Threshold Optimization for Overlapping Basic Service Sets in a Wireless Network

An access point for deployment in a wireless network, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
• specifying a minimum cell-size threshold;
• determining the highest signal strength at which transmissions from other access points or overlapping-basic-service-set (OBSS) client devices associated with the other access points are detected;
• setting an OBSS packet-detect threshold to the lesser of the minimum cell-size threshold or the highest signal strength;
• setting a receiver start-of-packet (RxSOP) threshold to the OBSS packet-detect threshold minus an offset;
• avoiding decoding incoming packets when respective signal strengths of the incoming packets do not satisfy the RxSOP threshold;
• and
• avoiding initiating transmission when incoming packets from the other access points or from the OBSS client devices associated with the other access points have signal strengths that satisfy the OBSS packet-detect threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a first access point in a wireless network, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

• specifying a minimum cell-size threshold;
• determining the highest signal strength at which the first access point detects transmissions from other access points or overlapping-basic-service-set (OBSS) client devices associated with the other access points;
• setting an OBSS packet-detect threshold to the lesser of the minimum cell-size threshold or the highest signal strength;
• setting a receiver start-of-packet (RxSOP) threshold to the OBSS packet-detect threshold minus an offset;
• avoiding decoding incoming packets when respective signal strengths of the incoming packets do not satisfy the RxSOP threshold;
• and
• avoiding initiating transmission when incoming packets from the other access points or from the OBSS client devices associated with the other access points have signal strengths that satisfy the OBSS packet-detect threshold.