Coordinated TDMA Access Negotiation for Multi-AP Interference Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless local area networks (WLANs) face challenges in managing increasing bandwidth demands and latency-sensitive applications due to interference and overlapping basic service sets (OBSS), which degrade network performance and increase latency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a mechanism for Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)-based multiple access point (MAP) coordination, where APs within a coordination distance negotiate and coordinate through request, response, and announcement frames to establish TDMA-based MAP coordination, managing channel access and reducing interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple APs operate independently to increase network capacity, then bandwidth throughput increases, but interference and latency increase due to overlapping basic service sets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireless medium into distinct time slots for different APs, creating a time-division multiplexed system. Each AP is assigned specific time intervals for transmission, which eliminates simultaneous transmissions and reduces interference while maintaining high network capacity through coordinated multi-AP operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic time slot allocation where APs transmit in alternating intervals. This periodic structure allows predictable channel access patterns, reducing latency variability and ensuring reliable delivery for time-sensitive applications while maintaining high overall network utilization
2Reliability
If APs coordinate through negotiation frames to establish TDMA coordination, then interference is reduced and latency decreases, but communication overhead and protocol complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs TDMA coordination setup in advance through negotiation frames exchanged between APs. By establishing time slot allocations and coordination parameters beforehand, the system avoids complex real-time decision-making during data transmission, reducing operational complexity while achieving low latency performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of APs from independent random access to coordinated time-slot-based access. By modifying the access protocol parameters and establishing predetermined transmission windows, the system achieves reliable low-latency communication without requiring complex dynamic coordination during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A first access point (AP) in a wireless network, with a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to cause transmitting, to one or more second APs, a request frame indicating a request for participation in a time division multiple access (TDMA)-based multiple AP (MAP) coordination, wherein the one or more second APs are within a coordination distance of the first AP. The processor is further configured to cause receiving, from at least one second AP, a response frame indicating acceptance of the request for participation in the TDMA-based MAP coordination.