Spatial reuse (SR) optimization in wireless networks using sensor nodes and actual packet collision measurements

A wireless network sensor comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver configured for wireless communications in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless transceiver including a multi-user receiver configured for blind detection and demodulation of packets that collide in time;
• the one or more processors being configured to control the wireless transceiver including the multi-user receiver of the wireless network sensor to:
• receive and decode, over a channel, one or more first protocol data units of a first spatial stream from a first device associated with a first base service set (BSS) color;
• receive and decode, over the channel, one or more second protocol data units of a second spatial stream from a second device associated with a second BSS color, simultaneously with the receiving and decoding of the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream, such that the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream and the one or more second protocol data units of the second spatial stream are simultaneously captured while colliding in time, indicating actual packet collisions between the first and the second spatial streams, the second BSS color being associated with an overlapping BSS (OBSS);
• calculate a signal-to-interference ratio based on a first signal level associated with the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream and a second signal level associated with the one or more second protocol data units of the second spatial stream;
• and
• cause data associated with the first and the second spatial streams that indicate the actual packet collisions to be sent to at least one of a controller or an access point (AP) for use in performing a spatial reuse (SR) adjustment for the WLAN.

An access point (AP) comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a wireless transceiver configured to provide wireless communications for a wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless transceiver including a multi-user receiver configured for blind detection and demodulation of packets that collide in time;
• the one or more processors being configured to control operation of the wireless transceiver including the multi-user receiver of the AP to:
• receive and decode, over a channel, one or more first protocol data units of a first spatial stream from a first device associated with a first base service set (BSS) color;
• receive and decode, over the channel, one or more second protocol data units of a second spatial stream from a second device associated with a second BSS color, simultaneously with the receiving and decoding of the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream, such that the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream and the one or more second protocol data units of the second spatial stream are simultaneously captured while colliding in time, the second BSS color being associated with an overlapping BSS (OBSS);
• calculate a signal-to-interference ratio based on a first signal level associated with the one or more first protocol data units of the first spatial stream and a second signal level associated with the one or more second protocol data units of the second spatial stream;
• and
• cause a spatial reuse (SR) adjustment to be performed based on an identification that the signal-to-interference ratio is outside a limit set by a threshold value.