IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,615,547
Granted Patent B2
US 12,615,547 · App. 18/467,011 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Duplicate detection method for multi-link operation transmissions

Inventors: Jerome Henry (Pittsboro, NC); Vinay Saini (Karnatka, IN); Robert Edgar Barton (Richmond, CA)
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
H04W28/06H04L1/1607
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,615,547
App. No.
18/467,011
Granted
Apr 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a method includes associating an MLO device with 2 transmission radios to yield a first communication link between the device and a first MLO access point and a second communication link between the device and a second MLO access point, wherein the device is configured to label the first communication link as a primary link and the second communication link as a secondary link; generating a sequence number to be assigned to a frame to be transmitted on the primary link and to a duplicate copy of the frame to be transmitted on the secondary link; associating a flag with the duplicate copy of the frame on the secondary link; and sending, from the device to the first and the second MLO access points, the frame and the duplicate copy on the primary link and the secondary link, respectively.

Claims (48)

1 . A method comprising:

associating a device capable of Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in a wireless network, with two transmission radios to yield a first communication link between the device and a first MLO access point and a second communication link between the device and a second MLO access point, wherein the device is configured to label the first communication link as a primary link and the second communication link as a secondary link;

generating a sequence number to be assigned to a frame to be transmitted on the primary link and to a duplicate copy of the frame to be transmitted on the secondary link;

associating a flag with the duplicate copy of the frame on the secondary link to indicate, to the second MLO access point, that the duplicate copy is a duplicate of the frame sent on the primary link;

sending, from the device to the first MLO access point and the second MLO access point, the frame and the duplicate copy on the primary link and the secondary link, respectively;

determining, at the device, that no acknowledgement of the frame on the primary link is received, wherein after expiration of a timer, the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost; and

receiving, at the device, an acknowledgement of the duplicate copy from the second MLO access point after the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence number matches sequencing on the primary link and the secondary link.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein upon observing the flag, the second MLO access point stores the duplicate copy in a buffer instead of acknowledging the duplicate copy back to the device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the device, an acknowledgement from the first MLO access point indicating that the first MLO access point received the frame on the primary link; and

sending, by the device and on the secondary link, a no-acknowledgement message to the second MLO access point, the no-acknowledgement message triggering the second MLO access point to discard the duplicate copy.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device does not send a no-acknowledgement message on the secondary link to the second MLO access point upon determining that no acknowledgement of the frame is received on the primary link.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein after the expiration of the timer, the second MLO access point determines that the no-acknowledgement message is not received on the secondary link before designating the frame on the primary link as being lost.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein upon sending the acknowledgement of the duplicate copy, the second MLO access point forwards the duplicate copy of the frame to a distribution system associated with the MLO in the wireless network.

8 . A device comprising:

one or more memories including computer-readable instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

associate the device with two transmission radios to yield a first communication link between the device and a first MLO access point and a second communication link between the device and a second MLO access point, wherein the device is configured to label the first communication link as a primary link and the second communication link as a secondary link, and wherein the device is capable of Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in a wireless network;

generate a sequence number to be assigned to a frame to be transmitted on the primary link and to a duplicate copy of the frame to be transmitted on the secondary link;

associate a flag with the duplicate copy of the frame on the secondary link to indicate, to the second MLO access point, that the duplicate copy is a duplicate of the frame sent on the primary link;

send, from the device to the first MLO access point and the second MLO access point, the frame and the duplicate copy on the primary link and the secondary link, respectively;

determine that no acknowledgement of the frame on the primary link is received, wherein after expiration of a timer, the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost; and

receive an acknowledgement of the duplicate copy from the second MLO access point after the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the sequence number matches sequencing on the primary link and the secondary link.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein upon observing the flag, the second MLO access point is configured the duplicate copy in a buffer instead of acknowledging the duplicate copy back to the device.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

receive an acknowledgement from the first MLO access point indicating that the first MLO access point received the frame on the primary link; and

send, on the secondary link, a no-acknowledgement message to the second MLO access point, the no-acknowledgement message triggering the second MLO access point to discard the duplicate copy.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the device does not send a no-acknowledgement message on the secondary link to the second MLO access point upon determining that no acknowledgement of the frame is received on the primary link.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein after the expiration of the timer, the second MLO access point determines that the no-acknowledgement message is not received on the secondary link before designating the frame on the primary link as being lost.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein upon sending the acknowledgement of the duplicate copy, the second MLO access point forwards the duplicate copy of the frame to a distribution system associated with the MLO in the wireless network.

15 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a device capable of Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in a wireless network, cause the device to:

associate the device with two transmission radios to yield a first communication link between the device and a first MLO access point and a second communication link between the device and a second MLO access point, wherein the device is configured to label the first communication link as a primary link and the second communication link as a secondary link, and wherein the device is capable of Multi-Link Operation (MLO) in a wireless network;

generate a sequence number to be assigned to a frame to be transmitted on the primary link and to a duplicate copy of the frame to be transmitted on the secondary link;

associate a flag with the duplicate copy of the frame on the secondary link to indicate, to the second MLO access point, that the duplicate copy is a duplicate of the frame sent on the primary link;

send, from the device to the first MLO access point and the second MLO access point, the frame and the duplicate copy on the primary link and the secondary link, respectively;

determine that no acknowledgement of the frame on the primary link is received, wherein after expiration of a timer, the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost; and

receive an acknowledgement of the duplicate copy from the second MLO access point after the second MLO access point designates the frame on the primary link as being lost.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the sequence number matches sequencing on the primary link and the secondary link.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein upon observing the flag, the second MLO access point is configured the duplicate copy in a buffer instead of acknowledging the duplicate copy back to the device.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein-execution of the computer-readable instructions further cause the device to:

receive an acknowledgement from the first MLO access point indicating that the first MLO access point received the frame on the primary link; and

send, on the secondary link, a no-acknowledgement message to the second MLO access point, the no-acknowledgement message triggering the second MLO access point to discard the duplicate copy.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15 , wherein

the device does not send a no-acknowledgement message on the secondary link to the second MLO access point upon determining that no acknowledgement of the frame is received on the primary link, and

after the expiration of the timer, the second MLO access point determines that the no-acknowledgement message is not received on the secondary link before designating the frame on the primary link as being lost.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein upon sending the acknowledgement of the duplicate copy, the second MLO access point forwards the duplicate copy of the frame to a distribution system associated with the MLO in the wireless network.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2023
From: HENRY, JEROME; SAINI, VINAY; BARTON, ROBERT EDGAR
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 064902/0268 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 202341033609 · May 12, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240381173A1 · Nov 14, 2024
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