Coordinated Access Point Communication via TXOP Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing density of wireless access points in WLANs leads to inter-cell interference, which hampers service quality in next-generation Wi-Fi technologies, necessitating effective coordination methods to reduce interference and improve resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A method for coordinated communication where an access point shares transmit opportunities (TXOP) with multiple secondary access points, allocating specific time resources and channel resources through announcement messages and polling messages, allowing each access point to transmit data directly to stations, thereby reducing channel contention and enhancing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple access points operate independently in dense WLAN environments, then each AP can autonomously manage its transmissions, but inter-cell interference increases and resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple access points are merged into a coordinated communication system where they share transmit opportunities (TXOP) and time resources. The first AP obtains a TXOP and shares it with second APs through announcement messages, enabling joint transmission coordination that reduces inter-cell interference while improving overall resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary coordination through announcement messages that indicate which APs will share time resources before actual data transmission begins. This preliminary action allows APs to pre-coordinate their transmissions, avoiding conflicts and interference during the actual transmission phase.
2Loss of time
If access points perform channel contention independently, then each AP can autonomously access the channel, but transmission latency increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple APs merge their channel access operations by sharing a single TXOP obtained through one AP's channel contention. Instead of each AP independently contending for the channel, they coordinate to use the shared TXOP, reducing latency while maintaining operational simplicity through centralized coordination.
3Productivity
If access points share transmit opportunities through coordination, then resource utilization improves and latency reduces, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coordination system is segmented into specific functional modules: announcement message generation, time resource allocation, and coordinated transmission control. This segmentation manages complexity by dividing the coordination function into discrete, manageable components rather than a monolithic system.
Solution Approach 2:
Announcement messages serve as intermediaries that carry coordination information between APs. These messages indicate which APs will share time resources and coordinate transmissions, simplifying the interaction complexity by using standardized message-based communication rather than direct AP-to-AP negotiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for coordinated communication and an apparatus for coordinated communication are provided. The method includes: a first access point (AP) sends an announcement message and/or a polling message to one or more second APs. The announcement message announces that the first AP may share a time resource of the first AP. The announcement message may further include identifier information that indicates the one or more second APs, and time information that indicate communication or channel contention of the one or more second APs in the time resource shared by the first AP. The polling message may be used to notify a second AP to start to use, at a preset time, a channel resource shared by the first AP with the second AP for communication or start channel contention at the preset time.