Wireless Communication Frame Identification with ESS and BSS Colors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless LAN systems face limitations in identifying and managing network groups within an extended service set (ESS), leading to inefficiencies in frame reception processing and cooperative operations between basic service sets (BSSs) due to limited identifiers and insufficient statistical information handling.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves adding ESS-color as a simplified identifier to the physical header of frames, extending the number of allocated identifiers, and effectively processing statistical information using these identifiers to enhance frame identification and cooperative operations within an ESS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If BSSID (48-bit MAC address) is used to identify BSS, then unique identification is achieved, but the identifier length is excessive and consumes more bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary identification bits from the full BSSID. Specifically, it uses the first 12 bits (Group ID) and last 4 bits (BSS color) of the BSSID, totaling 16 bits, which is sufficient for identifying BSS within an ESS while significantly reducing the identifier length from 48 bits to 16 bits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different identification strategies at different levels: full BSSID is used for global uniqueness, while a shortened 16-bit identifier (first 12 bits + last 4 bits) is used for local BSS identification within an ESS. This local quality approach optimizes bandwidth usage while maintaining identification accuracy where needed.
2Measurement precision
If ESSID (up to 32 characters) is used to identify ESS, then network identification is achieved, but it requires configuration at multiple devices and increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts a compact 16-bit ESS identifier from the ESSID configuration. This shortened identifier is distributed to APs and STAs, eliminating the need for full ESSID configuration at each device while maintaining the ability to identify and associate with the correct ESS.
Solution Approach 2:
The 16-bit ESS identifier serves multiple functions: it identifies the ESS, enables STAs to associate with the correct ESS, and allows APs to filter and process frames from their own ESS. This universal identifier replaces the need for ESSID configuration and comparison at multiple devices.
3Productivity
If only BSSID is included in frame headers, then frame identification is achieved, but reception processing efficiency is reduced due to inability to quickly identify frames from other ESSs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the BSSID into two parts: the first 12 bits (Group ID) and the last 4 bits (BSS color). The Group ID is used to identify the ESS, while the BSS color identifies the specific BSS within the ESS. This segmentation enables STAs to quickly determine if a frame is from their own ESS by checking the Group ID, improving reception processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary ESS identification by including the Group ID (first 12 bits of BSSID) in the frame header. STAs can perform preliminary filtering of frames from other ESSs before processing the full frame content, improving reception efficiency by early termination of processing for irrelevant frames.
4Loss of energy
If shortened BSS identifier is used, then bandwidth is conserved, but the number of distinguishable BSSs is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a two-dimensional identification scheme: the first 12 bits (Group ID) identify the ESS dimension, and the last 4 bits (BSS color) identify the BSS dimension within the ESS. This dimensional approach allows 4096 ESSs × 16 BSSs per ESS = 65,536 distinguishable BSSs while using only 16 bits, conserving bandwidth while maintaining high versatility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
To provide an excellent communication apparatus and communication method which operates with a basic service set belonging to an extended service set. A wireless terminal transmits a frame in which BSS-color and ESS-color which respectively identify a BSS and an ESS to which the own wireless terminal belongs are described. Further, part of a region for storing ESS-color is used as a region for storing BSS-color to secure the number of pieces of BSS-color sufficient to avoid overlapping. An STA stores statistical information regarding a received frame in association with BSS-color and ESS-color and performs cooperative operation within the ESS or between the ESSs.