Multi-Channel Contention for Wireless Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing IEEE 802.11 standard's channel contention mechanism results in a low success rate and significant bandwidth waste in wireless local area networks due to prioritization of channels, leading to abandonment of low-priority channels and inefficient resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A multi-channel contention method where communications devices, such as access points and stations, listen to and determine multiple channels that succeed in contention simultaneously, allowing for the exchange of control or data frames across these channels without adhering to the traditional primary-secondary channel sequence, enabling centralized scheduling and improved resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a communications device contends for channels in sequence according to priority (primary channel first, then secondary channels), then the device can follow a standardized access procedure, but the success rate of channel contention is low and bandwidth is wasted when low-priority channels cannot be accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The communications device performs preliminary actions by listening to and determining the contention status of multiple channels (including both primary and secondary channels) simultaneously before actual data transmission begins. This allows the device to identify all successfully contended channels in advance, preventing bandwidth waste from abandoned low-priority channels while maintaining standardized access procedures.
2Productivity
If a communications device uses multiple channels for data transmission simultaneously, then the transmission bandwidth and peak rate are increased, but the complexity of channel management and contention increases
Solution Approach 1:
The channel management process is segmented into distinct functional modules: a channel listening module that monitors multiple channels, a channel determination module that identifies successfully contended channels, and a data transmission module that transmits on selected channels. This segmentation reduces management complexity by breaking down the complex multi-channel process into manageable, independent steps while still enabling increased transmission bandwidth.
3Reliability
If a communications device listens to and determines multiple channels simultaneously, then the success rate of channel contention improves and bandwidth waste is prevented, but the complexity of the contention process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The channel listening, channel determination, and channel selection processes are merged into an integrated multi-channel contention mechanism. The device listens to multiple channels simultaneously, determines their contention status together, and selects successful channels for transmission in a unified process. This merging reduces overall process complexity compared to separate sequential operations while improving the success rate and preventing bandwidth waste.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-channel contention method, a communications device, and a wireless network system are presented. The present disclosure is applied to a communications device in a wireless network, where the communications device is an access point or a station; and the communications device includes: a channel contention module configured to: listen to at least two channels, determine a first channel succeeding in contention, and determine a second channel considered to succeed in contention; and an exchange module configured to: exchange a control frame with another communications device in the wireless network using the first channel and the second channel in order to occupy the channels, or exchange a data frame.