Patent Publication Number: US-2023133225-A1

Title: Adaptive equivalent isotropically radiated power (eirp) for multi-link devices in a single regulatory sub-band

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/164,525, filed Feb. 1, 2021, titled “Adaptive Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) for Multi-Link Devices in a Single Regulatory Sub-band”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     disclosure relates generally to wireless networks. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to wireless networks. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In computer networking, a wireless Access Point (AP) is a networking hardware device that allows a Wi-Fi compatible client device to connect to a wired network and to other client devices. The AP usually connects to a router (directly or indirectly via a wired network) as a standalone device, but it can also be an integral component of the router itself. Some wireless networks can include Multi-Link Devices (MLDs), in which clients and APs can employ (concurrent or inconcurrent) two or more wireless links for downlink and/or uplink signal traffic. 
     In APs with Multi-Radio MLD architectures, wherein two or more independent radios may be operated concurrently, care must be taken to either assign operating channels in separate Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) regulated frequency bands, or de-rate the transmit output power of the radios so the Radio Frequency (RF) power is within the regulatory limit. These considerations limit the flexibility of present operating modes, such as Flexible Radio Assignment (FRA). WiFi standard(s) permits multiple radios in the same AP to go on air at the same time in multi-band data aggregation, potentially transmitting to different clients or to the same client. Under such conditions, the current approaches for the application of the power limits at a single AP tend not to ensure EIRP regulations are met. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various example of the present disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG.  1 A  is a block diagram of wireless network environment in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  1 B  is a signaling or signpost diagram of a signaling process for Multi-link transmissions in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  1 C  is a table of an implementation of EIRP requirements in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  1 D  is a table of an implementation of EIRP requirements in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  1 E  is a diagram of Packet Error Rates (PER) versus Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of AP components in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a flow chart of a method for determining power levels for transmissions from an AP in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is another flow chart of another method for determining power levels for transmissions from an AP in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is another flow chart of another method for determining power levels for transmissions from an AP in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is another flow chart of another method for determining power levels for transmissions from an AP in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  7    is a flow chart of a method for radio aggregation in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8 A  is a block diagram of a computing device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8 B  is a block diagram of a wireless device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Overview 
     Optimal determination of transmit power level for MLDs in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). An AP can establish synchronous downlink multi-link operations with another MLD. A first link and a second link between the AP and the MLD both operate in a same sub-band. The AP can determine the same power level for both the first link and second link. After establishing the same power level, the AP can then determine a second power level for the first link and a third power level for the second link. The second power level is greater than the third power level. The AP can then provide the second power level for the first link and the third power level for the second link. 
     Both the foregoing overview and the following description are examples and explanatory only, and should not be considered to restrict the disclosure&#39;s scope, as described and claimed. Furthermore, features and/or variations may be provided in addition to those described. For example, examples of the disclosure may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the implementations. 
     Example 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While example(s) of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. 
     One of the advancements in Wi-Fi is support of multi-link operations, which is favorable for both tremendous data rates and extremely low latency. Newer Wi-Fi standards have discussed two modes of multi-link operation, referred to as restricted and dynamic link switch. In the restricted mode, data frames and Acknowledgements (ACKs) are bound to one link. Management exchanges ate transmitted over another link, such as related to power save mode, security key negotiation, Block ACK (BA) negotiation, etc. In the dynamic link switch mode, multiple links can be used for transmission of the same flow. 
     Also, two types of channel access may be possible, asynchronous and synchronous multi-links. The asynchronous multi-link may include overlap of transmissions, but the reception may suffer from interference between radios. To address this interference issue, in addition to the asynchronous multi-link operation, synchronous transmissions may also be included in the flow. Synchronous multi-link operation avoids these problems at the cost of reduced throughput. If both radios work in the same band, the inter-radio interference can be similar to the normal interference from a rogue AP. 
     EIRP describes the total RF power radiated by an antenna. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have mandated certain total EIRP per “intentional radiator” in each sub-bands. The mandate can be translated to a maximum transmit power (in dB or Watts) based on: the type of antenna (directional or non-directional with less than a 6 dB gain); the frequency band (UNII #); and whether the AP is in an outdoor or indoor deployment. The FCC terminology of “Intentional Radiator” is the transmitter power of the wireless equipment, such as a wireless AP, router, or bridge. 
     Aspects herein can provide a mechanism for allocating transmit power across co-located radios operating on the same sub-band on the AP. MLD&#39;s co-located radios may be on same sub-band (Dual/Tri-5G/6G radios with 100 MHz separation to maintain good Radio Frequency (RF)/Antenna (Ant) (RF/Ant) isolation). In these implementations, the systems and methods can provide adaptive EIRP within certain regulatory limit(s). 
     As stated before, to achieve better performance, Wi-Fi standards can allow sending packets concurrently on multiple channels. Channels can occupy either different bands or the same band. The multiple channels in the same band can advantageously employ processes, for example, asynchronous channel access, power save mode, etc. The multi-link operation can aggregate a various number of links of different widths, e.g., 160 MHz+20 MHz as explained previously, implementations herein can involve synchronous downlink multi-link operations where the both links are operating in the same sub-band. 
     Assigning antenna power in situations with synchronous downlink multi-link operations where the both links are operating in the same sub-band may follow one or more of the following processes. In a first process, the assignment of antenna power may be based on the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) of the multiple links. First, the frequency, rate, and/or bandwidths can already have been selected by Radio Resource Management (RRM). Next, the AP can determine an initial power for the multiple links by dividing max EIRP allowance equally between two links and then lowering the power for each link by 3 dB. Then, the AP can consider a 1.5 dB higher transmit power when the MCS increases by one. Therefore, a simple linear translation between the relative MCS of two links and power can be considered. Finally, the AP can calculate the MCS difference, of a first link and a second link, of the multiple links. The AP may then apply the power difference on the links according to the following algorithms: 
         L 1_power_dB=EIRP_max_dB−3dB+( M 1− M 2)×1.5dB
 
         L 2_power_dB=EIRP_max_dB−3dB—( M 1− M 2)×1.5dB
 
     In the above equations, M1 and M2 are the MCS of the first link and the second link, respectively. 
     A second process can involve multi-radios per Basic Service Set (BSS) APs. In these scenarios, the client devices may be distributed randomly, at varying distances, from the cell center and/or AP. The client devices can be separated into near and far groupings. In situations where simultaneous downlink transmissions may be made in both links, a higher RF power may be assigned to the transmissions to client(s) in the far grouping, and a lower RF power may be assigned to the client(s) in the near grouping. For example, a higher RF power, for the far grouping, may be 1 dB lower than regulatory maximum, and a lower RF power, for the near grouping, may be 7 dB lower than the regulatory maximum, such that the total RF power for both groups is less than or equal to the regulatory maximum. This process allows for maximum flexibility in MCS selection, maintenance of good link quality, but at a modest expense of scheduling latency. When the scheduler does not need to schedule simultaneous transmissions, no RF power pullback is necessary on the individual transmissions. 
     In a third process, the AP can try to equalize the links in terms of path loss. Therefore, the AP can calculate the path loss factor, associated with frequency separation, and the AP can compensate for the path loss based on the following procedure. First, the AP can start transmitting by dividing the power equally between the two or more links, for example, provide power that is 3 dB lower per link. Then, the AP can determine the free space path loss based on a distance between client STAtions (STAs) and the AP by calculating the following algorithm: 
       Path_loss_dB=20×log 10( d )+20×log 10( f )−147.55
 
     In the above algorithm, d is distance between the AP and the STA, in meters, and f is the servicing frequency in Hz. It may not be necessary to identify distance and calculate the entire path loss. 
     To provide equal performance in both links, the AP can compensate for the effect of path loss because of frequency separation. For example, the first channel, ch1, may be in band 6.875 GHz, and the second channel, ch2, may be in band 6.525 GHz. The path loss difference can then be based on the following algorithm: 
       20*log 10(6.875 e 9)−20 log 10(6.525 e 9)=0.45384
 
     Finally, the AP can determine the final transmit powers based on the following algorithms: 
         L 1_power_dB_in_ f 1=EIRP_max_dB—3dB+20*log 10( f 1/ f 2)
 
         L 2_power_dB_in_ f 2=EIRP_max_dB—3dB+20*log 10( f 2/ f 1)
 
     In a final process, the methods above may be combined with antenna selection methods. Combining an antenna power determination method above and an antenna selection method can be considered for a subset of antennas per link with no antenna overlap. For example, if a first link requires 3 dB more power, the AP can give a second link half of the number of antennas assigned to the first link. Further, there can be some antennas shared (overlapped) between the first and second links. In these situations, the AP may keep the overlapped antennas minimized to reduce the inter-path loss due to reflection in RF combiner. 
     Finally, the one or more of the methods above may include a trigger mechanism. For example, an AP can receive a client request for band aggregation that acknowledges a multi-radio client architecture. In these circumstances, the primary radios can initiate the aggregation and triggers the other radios. 
     A wireless environment  100  may be as shown in  FIG.  1 A . The wireless environment  100  can include a WLAN, which may be referred to as WLAN 100, network  100 , wireless environment  100 , etc., and which can include one or more APs  102 . The wireless environment  100  shows just a single AP  102 , but the wireless environment  100  can include two or more APs  102 . The APs  102  can communicate with each other to conduct operations in concert. 
     The APs  102  may be in communication with one or more clients  104 , which may also be referred to simply as devices  104  or STAs  104 . The clients  104  may be physically dispersed through a physical area covered by APs  102  of the WLAN 100. The clients  104  and the APs  102  may be wireless devices, as described in conjunction with  FIG.  8 B  and may be computing systems, as described in conjunction with  FIG.  8 A . The network  100  can be controlled by a controller (not shown), e.g., a Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), a network controller, etc. The controller may be a computer system, wireless device, and/or another device, as described in conjunction with  FIGS.  8 A and  8 B . 
     As stated above and as shown in  FIG.  1 A , the wireless network  100  may comprise Wi-Fi APs  102  that may be configured to support a wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi) network  100 . The APs  102  may comprise a physical location where a user, operating a client  104 , may obtain access to a wireless network  100  (e.g., Internet access), using Wi-Fi technology, via a WLAN using a router connected to a service provider. 
     In another example(s) of the disclosure, rather than APs  102 , devices may be used that may be connected to a cellular network that may communicate directly and wirelessly with end use devices (e.g., a client  104  device) to provide access to wireless network  100  (e.g., Internet access). For example, these devices may comprise, but are not limited to, eNodeBs (eNBs) or gNodeBs (gNBs). The aforementioned cellular network may comprise, but is not limited to, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband cellular network, a Fourth Generation (4G) broadband cellular network, or a Fifth Generation (5G) broadband cellular network, operated by a service provider. Notwithstanding, example of the disclosure may use wireless communication protocols using, for example, Wi-Fi technologies, cellular networks, or any other type of wireless communications. 
     Client station devices  104  may comprise, but are not limited to, a phone, a smartphone, a digital camera, a tablet device, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a mobile device, a sensor, an Internet-of-Things (IoTs) device, a cellular base station, a telephone, a remote control device, a set-top box, a digital video recorder, a cable modem, a network computer, a mainframe, a router, or any other similar microcomputer-based device capable of accessing and using a Wi-Fi network or a cellular network. 
     The elements described above of the wireless network  100  (e.g., WLC, AP  102 , client devices  104 , etc.) may be practiced in hardware, in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), in a combination of hardware and software, or in any other circuits or systems. The elements of wireless network  100  may be practiced in electrical circuits comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates (e.g., Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), System-On-Chip (SOC), etc.), a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Furthermore, the elements of wireless network  100  may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to, mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. As described in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS.  8 A and  8 B , the elements of wireless network  100  may be practiced in a computing device  800  and/or wireless device  830 . 
     As explained above, the wireless environment  100  may include one or more APs  102 . The APs  102  may be in communication with one or more client devices  104 . Both the AP  102  and client device  104  may be a Multi-Link Device (MLD). The MLD  102 / 104  can communicate contemporaneously over two or more links  108   a ,  108   b . Each device  102 ,  104  may configure a separate link  108  from each radio, shown as stations  110   a - 110   d . Thus, a first link  108   a  may communicate between station  110   c , at the AP MLD  102 , to station  110   a , at the client MLD  104 . The second link  108   b  may communicate between the second station  110   d , at the AP MLD, to a second station  110   b , at the client device  104 . The data received at the device  102 / 104  from the two links  108   a ,  108   b  may be consolidated by a Media Access Control (MAC)—Single Access Point (SAP) (MAC-SAP) endpoint  106   a ,  106   b . As such, while the data may be received across two links, the MAC-SAP  106  can provide a single stream of data to the Internet Protocol (IP) address for the AP  102  or the client device  104 . 
     The MLDs  102 ,  104  may operate in two possible modes of multi-link operations, referred to as a restricted link switch and a dynamic link switch. In the restricted mode, data frames and ACKnowledgements (ACKs) are bound to one link, e.g., link  108   a . Management exchanges transmitted over one link  108   a , for example, related to power save mode, security key negotiation, Block ACK (BA) negotiation, etc., apply only to this one link  108   a . Data is sent over the second link  108   b . In the dynamic link switch mode, multiple links  108   a  and  108   b  can be used for transmission of the same flow, whether management signals or data. 
     An implementation of a signaling process  111  may be as shown in  FIG.  1 B . Two different signaling processes  111 , for conducting Multi-Link communications, may be as shown in  FIG.  1 B . In a first type of communication protocol, the multiple links  108   a ,  108   b , may be used for asynchronous Multi-Link traffic. In this situation, one link  108   a  may be used for downlink data  112   a  that is not in sync with a second set of downlink data  112   b  being sent on the second link  108   b . Further, downlink data on the second link  108   b  may be sent during an uplink transmission  114  on the first link  108   a , and vice versa. 
     In contrast, a second procedure may include synchronous multi-link operations, as shown at the second bottom portion of  FIG.  1 B . In this situation, both links  108   b  and  108   a  may send synchronous transmissions of downlink data  112   c  through  112   d  or synchronous transmissions of uplink data  114   b ,  114   c . Either of these type of multi-link operations may be used by the devices  102 / 104  of  FIG.  1 A . 
     An implementation of two tables  116   a ,  116   b , representing requirements in two different country domains, and indicating the EIRP limits, may be as shown in  FIG.  1 C  and  FIG.  1 D . Table  116   a  may provide information for a first country domain, while the table  116   b  provides for the second country domain. The tables portions  118   a - 118   d  show the EIRP limits  120   a - 120   d , in the rows of these tables, which indicate the allowed radiated RF power for a link with a client in the respective frequency band and sub-band. Thus, if a MLD is using both links in the same sub-band, as shown in  FIG.  1 A , those combined sub-band links  108  must not cross the EIRP limits threshold  120  shown in these tables  116 . 
     An implementation of a graph showing the linear relationship between the Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) and the extra RF power needed may be as shown in  FIG.  1 E . In the graph  122 , the Packet Error Rate (PER)  126  is provided on the vertical axis. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)  124  may be as provided on the horizontal axis. Several different MCSs can be provided in the chart, including MCS1  128 , related to data  132 , and MCS2  130 , related to data  134 . As can be seen, a change in MCS has a linear relationship to the increase in dB needed for RF power along axis  124 . In an example, the relationship between MCS to RF power is 1.5 dB. 
     An implementation of components  200 , associated with the AP  102 , for conducting operations contained herein may be as shown in  FIG.  2   . The APs  102  can include components  200 , which may be part of or executed as part of the computing system  800  as is shown in  FIG.  8 A . These components  200  can include one or more of, but are not limited to, a radio configurator  202 , a RF power analyzer  204 , a MCS monitor  206 , a RF power adjuster  208 , a client locator  210 , a link monitor  212 , an antenna assigner  214 , and/or a client interface  216 . 
     The radio configurator  202  can configure the radios/stations  110  of the different links  108 . For example, radio configurator  202  can change or modify the stations  110  to conduct link operations  108   a ,  108   b . The radio configurator  202  can establish the link  108 , maintains the link  108 , monitors the link  108 , and compensates for problems with the link  108 . 
     An RF power analyzer  204  can analyze the power being output by any of the stations  110 . The RF power analyzer  204  can determine the amount of power being transmitted to or required by one or more clients  104 , in connection with the link  108 . The information about the RF power can be provided to the RF power adjuster  208 . 
     The MCS monitor  206  may allow the AP  102  (or the client device  104 ) to determine the Quality Of Service (QOS) being provided by the two or more links  108   a ,  108   b . The MCS monitor  206  can also determine where on graph  122  the currently employed MCS is plotted and whether more power is needed to ensure high QOS. This MCS information may also be provided to the RF power adjuster  208 . 
     The RF power adjuster  208  can determine if the power needs to be adjusted for the one or more of the links  108   a ,  108   b  based on the information from the other components  202  through  206 . The RF power adjuster  208  can evaluate one or more algorithms, as described hereinafter, to determine the amount of power required by the one or more links  108 . Any power adjustments needed by the stations  110  may be instructed by RF power adjuster  208 , of the AP  102 . 
     The client locator  210  can locate one or more client devices  104  within a network environment. The client locator  210  can determine a distance from the AP  102  to the client  104 . Further, the client locator  210  may be able to determine a physical location for one or more clients and be able to compare the locations of those clients  104  to the AP  102 . This distance information may also be provided to the RF power adjuster  208  to determine how to provide power in the one or more links  108  to the client  104 . 
     A link monitor  212  can monitor the one or more links  108  between the AP  102  and the client device  104 . The link monitor  212  can determine if there is interference or other issues with the link  108 . This link information can also be provided to the RF power adjuster  208  to change the RF power and two improve the QOS of the link  108 . 
     The antenna assigner  214  may be operable to assign one or more antenna elements to stations  110   c ,  100   d . Thus, to produce higher levels of power for one link  108   a  compared to another link  108   b , antenna assigner  214  can change a number of antennas used by one or more of the stations  110 . In this way, the RF power adjuster  208  or RF power analyzer  204  may provide information about the power requirements to the antenna assigner  214 , which can change the amount of power being transmitted by changing the number of antenna elements provided to the stations  110 . 
     Client interface  216  can interact with the client device  104  to gain information about the performance of the links  108 . Further, the client interface  216  may be operable to receive data or information about the client  104 , for example, a client&#39;s location. 
     An implementation of a method  300  for establishing RF transmit power levels with a MLD may be as shown in  FIG.  3   , in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The method  300  can start with a start operation and can end with an end operation. The method  300  can include more or fewer stages or can arrange the order of the stages differently than those shown in  FIG.  3   . The method  300  can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions, executed by a computer system or processing component, and be encoded or stored on a storage medium. Further, the method  300  can be executed by a gate or other hardware device or component in an ASIC, a FPGA, a SOC, or other type of hardware device. Hereinafter, the method  300  shall be explained with reference to the systems, components, modules, software, data structures, etc. described herein. 
     The AP  102  can establish synchronous downlink multi-link operations, with both the links  108   a ,  108   b  transmitting in the same sub-band, in stage  302 . In implementations, the radio configurator  202  can establish the links  108   a ,  108   b  between stations  110   c ,  100   d , of the AP  102 , to the MLD client device  104 . The links  108  can each transmit in the same sub-band. For example, link  108   a  and  108   b  may be in the same 20 MHz sub-band. Further, the links  108   a ,  108   b  can be transmitting in synchronous multi-link operations as described in conjunction with  FIG.  1 B , where downlink data is sent from the AP  102  as packets  112   c  and  112   d , over links  108   a ,  108   b , at a substantially same time. 
     The AP  102  can then determine a maximum EIRP power level that can be determined and divided equally between the two links  108   a ,  108   b  and lower that Max power on each link  108  by a predetermined amount of power, e.g., 3 dB, in stage  304 . The RF power analyzer  204  can determine the maximum EIRP limit from stored information, for example, tables  116   a ,  116   b . The EIRP limit information may be extracted from row  120  and may then be divided equally between the first link  108   a  and the second link  108   b . For example, if the maximum power is 30 dB, the maximum power can be divided into two 15 dB power allotments between the first station  110   c  and the second station  110   d . Then, the RF power analyzer  204  can determine the lower the power allotment below the threshold, for example, by three (3) dB, per link  108 . Lowering the RF power by three (3) dB can create a buffer to ensure that the power stays below the maximum threshold for both links  108 . 
     The AP  102  can then dynamically determine a higher transmit power for one of the links  108  based on the linear relationship between the MCS and transmit power (as explained above in conjunction with  FIG.  1 E ), in stage  306 . As shown in chart  122 , an increase in one level of the MCS roughly relates to an increase of 1.5 dB needed for the output RF power. As such, to adjust dynamically the power between the two links  108   a ,  108   b , the RF power adjuster  208  can determine which link  108  is to have the higher power based on the MCS of each link  108   a ,  108   b . For example, if link1  108   a  is operating on MCS3, then link1  108   a  should have a higher power output level than the second station  110   d  and link  108   b , if that second link  108   b  is operating on MCS1, for example. This MCS information may be used in the calculation described below. 
     The AP  102  can calculate the MCS difference between the two links  108   a ,  108   b , in stage  308 . The MCS monitor  206  can determine MCS level for each link  108   a ,  108   b . Then, based on the MCS data, the MCS monitor  206  can determine the difference in MCS levels. For example, the MCS monitor  206  can subtract the MCS1 level from the MCS3 level, from the example described above. In this way, the difference between the MCS levels is two. This difference may then be used to determine which link is allotted a higher power level. 
     The AP  102  can then provide different power levels to the two links  108   a ,  108   b , respectively, based on a power level calculation, in stage  310 . The power level calculations can be as follows: 
       Link1Power Level=Max EIRP(dB)−3dB+(( MCS 1level- MCS 2level)×1.5dB)
 
       Link2Power Level=Max EIRP(dB)−3dB−(( MCS 1level- MCS 2level)×1.5dB)
 
     Thus, if the MCS difference is two, from the example above, then an extra 3 dB of power is added to link1  108   a , and 3 dB of power is subtracted from link2  108   b . These power assignments can thus be based on the MCS of the two links  108 . In this way, the link using a higher level MCS, or higher data throughput, gets more RF power allotted. 
     An implementation of a method  400  for adjusting RF power levels based on location groupings may be as shown in  FIG.  4   , in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The method  400  can start with a start operation and can end with an end operation. The method  400  can include more or fewer stages or can arrange the order of the stages differently than those shown in  FIG.  4   . The method  400  can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions, executed by a computer system or processing component, and be encoded or stored on a storage medium. Further, the method  400  can be executed by a gate or other hardware device or component in an ASIC, a FPGA, a SOC, or other type of hardware device. Hereinafter, the method  400  shall be explained with reference to the systems, components, modules, software, data structures, etc. described herein. 
     AP  102  can establish synchronous downlink multi-link operations with both links  108  in the same sub-band, in stage  402 . The establishment of downlink operations in stage  402  may be the same or similar to the establishment of downlink operations from stage  302 . As such, stage  402  will not be explained more here. 
     The AP  102  can then determine a near grouping and a far grouping of two or more clients  104  in communication and receiving downlink transmissions from the AP  102 , in stage  404 . The client locator  210  can determine an XY position or a three-dimensional position of each client  104 . The location information may be based on soundings or other data provided or determined by the client locator  210 . From these location determinations, the client locator  210  can group the clients  104  into either a near grouping or a far grouping. A predetermined threshold may be used to determine into which grouping the clients  104  may be placed. For example, a near grouping may include clients  104  within 50 feet of the AP  102 . The far grouping may be greater than 50 feet from the AP  102 . In other implementations, the determination of the near and far grouping may be more dynamic. For example, the clients may be split equally into two groups. The group that is closer to the AP  102  may be considered the near grouping, and the rest of the clients  104  may be in the far grouping, where the boundary between the near and far groupings may be variable. 
     The AP  102  can then assign a higher RF power allotment to the far grouping, in stage  406 . The RF power adjuster  208  can assign higher RF power to the far grouping. For example, the power allotted to the far grouping may be one dB lower than the maximum EIRP limit, as provided in tables  116 . The higher RF power can be equal to any number of decibels below the regulatory maximum. 
     The AP  102  can also allot a lower RF power allotment to the near grouping, in stage  408 . The RF power adjuster  208  can calculate a lower RF power for the near grouping. A lower RF power may be, for example, 7 dB lower than the EIRP limit in tables  116 . Regardless of the regulatory maximum power, the higher RF power calculated in stage  406  is greater than the lower RF power calculated in stage  408 . The amount of decibels below the regulatory maximum may be predetermined or adjusted for both the higher RF power and the lower RF power. The higher RF power and lower RF power, when summed together, is less than or equal to the regulatory maximum EIRP limit. Thus, the number of decibels below the regulatory maximum, for each the higher RF power output and the lower RF power output, may be adjusted to ensure the total RF power output is below the regulatory maximum EIRP limit. 
     The AP  102  may then provide the different power levels to the two location groupings, based on the assignments from stages  406  and  408 , to ensure the total maximum power level for both links  108  is below the regulatory maximum, in stage  410 . The RF power adjuster  208  can adjust the RF power output from the stations  110   a ,  100   b , operating on links  108   a ,  108   b . It should be noted that this type of power allotment allows for maximum flexibility in the MCS selection while maintaining good quality for the link  108  with only a small amount of extra scheduling latency. 
     The AP  102  can then determine if there is no schedule for simultaneous downlink transmissions, in stage  412 . If there is a scheduled simultaneous transmission, the method  400  may proceed “NO” back to stage  410  to dynamically adjust the RF power for the links  108 . However, if there is no simultaneous transmission scheduled, the method  400  may proceed “YES” to stage  414 . In stage  414 , the RF power outputs are not adjusted by the AP  102 . In this way, the RF power outputs are adjusted when needed for simultaneously downlink transmissions over the same sub-band. 
     An implementation of a method  500  for determining power levels based on the free space path loss may be as shown in  FIG.  5   , in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The method  500  can start with a start operation and can end with an end operation. The method  500  can include more or fewer stages or can arrange the order of the stages differently than those shown in  FIG.  5   . The method  500  can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions, executed by a computer system or processing component, and be encoded or stored on a storage medium. Further, the method  500  can be executed by a gate or other hardware device or component in an ASIC, a FPGA, a SOC, or other type of hardware device. Hereinafter, the method  500  shall be explained with reference to the systems, components, modules, software, data structures, etc. described herein. 
     An AP  102  can establish downlink multi-link operations where both links  108  are transmitting in the same sub-band, in stage  502 . Stage  502  is substantially similar to stage  302  of  FIG.  3    and will not be explained further here. 
     The AP  102  can divide RF power equally between the two links  108   a ,  108   b , in stage  504 . Thus, the radio configurator  202  can establish downlink operations, and the RF power adjuster  208  can equally divide the RF power based on the EIRP max between the two links  108   a ,  108   b . For example, if the max RF power, as determined by the EIRP limit, is 30 dB, then the RF power adjuster  208  can allot 15 dBs of RF power to each station  110   c ,  110   d.    
     AP  102  can then determine the free space path loss for both links  108   a ,  108   b , in stage  506 . The link monitor  212  can determine the free space path loss. The free space path loss, between the station  104  and AP  102 , can be determined by evaluating one or more algorithms. One example of an algorithm that may determine the free space path loss can be as following: 
       Path Loss(dB)=20×log 10( d )+20×log 10( f )−147.55
 
     Thus, by knowing the distance (d) from the AP  102  to the client  104 , based on the location determination by the client locator  210 , and the frequency (f) being used by the links  108 , the free space path loss can be determined by the link monitor  212 . 
     The AP  102  can then dynamically determine the transmit power for both links  108   a ,  108   b  to provide equal performance based on path loss, in stage  508 . To provide the equal performance in both links  108 , the link monitor  212  has to compensate for the path loss due to frequency separation. The determination of the RF power can be a measure based on the frequency of each link  108 . For example, the link  108  power can be determined based on the following equations: 
       Link1Power(dB)=Max EIRP(dB)−3dB+20*log 10(frequency of link1/frequency of link2)
 
       Link2Power(dB)=Max EIRP(dB)−3dB+20*log 10(frequency of link2/frequency of link1)
 
     These two equivalent algorithms provide different transmit powers for both links  108   a ,  108   b . The difference in RF output power for the links  108   a ,  108   b  is based on the frequency of the links  108   a ,  108   b.    
     The AP  102  may then change or provide different power levels to the two links  108   a ,  108   b  based on the calculations from stage  508 , in stage  510 . The RF power adjuster  208  can assign the power levels to stations  110   c ,  110   d.    
     An implementation of a method  600  for determining and providing a different number of antennas to different links to provide different power levels may be as shown in  FIG.  6   , in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The method  600  can start with a start operation and can end with an end operation. The method  600  can include more or fewer stages or can arrange the order of the stages differently than those shown in  FIG.  6   . The method  600  can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions, executed by a computer system or processing component, and be encoded or stored on a storage medium. Further, the method  600  can be executed by a gate or other hardware device or component in an ASIC, a FPGA, a SOC, or other type of hardware device. Hereinafter, the method  600  shall be explained with reference to the systems, components, modules, software, data structures, etc. described herein. 
     AP  102  can establish synchronous downlink Multi-link operations where both links  108  are using the same sub-band, in stage  602 , which may be the same or similar to stage  302  and will not be explained further here. 
     The AP  102  can then determine the RF power needed between the two links, in stage  604 . Here, the RF power level determination can be made by any of the methods  300  through  500  as provided above in  FIGS.  3 - 5   . Thus, the RF power can be determined and provided by the RF power analyzer  204  to the RF power adjuster  208  and/or the antenna assigner  214 . 
     The AP  102  can then modify the number of antennas provided to each link  108  based on the RF power needed, in stage  606 . The different power levels for the two stations  110   c ,  110   d  can be analyzed to determine the ratio of antennas between the two stations  110  that may be used. The antenna assigner  214  can assign a greater number of antenna elements to the station  110  that requires the higher RF power. The ratio of antennas should be the same or similar to the ratio of RF power required by the two links  108   a ,  108   b . For example, if the RF power required by link1  108   a  is twice as much as the RF power required by link  108   b , the antenna assigner  214  can assign twice as many antenna elements to station  110   c  as to station  110   d . Further, some antennas may be overlap. 
     AP  102  can determine if any of the antennas are shared between links  108   a ,  108   b , in stage  608 . The antenna assigner  214  can determine if antennas are to be shared between the links  108   a ,  108   b . In this way, the shared antennas allow for more fine adjustment of how much power is allotted to the link  108  by the shared antenna elements provided to each station  110 . 
     The AP can also minimize the number of overlapped antennas, in stage  610 . Overlapped antennas need to be minimized to reduce inter-path loss due to reflection at the RF combiner. Thus, antenna assigner  214  can determine which antennas are overlapped antennas, but minimize those overlapped antennas as needed by reassigning antenna elements. 
     An implementation of a method  700  for providing a trigger for the above methods may be as shown in  FIG.  7   , in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The method  700  can start with a start operation and can end with an end operation. The method  700  can include more or fewer stages or can arrange the order of the stages differently than those shown in  FIG.  7   . The method  700  can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions, executed by a computer system or processing component, and be encoded or stored on a storage medium. Further, the method  700  can be executed by a gate or other hardware device or component in an ASIC, a FPGA, a SOC, or other type of hardware device. Hereinafter, the method  700  shall be explained with reference to the systems, components, modules, software, data structures, etc. described herein. 
     An AP  102  can receive a client request for band aggregation, in stage  702 . A client  104  can determine that band aggregation can involve multi-downlink operations where the sub-bands are shared between links  108 . The AP  102  can receive such client request at the client interface  216 , and the request or other information may then be provided to the radio configurator  202 . AP  102  can then receive acknowledgment of a multi-radio client architecture, in stage  704 . The client interface  216  can communicate with the client device  104  to determine if the device  104  has the ability for an MLD configuration. 
     The primary radio initiates aggregation, in stage  706 . The radio configurator  202 , of the primary radio  110  C, can initiate aggregation with the two links  108   a ,  108   b  of the MLD  104  with both links  108   a ,  108   b  in the same a sub-band. Upon aggregation of the two links  108   a ,  108   b  into the same sub-band, the radio configurator  202  can trigger the other radio  110   d  to change its configuration into the same sub-band, in stage  708 . Thus, the primary radio  110   c  can send a message to the radio configurator  202  of the second radio  110   d  to instruct the use of the same sub-band. Upon this trigger happening, the methods described previously can then be triggered to modify dynamically the power output of the two links  108   a ,  108   b.    
       FIG.  8 A  shows computing device  800 . As shown in  FIG.  8 A , computing device  800  may include a processing unit  810  and a memory unit  815 . Memory unit  815  may include a software module  820  and a database  825 . While executing on processing unit  810 , software module  820  may perform, for example, processes for determining antenna power output, as described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 - 7   . Computing device  800 , for example, may provide an operating environment for the controller, the APs  102 , the clients  104 , or the other devices, however, the controller, APs  102 , the clients  104 , and other devices may operate in other environments and are not limited to computing device  800 . 
     Computing device  800  may be implemented using a Wi-Fi access point, a cellular base station, a tablet device, a mobile device, a smart phone, a telephone, a remote control device, a set-top box, a digital video recorder, a cable modem, a personal computer, a network computer, a mainframe, a router, a switch, a server cluster, a smart TV-like device, a network storage device, a network relay devices, or other similar microcomputer-based device. Computing device  800  may comprise any computer operating environment, such as hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable sender electronic devices, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Computing device  800  may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices. The aforementioned systems and devices are examples and computing device  800  may comprise other systems or devices. 
       FIG.  8 B  illustrates an implementation of a communications device  830  that may implement one or more of APs  102 , the clients  104 , controllers, etc., of  FIGS.  1 - 7   . In various implementations, device  830  may comprise a logic circuit. The logic circuit may include physical circuits to perform operations described for one or more of APs  102 , the clients  104 , controllers, etc., of  FIGS.  1 - 7   , for example. As shown in  FIG.  8 B , device  830  may include one or more of, but is not limited to, a radio interface  835 , baseband circuitry  840 , and/or computing platform  800 . 
     The device  830  may implement some or all of the structures and/or operations for APs  102 , the clients  104 , controllers, etc., of  FIGS.  1 - 7   , storage medium, and logic circuit in a single computing entity, such as entirely within a single device. Alternatively, the device  830  may distribute portions of the structure and/or operations using a distributed system architecture, such as a client  104 -server architecture, a peer-to-peer architecture, a master-slave architecture, etc. 
     A radio interface  835 , which may also include an analog front end (AFE), may include a component or combination of components adapted for transmitting and/or receiving single-carrier or multi-carrier modulated signals (e.g., including Complementary Code Keying (CCK), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and/or Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols) although the configurations are not limited to any specific over-the-error interface or modulation scheme. The radio interface  835  may include, for example, a receiver  845  and/or a transmitter  850 . Radio interface  835  may include bias controls, a crystal oscillator, and/or one or more antennas  855 . In additional or alternative configurations, the radio interface  835  may use oscillators and/or one or more filters, as desired. 
     Baseband circuitry  840  may communicate with radio interface  835  to process, receive, and/or transmit signals and may include, for example, an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for down converting received signals with a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)  860  for up converting signals for transmission. Further, baseband circuitry  840  may include a baseband or PHYsical layer (PHY) processing circuit for the PHY link layer processing of respective receive/transmit signals. Baseband circuitry  840  may include, for example, a Medium Access Control (MAC) processing circuit  865  for MAC/data link layer processing. Baseband circuitry  840  may include a memory controller for communicating with MAC processing circuit  865  and/or a computing platform  800 , for example, via one or more interfaces  870 . 
     In some configurations, PHY processing circuit may include a frame construction and/or detection module, in combination with additional circuitry such as a buffer memory, to construct and/or deconstruct communication frames. Alternatively or in addition, MAC processing circuit  865  may share processing for certain of these functions or perform these processes independent of PHY processing circuit. In some configurations, MAC and PHY processing may be integrated into a single circuit. 
     Example of the disclosure, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, example of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM). Node that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. 
     While certain example of the disclosure have been described, other example may exist. Furthermore, although example of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods&#39; stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the disclosure. 
     Furthermore, example of the disclosure may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Example of the disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to, mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, example of the disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems. 
     Example of the disclosure may be practiced via a SOC where each or many of the element illustrated in  FIG.  1    may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit. Such a SOC device may include one or more processing units, graphics units, communications units, system virtualization units and various application functionality all of which may be integrated (or “burned”) onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. When operating via an SOC, the functionality described herein with respect to example of the disclosure, may be performed via application-specific logic integrated with other components of computing device  800  on the single integrated circuit (chip). 
     Example of the present disclosure, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to example of the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 
     While the specification includes examples, the disclosure&#39;s scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for example of the disclosure.