Grouping wireless communication devices based on downlink quality

摘要

In a system of groups of wireless WLAN stations (fig. 1) communicating with an Access Point (AP 20), a new device (10) selects a group to join according to the APs downlink characteristics and a Distributed Coordination Function (DCF). A contention factor Qn and deferral period Tn is determined for each group (302) according to a beacon frame (figure 2), the group interference measured (304) during the DCF contention period, the group with the minimum average or worst-case interference selected (306) during the Association Request, and an indication for the selected group compiled and included in the next uplink transmission or Association frame (308). This dynamic grouping accounts for changing channel conditions which may render the initial grouping non-optimal.