Wireless Terminal Station Latency Reduction via Common AP Reassociation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Latency in communications between terminal stations in wireless local area networks (WLANs) operating in infrastructure mode is a significant issue, particularly for applications like audio and video streaming, where low latency is critical.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining if two terminal stations share a common access point by verifying if they have distinct basic service set identities (BSSIDs) and are within a minimum distance of each other, then disassociating from their current access points and reassociating with a common access point to eliminate inter-AP data transmission latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If terminal stations communicate through different access points in infrastructure mode WLAN, then network coverage and connectivity are improved, but communication latency increases due to inter-AP data relaying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the association of both terminal stations to a common access point, eliminating the need for data to traverse through the wireless infrastructure between different APs. This consolidation of connections directly reduces latency while preserving network connectivity through the unified AP association.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the intermediate relaying step through the wireless infrastructure between different access points. By having both stations associate with the same AP, the data path no longer includes the inter-AP relay component, thereby removing the source of latency.
2Productivity
If terminal stations associate with different access points, then load distribution across the network is improved, but communication speed deteriorates due to infrastructure mode routing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines both terminal stations under a single access point association, creating a direct communication path that bypasses the slower infrastructure mode routing through multiple APs. This merging of associations prioritizes communication speed over load distribution for paired stations.
3Stability of the object's composition
If terminal stations remain associated with their current access points, then connection stability is maintained, but latency reduction opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic reassociation logic that allows terminal stations to change their access point associations based on real-time communication needs. When a station detects it needs to communicate with another station, it dynamically reassociates with a common AP, balancing connection stability with latency reduction.
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AI summary
Techniques for reducing latency between terminal stations in a wireless local area network. In an aspect, two stations in close proximity may be configured to associate with a common access point, by causing one or more of the stations to disassociate from a current access point and reassociating with the common access point. The identity of the common access point may be independently derived at each terminal station using simple broadcast messaging procedures, without the need for extensive communications or handshaking between the stations. In an alternative aspect, a terminal station may repeat the disassociation and reassociation procedures without knowledge of the other station's BSSID, until a measured latency drops below a threshold.