An Ultra-Wideband Impulse Radio-Based Control Layer for Enhanced Coexistence in Wireless LANs

The proliferation of wireless communications systems poses new challenges in terms of coexistence between heterogeneous devices operating in the same frequency bands. In fact, in case of high-density concentration of wireless devices, like for indoor environments, the network performance is typically limited by the mutual interference among the devices themselves. For instance, this is the case for Wireless Local Area Network (WLANs). In this paper, we present a novel protocol strategy for managing multiple access in wireless networks. Namely, a control layer utilizing the UWB (ultra-wideband)-IR (impulse radio) technology is proposed for enhancing coexistence in WLAN systems. In this context, the UWB-based control layer is exploited for managing medium access in a coordinated way and for assigning and scheduling resources in order to optimize the WLAN data traffic. In this work, we perform a feasibility study regarding the proposed technical solutions, in particular verifying the compatibility of the UWB-IR technology with the WLAN-related range requirements and investigating the corresponding trade-offs.