A frequency cooperative ARQ scheme for multi-band WLAN

Abstract

This letter proposes a frequency cooperative automatic repeat request (ARQ) scheme for multi-band WLAN where 60 GHz band is used for high-speed transmissions in combination with 2.4/5 GHz bands for maintaining connectivity in the presence of severe shadowing in 60 GHz band. The proposed scheme switches between 60 GHz and 2.4/5 GHz based on monitoring ACK reception and received SNR, where ACK frame is transmitted by 2.4/5 GHz for reliable retransmission. Simulation results show that the proposed ARQ scheme is less susceptible to severe shadowing caused by human activities than conventional non-cooperative ARQ schemes using only either 60 GHz or 2.4/5 GHz.