Forming spatial reuse groups in WiFi networks
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsNadeem Akhtar, Preyas Hathi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Generating access point-specific spatial reuse groups for a given access point (AP) includes identifying radio frequency (RF) proximate to the given AP. The given AP uses a predefined threshold value to compare against the received signal strength indicators (RSSIs) of detected signals transmitted by other APs to identify RF proximate APs. The given AP can broadcast a spatial reuse group bitmap that identifies the RF proximate APs so that stations associated with the given AP can determine whether to transmit in a channel that is already occupied by an AP.
Claims19
An access point device comprising:
- one or more computer processors;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to:
- receive, from a source external to the access point device, a received signal strength indication (RSSI) proximity threshold value;
- identify every access point (AP), among a plurality of APs, having an associated RSSI that is greater than the RSSI proximity threshold value as being in radio frequency (RF) proximity to the access point device;
- add the identified APs to a list of APs;
- determine whether there are any hidden APs that are detectable by a station in a plurality of stations associated with the access point device but are not detectable by the access point device itself;
- upon determining that there is at least one hidden AP, add the at least one hidden AP to the list;
- and
- broadcast the list to the plurality of stations associated with the access point device.
An apparatus comprising:
- one or more computer processors;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to:
- obtain a received signal strength indication (RSSI) proximity threshold value;
- define a spatial reuse group (SRG) specific to a first AP among a deployment of a plurality of APs by:
- receiving from the first AP, RSSIs corresponding to signals broadcast by the plurality of APs and detected by the first AP;
- identifying a group of APs among the plurality of APs that are in radio frequency (RF) proximity to the first AP by comparing the received RSSIs to the RSSI proximity threshold value;
- adding the group of APs to the SRG;
- determining whether there are any hidden APs that are in RF proximity of a station in a plurality of stations associated with the first AP but are not in RF proximity of the first AP;
- and
- upon determining that there is at least one hidden AP, adding the at least one hidden AP to the SRG;
- create a bitmap representative of the SRG;
- and
- transmit the bitmap to the first AP, wherein the bitmap is broadcast by the first AP and is detected by the plurality of stations associated with the first AP.
A method in a given access point (AP) among a plurality of APs, the method in the given AP comprising:
- detecting signals transmitted by other APs among the plurality of APs;
- determining received signal strength indication (RSSI) values for the other APs based on their detected signals;
- identifying every AP among the plurality of APs having an associated RSSI that is greater than an RSSI proximity threshold value received from a source external to the given AP;
- adding the identified APs to a list of APs;
- determining whether there are any hidden APs that are detectable by a station in a plurality of stations associated with the given AP but are not detectable by the given AP;
- upon determining that there is at least one hidden AP, adding the at least one hidden AP to the list;
- and
- broadcasting the list to the plurality of stations associated with the given AP.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.