WLAN Subnet Controller for Legacy Station Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless local area networks (WLANs) using IEEE 802.11 standards face limitations in supporting concurrent communications with multiple stations, especially legacy devices that do not support multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) protocols, restricting the number of devices that can be included in multi-user groups and excluding billions of existing wireless devices.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a wireless access point (WAP) with a subnet controller and station set identifier that enables concurrent communications with multiple stations by creating orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) MIMO WLAN communications, identifying legacy stations, and generating WLAN subnets with discrete beacon channels and medium access control (MAC) for collision sense multiple access (CSMA) uplinks, allowing concurrent downlinks to both MU-MIMO and legacy stations without requiring MU-MIMO support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If MU-MIMO protocol is used for concurrent communications, then communication efficiency and throughput are improved, but compatibility with legacy devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireless network into multiple virtual subnets, each capable of handling different device types. Legacy devices are assigned to subnets that use traditional CSMA protocols, while modern devices can utilize MU-MIMO capabilities. This segmentation allows the system to maintain compatibility with legacy devices while simultaneously providing enhanced productivity through MU-MIMO for supported devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point is designed with multi-functionality to support both traditional CSMA protocols and modern MU-MIMO protocols simultaneously. The system can dynamically adapt its communication mode based on the capabilities of connected devices, ensuring universal compatibility across different device generations while maximizing communication efficiency where possible.
2Adaptability or versatility
If single communication channel is used, then device compatibility is maintained, but concurrent communication capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the dimension of virtual subnets to resolve the contradiction. Instead of relying solely on physical channel separation, the system creates multiple logical communication dimensions through virtual subnets. This allows concurrent communications to occur within the same physical channel while maintaining device compatibility, effectively adding a new dimension to the communication architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If legacy stations are supported without MU-MIMO, then device compatibility is ensured, but number of concurrent stations is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into multiple subnets, each capable of handling legacy devices independently using CSMA protocols. By creating multiple such subnets, the system can support a larger total number of concurrent legacy devices than would be possible in a single subnet, thereby increasing the quantity of supported stations while maintaining legacy device compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless access point (WAP) including: antennas, shared and discrete components forming transmit and receive chains coupled to the antenna for orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) WLAN communications with wireless stations. The station set identifier identifies any legacy stations that do not support multi-user (MU) MIMO concurrent downlinks from the WAP, and a number of WLAN subnets for concurrent downlinks communications thereto. The subnet controller generates the WLAN subnets each having a discrete beacon channel together with a discrete medium access control (MAC) for collision sense multiple access (CSMA) uplinks from associated stations to the WAP, and concurrent downlinks from the WAP including concurrent downlinks to legacy stations associated with different subnets; and the subnet controller configured to inject virtual access control indicia into each of the subnets to control uplinks from legacy stations on each of the subnets to the WAP.