Access Point Backoff Counter Pausing for Fair TXOP Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face inefficiencies and unfairness in channel access due to unsatisfactory handling of backoff counters during TXOP sharing among access points, leading to poor channel usage and challenging Quality of Service support.
Innovation Solution
Access points pause their backoff counters during shared TXOPs and coordinate with the winning access point to transmit data, resetting the counter based on successful transmission or buffer emptiness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple APs share a TXOP by coordinating channel access, then channel usage efficiency is improved and collisions are avoided, but the handling of backoff counters becomes complex and unfairness arises among APs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the backoff counter behavior adaptive based on the AP's role in TXOP sharing. The counter is paused during shared TXOP for cooperating APs while continuing for the winning AP, creating dynamic and role-specific counter management that resolves the fairness and complexity issues
2Reliability
If APs continuously contend for channel access using backoff counters, then each AP gets fair opportunity to transmit, but channel usage efficiency deteriorates due to repeated contentions and collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the channel access process into distinct phases: initial contention phase where all APs compete fairly, and shared TXOP phase where the winning AP coordinates with cooperating APs. This segmentation allows fairness in the contention phase while achieving efficiency in the shared transmission phase
3Ease of operation
If a single AP wins contention and reserves TXOP alone, then channel access is simple and predictable, but other APs must defer and wait leading to poor channel utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple APs into a coordinated TXOP sharing group where the winning AP maintains control while allowing cooperating APs to transmit. This combining of multiple APs in a single coordinated framework achieves both simplicity (through centralized control) and high utilization (through multiple simultaneous transmitters)
Data Source
AI summary
An access point of a wireless communication system configures a carrier for communication with one or more wireless devices associated with the access point. Based on a backoff counter maintained by the access point, the access point contends for access to the carrier to transmit data. In response to another access point winning contention for access to the carrier, the access point cooperates at least with the access point winning the contention by sharing a transmission opportunity reserved on the carriers by the access point winning the contention and transmitting at least a part of the data in the shared transmission opportunity. During the shared transmission opportunity the access point pauses the backoff counter.