Network Device For Implementing Access Points And Multiple Client Stations

Abstract

A wireless network device includes N access point (AP) modules having N BSSID's, where N is an integer greater than 1. The wireless network device includes a control module that communicates with the N AP modules. The control module stores the N BSSID's, a BSSID of an (N+1) th external AP that communicates with M client stations, and at least one MAC address of at least one of the M client stations, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The control module communicates with the (N+1) th external AP by emulating at least one of the M client stations.

1 . A device comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;   a baseband processor in communication with the radio frequency (RF) transceiver;   an access point, wherein the access point comprises a plurality of virtual access points, and wherein each virtual access point of the plurality of virtual access points supports a basic service set identifier (BSSID) that is unique relative to that supported by another virtual access point of the plurality of virtual access points;   a memory device configured to store a corresponding beacon interval for each virtual access point; and   a transmit module configured to respectively generate a corresponding target transmission beacon time (TBTT) for each virtual access point based on the beacon interval corresponding to the virtual access point,   wherein each virtual access point is respectively configured to use i) the baseband processor and ii) the radio frequency (RF) transceiver in order to transmit a corresponding beacon in accordance with the target transmission beacon time (TBTT) corresponding to the virtual access point, and wherein each beacon includes the basic service set identifier (BSSID) corresponding to the virtual access point transmitting the beacon.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the memory device is further configured to store a corresponding delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) period for each virtual access point; and   wherein each virtual access point is respectively configured to use i) the baseband processor and ii) the radio frequency (RF) transceiver in order to transmit a corresponding delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) in accordance with the delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) period corresponding to the virtual access point.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each beacon is transmitted in a staggered, non-overlapping manner. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the transmit module, the memory device, and the baseband processor are implemented on a same system on chip (SOC). 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the radio frequency (RF) transceiver is also implemented on the same system on chip (SOC). 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a medium access controller (MAC) device in communication with the baseband processor. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a processor in communication with the medium access controller (MAC) device. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the processor comprises an ARM processor. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the processor comprises an advanced RISC machine. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a wireless Ethernet network device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for transmitting a beacon from a device, wherein the device comprises
 a radio frequency (RF) transceiver,   a baseband processor in communication with the radio frequency (RF) transceiver, and   an access point, wherein the access point comprises a plurality of virtual access points, and wherein each virtual access point of the plurality of virtual access points supports a basic service set identifier (BSSID) that is unique relative to that supported by another virtual access point of the plurality of virtual access points, the method comprising:   storing, in a memory device, a corresponding beacon interval for each virtual access point; and   respectively generating a corresponding target transmission beacon time (TBTT) for each virtual access point based on the beacon interval corresponding to the virtual access point,   wherein each virtual access point is respectively configured to use i) the baseband processor and ii) the radio frequency (RF) transceiver in order to transmit a corresponding beacon in accordance with the target transmission beacon time (TBTT) corresponding to the virtual access point, and wherein each beacon includes the basic service set identifier (BSSID) corresponding to the virtual access point transmitting the beacon.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing, in the memory device, a corresponding delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) period for each virtual access point,   wherein each virtual access point is respectively configured to use i) the baseband processor and ii) the radio frequency (RF) transceiver in order to transmit a corresponding delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) in accordance with the delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) period corresponding to the virtual access point.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each beacon is transmitted in a staggered, non-overlapping manner. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , the device comprises a wireless Ethernet network device.