BSS Steering for Uplink Airtime Fairness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face challenges in managing uplink airtime fairness, leading to degraded quality of service for high-priority or high-data-rate devices due to monopolization of channels by lower data rate stations, which results in reduced airtime for critical traffic like video streaming.
Innovation Solution
The system dynamically creates a virtual access point with throttling parameters to redirect and limit the uplink traffic of monopolizing devices, thereby freeing up resources for other devices by using BSS steering and transition management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If airtime fairness is implemented to allocate equal airtime to each STA, then downlink transmission efficiency is improved, but uplink channel monopolization by greedy STAs cannot be effectively prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the single BSS into multiple virtual BSSs (VBSSs) with different BSS identifiers. When a STA is identified as greedy, it is steered to a different VBSS where its uplink transmissions are throttled. This segmentation isolates the greedy STA's impact to specific virtual networks while preserving normal operation in other VBSSs, thereby maintaining uplink QoS without sacrificing downlink efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes BSS parameters (such as uplink transmission power limits, maximum transmission duration, or channel access parameters) when steering a greedy STA to a different VBSS. These parameter changes effectively throttle the greedy STA's uplink transmissions, preventing channel monopolization while allowing the original BSS to maintain its downlink airtime fairness configuration.
2Productivity
If a STA is allowed to transmit freely without restrictions, then its own transmission performance is maximized, but it monopolizes the channel causing degraded QoS for other high-priority devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (multiple VBSSs with different access parameters) between the greedy STA and the shared wireless medium. By steering the STA to a specific VBSS with throttling parameters, the system mediates the STA's transmissions to prevent harmful channel monopolization while still allowing the STA to transmit at acceptable rates within the constrained environment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of restricting the greedy STA directly in its original BSS, the system inverts the approach by moving the STA to a different VBSS where restrictions are inherently applied. This inversion allows the original BSS to continue operating with high-performance STAs while the greedy STA experiences controlled transmission limits in its new VBSS, thereby eliminating channel monopolization effects.
3Reliability
If BSS steering is used to redirect greedy STAs to throttled VBSSs, then uplink airtime fairness is improved, but system complexity increases due to dynamic BSS creation and management
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates multiple VBSSs that share the same physical infrastructure and management controller, making the system universally adaptable to different greedy STA scenarios. The same set of VBSSs can serve multiple functions: normal operation for most STAs, throttling for greedy STAs, and dynamic reconfiguration as needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for entirely separate management systems for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically creates and manages VBSSs based on real-time detection of greedy STA behavior. When a greedy STA is detected, the system activates or creates an appropriate VBSS and steers the STA there. When the greedy behavior ceases, the STA can be returned to normal BSS operation. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain simplicity during normal operation while providing complex management capabilities only when needed, thereby balancing fairness improvement with acceptable complexity levels.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. Methods, systems, and devices provide for determining or identifying a client device that is monopolizing a channel associated with a first basic service set (BSS). Once identified, a second BSS is dynamically created and configured with parameters that are throttled with respect to the first BSS. The client device is steered to the second BSS and is prevented from reassociating with the first BSS until a change in device status.