Devices, systems, and/or methods for managing wireless networks

• US 10,143,008 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Properties, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Miller, Robert, Worstell, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Zhiren
• Application Number:
  US14/959,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method includes transmitting a first message during a first time interval of a frame from a device. Transmission of the first message is followed by a second time interval of the frame. The method further includes transmitting a second message during the second time interval. The second message is followed by a third time interval that is shorter than the second time interval. The third time interval includes a contention-free period, a contention period, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a first message during a first time interval of a frame from a device, wherein the first time interval of the frame is followed by a second time interval of the frame; and

transmitting a second message during the second time interval, wherein transmission of the second message is followed by a third time interval that is shorter than the second time interval, and wherein the third time interval comprises a first contention-free period, a first contention period, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 superframe.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an entirety of the third time interval occurs during the second time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third time interval comprises a first portion corresponding to the first contention-free period followed by a second portion corresponding to the first contention period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message has a first beacon message type, wherein the second message has a second beacon message type, and wherein the device comprises an access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first beacon message type comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 beacon message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first beacon message type is different from the second beacon message type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first size of the first message is greater than a second size of the second message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a first plurality of fields, wherein the second message comprises a second plurality of fields, and wherein the first plurality of fields includes a fewer number of fields than the second plurality of fields.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of fields comprises a subset of the first plurality of fields.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an identification of a basic service set associated with the device, and wherein the second message comprises the identification of the basic service set associated with the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message comprises a timestamp, a basic service set identifier, a count of second messages, first information associated with the first contention-free period, second information associated with the first contention period, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the count of second messages indicates a number of messages having the same message type as the second message to be received prior to reception of a third message of a second frame, the third message having the same message type as the first message.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a third message of a second frame from the device subsequent to the second time interval, the third message having the same message type as the first message.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to generate a first message and a second message; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor, the wireless transceiver configured to;

transmit the first message during a first time interval of a frame, wherein the first time interval of the frame is followed by a second time interval of the frame; and

transmit the second message during the second time interval, transmission of the second message followed by a third time interval that is shorter than the second time interval, wherein the third time interval comprises a first contention-free period, a first contention period, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second time interval comprises a second contention period, and wherein, the first contention period has a shorter duration than the second contention period.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second time interval comprises a second contention period, and wherein the second message is transmitted during the second contention period.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second time interval comprises a second contention-free period, and wherein, when the third time interval includes the first contention-free period, the first contention-free period has a shorter duration than the second contention-free period.

19. A computer readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

initiate transmission of a first message during a first time interval of a frame, wherein the first time interval of the frame is followed by a second time interval of the frame; and

initiate transmission of a second message during the second time interval, the transmission of the second message followed by a third time interval that is shorter than the second time interval, wherein the third time interval comprises a contention-free period, a contention period, or a combination thereof.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further include initiating transmission of a plurality of messages during the second time interval, wherein the plurality of messages include the second message, and wherein each message of the plurality of message has the same message type.