Multi-AP Coordination for Spatial Reuse in Dense WLANs
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless local area networks (WLANs), the existing spatial reuse technologies face challenges such as transmission time loss and transmission conflicts due to dense deployments of access points, leading to inter-cell interference and reduced transmission efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The proposed method involves multi-access point (AP) coordination, where a first AP sends a radio frame with identification information to a second AP, enabling spatial reuse during uplink data transmission. This coordination configures SRP transmission opportunities for downlink transmissions, avoiding transmission conflicts and optimizing transmission time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If nodes independently identify and contend for spatial reuse opportunities, then transmission opportunities increase, but transmission conflicts and time loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The access point acts as an intermediary by sending a trigger frame that coordinates spatial reuse transmissions. Instead of nodes independently contending for channels, the AP schedules specific nodes to transmit during designated time periods, eliminating contention conflicts and time loss while maintaining high transmission opportunities
Solution Approach 2:
The access point performs preliminary scheduling by sending trigger frames that pre-assign transmission opportunities to specific nodes. This preliminary action prevents conflicts before they occur, as nodes know in advance when they should transmit, eliminating the need for contention and reducing time loss
2Productivity
If multiple nodes contend for channel simultaneously, then transmission opportunities increase, but transmission conflicts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The access point serves as a mediator that receives requests from multiple nodes and assigns transmission opportunities sequentially or in coordinated fashion. This mediation ensures that only one node transmits at a time on the same resource, eliminating conflicts while still providing multiple transmission opportunities across different nodes
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission opportunities are segmented and assigned to different nodes by the access point. Instead of all nodes contending simultaneously, the AP divides the transmission resources (time, frequency, or spatial) and assigns specific segments to specific nodes, ensuring conflict-free transmissions while maintaining high overall productivity
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a spatial reuse method and apparatus based on multi-access point (AP) coordination, and a system. In the method, a first access point AP sends a radio frame including identification information to a second access point AP. The identification information is used to indicate the second access point AP to perform spatial reuse during uplink data transmission performed by at least one first station associated with the first access point. The second access point sends a downlink frame to at least one second station based on the identification information. Through coordination between access points APs, the first AP may configure a spatial reuse transmission opportunity for another specific AP to perform spatial reuse transmission, so that a transmission time in the spatial reuse transmission opportunity is fully used, thereby avoiding a conflict and improving transmission efficiency.