Method and apparatus for mitigating interference in a wireless network through use of transmit beamforming

An apparatus corresponding to a first communication device, the apparatus comprising:

• a network interface including
• i) a media access control (MAC) processing unit, and
• ii) a physical layer (PHY) processing unit coupled to the MAC processing unit;
• wherein the PHY processing unit is configured to at least one of
• i) determine a beamforming matrix based on an estimate of a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) communication channel between the first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device belong to a first wireless network, wherein the beamforming matrix is determined without using channel estimate information corresponding to a communication channel to any third communication device in a second wireless network, and wherein the second wireless network omits the first communication device, or
• ii) receive the beamforming matrix, the beamforming matrix having been generated a) based on the estimate of the MIMO communication channel and b) without using channel estimate information corresponding to the communication channel to any third communication device in the second wireless network;
• and
• wherein the network interface is configured to
• determine at least one of i) whether a distance between the first communication device and one of the third communication devices is less than a distance threshold and ii) whether transmissions from the second wireless network meet a signal strength criteria,
• in response to a determination of at least one of i) that the distance is less than a distance threshold and ii) that the transmissions from the second wireless network meet the signal strength criteria, determine that the first communication device is near to the second wireless network and that transmissions from the first communication device in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• determine whether the first communication device receives from any third communication device in the second wireless network via a communication link a request for the first communication device to reduce interference to the second wireless network,
• in response to a determination that the request for the first communication device to reduce interference to the second wireless network is received, determine that transmissions from the first communication device in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• in response to a determination that transmissions from the first communication device in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network, reduce, by use of the beamforming matrix, the interference to the second wireless network, wherein the interference is generated by the first communication device transmitting to the second communication device,
• use the beamforming matrix for the purpose of reducing interference to the second wireless network caused by the first communication device transmitting to the second communication device via the MIMO communication channel,
• coordinate with an access point in the second wireless network so that the first communication device uses a first beamforming matrix for a first downlink transmission when the access point is scheduled to perform a second downlink transmission to a client communication device in the second wireless network, and
• coordinate with the access point in the second wireless network so that the first communication device schedules one or more first uplink transmissions in the first wireless network at times different than when the access point schedules one or more second uplink transmissions in the second wireless network;
• wherein
• the one or more first uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the second communication device to the first communication device and
• the one or more second uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the fourth communication device or from one or more other client communication devices in the second wireless network to the access point.

A method for reducing interference in wireless communications, the method comprising:

• selecting, at a first access point (AP) of a first wireless network, a beamforming matrix, wherein
• the first AP belongs to a first wireless network, and
• the first AP communicates with one or more first client communication devices in the first wireless network via a communication channel below 6 GHz,
• the first AP is communicatively coupled, via a communication link separate from the first wireless network and a second wireless network, to a second AP of the second wireless network;
• determining, by the first AP, at least one of i) whether a distance between the first AP and the second AP is less than a distance threshold and ii) whether transmissions from the second wireless network meet a signal strength criteria;
• and
• in response to determining at least one of i) that the distance is less than a distance threshold and ii) that the transmissions from the second wireless network meet the signal strength criteria, determining that the second AP is near to the first AP and that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network;
• determining, by the first AP, whether the first AP receives from the second AP or from a second client communication device in the second wireless network via the communication link and in response to the produced interference to the second wireless network, a request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network;
• in response to determining that the request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network is received, determining that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network;
• in response to determining that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network, reducing, by using the beamforming matrix at the first AP, the interference to the second wireless network, wherein the interference is generated by downlink transmissions from the first AP to the one or more first client communication devices;
• coordinating, at the first AP, with the second AP so that the first AP uses a first beamforming matrix for a first downlink transmission when the second AP is scheduled to perform a second downlink transmission to the second client communication device in the second wireless network;
• and
• coordinating, at the first AP, with the second AP so that the first AP schedules one or more first uplink transmissions in the first wireless network at times different than when the second AP schedules one or more second uplink transmissions in the second wireless network,
• wherein
• the second wireless network omits the first AP,
• the one or more first uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the one or more first communication client devices to the first AP, and
• the one or more second uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the second client communication device or from one or more other second client communication devices in the second wireless network to the second AP.

An apparatus corresponding to a first access point (AP), the apparatus comprising:

• a network interface including
• i) a media access control (MAC) processing unit, and
• ii) a physical layer (PHY) processing unit coupled to the MAC processing unit;
• wherein
• the first AP belongs to a first wireless network,
• the first AP communicates with one or more first client communication devices in the first wireless network via a communication channel below 6 GHz,
• the network interface is configured to
• select a beamforming matrix, and
• use the beamforming matrix at the first AP for the purpose of reducing interference to a second wireless network caused by the first AP transmitting to the one or more first client communication devices via the communication channel,
• and wherein
• the network interface is communicatively coupled, via a communication link separate from the first wireless network and the second wireless network, to a second AP of the second wireless network,
• the network interface is configured to determine at least one of i) whether a distance between the first AP and the second AP is less than a distance threshold and ii) whether transmissions from the second wireless network meet a signal strength criteria,
• in response to a determination of at least one of i) that the distance is less than a distance threshold and ii) that the transmissions from the second wireless network meet the signal strength criteria, determine that the second AP is near to the first AP and that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• the network interface is configured to determine whether the first AP receives from the second AP or from a second client communication device in the second wireless network via the communication link and in response to the produced interference to the second wireless network, a request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network,
• in response to a determination that the request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network is received, determine that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• the network interface is configured to, in response to a determination that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network, reduce, by use of the beamforming matrix at the first AP, the interference to the second wireless network, wherein the interference is generated by downlink transmissions from the first AP to the one or more first client communication devices,
• the network interface is configured to coordinate with the second AP so that the first AP uses the beamforming matrix for a first downlink transmission when the second AP is scheduled to perform a second downlink transmission to a second client communication device in the second wireless network, and
• the network interface is configured to coordinate with the second AP so that the first AP schedules one or more first uplink transmissions in the first wireless network at times different than when the second AP schedules one or more second uplink transmissions in the second wireless network, and
• the second wireless network omits the first AP,
• the one or more first uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the one or more first client communication devices to the first AP, and
• the one or more second uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the second client communication device or from one or more other second client communication devices in the second wireless network to ii) the second AP.

A system, comprising:

• a first access point (AP) of a first wireless network;
• a second AP of a second wireless network that omits the first AP, wherein the first AP is communicatively coupled, via a communication link separate from the first wireless network and the second wireless network, to the second AP;
• wherein
• the first AP comprises a network interface including
• i) a media access control (MAC) processing unit, and
• ii) a physical layer (PHY) processing unit coupled to the MAC processing unit;
• the first AP communicates with one or more first client communication devices in the first wireless network via a communication channel below 6 GHz,
• the network interface is configured to
• determine at least one of i) whether a distance between the first AP and the second AP is less than a distance threshold and ii) whether transmissions from the second wireless network meet a signal strength criteria,
• in response to determining at least one of i) that the distance is less than a distance threshold and ii) that the transmissions from the second wireless network meet the signal strength criteria, determining that the second AP is near to the first AP and that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• determine whether the first AP receives from the second AP or from a second client communication device in the second wireless network via the communication link and in response to the produced interference to the second wireless network, a request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network,
• in response to determining that the request for the first AP to reduce interference to the second wireless network is received, determining that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network,
• select a beamforming matrix,
• in response to a determination that transmissions from the first AP in the first wireless network are producing interference to the second wireless network, reduce, by using the beamforming matrix at the first AP, the interference to the second wireless network, wherein the interference is generated by downlink transmissions from the first AP to the one or more first client communication devices,
• coordinate with the second AP so that the first AP uses the beamforming matrix for a first downlink transmission when the second AP is scheduled to perform a second downlink transmission to a second client communication device in the second wireless network, and
• coordinate with the second AP so that the first AP schedules one or more first uplink transmissions in the first wireless network at times different than when the second AP schedules one or more second uplink transmissions in the second wireless network;
• wherein,
• the one or more first uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the one or more first client communication devices to the first AP, and
• the one or more second uplink transmissions are one or more transmissions from the second client communication device or from one or more other second client communication devices in the second wireless network to the second AP.