Assignment and use of wireless LAN channels in high station density environments

摘要

An access point operates in a frequency spectrum which is divided into master channels, each master channel further having a plurality of sub-channels, each sub-channel capable of supporting a wireless LAN session independently of any other said sub-channel. The access point assigns one of the sub-channels within the master channel to a requesting station according to a maximum number of user assigned to the particular sub-channel, or alternatively, the access point makes the assignment of a particular sub-channel to a particular station according the bandwidth requirement bandwidth requirement.

主权项

1. An access point (AP) for a wireless local area network, the AP assigned to operate on a master channel formed from a plurality of sub-channels, each sub-channel formed from a subset of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) subcarriers within a frequency range, each said OFDM subcarrier occupying a particular single frequency, subcarriers of each said sub-channel having a frequency range which is distinct from any other sub-channel frequency range, each said sub-channel using a unique set of said OFDM subcarriers which are distinct from other sub-channels, each said sub-channel thereby formed from a unique set of said OFDM subcarriers;
said access point assigning one of said sub-channels to a requesting station during an association event when at least one of:
a number of other stations assigned to said particular sub-channel is below a limit threshold, ora bandwidth utilization of other stations assigned to said sub-channel is below a limit threshold; said access point operative for simultaneous OFDM communications with stations associated with a particular one of said sub-channels, each said sub-channel transmitting or receiving at intervals which are independent of a transmission or reception intervals of said other sub-channels.