Media access control for MIMO wireless network
US7301924B1 · kind B1 · utility
105Cited by
8References
23Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 15, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 27, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W84/12
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The MAC layer of a wireless communication standard is modified to facilitate MIMO (multiple input multiple output) processing and thereby increase capacity and/or spectral efficiency. In one implementation, the IEEE 802.11a standard is modified in this way. A contention free period (CFP) is divided between MIMO communications and non-MIMO communications. An access point may maintain a list of nodes operating in MIMO mode and nodes operating in non-MIMO mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.