Overlapping basic service set status indication for an access point cooperative transmission

A first access point (AP) operating in a wireless network, the first AP comprising:

• a memory device storing a set of instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory device, wherein the set of instructions when executed by the processor cause the first AP to:
• transmit, by the first AP to a wireless station (STA), an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) status report request, which requests information from the STA regarding a set of neighboring APs, including a second AP;
• receive, by the first AP from the STA, an OBSS status report that indicates path-loss characteristics of channels between the set of neighboring APs and the STA;
• transmit, by the first AP to the second AP, an AP cooperation request, which requests the second AP to perform a cooperative transmission to the STA;
• transmit, by the first AP to the STA, an AP cooperation null data packet (NDP) announcement frame, which indicates a cooperative transmission between the first AP and the second AP to the STA and includes an address of the first AP and the second AP;
• and
• transmit, by the first AP to the STA, a first NDP;
• transmit, by the second AP to the STA, a second NDP;
• and
• in response to the STA receives the first and second NDPs:
• receive, by the first AP and the second AP, one of a compressed beamforming report frame or a channel quality indicator frame from the STA,
• wherein the OBSS status report request includes a path-loss feedback threshold between a neighboring AP and the STA to report to the first AP,
• wherein the transmission of the OBSS status report only occurs in response to a path loss value of each AP exceeds the value of the feedback threshold,
• wherein the first NDP is transmitted as part of the cooperative transmission with the second AP, which transmits a second NDP to the STA with the transmission of the first NDP by the first AP to the STA, wherein the STA simultaneously receives the first NDP and the second NDP as part of the cooperative transmission.

A method performed by a wireless station (STA) operating in a wireless network, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the STA from a first access point (AP), an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) status report request, which requests information from the STA regarding a set of neighboring APs, including a second AP;
• transmitting, by the STA to the first AP in response to receipt of the OBSS status report request, an OBSS status report that indicates path-loss characteristics of channels between the set of neighboring APs and the STA;
• receiving, by the STA from the first AP, an AP cooperation null data packet (NDP) announcement frame, which indicates a cooperative transmission between the first AP and the second AP to the STA and includes an address of the first AP and the second AP;
• receiving, by the STA from the first AP, a first NDP;
• and
• receiving, by the STA from the second AP, a second NDP;
• and
• in response to the STA receiving the first and second NDPs:
• transmitting, by the STA to the first AP and the second AP, one of a compressed beamforming report frame or a channel quality indicator frame,
• wherein the OBSS status report request includes a path-loss feedback threshold between a neighboring AP and the STA to report to the first AP,
• wherein the transmission of the OBSS status report only occurs in response to a path loss value of each AP exceeds the value of the feedback threshold,
• wherein the first NDP and the second NDP are simultaneously received by the STA as part of the cooperative transmission between the first AP and the second AP.