US 12,003,976 B1
Method and apparatus for processing bandwidth intensive data streams using virtual media access control and physical layers
Sai C. Manapragada, Cypress, TX (US)
Assigned to XiFi Networks R&D Inc., Cypress, TX (US)
Filed by XiFi Networks R&D Inc., Cypress, TX (US)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/594,381.
Application 18/594,381 is a continuation of application No. 18/532,175, filed on Dec. 7, 2023, granted, now 11,950,105.
Application 18/532,175 is a continuation of application No. 18/448,281, filed on Aug. 11, 2023, granted, now 11,849,337.
Application 18/448,281 is a continuation of application No. 17/468,509, filed on Sep. 7, 2021, granted, now 11,818,591.
Application 17/468,509 is a continuation of application No. 16/039,660, filed on Jul. 19, 2018, granted, now 11,115,834.
Application 16/039,660 is a continuation of application No. 14/526,799, filed on Oct. 29, 2014, granted, now 10,034,179.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/897,216, filed on Oct. 30, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/897,219, filed on Oct. 30, 2013.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 16/26 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 16/26 (2013.01) 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wireless networking device, comprising:
a processing interface that is connected to an application interface, the application interface being associated with a first application, the first application providing, when the wireless networking device is being used, a first data stream and having a first wireless bandwidth requirement;
first and second actual MAC interfaces connected to the processing interface;
first and second actual PHY interfaces respectively connected to the first and second actual MAC interfaces;
first and second wireless transceivers respectively associated with the first and second actual PHY interfaces, wherein each of the first and second wireless transceivers is suitable for use in a wireless local area network, and the first and second wireless transceivers, respectively, (i) have a first and second bandwidth availability up to first and second actual bandwidths, and (ii) are adapted to emit radio signals in first and second different bands of frequencies;
at least one virtual MAC interface and first and second virtual PHY interfaces formed in the processing interface that, during operation of the wireless networking device, feed information regarding the bandwidth availabilities of the first and second wireless transceivers back to the at least one virtual MAC interface;
wherein the processing interface is configured to, when the wireless networking device is being used, and in a manner transparent to any layer of the wireless networking device above the processing interface,
(a) request or create (i) a first association between a recipient and the first actual MAC and PHY interfaces and (ii) a second association between the recipient and the second actual MAC and PHY interfaces,
(b) identify at least one first portion of the first actual bandwidth of the first wireless transceiver, the identified at least one first portion comprising a set of given resources,
(c) evaluate whether any of the given resources of the first identified actual bandwidth portion are unavailable for communication, and
(d) use the first wireless transceiver to transmit the first data stream to the recipient, without requiring disassociation of the recipient from either or both of the first and second actual MAC and PHY interfaces, using a subset of frequencies corresponding to only the given resources of the first bandwidth portion that are not unavailable for communication to thereby at least partially satisfy the first wireless bandwidth requirement of the first application; and
wherein, when the wireless networking is being used, the wireless networking device's utilization of the first available bandwidth portion of the first wireless transceiver does not prevent any wireless networking device devices from utilizing a range of frequencies corresponding to the remaining portion of the bandwidth availability of the first wireless transceiver for data transmission or reception purposes at the same time that the first bandwidth portion is being used for data transmission purposes.