Apparatus and methods for operating multi-link devices in wireless networks
Apparatus and methods for operating multiple link premises devices in a wireless network. In one embodiment, premises devices such as a wireless gateway, Access Point (AP) or user devices use Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology for the transmission of data on multiple links operating on different frequencies. The disclosed apparatus and methods provide a solution to share channel statistic or similar data across the different links, such as for link performance improvement via more optimal MIMO operation. In one implementation, large-scale channel statistics are shared via the pre-amble or mid-amble of a frame across multiple links between an AP and a user device to enhance receiver performance. In another embodiment, the channel statistics are shared between multiple AP devices which can coordinate with each other, and/or are made specific to individual client devices, in order to enhance receiver performance.
1 . Multi-link wireless access point apparatus, comprising:
digital processor apparatus;
at least one wireless transceiver chain in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising at least one antenna element; and
computer readable apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising storage medium, the storage medium comprising at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the multi-link wireless access point apparatus to:
exploit at least one commonality between a first wireless link and at least one second wireless link via utilization of training correlation data based at least in part on data relating to one or more channel statistics associated with the first wireless link for the at least one second wireless link, the utilization comprising transmission, from the multi-link wireless access point apparatus, of the training correlation data to one or more receiver devices in wireless communication with the multi-link wireless access point apparatus, the training correlation data indicating a correlation between at least the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
2 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the utilization of the one or more channel statistics associated with the first wireless link for the at least one second wireless link further comprises utilization, by the multi-link wireless access point apparatus, of the one or more channel statistics to increase a quality of multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) channel estimation for at least the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
3 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the multi-link wireless access point apparatus comprises an Access Point (AP) compliant with at least one IEEE Std. 802.11 standard;
the one or more receiver devices each comprise an STA (station) compliant with the at least one IEEE Std. 802.11 standard; and
the training correlation data comprises data indicative of a plurality of parameters each relating to one or more physical characteristics of the first wireless link.
4 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the training correlation data comprises data indicative of a plurality of parameters each relating to one or more physical characteristics of the first wireless link, the plurality of parameters selected from the group consisting of: (i) average delay, (ii) Doppler Shift, (iii) delay spread, (iv) Doppler spread, and (v) beam direction.
5 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more receiver devices in wireless communication with the multi-link wireless access point apparatus comprise a plurality of receiver devices;
the training correlation data comprises (i) first training correlation data transmitted on the first wireless link, and (ii) second training correlation data transmitted on the at least one second wireless link; and
at least one of the first training correlation data or second training data is applicable to only a particular one of the plurality of receiver devices.
6 . Multi-link wireless access point apparatus, comprising:
digital processor apparatus;
at least one wireless transceiver chain in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising at least one antenna element; and
computer readable apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising storage medium, the storage medium comprising at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the multi-link wireless access point apparatus to:
exploit at least one commonality between first wireless link and at least one second wireless link via utilization of training correlation data based at least in part on data relating to one or more channel statistics associated with the first wireless link for the at least one second wireless link, the utilization comprising (i) transmission of first training correlation data on the first wireless link, and (ii) transmission of second training correlation data on the at least one second wireless link.
7 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the multi-link wireless access point apparatus to create a third wireless link;
the utilization, by the multi-link wireless access point apparatus, of the training correlation data further comprises transmission of third training correlation data on the third wireless link;
the first training correlation data comprises at least data indicating whether a correlation or applicability for each of a plurality of parameters exists between the first wireless link and at least one of the at least one second wireless link or the third wireless link;
the second training correlation data comprises at least data indicating whether a correlation or applicability for each of the plurality of parameters exists between the at least one second wireless link and at least one of the first wireless link or the third wireless link; and
the third training correlation data comprises at least data indicating whether a correlation or applicability for each of a plurality of parameters exists between the third wireless link and at least one of the at least one second wireless link and the first wireless link.
8 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the multi-link wireless access point apparatus comprises an Access Point (AP) compliant with at least one of IEEE Std. 802.11ax or IEEE Std. 802.11be;
the transmission of the first training correlation data on the first wireless link comprises transmission of the first training correlation data, via use of at least a portion of an existing preamble or mid-amble training data field transmitted on the first wireless link; and
the transmission of the second training correlation data transmitted on the at least one second wireless link comprises transmission of the second training correlation data, via use of at least a portion of an existing preamble or mid-amble training data field transmitted on the at least one second wireless link.
9 . The multi-link wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one wireless transceiver chain comprises at least first and second wireless transceiver chains each enabled for establishment of a plurality of wireless links with respective first and second wireless receiver devices; and
the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the multi-link wireless access point apparatus to:
utilize one or more channel statistics associated with the plurality of wireless links associated with the first transceiver chain for at least one of the plurality of wireless links associated with the second transceiver chain.
10 . A computerized method of operating a multi-link access point apparatus within a wireless network, the computerized method comprising:
determining one or more channel statistics associated with a first wireless link, the determining of the one or more channel statistics comprises determining at least one large-scale channel statistic; and
exploiting at least one commonality between the first wireless link and at least one second wireless link by utilizing the one or more channel statistics associated with the first wireless link for the at least one second wireless link, the exploiting of the at least one commonality between the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link comprising utilizing the at least one large-scale channel statistic across at least three different wireless links of a same receiver so as to improve at least MIMO (multiple input multiple output) channel estimation for at least one of the three different wireless links, the three different wireless links comprising at least the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
11 . A computerized access point apparatus configured for wireless communication with a computerized wireless device within a wireless infrastructure, the computerized access point apparatus comprising:
digital processing apparatus;
at least one wireless network interface in data communication with the digital processing apparatus; and
a storage device in data communication with the digital processing apparatus, the storage device comprising a storage medium having at least one computer program, the at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the digital processing apparatus, cause the computerized access point apparatus to:
utilize one or more channel statistics associated with a first wireless link for at least one second wireless link to exploit at least one commonality between the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link, the utilization of the one or more channel statistics comprising:
a determination of link correlation data, the link correlation data indicating a correlation between the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link; and
transmission, on one or more of the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link, the link correlation data to at least one user device.
12 . The computerized access point apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the transmission of the link correlation data to the at least one user device comprises transmission of multiple data sets on respective multiple ones of the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link, each of the multiple data sets having different characteristics from other ones of the multiple data sets, the different characteristics based at least on respective frequency bands utilized by the respective multiple ones of the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
13 . The computerized access point apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the link correlation data comprises a determination that the first wireless link has a greater level of training data associated therewith than that of the at least one second wireless link.
14 . The computerized access point apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the link correlation data is based at least in part on a measurement of at least one parameter relating to channel quality in at least each of the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
15 . The computerized access point apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the measurement of the at least one parameter relating to the channel quality in each of the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link comprises a measurement of at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of: (i) average delay, (ii) Doppler Shift, (iii) delay spread, (iv) Doppler spread, and (v) beam direction.
16 . The computerized access point apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one wireless network interface comprises a wireless network interface compliant with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be standard supporting multiple wireless links.
17 . A computerized method of operating a multi-link access point apparatus within a wireless network, the computerized method comprising:
exploiting at least one commonality between a first wireless link and at least one second wireless link by utilizing one or more channel statistics associated with the first wireless link for the at least one second wireless link, the exploiting comprises transmitting, from the multi-link access point apparatus, training correlation data to one or more receiver devices in wireless communication with the multi-link access point apparatus, the training correlation data indicating a correlation between at least the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link;
wherein the transmitting, from the multi-link access point apparatus, of the training correlation data to the one or more receiver devices comprises transmitting the training correlation data to the one or more receiver devices via one of: (i) at least one preamble or midamble of a multiple user (MU) frame, such that the training correlation data is valid only across a subset of frequency bands utilized by the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link, or (ii) at least one preamble or midamble of a single user (SU) frame, such that the training correlation data is valid across all available frequency bandwidth utilized by the first wireless link and the at least one second wireless link.
18 . The computerized method of claim 17 , wherein:
the one or more receiver devices each comprise an STA (station) compliant with at least one IEEE Std. 802.11 standard; and
the training correlation data comprises data indicative of a plurality of parameters relating to one or more physical characteristics of the first wireless link.