Apparatus and method for providing QoS service schedule and bandwidth allocation to a wireless station

• US 20040042435A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Challapali, Kiran, Soomro, Amjad, Del Prado Pavon, Javier, Nandagopalan, Saishankar
• Granted Patent: US 7,519,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for providing a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule and bandwidth allocation message to a wireless station in a wireless network. The apparatus of the invention comprises a hybrid coordinator that is capable of (1) creating a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule and a bandwidth allocation message for a wireless station and (2) sending the QoS service schedule and the bandwidth allocation message to the wireless station. The wireless station is capable of using the scheduling information to perform power management by entering a power save mode during times when the hybrid coordinator has not scheduled any transmission opportunities.

Claims

1. A method for providing a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule to a wireless station in a wireless network comprising the steps of:

creating in a hybrid coordinator of said wireless network a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule for said wireless station; and

sending said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator to said wireless station.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station; and

updating a previous QoS service schedule in said wireless station with said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

sending an acknowledgement from said wireless station to said hybrid coordinator that said wireless station has received said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator;

receiving said acknowledgement in said hybrid coordinator; and

putting said QoS service schedule into effect in said hybrid coordinator.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said QoS service schedule further comprises a bandwidth allocation message to said wireless station.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said QoS service schedule comprises a schedule element comprising a value of one of:

Element ID, Length, Nominal TXOP Duration, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Jitter Bound, Maximum TXOP Duration, and Minimum TXOP Duration.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station;

determining from said QoS service schedule a scheduled time of a transmission opportunity for said wireless station; and

placing said wireless station in a power save mode of operation until said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

removing said wireless station from said power save mode of operation before said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity;

operating said wireless station to send or receive data during said transmission opportunity;

placing said wireless station back in said power save mode of operation until an occurrence of a next scheduled transmission opportunity.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

sending said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator to said wireless station one of;

periodically and aperiodically.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

sending said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator to said wireless station a selected number of times.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station;

using information from said QoS service schedule to one of;

(1) perform power management in said wireless station and (2) schedule internally queued data in said wireless station.

11. A wireless network capable of providing a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule to a wireless station in said wireless network, wherein said wireless network is capable of:

creating in a hybrid coordinator of said wireless network a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule for said wireless station; and

sending said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator to said wireless station.

12. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11 wherein said wireless network is further capable of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station; and

updating a previous QoS service schedule in said wireless station with said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator.

13. The wireless network as claimed in claim 12 wherein said wireless network is further capable of:

sending an acknowledgement from said wireless station to said hybrid coordinator that said wireless station has received said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator;

receiving said acknowledgement in said hybrid coordinator; and

putting said QoS service schedule into effect in said hybrid coordinator.

14. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11 wherein said QoS service schedule further comprises a bandwidth allocation message to said wireless station.

15. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11 wherein said QoS service schedule comprises a schedule element comprising a value of one of:

Element ID, Length, Nominal TXOP Duration, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Jitter Bound, Maximum TXOP Duration, and Minimum TXOP Duration.

16. The wireless network as claimed in claim 11, wherein said wireless network is further capable of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station;

determining from said QoS service schedule a scheduled time of a transmission opportunity for said wireless station; and

placing said wireless station in a power save mode of operation until said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity.

17. The wireless network as claimed in claim 16 wherein said wireless network is further capable of:

removing said wireless station from said power save mode of operation before said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity;

operating said wireless station to send or receive data during said transmission opportunity;

placing said wireless station back in said power save mode of operation until an occurrence of a next scheduled transmission opportunity.

18. Computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium for providing a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule to a wireless station in a wireless network, said computer-executable instructions comprising the steps of:

creating in a hybrid coordinator of said wireless network a Quality of Service (QoS) service schedule for said wireless station; and

sending said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator to said wireless station.

19. The computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise the steps of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station;

updating a previous QoS service schedule in said wireless station with said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator;

sending an acknowledgement from said wireless station to said hybrid coordinator that said wireless station has received said QoS service schedule from said hybrid coordinator;

receiving said acknowledgement in said hybrid coordinator; and

putting said QoS service schedule into effect in said hybrid coordinator.

20. The computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein said QoS service schedule further comprises a bandwidth allocation message to said wireless station.

21. The computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein said QoS service schedule comprises a schedule element comprising a value of one of:

Element ID, Length, Nominal TXOP Duration, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Interval, Inter TXOP Jitter Bound, Maximum TXOP Duration, and Minimum TXOP Duration.

22. The computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise the steps of:

receiving said QoS service schedule in said wireless station;

determining from said QoS service schedule a scheduled time of a transmission opportunity for said wireless station;

placing said wireless station in a power save mode of operation until said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity;

removing said wireless station from said power save mode of operation before said scheduled time of said transmission opportunity;

operating said wireless station to send or receive data during said transmission opportunity;

placing said wireless station back in said power save mode of operation until an occurrence of a next scheduled transmission opportunity.