Antenna Combination Selection for WLAN Interference Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-density Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) scenarios, access points often experience severe interference due to limited channels and overlapping coverage areas, leading to decreased quality of service for clients.
Innovation Solution
An access point (AP) calculates an influence index for various antenna combinations and selects those with indices below a predetermined threshold to minimize interference, adjusting transmission rates and antenna configurations to optimize performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple access points are deployed in closer proximity to each other to support more clients in high-density scenarios, then the client support capacity is improved, but the interference between access points operating on the same channel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different antenna combinations at different spatial locations (access points) to create localized beam patterns. Each access point selects specific antenna combinations based on its location and neighboring access points, thereby reducing interference in specific directions while maintaining client support capacity in high-density scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by enabling access points to dynamically select and switch between different antenna combinations based on real-time interference conditions and client distribution. The system can adaptively adjust antenna configurations to optimize performance as the network environment changes, rather than using fixed antenna settings
2Reliability
If antenna combinations are selected to minimize interference on the same channel, then the quality of service is improved, but the complexity of antenna selection and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple antenna combinations at each access point before operation. The system prepares a set of candidate antenna combinations in advance, which can be quickly selected based on interference conditions without requiring complex real-time calculations, thereby reducing the complexity of antenna selection while maintaining quality of service
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the antenna combination parameters (which antennas are active and their relative phases) to optimize performance. By changing these parameters systematically through pre-configured combinations, the system achieves interference reduction without requiring complex adaptive algorithms during operation
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example, an AP may obtain an influence index for each of antenna combinations, and determine antenna combinations whose influence indices are smaller than or equal to a pre-determined threshold to be valid antenna combinations. The antenna combinations may include antennas not more than the maximum number of transmitting links supported by the AP. Each influence index may indicate the influence of an antenna combination on default antenna combinations of neighboring APs operating on the same channel. The AP may adjust the available transmission rates supported by the AP according to the largest number of antennas in the valid antenna combinations. The AP may select a transmission rate from the range for a frame, determine the number of antennas corresponding to the selected transmission rate, and select an antenna combination in which the number of antennas equals the determined number of antennas from the valid antenna combinations for transmitting the frame.