Proactive mimo relaying in wireless communications

A wireless network apparatus configured for simultaneously relaying communications between multiple wireless radio nodes, comprising:

• a central coordinator radio node which is configured for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communications over a wireless network communicating with the multiple wireless radio nodes which include at least one access point (AP);
• wherein said wireless radio nodes comprise a combination of first category radio nodes and second category radio nodes, in which the first category nodes support multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communications, and in which the second category radio nodes do not support MIMO;
• wherein said central coordinator radio node performs selection of one of said radio nodes within said multiple wireless radio nodes as a relay node between at least one said AP and any one of said radio nodes within said multiple wireless radio nodes based on communication characteristics, including category of radio node, signal strength and estimated air time;
• wherein said AP utilizes a relaying service period (SP) within a superframe structure which contains multiple training and data transmission frames;
• wherein said AP initiates a simultaneous relay link setup (RLS) process with two or more of said plurality of radio nodes within said multiple wireless radio nodes toward decreasing RLS messaging overhead;
• wherein data communications is performed between the AP and a destination radio node through the selected relay node in response to making a MIMO hop from said AP to the selected relay node, followed by a multi-user (MU) MIMO hop from the selected relay node and a destination radio node (client).

A method for implementing a wireless network apparatus configured for simultaneously relaying communications between multiple wireless radio nodes on the network, comprising the steps of:

• configuring the multiple wireless radio nodes as a combination of a first category of radio nodes which supports multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communications, and a second category of radio nodes which does not support MIMO communications;
• wherein at least one of said radio nodes is an Access Point (AP) configured as a first category of radio nodes for MIMO communication;
• selecting a radio node as a relay node between said AP and any one of said radio nodes, within the multiple wireless radio nodes, based on communication characteristics, which include signal strength and air time considerations, whereby said first category radio nodes have an increased probability of selection since they consume less air time because of their multiplexed communications than said second category of radio nodes;
• relaying is performed in response to a MIMO hop from the AP to the selected relay node, followed by a multi-user (MU) MIMO hop from the relay node to said radio node which is a destination radio node (client);
• and
• modifying relaying service period (SP) within a superframe structure utilized in said method to contain multiple training and data transmission frames;
• and
• wherein MIMO capability of radio nodes is exploited to provide spectrally-efficient relaying between radio nodes and the AP.

A wireless Access Point (AP) apparatus for a wireless network configured for simultaneously relaying communications between multiple wireless radio nodes on the network, comprising:

• (a) an access point (AP) configured for performing simultaneous communications using multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capability to communicate in the network of the multiple wireless radio nodes with a first category of radio nodes which support MIMO, or a second category of radio nodes which does not support MIMO;
• (b) a computer processor in said AP;
• (c) a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions executable by said computer processor in said AP;
• (d) wherein said instructions, when executed by the computer processor, perform steps comprising:
• (i) selecting a relay device from the multiple wireless radio nodes based on at least signal strength metrics and an estimation of air time requirements;
• (ii) utilizing a relaying service period (SP) within a superframe structure which contain multiple training and data transmission frames;
• (iii) performing relay link setup (RLS) to two or more radio nodes within the multiple wireless radio nodes simultaneously which decreases RLS messaging overhead;
• and
• (e) relaying data communications in response to a MIMO hop from said AP to the selected relay device, followed by a multi-user (MU) MIMO hop from the selected relay device and a destination radio node (client).