Systems and methods for simplified store and forward relays

A first station for communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit a request-to-send to the relay;
• a receiver configured to receive a clear-to-send from the relay;
• wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit data identified by a first sequence number to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay based, at least in part, on receiving the clear-to-send message from the relay;
• and
• wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a first relay-able acknowledgement message, wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message includes the first sequence number, wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the second station via the communication path that is independent of the relay if the first station transmits on the 802.11 wireless communications network within a time period after the second station transmits the first relay-able acknowledgement message, and wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the relay if the first station does not transmit on the 802.11 wireless communications network within the time period.

A first station for communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, comprising:

• means for transmitting a request-to-send to the relay;
• means for receiving a clear-to-send from the relay;
• means for transmitting data identified by a first sequence number to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay based, at least in part, on receiving the clear-to-send from the relay;
• and
• means for receiving a relay-able acknowledgement message, wherein the relay-able acknowledgement message includes the first sequence number, wherein the relay-able acknowledgement message includes a transmitter's address, wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the second station via the communication path that is independent of the relay if the first station transmits on the 802.11 wireless communications network within a time period after the second station transmits the first relay-able acknowledgement message, and wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the relay if the first station does not transmit on the 802.11 wireless communications network within the time period.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a first station to perform a method of communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, the method comprising :

• transmitting a request-to-send message to the relay;
• receiving a clear-to-send message from the relay;
• transmitting, by the first station, data identified by a first sequence number to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay based, at least in part, on receiving the clear-to-send message from the relay;
• and
• receiving, by the first station, a relay-able acknowledgement message, wherein the relay-able acknowledgement message includes the first sequence number, wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the second station via the communication path that is independent of the relay if the first station transmits on the 802.11 wireless communications network within a time period after the second station transmits the first relay-able acknowledgement message, and wherein the first relay-able acknowledgement message is received from the relay if the first station does not transmit on the 802.11 wireless communications network within the time period.

A method of communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between a first station and a second station using a relay, comprising:

• transmitting, by the first station, a request-to-send message to the relay;
• receiving, by the first station, a clear-to-send message from the relay;
• and
• transmitting, by the first station, data to the second station based at least in part, on the clear-to-send message received from the relay, wherein the data is communicated to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay if the second station acknowledges the data within a time period after the first station transmits the data, and wherein the data is communicated to the second station via the relay if the second station does not acknowledge the data within the time period.

A first station for communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit a request-to-send message to the relay;
• and
• a receiver configured to receive a clear-to-send message from the relay,
• wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit data to the second station based at least in part, on the clear-to-send received from the relay, wherein the data is communicated to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay if the second station acknowledges the data within a time period after the first station transmits the data, and wherein the data is communicated to the second station via the relay if the second station does not acknowledge the data within the time period.

A first station for communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, comprising:

• means for transmitting a request-to-send message to the relay;
• means for receiving a clear-to-send message from the relay;
• and
• means for transmitting data to the second station based at least in part, on the clear-to-send message received from the relay, wherein the data is communicated to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay if the second station acknowledges the data within a time period after the first station transmits the data, and wherein the data is communicated to the second station via the relay if the second station does not acknowledge the data within the time period.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a first station to perform a method of communicating in an 802.11 wireless communications network between the first station and a second station using a relay, the method comprising:

• transmitting a request-to-send message to a relay;
• receiving a clear-to-send message from the relay;
• and
• transmitting data to the second station based at least in part, on the clear-to-send message received from the relay, and specify a receiver address for the data that does not identify the relay, wherein the data is communicated to the second station via a communication path that is independent of the relay if the second station acknowledges the data within a time period after the first station transmits the data, and wherein the data is communicated to the second station via the relay if the second station does not acknowledge the data within the time period.