System and method for a collaborative service set

1. A collaborative service set (CSS) comprising:

a controller access point (AP) configured to be associated with a first plurality of stations and a first member AP, wherein the first member AP is associated with a second plurality of stations, wherein the controller AP is configured to coordinate transmissions between the first member AP and the second plurality of stations with transmissions between the controller AP and the first plurality of stations, wherein the controller AP is configured to supervise collection of channel information for channels between the first member AP and the second plurality of stations, channels between the first member AP and the first plurality of stations, channels between the controller AP and the first plurality of stations, and channels between the controller AP and the second plurality of stations, and wherein the controller AP and the first member AP are configured to transmit messages simultaneously.

2. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein a first station of the first plurality of stations is configured to freely associate with the first member AP.

3. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the first member AP is a leader AP.

4. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the controller AP is a leader AP.

5. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the controller AP is configured to be associated with a plurality of member APs comprising the first member AP.

6. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the controller AP, the first member AP, and the first plurality of stations are coupled by a signaling channel.

7. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of stations is associated with a plurality of unique station identification numbers (IDs) and a plurality of media access control (MAC) addresses, wherein a length of each of the plurality of unique station IDs is shorter than a length of each of the plurality of MAC addresses.

8. The CSS of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of unique station IDs is a plurality of association identification numbers (AIDs).

9. The CSS of claim 1 , wherein the controller AP and the first member AP are coupled by a distribution system.

10. A method of channel sounding in a collaborative service set (CSS), the method comprising:

broadcasting, by a first access point (AP), a first null data packet announcement (NDPA) comprising a short identification number (ID) of a first station;

broadcasting, by the first AP, a first null data packet (NDP) after transmitting the first NDPA;

receiving, by the first AP from a second AP, a second NDPA;

receiving, by the first AP from the second AP, a second NDP after receiving the second NDPA, wherein the first AP is a leader AP, and wherein receiving the second NDPA is performed after transmitting the first NDP;

transmitting, by the first AP to the first station, a first polling frame after transmitting the first NDP and receiving the second NDP; and

receiving, by the first AP from the first station, a first feedback report after transmitting the first polling frame.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second AP is a leader AP, and wherein transmitting the first NDPA is performed after receiving the second NDP.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first AP from a second station, a second polling frame; and

receiving, by the first AP from the second station, a second feedback report after receiving the second polling frame.

13. A method of channel sounding in a collaborative service set (CSS), the method comprising:

receiving, by a station from a first access point (AP), a first null data packet announcement (NDPA) comprising a first simplified short identification number (ID) of the station;

receiving, by the station from the first AP, a first null data packet (NDP) after receiving the first NDPA;

receiving, by the station from a second AP, a second NDPA after receiving the first NDP;

receiving, by the station from the second AP, a second NDP after receiving the second NDPA;

estimating a first channel between the station and the first AP in accordance with the first NDP to produce a first estimated channel;

receiving a first polling frame, by the station from the first AP; and

broadcasting, by the station, a first feedback report in accordance with the first estimated channel after receiving the first polling frame.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

estimating a second channel between the station and the second AP in accordance with the second NDP to produce a second estimated channel;

receiving a second polling frame, by the station from the second AP; and

broadcasting, by the station, a second feedback report in accordance with the second estimated channel.

15. A method of determining an oscillator frequency offset between a first access point (AP) and a second AP, the method comprising:

receiving, by the second AP from the first AP, a first packet comprising a first preamble;

receiving, by the second AP from the first AP, a second packet comprising a second preamble after receiving the first packet;

determining an oscillator frequency offset between the first AP and the second AP in accordance with the first preamble and the second preamble;

broadcasting, by the second AP, a null data packet announcement (NDPA) after calculating the oscillator frequency offset wherein the NDPA contains the calculated oscillator frequency offset; and

broadcasting, by the second AP, a null data packet (NDP).

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first packet is a first null data packet announcement (NDPA) and the second packet is a first null data packet (NDP).

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising waiting a first processing time after receiving the first packet before broadcasting the second NDPA.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the oscillator frequency offset comprises:

estimating a coarse carrier frequency offset; and

estimating a fine carrier frequency offset.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first preamble comprises a short training field and a long training field.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein a pulse train comprises the first packet and the second packet, and wherein determining the oscillator frequency offset comprises reproducing a clock frequency of the first AP by a stable temperature compensated crystal in accordance with the pulse train.