Method for managing a wireless access point, method for transmitting data from a station to a wireless access point, corresponding access point, station, and computer program

A method for transmitting data from a station to a wireless access point, comprising:

• receiving, by said station, a downlink frame from said access point,
• detecting, in said downlink frame, an indicator requiring transmission of a power level of the downlink frame as received by said station,
• estimating the power level of said downlink frame as received by said station, and
• transmitting, to said access point, a first uplink frame carrying information which is representative of and encodes the estimated power level simultaneously or with a slight shift to a transmission by another station of second uplink frame, said first and second uplink frames colliding, and each of said first and second uplink frames carrying information which is representative of and encodes said power level of said downlink frame received and estimated by the respective station,
• wherein said information which is representative of and encodes said power level received and estimated by the respective station is:
• a sequence of a family of at least one sequence known to said access point, each sequence of said family being a sequence of complex symbols and being associated with a distinct power level, or
• a position-value pair of a set of at least one position-value pair known to said access point, each position-value pair of said set being associated with a distinct power level.

A wireless access point capable of communicating with at least one station, the wireless access point comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which when executed by the at least one processor configure the wireless access point to:
• broadcast a downlink frame to stations present in a coverage area of the access point, said downlink frame carrying an indicator requiring transmission, by the stations receiving said downlink frame, of a power level of the downlink frame as received by the stations,
• receive simultaneously or with a slight shift thereby colliding, said at least two uplink frames being transmitted respectively from at least two stations that received the downlink frame, in response to said downlink frame, each of the at least two uplink frames transmitted from a station of the at least two station carrying information which is representative of and encodes the power level of the downlink frame as received and estimated by this respective station of the at least two stations, and
• determine at least one power level of the downlink frame as received by the at least two stations, based on said information carried by the at least two uplink frames,
• wherein said information which is representative of and encodes said power level as received and estimated by this respective station of the at least two stations is:
• a sequence of a family of at least one sequence known to said access point, each sequence of said family being a sequence of complex symbols and being associated with a distinct power level, or
• a position-value pair of a set of at least one position-value pair known to said access point, each position-value pair of said set being associated with a distinct power level.

A station capable of communicating with a wireless access point, the station comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which when executed by the at least one processor configure the station to:
• receive a downlink frame from said access point,
• detect, in said downlink frame, an indicator requiring transmission of a power level of the downlink frame as received by said station,
• estimate the power level of said downlink frame as received by said station, and
• transmit, to said access point, a first uplink frame carrying information which is representative of and encodes the estimated power level simultaneously or with a slight shift to a transmission by another station of second uplink frame, said first and second uplink frames colliding, and each of said first and second uplink frames carrying information which is representative of and encodes said power level associated with the estimated power level of said downlink frame received by the respective station,
• wherein said information which is representative and encodes said power level associated with the estimated power level of said downlink frame received by the respective station is:
• a sequence of a family of at least one sequence known to said access point, each sequence of said family being a sequence of complex symbols and being associated with a distinct power level, or
• a position-value pair of a set of at least one position-value pair known to said access point, each position-value pair of said set being associated with a distinct power level.