Dual Connectivity WLAN STA AP Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless LAN systems can only connect to one Access Point (AP) at a time, leading to communication disruptions and inefficiencies when the connection is poor, as devices must wait or switch to another AP, resulting in delayed response signals and reduced overall system performance.
Innovation Solution
A dual connectivity method is proposed where a Station (STA) can simultaneously connect to two APs, allowing the secondary AP to respond to uplink signals if the primary AP fails to receive them, thereby eliminating the need for retransmissions and improving communication reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the STA connects to only one AP in the conventional wireless LAN system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of communication deteriorates when the connection is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple APs into a coordinated system where a first AP and second AP work together to serve a single STA. The second AP can transmit response signals (ACK/NACK) that are received by the STA even when the primary first AP connection is poor, effectively combining the coverage and reliability of multiple access points while maintaining single-STA connectivity management.
Solution Approach 2:
The second AP acts as an intermediary for response signal transmission. When the STA sends an uplink signal to the first AP but the first AP fails to receive it, the second AP receives the uplink signal and transmits the appropriate response signal back to the STA, serving as a mediator that ensures reliable communication feedback without requiring the STA to switch APs or retransmit.
2Reliability
If the STA waits for a certain time period or performs connection to another AP when communication with the current AP is not smooth, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to waiting and switching
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary setup by establishing connectivity between the STA and both the first AP and second AP before communication issues arise. The second AP is pre-configured to receive uplink signals from the STA and transmit response signals, so when the first AP connection deteriorates, the STA can immediately receive responses from the second AP without waiting or switching connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual connectivity mechanism ensures continuous useful action by maintaining active communication paths through both APs simultaneously. The second AP continuously monitors for uplink signals from the STA and is ready to transmit response signals at any time, eliminating gaps in communication feedback that would occur with single-AP connections or reactive switching.
3Productivity
If the first AP does not receive the uplink signal from the STA, then the system simplicity is maintained, but the productivity deteriorates due to required retransmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The second AP performs self-service by autonomously receiving uplink signals from the STA and determining when to transmit response signals based on whether the first AP successfully received the uplink signal. The second AP monitors the communication state and independently decides to transmit ACK or NACK signals without requiring complex coordination or additional control signaling between APs, maintaining system simplicity while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present specification, an STA may be connected to a primary AP and a secondary AP simultaneously. The STA may acquire control information related to whether the secondary AP can acquire a transmission/reception signal of the primary AP. Thereafter, the STA may transmit a UL signal to the primary AP. The STA may transmit, on the basis of whether the secondary AP can acquire the transmission/reception signal of the primary AP, a block acknowledgement request (BAR) signal for a UL signal to the secondary AP.