access points among the plurality of access points may transmit data (e.g., downlink data) on the single channel at the time indicated by the trigger frame. This data transmission from one or more other access points may then be synchronized (e.g., simultaneous) with the data transmission by the access point that transmitted the trigger frame. For example, each of the one or more other access points (e.g., element AP-1 and element AP-3 of Figure 7) among the plurality of access points may be performing a corresponding verification procedure (e.g., monitoring both the physical CCA and virtual NAV) to verify that its carrier-sense (CS) state is Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 36 / 104 31 / 42 busy before transmitting data on the single channel. As schematically illustrated in Figure 7, element AP-1 determines that its CS state is not busy, therefore, in response, at least in part, element AP-1 performs data transmission on the single channel, while element AP-3 determines that its CS state is busy, therefore, in response, at least in part, element AP-3 does not perform data transmission on the single channel.

[0066] The drive frame may be a control frame that includes information that facilitates its use in certain modes described herein. For example, the drive frame may be based on an IEEE 802.11ax compliant control frame, modified to include such information. In certain modes, the information is indicative of one or more of the following: a set of access points responding to the drive frame (e.g., the access point group, for example, using a BSS identification number), an access category for simultaneous transmissions, a channel bandwidth for simultaneous transmissions to multiple users (MU) in downlink (DL), and a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) duration in downlink for simultaneous transmissions.In some respects, indication information may include setting one or more fields of the trigger message to one or more predetermined values, including values ​​indicating the information.

[0067] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an illustrative method of transmitting data in a wireless network (e.g., by sharing a medium channel without Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 37 / 104 32 / 42 wire) according to certain modalities described herein. In some respects, method 800 discussed below with respect to figure 8 can be performed by wireless device 202. For example, in some respects, instructions stored in memory 206 can configure processor 204 to perform one or more of the functions discussed below with respect to figure 8.

[0068] The 800 method discussed below provides an illustrative method for coordinating simultaneous transmissions from two or more access points at the same time through a single channel of a wireless medium. By simultaneous transmission, the throughput of a wireless medium can be increased due to the increased parallelism between the two access points, which may not occur with previous methods. To facilitate simultaneous transmissions, the signals transmitted by each of the access points can be formatted to form a combined signal that can be properly received by the intended receiving devices. In this way, it can be beneficial to align these simultaneous transmissions so that the combined signal is formed in a beneficial manner.

[0069] In block 810, a moment at which a first access point and at least a second access point transmit simultaneously through the channel is determined. In some respects, the determination is based on a negotiation or coordination between at least the two access points. In some respects, the time is understood as two time values ​​that are added, with one of the values ​​being a constant, such as a SIFS time.

[0070] In block 820, a data transmission is Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 38 / 104 33 / 42 performed through the channel at the moment. In some respects, data transmission is performed at the moment plus a constant deviation, such as a short inter-frame time space (SIFS).

[0071] In some respects, an 800 device realization method can negotiate with other access points to determine which access point is a group leader. In some respects, the 800 device realization method can receive this information instead of through configuration data. In some respects, group leader access points are responsible for transmitting trigger frames indicating the timing of the simultaneous transmission discussed above. Non-leader access points can receive the trigger frame and participate in the simultaneous transmission based on the parameters included in the trigger frame. Whether the access point is a group leader or not can also determine whether the access point performs a backoff procedure before simultaneous transmission.For example, non-leader access points may not perform a backoff procedure, but instead may participate in simultaneous transmission within the backoff beforehand. These access points may check whether the medium (channel) is down or not before transmitting in some respects.

[0072] Thus, in some aspects of method 800, a drive frame is generated and transmitted through the wireless medium. In some aspects, the time is set to a predetermined time value. In some aspects, the time is set to a time value indicated by the drive frame (e.g., the frame Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 39 / 104 The 34 / 42 trigger frame indicates the time) and is generated to indicate that at least one second access point (e.g., a plurality of second access points) must transmit at that time. For example, the trigger frame may include at least one BSS ID of at least one second access point. Alternatively, the trigger frame may include a group identifier, with the group identifier identifying a group to which the at least one second access point belongs.

[0073] In some respects, method 800 includes performing a backoff procedure on the single channel ahead of time. If the backoff procedure is completed successfully, the trigger frame can be generated and transmitted. The timing may also depend on the results of the backoff procedure. If the backoff procedure has not been completed successfully, the backoff procedure may be restarted until it is completed successfully, at which point the time for simultaneous transmission can be determined, and the trigger frame can be generated and transmitted.

[0074] In some respects, the drive frame is received rather than generated and transmitted. For example, in some respects, an 800 device embodiment may be a controller and group leader. In these respects, the drive frame may be generated and transmitted, since a group leader may control simultaneous transmissions across multiple access points in some modes. In other respects, for example if the 800 device embodiment is not a group leader, the device may receive a drive frame. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 40 / 104 35 / 42 from the group leader's access point, or other device in some respects. In some respects, the received drive frame may indicate the time. For example, the time determination in block 810 may be based on a time indicated in the received drive frame in these respects.

[0075] In aspects of method 800 that receive a trigger frame, no backoff procedure can be performed. Instead, a device receiving a trigger frame can check if the channel is inactive immediately before the time. If the channel is inactive, the transmission of block 820 can occur. In other aspects, if the channel is not inactive at the time (or immediately before), then the transmission of block 820 may not occur. In this way, block 802 is not performed in these aspects.

[0076] In some respects, the received drive frame is decoded to determine if the drive frame identifies the 800 device implementation method. If so, the device can transmit time based on the drive frame that identifies the device (assuming the medium is inactive before the time). In some respects, the transmission is performed based on a time indicated in the drive frame plus a constant value, such as SIFS.

[0077] If the drive frame is generated and transmitted, or received in various aspects of method 800 discussed above, the drive frame may indicate indicative information of one or more of the following: a set of access points that respond to the frame of Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 41 / 104 36 / 42 activation, an access category for simultaneous transmissions, a channel bandwidth for simultaneous transmissions, and a duration of a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PCLP) protocol data unit (PPDU) in downlink for simultaneous transmissions. Simultaneous transmission of block 820 can then be performed based on one or more of these indications.

[0078] A non-transient computer-readable means is further described herein comprising instructions which, when executed, perform a method for coordinating the simultaneous transmission of two or more access points through a single channel of a wireless medium, the method comprising determining, by a first access point, a moment at which the first access point and at least one second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel; and transmitting, by the first access point, a portion of data of a distributed MIMO communication through the channel at that moment. In one aspect, the at least one second access point comprises a plurality of second access points. In one aspect, the method further comprises generating, by the first access point, a trigger frame; and transmitting, by the first access point, the trigger frame through the wireless medium.In one aspect, determining the time involves setting the time to a predetermined time value. In another aspect, determining the time involves setting the time to a time value indicated by the drive panel. In one aspect, the method additionally comprises generating, from the first access point, the drive panel for Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 42 / 104 37 / 42 indicate that at least one second access point must transmit on time. In one aspect, the method further comprises performing, by the first access point, a backoff procedure on the single channel, where the transmission of the trigger frame occurs in response to the completion of the backoff procedure. In one aspect, the method further comprises receiving, by the first access point, a trigger frame. In one aspect, the trigger frame indicates the time. In one aspect, the method further comprises determining, by the first access point, whether the channel is inactive before said transmission, where said transmission occurs in response to the fact that the channel is inactive.In one aspect, the method further comprises decoding, by the first access point, the trigger frame to determine whether the trigger frame identifies the first access point, wherein said transmission time is based on the trigger frame identifying the first access point. In one aspect, determining the time is based on adding a time indicated by the trigger frame and a constant value. In one aspect, the trigger frame is generated to include information indicative of one or more of the following: a set of access points responding to the trigger frame, an access category for simultaneous transmission, a channel bandwidth for simultaneous transmission, and a duration of a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) downlink for simultaneous transmission.In one aspect, the method additionally involves negotiating with at least one second access point to determine if the... Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 43 / 104 38 / 42 The first access point must transmit the drive frame; and transmit the drive frame in response to said negotiation.

[0079] A non-transient computer-readable means is further described herein comprising instructions which, when executed, perform a method of transmission coordination by a plurality of access points through a single channel of a wireless medium, the method comprising determining, by a device, a time when a first access point and at least a second access point will transmit simultaneously through the channel; and transmitting, by the device, a trigger message. In one aspect, determining the time comprises setting the time to a predetermined time value. In one aspect, determining the time comprises setting the time to a time value indicated by the trigger message. In one aspect, the device is a station. In one aspect, the device is an access point.In one aspect, the trigger message is generated by the device to include information indicative of one or more of the following: a set of access points responding to the trigger message, an access category for simultaneous transmission, a channel bandwidth for simultaneous transmission, and a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) duration downlink for simultaneous transmission. In another aspect, the method further comprises generating the trigger message to identify the first access point and at least one second access point through corresponding identifiers for the first access point. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 44 / 104 39 / 42 access and at least one second access point. In one aspect, the identifiers are one of: BSS IDs, station addresses, etc. Terminology

[0080] In the description above, reference numbers may have been used in relation to several terms. Where a term is used in relation to a reference number, this may mean reference to a specific element that is illustrated in one or more of the figures. Where a term is used without a reference number, this may mean reference to the term in general without limitation to any particular figure.

[0081] As used herein, a phrase referring to at least one of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single elements. As an example, at least one of: a, b, or c must cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc.

[0082] The various operations of the methods described above can be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the operations, such as various hardware and / or software components, circuits, and / or modules. Generally, any operations illustrated in the figures can be performed by the corresponding functional means capable of performing the operations.

[0083] The various logic blocks, modules and illustrative circuits described in connection with this description may be implemented or realized with a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array signal Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 45 / 104 A general-purpose processor (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein, may be implemented as a 40 / 42 field-in-place (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other similar configuration).

[0084] In one or more aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored in or transmitted as one or more instructions or code in a computer-readable medium.

[0085] The functions described herein may be stored as one or more instructions on a computer-readable or processor-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium refers to any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or processor. By way of example, and not limitation, such medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 46 / 104 41 / 42 or processor. Floppy disk and disk, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray® disc, where floppy disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while disks reproduce data optically with lasers. It should be noted that a computer-readable medium can be tangible and non-transient. The term computer program product refers to a computing device or processor in combination with code or instructions (e.g., a program) that can be executed, processed, or computed by the computing device or processor. As used herein, the term code can refer to software, instructions, code, or data executable by a computing device or processor.

[0086] Software or instructions can also be transmitted through a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a network site, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, a fiber optic cable, a twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of transmission medium.

[0087] The methods described herein comprise one or more steps or actions to achieve the described method. The steps of the method and / or actions may be interchangeable with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of the Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 47 / 104 42 / 42 steps or actions are required for the proper operation of the method being described; the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0088] The term determining encompasses a wide variety of actions and therefore determining can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, querying (e.g., querying a table, a database, or other data structure), evaluating, and the like. Furthermore, determining can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Additionally, determining can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

[0089] The phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on," unless expressly specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" describes both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0090] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components illustrated above. Various modifications, changes, and variations may be made to the arrangement, operation, and details of the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein without departing from the scope of the claims. Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 48 / 104

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. A method for coordinating simultaneous transmission over a single channel of a wireless medium, the method characterized in that it comprises: performing, by a first access point associated with a first Basic Service Set (BSS), a countdown procedure simultaneously with a second access point associated with a second BSS, wherein the first and second access points are each capable of initiating a simultaneous transmission of a distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication from the first and second access points, the distributed MIMO communication comprising the first access point transmitting, to the second access point, first communications configured to facilitate second communications between the second access point and one or more wireless stations included in the second BSS;In response to the completion of the countdown procedure before the second access point, transmit, from the first access point to the second access point, a first frame indicating that simultaneous transmission will occur within a predetermined amount of time after receiving the first frame; determine, by the first access point, that the single channel is inactive; and after the predetermined amount of time, transmit through the single channel, from the first access point, and simultaneously with the second access point, data for distributed MIMO communication.

2. Method, according to claim 1, Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 49 / 104 2 / 5 characterized in that it further comprises: generating, through the first access point, the first frame.

3. Method, according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined amount of time is at least one of those configured by the first access point and the second access point or a short interframe space, SIFS.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: generating the first frame, by the first access point, to include information indicative of at least one of a set of wireless devices responsive to the first frame, an access category, a channel bandwidth, or a duration of a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) in downlink.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: establishing, based on one or more communications between the first and second access points, that the first access point will transmit the first frame.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: determining, by the first access point, a moment when the first and second access points will be transmitted simultaneously through the single channel.

7. Method, according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises: generating the first frame to identify the first and second access points through corresponding identifiers that are at least one of Basic Service Set (BSS) identifiers or station addresses.

8. Apparatus for coordinating simultaneous transmissions over a single channel of a wireless medium, the apparatus being associated with a first Basic Service Set (BSS), and characterized in that it comprises: one or more processors; and a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: perform a countdown procedure simultaneously with a second access point associated with a second BSS, wherein the first and second access points are each capable of initiating a simultaneous transmission of a distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication from the apparatus and the second access point, the distributed MIMO communication comprising the apparatus transmitting to the access point first communications configured to facilitate second communications between the access point and one or more wireless stations included in the second BSS;In response to the completion of the countdown procedure before the second access point, transmit, from the access point, a first frame indicating that simultaneous transmission will occur within a predetermined amount of time after receiving the first frame; determine that the single channel is inactive; and after the predetermined amount of time, Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, page 51 / 104 4 / 5 transmit, through the single channel, simultaneously with the access point, data for distributed MIMO communication.

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the execution of the instructions additionally causes the device to: generate the first frame.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the predetermined amount of time is at least one of those configured by the device and the access point or a short interframe space, SIFS.

11. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the execution of the instructions causes the device to: generate the first frame to include information indicating at least one of a set of wireless devices responsive to the first frame, an access category, a channel bandwidth or a duration of a Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) in downlink.

12. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the execution of the instructions additionally leads the device to: establish, based on one or more communications between the device and the access point, that the device will transmit the first frame.

13. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the execution of the instructions additionally leads the device to: Petition 870260039708, dated 04 / 29 / 2026, p. 52 / 104 5 / 5 determine a moment when the device and the access point will be transmitted simultaneously through the single channel.

14. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the execution of the instructions additionally causes the device to: generate the first message to identify the device and the access point through identifiers that are at least one of Basic Service Identifiers (BSS) or station addresses. Petition 870260039708, dated April 29, 2026, p. 53 / 104

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