High-throughput channel operation in a mesh wireless local area network

Abstract

High throughput channel operation in a mesh wireless local area network (WLAN) is disclosed. A mesh network comprises a plurality of mesh points and a network management entity (NME). The NME is configured to retrieve capability and configuration data from the mesh points. The NME configures at least one mesh point with respect to IEEE 802.11n channelization and legacy protection mode based on the capability and configuration data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An access point (AP) comprising:
 a wireless receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of wireless transmit receive units (WTRUs), information about at least one configuration of each of the plurality of WTRUs regarding coexistence of a 20 MHz channel and a 40 MHz channel; and   a wireless transmitter configured to transmit, to at least one of the plurality of WTRUs, instructions for controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs regarding IEEE 802.11n channelization and legacy protection, wherein a content of the instructions for controlling the operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs regarding IEEE 802.11n channelization and legacy protection is based at least on the information about the at least one configuration of at least one of the WTRUs regarding the coexistence of the 20 MHz channel and the 40 MHz channel.   
     
     
         2 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the at least one configuration of at least one of the plurality of WTRUs further includes information regarding at least one of physical layer spoofing, reduced inter-frame spacing (RIFS) protection, green field protection, space time block coding (STBC) control frame, legacy signal field (L-SIG) transmission opportunity (TXOP) protection, and phased coexistence operation (PCO). 
     
     
         3 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to wirelessly receive the information about the at least one configuration of at least of the plurality of WTRUs during or after an association process. 
     
     
         4 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit a request for the instructions for controlling the operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs to at least one of the plurality of WTRUs, and the wireless receiver is further configured to wirelessly receive the instructions for controlling the operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs in response to the request. 
     
     
         5 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to wirelessly receive periodic updates of the information about the at least one configuration of at least one of the plurality of WTRUs, and the wireless transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit periodic updates of the instructions for controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs to the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs. 
     
     
         6 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to transmit the instructions for controlling operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs using at least one of a dedicated message exchange, a multicast message, or a simple network management protocol. 
     
     
         7 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is further configured to wirelessly receive a software/driver download comprising extension channel configuration data. 
     
     
         8 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for controlling the operation of the at least one of the plurality of WTRUs comprises extension channel block command information, and the wireless transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit the extension channel block command information during an association process. 
     
     
         9 . The AP of  claim 8 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to wirelessly transmit a congestion control message, wherein the congestion control message includes the extension channel block command information. 
     
     
         10 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the at least one configuration of at least one of the plurality of WTRUs includes information regarding mechanisms to manage channel management and channel selection methods. 
     
     
         11 . The AP of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter are configured to operate at a channel bandwidth of 20 Mhz or 40 Mhz. 
     
     
         12 . A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit, to an access point (AP), information about at least one configuration of the WTRU regarding coexistence of a 20 MHz channel and a 40 MHz channel; and   a receiver configured to receive, from the AP, instructions for controlling operation of the WTRU regarding IEEE 802.11n channelization and legacy protection, wherein a content of the instructions for controlling the operation of the WTRU regarding IEEE 802.11n channelization and legacy protection is based at least on the information about the at least one configuration of the WTRU regarding the coexistence of the 20 MHz channel and the 40 MHz channel.   
     
     
         13 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the information about the at least one configuration of the WTRU further includes information regarding at least one of physical layer spoofing, reduced inter-frame spacing (RIFS) protection, green field protection, space time block coding (STBC) control frame, legacy signal field (L-SIG) transmission opportunity (TXOP) protection, and phased coexistence operation (PCO). 
     
     
         14 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the information about the at least one configuration of the WTRU during or after an association process. 
     
     
         15 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a request for the instructions for controlling the operation of the WTRU to the AP, and the receiver is further configured to receive the instructions for controlling the operation of the WTRU from the AP in response to the request. 
     
     
         16 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit periodic updates of the information about the at least one configuration of the WTRU to AP, and the receiver is further configured to receive periodic updates of the instructions for controlling operation of the WTRU from the AP. 
     
     
         17 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the instructions for controlling operation of the WTRU via at least one of a dedicated message exchange, multicast messaging, or a simple network management protocol. 
     
     
         18 . The WTRU of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions for controlling the operation of the WTRU comprise extension channel block command information, and the receiver is further configured to receive the extension channel block command information during an association process. 
     
     
         19 . The WTRU of  claim 18 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a congestion control message, wherein the congestion control message includes the extension channel block command information. 
     
     
         20 . The WTRU of  claim 18 , wherein the information about the at least one configuration of the WTRU includes information regarding mechanisms to manage channel management and channel selection methods.