Doubly-Associated Station Inter-BSS Relay for mmWave Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mmWave communications, such as those following IEEE 802.11ad standards, face disruptions due to line-of-sight blockages, and existing relay technologies are limited to within the same basic service set (BSS), restricting range extension and requiring wired connections for inter-BSS communication.
Innovation Solution
A system and method enabling a doubly-associated station to communicate with two access points (APs) in different BSSs, allowing data relaying between them, thereby extending coverage and range by using a station capable of associating with multiple APs and relaying data between them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a station associates with only one AP in a single BSS, then association management is simple, but coverage range and ability to overcome LOS blockage are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The station is designed to perform multiple functions by associating with multiple APs simultaneously. The single station serves as a member of multiple BSSs, enabling it to receive data from different APs and provide relay services, thereby extending coverage and improving reliability without requiring separate dedicated relay devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The doubly-associated station acts as an intermediary between APs in different BSSs. It receives data from one AP and forwards it to another AP, mediating communication between overlapping BSSs and enabling seamless data transfer across BSS boundaries while maintaining simple association management protocols.
2Reliability
If inter-BSS communication uses wired connections, then communication stability is high, but device portability and wireless coverage extension are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless relay mechanism. The doubly-associated station establishes wireless links with multiple APs, substituting physical cable connections with radio frequency communications, thereby maintaining communication stability while restoring wireless flexibility and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The station serves as a wireless intermediary that bridges APs in different BSSs without requiring physical wired connections. It maintains stable communication by establishing multiple wireless associations and relaying data packets between APs, achieving wired-like reliability through wireless mediation.
3Area of stationary object
If existing relay technologies are used within the same BSS, then relay setup is simple, but range extension and coverage area are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends relay functionality from the single-dimension same-BSS environment to the multi-dimension cross-BSS environment. The station associates with APs in different BSSs, adding the dimension of BSS diversity to relay operations, thereby expanding coverage area while maintaining configuration simplicity through standardized association procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The station performs universal relay functions across multiple BSSs simultaneously. It can relay data between any pair of APs it is associated with, providing flexible range extension without requiring separate relay configurations for each BSS pair, thus simplifying overall relay management while maximizing coverage expansion.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for multiple association includes associating with a first access point (AP) in a primary basic service set (BSS), associating with a second AP in a secondary BSS, informing the first and second APs of an inter-BSS relaying capability of a doubly-associated station, and relaying data between the first AP and the second AP.