Abstract: An access point (AP) hashes its SSID/BSSID according to a hashing function H and transmits wirelessly the hashed SSID/BSSID within a physical layer frame/packet to a user station (STA). The hashed SSID/BSSID uniquely identifies the AP. In one embodiment, the hashed SSID/BSSID is transmitted within a SIGNAL field of a preamble with the frame/packet. Upon receipt, the user station recovers the hashed SSID/BSSID and compares it to an expected hashed SSID/BSSID (calculated using the same hashing function H and a desired SSID/BSSID). In response to the comparison, the user station performs one or more actions.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided herein for improving carrier aggregation for wireless networks. A plurality of bandwidth channels are assigned to a basic service set (BSS) for transmissions. Specifically, the bandwidth channels are divided into multiple channel segments corresponding to multiple primary or alternate primary channels. A channel segment possibly further includes one or more additional secondary channels. The locations of the primary or alternate primary channels that correspond to the channel segments of the BSS are then broadcasted in the network. When a station or AP receives this BSS information, it searches for an available primary or alternate primary channel of the BSS to begin transmission. Upon detecting an available primary channel or alternate primary channel that is not used for another transmission, the station or AP transmits data on the channel segment corresponding to the detected primary or alternate primary channel.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a collaborative service set (CSS) includes a controller access point (AP) configured to be associated with a first plurality of stations and a first member AP, where the first member AP is associated with a second plurality of stations, where 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, where the controller AP and the first member AP are configured to transmit messages simultaneously.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided herein for improving carrier aggregation for wireless networks. A plurality of bandwidth channels are assigned to a basic service set (BSS) for transmissions. Specifically, the bandwidth channels are divided into multiple channel segments corresponding to multiple primary or alternate primary channels. A channel segment possibly further includes one or more additional secondary channels. The locations of the primary or alternate primary channels that correspond to the channel segments of the BSS are then broadcasted in the network. When a station or AP receives this BSS information, it searches for an available primary or alternate primary channel of the BSS to begin transmission. Upon detecting an available primary channel or alternate primary channel that is not used for another transmission, the station or AP transmits data on the channel segment corresponding to the detected primary or alternate primary channel.

Abstract: Various methods and communications devices to improve association and handoff performance of a wireless network are provided. By way of example, a modified state machine that permits reduced security requirements for authentication in order to achieve fast authentication is employed. The modified state machine providing fast authentication remains compatible with the classic state machine implementing the wireless fidelity (WiFi) standard.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for interference alignment in a wireless local area network (LAN) with an overlapping basic service set (OBSS). In an embodiment, a method includes instructing a first access point (AP) in the wireless LAN to broadcast a null data packet (NDP) sounding packet to a plurality of stations when no other AP is broadcasting, wherein the NDP sounding packet comprises a plurality of long training field (LTFs), and wherein a total number of LTFs is equal to a total number of transmission streams, receiving channel beamforming (BF) information and a signal plus interference to noise ratio (SINR) from each of the stations, wherein each of the stations computes the channel BF information and the SINR from sounding packets received from each of the APs in the wireless LAN, and determining a transmission schedule according to the SINRs and the channel BF information.

Abstract: A method for operating a first access point of a first plurality of access points comprising access points participating in cumulative beacon operations includes generating a cumulative beacon including basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) and service set identifiers (SSIDs) of each access point in the first plurality of access points, and sending the cumulative beacon.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided herein for implementing a user cooperation protocol for interference alignment (IA) in wireless local area network (WLAN) or a Wi-Fi hotspot. The embodiments allow collecting knowledge of the channels from user stations (STAs) and sending this information to the corresponding access points (APs) in the network. This information is then used by the APs to pre-code their signals such as to remove interfering signals to non-intended STAs. An AP transmits to the STAs a group identifier (GrpID) indicating an order of STAs for transmitting channel state information (CSI) and an AP index indicating an order of STA groups of the APs for transmitting the CSI. When a STA detects a CSI transmission from another STA preceding the STA in the order of transmission as indicated by the AP index and GrpID, the STA transmits its CSI.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for enabling a beamforming mechanism in WLAN OBSSs. In an embodiment, a first AP of the OBSSs decides to participate in coordinated beamforming for the OBSSs. The OBSSs comprise a plurality of APs and a plurality of STAs associated with the APs. The AP thus transmits, periodically, a coordinated beamforming (CB) announcement message indicating an ID of the first AP and an ID of each STA associated with the first AP. When a second AP of the OBSSs receives the message from the first AP, the second AP maintains the ID of the first AP and the ID of each STA associated with the first AP in an entry of a CB table. When the second AP stops receiving the message, the second AP removes, from the CB table, the entry of the IDs of the first AP and its associated STAs.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for interference alignment in a wireless local area network (LAN) with an overlapping basic service set (OBSS). In an embodiment, a method includes instructing a first access point (AP) in the wireless LAN to broadcast a null data packet (NDP) sounding packet to a plurality of stations when no other AP is broadcasting, wherein the NDP sounding packet comprises a plurality of long training field (LTFs), and wherein a total number of LTFs is equal to a total number of transmission streams, receiving channel beamforming (BF) information and a signal plus interference to noise ratio (SINR) from each of the stations, wherein each of the stations computes the channel BF information and the SINR from sounding packets received from each of the APs in the wireless LAN, and determining a transmission schedule according to the SINRs and the channel BF information.

Abstract: Various methods and communications devices to improve association and handoff performance of a wireless network are provided. By way of example, a modified state machine that permits reduced security requirements for authentication in order to achieve fast authentication is employed. The modified state machine providing fast authentication remains compatible with the classic state machine implementing the wireless fidelity (WiFi) standard.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether a station is a power constrained device and setting an indicator in a header of a frame in accordance with whether the station is a power constrained device. The method also includes transmitting, by the station to a first device, the frame.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for implementing a control function in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) for allocation of resources to multiple stations (STAs) to enable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications. An embodiment method includes determining a plurality of transmission resources for OFDMA communications of a plurality of STAs in the WLAN. The determination includes allocating a plurality of subcarriers to the STAs. The method further includes signaling the determined transmission resources to the STAs. The signaling of the transmission resources is piggybacked on at least one of data and management frames, such as in a sub-header of a MAC frame, or is an explicit signaling, such as in one or more dedicated fields of a traffic specification information element. The transmission resources for OFDMA communications allow simultaneous transmissions of the STAs in the WLAN.

Abstract: A method for operating a communications device adapted for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless local area network (WLAN) communications includes generating an OFDMA preamble comprising an OFDMA signal (SIG) field including an indication of an allocation of an OFDMA resource to a station, and transmitting the OFDMA preamble in a frame.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting, by a station to an access point (AP), a fast initial link setup (FILS) authentication request and transmitting, by the station to the AP, an authorization request, where the authorization request includes an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over local area network (LAN) (EAPOL) key. The method also includes receiving, by the station from the AP, an association response, where the association response includes the EAPOL key.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for relaying frames including receiving, by a repeater from a first station, a first frame, where the first frame has a first header having a first indicator and determining whether the first frame will be relayed in accordance with the first indicator. The method also includes transmitting, by the repeater to an access point, the first frame when the first frame is determined to be relayed.

Abstract: A method for transmitting a frame includes generating an omni portion of the frame, the omni portion including a non-beamformed long training field and a signal field, the non-beamformed long training field including channel estimation information used to decode the signal field, the non-beamformed long training field configured to be transmitted through one of multiple antennas and multiple streams. The method also includes generating a multi-stream portion of the frame, the multi-stream portion including a data field and a multi-stream long training field, the multi-stream long training field including station-specific decoding information for station-specific data in the data field. The method further includes applying a beamforming indicator to the signal field of the omni portion, and transmitting the frame.

Abstract: Signal (SIF) field capacity can be significantly increased by encoding SIG field data using two streams in accordance with a space-time block code (STBC) encoding scheme. Dual-stream SIG field encoding allows for the utilization of higher order modulation schemes, such as quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), which increases SIG field capacity. Dual-stream encoded SIG fields are transmitted using an omnidirectional beam to allow mobile stations to accurately decode the SIG field irrespective of their spatial location.

Abstract: A method of performing authentication involves receiving, by a station, an initiation frame and transmitting, by the station, an authentication request. The authentication request includes an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) over local area network (LAN) (EAPOL) Start and security parameters for a fast initial link setup (FILS) handshake.

Abstract: A method for transmitting a frame includes generating an omni portion of the frame, the omni portion including a non-beamformed long training field and a signal field, the non-beamformed long training field including channel estimation information used to decode the signal field, the non-beamformed long training field configured to be transmitted through one of multiple antennas and multiple streams. The method also includes generating a multi-stream portion of the frame, the multi-stream portion including a data field and a multi-stream long training field, the multi-stream long training field including station-specific decoding information for station-specific data in the data field. The method further includes applying a beamforming indicator to the signal field of the omni portion, and transmitting the frame.