High speed media access control with legacy system interoperability

• US 20050135318A1
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Walton, Jay Rodney, Ketchum, John W., Nanda, Sanjiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links

Abstract

Techniques for MAC processing for efficient use of high throughput systems that is backward compatible with various types of legacy systems are disclosed. In one aspect a first signal is transmitted according to a legacy transmission format to reserve a portion of a shared medium, and communication according to a second transmission format transpires during the reserved portion. In another aspect, a communication device may contend for access on a legacy system, and then communicate according to a new class communication protocol with one or more remote communication devices during the access period. In another aspect, a device may request access to a shared medium according to a legacy protocol, and, upon grant of access, the device may communicate with or facilitate communication between one or more remote stations according to a new protocol.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a signal, according to a first transmission format, for reserving a shared medium for a duration and for transmitting according to a second transmission format during the reserved duration; and

a receiver for receiving according to the second transmission format during the reserved duration.

2. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting according to at least a portion of a first communication format and for transmitting according to a second communication format;

a receiver for receiving according to the second communication format; and

means for reserving a shared medium for a duration for communication according to the second transmission format during the reserved duration.

3. A wireless communication system comprising:

means for transmitting a signal, according to a first transmission format, for reserving a shared medium for a duration; and

means for communicating according to the second transmission format during the reserved duration.

4. A method for interoperation on a shared medium between one or more devices communicating according to a first transmission format and one or more devices communicating according to a second transmission format, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal, according to a first transmission format, for reserving the shared medium for a duration; and

communicating according to the second transmission format during the reserved duration.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising contending for access according to the first transmission format prior to transmitting the signal for reserving.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

requesting access to the shared medium; and

receiving an allocation in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is a Transmit Opportunity (TXOP) according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal establishes a contention free period.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting a signal for reserving the shared medium for a duration further comprises transmitting a Request To Send (RTS) message, the RTS message indicating a transmission duration.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting a signal for reserving the shared medium for a duration further comprises transmitting a Clear To Send (CTS) message, the CTS message indicating a transmission duration.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the first transmission format is an IEEE 802.11 format.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the second transmission format comprises a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame interval comprising:

a pilot;

a consolidated poll;

zero or more access point to remote station frames in accordance with the consolidated poll;

zero or more remote station to access point frames in accordance with the consolidated poll;

zero or more remote station to remote station frames in accordance with the consolidated poll; and

zero or more random access segments in accordance with the consolidated poll.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

means for allocating a first duration for communication on a shared medium according to a first one of a plurality of communication formats; and

means for allocating a second duration for communication on the shared medium according to a second one of a plurality of communication formats.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for spatial processing.

15. Computer readable media operable to perform the following steps:

allocating a first duration for communication on a shared medium according to a first one of a plurality of communication formats; and

allocating a second duration for communication on the shared medium according to a second one of a plurality of communication formats.

16. The media of claim 15, further operable to perform the following steps:

transmitting a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame interval comprising a consolidated poll;

transmitting one or more frames in accordance with the consolidated poll; and

receiving one or more frames in accordance with the consolidated poll.

17. A method for communication on a shared medium, comprising:

allocating a first duration for communication on the shared medium according to a first one of a plurality of communication formats; and

allocating a second duration for communication on the shared medium according to a second one of a plurality of communication formats.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of the plurality of communication formats comprises spatial processing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one of the plurality of communication formats comprising spatial processing is a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication format.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the MIMO communication format is a Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) communication format.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of communication formats comprises a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame interval comprising:

a pilot;

a consolidated poll; and

one or more frames in accordance with the consolidated poll.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more frames comprises access point to remote station communication.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more frames comprises remote station to access point communication.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more frames comprises remote station to remote station communication.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more frames comprises random access to the shared medium.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein one of plurality of communication formats is substantially the same as an 802.11 EDCA format.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein one of plurality of communication formats is substantially the same as an 802.11 CAP format.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein one of plurality of communication formats is substantially the same as a SCAP format.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising allocating a series of one or more third durations duration for communication on the shared medium according to a first one of the plurality of communication formats and a series of one or more fourth durations duration for communication on the shared medium according to a second one of the plurality of communication formats, the series of third durations and series of fourth durations interspersed.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the interspersing is selected to provide a maximum time interval between ones of the series of third durations.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein the first duration comprises one or more SCAP intervals.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second duration comprises one or more 802.11 EDCA intervals.

33. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing a contention free period for the first duration.

34. The method of claim 17, further comprising establishing a contention period for the second duration.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

means for contending for access to a shared medium according to a first communication protocol; and

means for communicating on the shared medium according to a second communication protocol during the contended access.

36. A method for communication on a shared medium, comprising:

transmitting a beacon;

contending for access to the shared medium according to a first communication protocol; and

communicating on the shared medium according to a second communication protocol during the contended access.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

establishing a contention free period; and

allocating polls according to the first communication protocol during the contention free period.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

contending for a second access to the shared medium according to the first communication protocol; and

communicating on the shared medium according to the first communication protocol during the second contended access.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein:

a first access point establishes the contention free period; and

a second access point contends for access according to the first communication protocol and communicates with one or more remote stations according to the second communication protocol during the contended access.

40. A device, operable with an access point, the access point establishing a contention free period and a contention period in accordance with a first communication protocol, the device comprising:

means for contending for access according to the first communication protocol during the contention period;

a transmitter for transmitting in accordance with a second communication protocol during the contended access; and

a receiver for transmitting in accordance with the second communication protocol during the contended access.

41. Computer readable media operable to perform the following steps:

contending for access to the shared medium according to a first communication protocol; and

communicating on the shared medium according to a second communication protocol during the contended access.

42. A wireless communication system comprising:

a device for;

contending for access to the shared medium according to a first communication protocol; and

transmitting a signal according to the first communication protocol to reserve the shared medium for a duration;

a first remote station for transmitting a pilot in accordance with a second communication protocol; and

a second remote station for;

measuring the pilot and determining feedback therefrom; and

transmitting the feedback to the first remote station.

43. The wireless communication system of claim 42, wherein the first remote station further transmits data according to the second communication protocol to the second remote station in accordance with the feedback.

44. A method for communication on a shared medium, comprising:

contending for access to the shared medium according to a first communication protocol;

transmitting a signal according to the first communication protocol to reserve the shared medium for a duration;

transmitting a pilot from a first remote station to a second remote station in accordance with a second communication protocol;

measuring the pilot at the second remote station and determining feedback therefrom;

transmitting the feedback from the second remote station to the first remote station; and

transmitting data according to the second communication protocol from the first remote station to the second remote station in accordance with the feedback.

45. A wireless communication system, operable with a shared medium for receiving and transmitting, comprising:

a first access point for communication according to a first communication format; and

a second access point for communication according to a second communication format, the second access point operable to transmit a signal in accordance with the first communication format to reserve a duration on the shared medium for communication according to the second communication format.