Method and system for wireless local area network (LAN) communication using virtual time division multiple access (TDMA)

• US 20040264428A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Hyong-uk, Lee, Seong-hee
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• 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 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: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A time division-based wireless LAN communication method by use of an AP in an infrastructure mode, including, on the AP'"'"'s side, receiving a time slot allocation request frame from a station, allocating time slots during which the station can transmit data based on the time slot allocation request frame, and broadcasting reservation information on allocated time slots. A time division-based wireless LAN communication system includes an AP receiving a time slot allocation request frame transmitted by a station, allocating time slots on this basis, with which the station can transmit data, and broadcasting reservation information on allocated time slots, and one or more stations transmitting the time slot allocation request frame to the AP when there is data to be transmitted, receiving reservation information on time slots allocated by the AP based on the received time slot allocation request frame, and transmitting the data according to reservation of the beacon.

Claims

1. A time division-based wireless local area network (LAN) communication method using an access point (AP) in an infrastructure mode, comprising, on the AP'"'"'s side:

receiving a time slot allocation request frame from a station;

allocating time slots during which the station can transmit data based on the time slot allocation request frame; and

broadcasting reservation information on said allocated time slots.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time slot allocation request frame comprises information on a transmission time required for data transmission.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the time slot allocation request frame further comprises information on a transmission interval to indicate by how many superframes said data transmission is made.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the station having transmitted the time slot allocation request frame is authorized, wherein said time slots are only allocated to any authorized station.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising readjusting said time slot allocation and broadcasting new adjusted reservation information, where no data transmission is made during a predetermined time.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reservation information comprises an association ID (AID) of the station and a start time of the allocated time slots.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reservation information further comprises information on a transmission interval to indicate by how many superframes said data transmission is made.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time slot allocation request frame is received by the AP in a contention period.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the AP allocates said time slots, a minimum interval between said time slots is added to the time slots so as to allow time synchronization function (TSF) of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN to be maintained, in order to avoid data collision between the time slots.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the minimum interval is added to the time slots such that data collision between the time slots is avoided.

11. A time division-based wireless local area network (LAN) communication method comprising, on a station'"'"'s side:

generating a time slot allocation request frame and transmitting it to an access point (AP);

receiving reservation information on the time slots allocated by the AP based on the time slot allocation request frame; and

transmitting data through the AP according to the reservation information.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the time slot allocation request frame comprises information on a transmission time required for data transmission.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the time slot allocation request frame further comprises information on a transmission interval to indicate by how many superframes a data transmission is made.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising transmitting a reservation termination frame to the AP to cancel a channel allocation when said allocated time slots remain but there is no data to be transmitted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the time slot allocation request frame is generated and transmitted in the contention period.

16. A time division-based wireless local area network (LAN) communication system comprising:

an access point (AP) receiving a time slot allocation request frame transmitted by one or more stations, allocating time slots based on the received time slot allocation request frame, with which said one or more stations transmit data, and broadcasting reservation information on said allocated time slots; and

said one or more stations transmitting the time slot allocation request frame to the AP when there is data to be transmitted, receiving the reservation information on the time slots allocated by the AP based on the received time slot allocation request frame, and transmitting the data according to a reservation of a beacon.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the AP comprises a resource management unit managing total resources available for use, a slot time control unit receiving the total resources from the resource management unit and allocating said time slots based on the received time slot allocation request frame, and a beacon generating unit generating a beacon containing said time slots-allocated reservation information.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the AP further comprises an access control list management unit storing therein a list of ones of said one or more stations authorized for access,

wherein the AP allocates said time slots only when the station having transmitted the time slot allocation request frame is included in the list.