Wireless networking system and method
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorAlex Ashley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network; and a neighboring access point serving a neighboring wireless network having coverage overlapping with the first wireless network, where the first access point and the neighboring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating the system is disclosed, the method comprising: the first access point sending a first offer to the neighboring access point, the first offer offering a period of silent time to the neighboring access point during which period of silent time the first access point silences the first wireless network, the period of silent time being independent of the beacon times and the beacon periods.
Claims34
In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network;
- and a neighbouring access point serving a neighbouring wireless network having coverage overlapping with said first wireless network, wherein said first access point and said neighbouring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating said system, said method comprising:
- said first access point sending a first offer to said neighbouring access point, said first offer offering a period of silent time to said neighbouring access point during which period of silent time said first access point silences said first wireless network;
- said neighbouring access point sending an acceptance of said first offer to said first access point;
- said first access point receiving said acceptance;
- and
- said first access point not honouring said first offer by not silencing said first wireless network;
- wherein a specific point in time when said period of silent time could start and its duration are not limited by when said beacon times will occur and are not limited by a length of said beacon periods.
In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network;
- and a neighbouring access point serving a neighbouring wireless network having coverage overlapping with said first wireless network, wherein said first access point and said neighbouring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating said system, said method comprising:
- said first access point sending a first offer to said neighbouring access point, said first offer offering a period of silent time to said neighbouring access point during which period of silent time said first access point silences said first wireless network;
- said neighbouring access point sending an acceptance of said first offer to said first access point;
- said first access point receiving said acceptance;
- said first access point silencing said first wireless network;
- and
- said neighbouring access point sending a reciprocal offer to said first access point, said reciprocal offer offering a reciprocal period of silent time during which silent time said neighbouring access point silences said neighbouring wireless network;
- wherein a specific point in time when said period of silent time could start and its duration are not limited by when said beacon times will occur and are not limited by a length of said beacon periods.
A system comprising:
- a first wireless network;
- a first access point serving said first wireless network;
- a neighbouring wireless network having coverage overlapping with said first wireless network;
- and
- a neighbouring access point serving said neighbouring wireless network,
- wherein said first access point and said neighbouring access point are operable to transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods,
- said first access point is operable to send a first offer to said neighbouring access point, said first offer offering a period of silent time to said neighbouring access point during which period of silent time said first access point silences said first wireless network, wherein a specific point in time when said period of silent time could start and its duration are not limited by when said beacon times will occur and are not limited by a length of said beacon periods,
- said neighbouring access point is operable to send an acceptance of said first offer to said first access point,
- said first access point is operable to receive said acceptance and to silence said first wireless network, and
- said neighbouring access point is operable to send a reciprocal offer to said first access point, said reciprocal offer offering a reciprocal period of silent time during which silent time said neighbouring access point silences said neighbouring wireless network.
An access point serving a first wireless network, said first wireless network having coverage overlapping with a neighbouring wireless network, said neighbouring wireless network being served by a neighbouring access point, the access point comprising:
- transmit/receive hardware;
- and
- a processor;
- wherein the processor is operable:
- (1) to transmit beacon messages via the transmit/receive hardware at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods,
- (2) to receive, via the transmit/receive hardware, beacon messages from the neighboring access point at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods,
- (3) to send a first offer to said neighbouring access point via the transmit/receive hardware, said first offer offering a period of silent time to said neighbouring access point during which period of silent time said access point silences said first wireless network, wherein a specific point in time when said period of silent time could start and its duration are not limited by when said beacon times will occur and are not limited by a length of said beacon periods,
- (4) to receive an acceptance of said first offer from said neighbouring access point via the transmit/receive hardware,
- (5) to silence said first wireless network, and
- (6) to receive a reciprocal offer from said neighbouring access point via the transmit/receive hardware, said reciprocal offer offering a reciprocal period of silent time during which silent time said neighbouring accesspoint silences said neighbouring wireless network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.