Wireless medium access control protocol with micro-scheduling

• US 20060067280A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Howard, John S., Brabenac, Charles L.
• Application Number:
  US10/954,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067280A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A micro-scheduling capability provides networks with the capability of dynamically managing time slots. Such time slots may be contained within a superframe that begins with a beacon transmitted by a node. One or more particular time slots are designated as micro-scheduled time allocations, the composition of which may be dynamically modified during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe; and

establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes one or more channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a micro-scheduled time allocation during the superframe.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a duration of a subsequent micro-scheduled time allocation during a current micro-scheduled time allocation

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the micro-scheduled time allocation is established by a selected node in the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating comprises transmitting and receiving data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each channel time allocation defines a time slot during which a node may communicate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a superframe begins with a beacon transmitted by a first node of the plurality of nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each micro-scheduled time allocation begins with a micro-scheduled command.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel time allocations follow the micro-scheduled command.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a micro-scheduled time allocation comprises a plurality of micro-scheduled commands.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising modifying the number of channel time allocations following particular micro-scheduled commands within a micro-scheduled time allocation during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising modifying the assignment to particular nodes of channel time allocations following particular micro-scheduled commands within a micro-scheduled time allocation during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising modifying the lengths of channel time allocations following particular micro-scheduled commands within a micro-scheduled time allocation during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising varying the duration of micro-scheduled time allocations from superframe to superframe.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a micro-scheduled command is transmitted by a node designated to be a micro-scheduling controller for the corresponding micro-scheduled time allocation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each micro-scheduled time allocation comprises a plurality of micro-scheduled commands, and wherein the micro-scheduling controller modifies the number of micro-scheduled commands in the micro-scheduled time allocation.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each micro-scheduled time allocation comprises a plurality of micro-scheduled commands, and wherein the micro-scheduling controller modifies intervals between micro-scheduled commands in the micro-scheduled time allocation.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein each micro-scheduled time allocation comprises a plurality of channel time allocations assigned to different nodes, and wherein the micro-scheduling controller modifies the assignment of channel time allocations to particular nodes.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein each micro-scheduled time allocation comprises a plurality of channel time allocations assigned to different nodes, and wherein the micro-scheduling controller modifies the duration of channel time allocations.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing one or more selected time slots is performed by a micro-scheduling controller.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising designating a node as a micro-scheduling controller for a plurality of micro-scheduled time allocations within a superframe.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein either a network coordinator or a member node may be designated as a micro-scheduling controller.

23. A medium access protocol for a wireless network, comprising:

a superframe to divide time into discrete segments, wherein the superframe has an initial portion comprising a beacon transmitted by a node of the network;

wherein the superframe includes a plurality of time allocations for use by designated nodes in communicating data;

wherein the time allocations are identified by information contained in the beacon;

wherein one or more selected time allocations may be designated as a micro-scheduled time allocation and identified as such in the beacon, each micro-scheduled time allocation including a micro-scheduled command, which is transmitted by a node designated to be a micro-scheduling controller for the corresponding micro-scheduled time allocation;

wherein the micro-scheduled command describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command within the same micro-scheduled time allocation; and

wherein a micro-scheduled time allocation is modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

24. The protocol of claim 23, wherein a selected micro-scheduled time allocation may contain a plurality of micro-scheduled commands each of which describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations that follow the micro-scheduled command and that are assigned by the micro-scheduling controller to be used for data transfer by selected nodes of the network

25. The protocol of claim 24, wherein the assignment to selected nodes of micro-scheduled channel time allocations may be modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

26. The protocol of claim 24, wherein the lengths of micro-scheduled channel time allocations may be modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

27. The protocol of claim 23, wherein one of a plurality of nodes acts as a network coordinator for the remaining member nodes of the network, and wherein beacons are transmitted by the network coordinator.

28. The protocol of claim 27, wherein either the network coordinator or a member node may be designated as a micro-scheduling controller.

29. The protocol of claim 23, wherein beacons are transmitted by a plurality of nodes.

30. The protocol of claim 23, wherein a node may be designated as the micro-scheduling controller for a plurality of micro-scheduled time allocations within a superframe.

31. The protocol of claim 23, wherein the number of micro-scheduled commands may be modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

32. The protocol of claim 23, wherein the interval between micro-scheduled commands may be modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

33. The protocol of claim 23, wherein the number of micro-scheduled channel time allocations following selected micro-scheduled commands within a micro-scheduled time allocation may be modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.

34. The protocol of claim 23, wherein the duration of micro-scheduled time allocations may vary from superframe to superframe.

35. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe; and

establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.

36. The article of claim 35, wherein the information, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

establishing a micro-scheduled time allocation during the superframe.

37. The article of claim 35, wherein the information, when accessed, results in the machine performing:

designating a node as a micro-scheduling controller for a plurality of micro-scheduled time allocations within a superframe.

38. An integrated circuit comprising at least one processor to access a a processor-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in the at least one processor performing:

communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe; and

establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.

39. The integrated circuit of claim 38, wherein the at least one processor is further to perform:

establishing a micro-scheduled time allocation during the superframe.

40. The integrated circuit of claim 38, wherein the at least one processor is further to perform:

designating a node as a micro-scheduling controller for a plurality of micro-scheduled time allocations within a superframe.

41. A system comprising:

a bus coupling elements of the system;

at least one processor coupled to the bus;

a display coupled to the bus;

a memory coupled to the bus to store instructions, the at least one processor to execute instructions comprising the operations of;

communicating data between selected nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe; and

establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one processor is further to execute instructions comprising the operation of:

establishing a micro-scheduled time allocation during the superframe.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one processor is further to execute instructions comprising the operation of:

designating a node as a micro-scheduling controller for a plurality of micro-scheduled time allocations within a superframe.