Wireless Access Point Legacy Device MIMO Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless local area networks (WLANs) are limited in their ability to support multi-user communication due to the requirement for IEEE 802.11ac (Wave 2) standard compliance, excluding billions of legacy devices that do not support this protocol, which restricts the number of stations that can be included in multi-user MIMO groups and limits network throughput.
Innovation Solution
A wireless access point (WAP) with multiple antennas and OFDM communication channels, equipped with a station grouping module, transmit selector, spatial mapper, and input/output injectors, allows for concurrent MIMO communication with legacy stations by precoding transmissions using a precode matrix 'Q' to eliminate interference, even when not all stations support the MU protocol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the WAP uses MU-MIMO protocol to enable concurrent communication with multiple stations, then network throughput is improved, but legacy devices that do not support the IEEE 802.11ac (Wave 2) standard are excluded from participating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compatibility mode as an intermediary mechanism that allows the WAP to communicate with legacy devices using simplified transmission protocols while still enabling concurrent multi-user communication. This mediator approach permits mixed environments where both legacy and MU-MIMO capable devices coexist, resolving the contradiction between throughput improvement and device compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The WAP dynamically adjusts its transmission mode based on the capabilities of associated stations. When legacy devices are detected, the system switches to a compatibility mode that maintains concurrent communication capability while using simplified protocols. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize throughput when possible while ensuring broad device compatibility when needed.
2Productivity
If the WAP forms multi-user groups with all associated stations, then the number of concurrent communication links is increased, but interference between transmissions to different stations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different transmission characteristics to different stations based on their individual capabilities and channel conditions. Each station receives customized transmission parameters including modulation schemes, coding rates, and spatial mapping that are optimized for its specific requirements. This local quality approach enables multiple concurrent links with legacy devices while managing interference through station-specific optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes transmission parameters such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), transmission time interval (TTI), and spatial mapping configuration based on the mix of legacy and MU-MIMO capable devices in the group. By adjusting these parameters adaptively, the WAP maintains high throughput for MU-MIMO devices while ensuring reliable communication with legacy devices, thereby reducing interference effects.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless access point (WAP) including: a station grouping module, a transmit selector, a spatial mapper, an output injector, and an input injector. The station grouping module selects a group of station nodes for concurrent MIMO communications. The transmit selector determines whether all station nodes in the group support a multi-user (MU) protocol. The spatial mapper precodes concurrent transmissions to the group using a precode matrix “Q” which spatially separates the concurrent MIMO transmissions to each station node in the group. The output injector injects preambles for synchronizing timing of the MIMO transmissions at the output of the spatial mapper, responsive to an affirmative determination by the transmit selector. The input injector injects preambles before precoding in the spatial mapper, responsive to a negative determination by the transmit selector; whereby transmission preambles are precoded when at least one station node in the group doesn't support the MU protocol.