Inter-AP coordination and synchronization within wireless communications
Coordination and synchronization is performed between two or more wireless network managers (e.g., access points (APs)). A first wireless network manager supports first communications with first other wireless communication devices, and a second wireless network manager supports second communications with those first and/or second other wirelessly case devices. The first and second wireless network managers also support communications with one another to coordinate the first and second communications supported with the first and/or second other wireless communication devices. Examples of coordination include selection of which other wireless communication devices are serviced or in communication with which of the first and second wireless network managers, selection of operational parameters (e.g., modulation coding set (MCS), beamforming, frequency band assignment, channel assignment, scheduling information, transmit power, etc.) for the first and second wireless communication devices, synchronization to a common clock (e.g., using timing synchronization function (TSF)).
1. A wireless communication access point (AP) device comprising:
a communication interface; and
processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform peer-to-peer coordination of operations with a second wireless communication AP device having geographically overlapping transmissions by:
exchanging, via the communication interface with the second wireless communication AP device, beamforming parameters used by each wireless communication AP device to communicate with a corresponding subset of wireless stations (STA) of a plurality of wireless STAs, wherein the wireless communication AP device communicates with a first subset of wireless STAs, and the second wireless communication AP device communicates with a different second subset of wireless STAs, wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) tone assignments to be used by each wireless communication AP device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs; and
transmitting, on a first channel, one or more data packets to each of the first subset of wireless STAs according to the beamforming parameters used by the wireless communication AP device, simultaneously with the second wireless communication AP device transmitting one or more data packets on the first channel to each of the second subset of wireless STAs according to the beamforming parameters used by the second wireless communication AP device,
wherein the first subset of wireless STAs and the second subset of wireless STAs include at least one common STA, wherein the at least one common STA receives and combines the one or more data packets transmitted from the wireless communication AP device and the one or more data packets transmitted from the second wireless communication AP device.
2. The wireless communication AP device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise modulation & coding set/rates (MCS) to be used by each wireless communication AP device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs.
3. The wireless communication AP device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise channel estimation information.
4. The wireless communication AP device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming parameters are based on at least one of:
frequency band assignments for each wireless communication AP device;
channel assignments for each wireless communication AP device;
scheduling information for exchange of the beamforming parameters;
at least one token for channel access for each wireless communication AP device;
transmit power for use by each wireless communication AP device or one or more wireless STAs;
basic services set (BSS) listing of communications by each wireless communication AP device;
channel statistics of at least one wireless communication channel used by each wireless communication AP device or
timing synchronization function (TSF) information for each wireless communication AP device.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface used to exchange beamforming parameters comprises a wired communication interface; and further comprising a wireless communication interface used to transmit the one or more data packets to the first subset of wireless STAs.
6. The wireless communication AP device of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to exchange, via the communication interface with the second wireless communication AP device, an identification of a number of wireless STAs within each corresponding subset of wireless STAs.
7. The wireless communication AP device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming parameters comprise a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the plurality of wireless STAs.
8. The wireless communication AP device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to provide a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the first subset of wireless STAs to the second wireless communication AP device, and receive a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the second set of wireless STAs from the second wireless communication AP device; and
wherein each wireless communication AP device uses the covariance matrix for each wireless STA received from the other wireless communication AP device to determine beamforming parameters used by said wireless communication AP device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs.
9. A method for execution by a wireless communication AP device, the method comprising:
exchanging, via a communication interface with a second wireless communication AP device, beamforming parameters used by each wireless communication AP device to communicate with a corresponding subset of wireless stations (STA) of a plurality of wireless STAs, wherein the wireless communication AP device communicates with a first subset of wireless STAs, and the second wireless communication AP device communicates with a different second subset of wireless STAs, wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) tone assignments to be used by each wireless communication AP device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs; and
transmitting, on a first channel, one or more data packets to each of the first subset of wireless STAs according to the beamforming parameters used by the wireless communication AP device, simultaneously with the second wireless communication AP device transmitting one or more data packets on the first channel to each of the second subset of wireless STAs according to the beamforming parameters used by the second wireless communication AP device,
wherein the first subset of wireless STAs and the second subset of wireless STAs include at least one common STA, wherein the at least one common STA receives and combines the one or more data packets transmitted from the wireless communication AP device and the one or more data packets transmitted from the second wireless communication AP device.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise modulation & coding set/rates (MCS) to be used by each wireless communication device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the beamforming parameters exchanged with the second wireless communication AP device comprise channel estimation information.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication interface used to exchange beamforming parameters comprises a wired communication interface, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting, via a wireless communication interface, the one or more data packets to the first subset of wireless STAs.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising exchanging, via the communication interface with the second wireless communication AP device, an identification of a number of wireless STAs within each corresponding subset of wireless STAs.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the beamforming parameters comprise a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the plurality of wireless STAs.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the first subset of wireless STAs to the second wireless communication AP device, and receiving a covariance matrix for each wireless STA of the second set of wireless STAs from the second wireless communication AP device; and
wherein each wireless communication AP device uses the covariance matrix for each wireless STA received from the other wireless communication AP device to determine beamforming parameters used by said wireless communication AP device to communicate with the corresponding subset of wireless STAs.