Base station for a wireless local area network, wireless terminal and program thereof

• US 20030186724A1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsutsumi, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Yoshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6215 Individual queue per QOS, rate or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A base station comprises table memory means 104 for storing a priority data table 104A indicative of priorities of data set for every application, judge control means 103 for judging priority of received data on the basis of the priority table and outputting data whose priorities are set to first buffer means 105A and the data whose priorities are not set to second buffer means 105B, beacon signal transmission means for transmitting a beacon signal at a constant interval and transmission control means 106 for transmitting the data buffered in the first buffer means to a destination at a constant interval by using the beacon signal as a reference and, after the data buffered in the first buffer means is transmitted, transmitting the data buffered in the second buffer means to a destination.

Claims

1. A base station for a wireless local area network, connected to at least one wireless terminal through the wireless local area network, comprising:

table memory means for storing a priority table of data indicative of priority of data set for every application;

first buffer means for buffering data having priority set;

second buffer means for buffering data whose priority is not set;

judge control means for judging priority of received data on the basis of the priority table and outputting data whose priority is set to said first buffer means and the data whose priority is not set to said second buffer means;

beacon signal transmission means for transmitting a beacon signal for synchronizing a communication with said wireless terminal at a constant interval; and

transmission control means for transmitting the data buffered in said first buffer means to a destination at a constant interval by using the beacon signal as a reference and, after the data buffered in said first buffer means is transmitted, transmitting the data buffered in said second buffer means to a destination.

2. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said first buffer means are provided correspondingly to priorities of the data.

3. The base station as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting the data for every time, which is predetermined correspondingly to priority of the data, during a time period from a time at which the beacon signal is transmitted to a time at which a next beacon signal is transmitted.

4. The base station as claimed in claim 3, wherein said transmission control means includes means for determining a transmission time of the data on the basis of a slot time defined by IEEE 802.11.

5. The base station as claimed in claim 3, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting data buffered in said first buffer means according to a preset sequence of said first buffer means.

6. The base station as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting data buffered in said first buffer means in a priority sequence of data and, after data buffered in any one of said first buffer means, which has a priority to be transmitted, is transmitted, transmitting data buffered in said first buffer means corresponding to a next priority.

7. The base station as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting data buffered in said first buffer means by every predetermined amount of data or for every predetermined time according to a preset sequence of said first buffer means.

8. The base station as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said transmission control means further includes means for transmitting, when data to be transmitted is absent in one of said first buffer means, data buffered in one of said first buffer means corresponding to a next priority by jumping said first buffer to be transmitted.

9. The base station as claimed in claim 8, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting, when data having higher priority than that of data under transmission is buffered in said jumped first buffer means, the data buffered in said jumped first buffer means after the current data transmission is completed.

10. The base station as claimed in claim 5, wherein said transmission control means includes means for transmitting data buffered in said first buffer means at a constant interval.

11. Abase station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said judge control means includes

means for producing a first buffer means corresponding to a priority of received data when the priority of the received data is registered in the priority table;

and

means for deleting said first buffer means when data having priority corresponding to said first buffer means is not received for a predetermined time.

12. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising data size regulation means for regulating size of data outputted from said judge control means to a predetermined size and outputting the size-regulated data to said first buffer means or said second buffer means.

13. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transmission time regulation means for monitoring a transmission time of data transmitted from said transmission control means and, when a transmission time of data buffered in said second buffer means is shorter than a predetermined time, instructing said transmission control means of shortening of a transmission time of data buffered in said first buffer means.

14. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for providing a transmission phase for performing a transmission of data to said wireless terminal and a receiving phase for performing a reception of data from said wireless terminal in different time periods each between adjacent beacon signals.

15. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for providing a transmission phase for performing a transmission of data to said wireless terminal and a receiving phase for performing a reception of data from said wireless terminal in a time period between adjacent beacon signals.

16. The base station as claimed in claim 14 or 15, further comprising means for transmitting a transmission request to a wireless terminal having PCF (Point Coordination Function) defined by IEEE 802.11 in the transmission phase and receiving data transmitted from said wireless terminal, which receives the transmission request, in the receiving phase.

17. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said priority table records at least a range of communication port number and priority in correspondence with each other and said judge control means includes means for judging the priority on the basis of the communication port number of data received.

18. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said priority table records a value of priority bit of a header of data and priority in correspondence with each other and said judge control means includes means for judging the priority on the basis of the priority bit of the data received through said LAN.

19. The base station as claimed in claim 18, wherein the priority bit is defined in a reserve bit of a service field of PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Procedure) header defined by IEEE 802.11.

20. The base station as claimed in claim 18, wherein said priority bit is defined in TOS (Type of Service) field of IP header.

21. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol) defined by IEEE 802.1d, q to nodes connected to said LAN; and

means for broadcasting, when data having destination to a group MAC address registered in GARP is received, the received data to said wireless terminals.

22. The base station as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said table memory means further stores a beacon interval table for corresponding header value of data with the interval between beacon signals,

said judge control means includes means for detecting the header value of the received data and, when the detected header value exists in the beacon interval table, reading an interval corresponding to the detected header value and outputting the latter to the beacon signal producing means, and

said beacon signal producing means includes means for changing the interval of the beacon signal to an interval inputted from said judge control means.

23. The base station as claimed in claim 22, wherein, when there are a plurality of beacon signal intervals to be changed, said judge control means includes means for selecting a minimum interval and outputting it to said beacon signal producing means.

24. The base station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

input means for changing a content of said priority table;

transmission means for transmitting said priority table to other base stations and at least one of wireless terminals connected through the LAN periodically or when the content of said priority table is changed by said input means; and

update means for, when the other base stations and the at least one wireless terminal receive said priority table, updating priority tables of the other base stations and the at least one wireless terminal on the basis of received priority table.

25. The base station as claimed in claim 24, wherein said transmission means includes means for transmitting an information, which is changed by said priority table, during a time period from the transmission of the priority table to a next transmission thereof.

26. The base station as claimed in claim 25, wherein said transmission means includes means for transmitting a packet including control bits for distinguishing between registration and delete, which include MAC address of data transmitting side, MAC address of destination side, protocol number, communication port number and priority.

27. The base station as claimed in claim 25, wherein said transmission means includes means for transmitting a packet including control bits for distinguishing between registration and delete, which include value of priority bit of header of data and priority.

28. The base station as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

input means for changing a content of the beacon interval table;

transmission means for transmitting a beacon interval table to other base stations connected through said LAN periodically or when the content of the beacon interval table is changed by said input means; and

update means for, when the other base stations receive the beacon interval table, updating beacon interval tables of the other base stations on the basis of received beacon interval table.

29. The base station as claimed in claim 28, wherein said transmission means includes means for transmitting an information, which is changed in the beacon interval table, during a time period from the transmission of the beacon interval table to a next transmission thereof.

30. The base station as claimed in claim 3 or 7, further comprising:

input means for changing the predetermined amount or the predetermined time;

transmission means for transmitting the predetermined amount or the predetermined time to other base stations connected through said LAN periodically or when the content of the predetermined amount or the predetermined time is changed by the input means; and

update means for, when the other base stations receive the predetermined amount or the predetermined time, updating the predetermined amount or the predetermined time of the other base stations on the basis of received predetermined amount or the predetermined time.

31. A wireless terminal connected a base station through a wireless local area network, comprising:

table memory means for storing a priority table of data indicative of priority of data set for every application;

first buffer means for buffering data having priority set;

second buffer means for buffering data whose priority is not set;

judge means for judging priority of received data on the basis of said priority table and outputting data having priority set to said first buffer means and data having priority not set to said second buffer means; and

output control means for transmitting the data buffered in said first buffer means to an application of its own terminal preceding to data buffered in said second buffer means.

32. A wireless terminal connected to a base station through a wireless local area network, comprising:

an application for executing a predetermined service;

table memory means for storing a priority table indicative of priority of data set for every application;

first buffer means for buffering data having priority set;

second buffer means for buffering data whose priority is not set;

judge means for judging priority of data inputted from said application on the basis of said priority table and outputting data having priority set to said first buffer means and data having priority not set to said second buffer means; and

transmission control means for preferentially transmitting the data buffered in said first buffer means to a base station preceding to the data buffered in said second buffer means.

33. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 32, wherein said priority table records at least a range of communication port number and priority in correspondence with each other and said judge control means includes means for judging the priority on the basis of the communication port number of data inputted from said application.

34. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 33, wherein said judge means includes means for judging priority of data on the basis of transmitting side MAC address and communication port number of the data transmitted from the base station in said priority table and said transmission control means includes means for transmitting data having priority judged by said judge means to the base station in a receiving phase in which the base station receives data from said wireless terminal.

35. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 32,wherein said transmission control means includes back-off means, which becomes standby state for a randomly set back-off time when the base station competes in transmission of data with other wireless terminal.

36. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 35, wherein said back-off means includes means for setting the maximum value of the back-off time in transmitting data having priority set to a value smaller than the maximum value of the back-off time in transmitting data having priority not set.

37. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 35, wherein said back-off means includes means for setting the maximum value of the back-off time in transmitting data having priority set to a value smaller than a predetermined value.

38. The wireless terminal as claimed in claim 35, wherein said back-off means includes means for setting the back-off time correspondingly to the priority of data to be transmitted.

39. A program used in a computer to realize:

a table memory function of storing a priority table of data indicative of priority of data set for every application;

a first buffer function of buffering data having priority set;

a second buffer function of buffering data whose priority is not set;

a judge control function of judging priority of received data on the basis of the priority table and outputting data whose priorities are set to the first buffer function and the data whose priorities are not set to the second buffer function;

a beacon signal transmission function of transmitting a beacon signal for synchronizing a communication with a wireless terminal at a constant interval; and

a transmission control function of transmitting the data buffered by the first buffer function to a destination at a constant interval by using the beacon signal as a reference and, after the data buffered by the first buffer function is transmitted, transmitting the data buffered by the second buffer function to a destination.

40. A program used in a computer to realize:

a table memory function of storing a priority table of data indicative of priority of data set for every application;

a first buffer function of buffering data having priority set;

a second buffer function of buffering data whose priority is not set;

a judge function of judging priority of received data on the basis of the priority table and outputting data whose priority is set to the first buffer function and the data whose priority is not set to the second buffer function; and

a output control function of outputting the data buffered by the first buffer function to an application of own terminal preceding to the data buffered by the second buffer function.

41. A program used in a computer to realize:

a table memory function of storing a priority table of data indicative of priority of data set for every application for executing predetermined services;

a first buffer function of buffering data having priority set;

a second buffer function of buffering data whose priority is not set;

a judge function of judging priority of received data on the basis of the priority table and outputting data whose priority is set to the first buffer function and the data whose priority is not set to the second buffer function; and

a transmission control function of outputting the data buffered by the first buffer function to a base station preceding to the data buffered by the second buffer function.