Method and apparatus for bandwidth provisioning in a wlan

• US 20060153117A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Bichot, Guillaume, Verma, Shaily
• Application Number:
  US10/541,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153117A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The invention provides for a receiver transmitter comprising: a plurality of logical access points; for downloading a duration into a mobile terminal in accordance with an access point determination of the maximum amount of time information linked with a downlink broadcast traffic to deliver all the broadcast/multicast information in a single communication stream. The invention also provides for a method of broadcast/multicast frames “Duration” are set to values in order to deliver all the broadcast/multicast information in a single communication stream eliminating the requirement for contending for the medium for each broadcast/multicast frame transmission. This pseudo-reservation of the wireless medium can also be made periodic for enabling broadcast/multicast services.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for reducing contention conflicts in a broadcast/multicast wireless network comprising the steps of:

coordinating by an access point a contention-free communication by the access point by computing a time duration and communicating the duration in the distributed inter-frame space interval to one or more wireless stations such that a communication stream to at least one of the wireless stations is uninterrupted for the duration, wherein the duration information is used to control a counter in a wireless station to prevent the wireless station from attempting to transmit for a predetermined period of time.

14. The method in claim 12 further including the step of:

imbedding at least one network allocation vector duration information in an IEEE 802.11 compliant data packet for transmission of an uninterrupted plurality of the broadcast/multicast frames to wireless stations to reduce contention conflicts among IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless stations.

13. A method for reducing contention conflicts in a broadcast/multicast wireless network between a wireless station and an access point comprising the steps of:

receiving digital packets from an access point embedded in a program, receiving a computed duration in a distributed inter-frame space interval for transmission of a plurality of broadcast/multicast frames, controlling a network allocation counter in response to the computed duration, and receiving a communication stream that is uninterrupted for the duration in response to the state of the network allocation counter.

15. An access point that receives digital packets embedded in a transmission stream comprising:

a means to receive digital packets;

a means for computing a duration for transmission of a plurality of broadcast/multicast frames, the duration controlling a network allocation counter in a plurality of devices associated with a wireless network;

a means to communicate the duration in a distributed inter-frame space interval to one or more wireless stations in a header packet to reduce contention conflicts among the wireless stations.

16. An access point that receives digital packets embedded in a transmission stream comprising:

a network allocation counter;

a means for receiving duration for transmission of a plurality of broadcast/multicast frames of a video frame transmission for downlinking an uninterrupted plurality of broadcast/multicast frames; and

means for controlling the network allocation counter in response to the duration, and controlling attempts to access the network in response to the network allocation counter.

17. The access point according to claim 16, wherein the network allocation counter corresponds to an IEEE 802.11 compliant network allocation vector.

18. An access point that receives digital packets embedded in a transmission stream comprising a node that retains control of a medium by fixing a duration field and whereby the node can adjust the duration field to release the medium.

19. The access point of claim 18, wherein the node can fix a duration to hold the medium until the node decides to releases the medium.

20. The access point of claim 18, wherein the node permits bandwidth provisioning in the node in order to provide quality of service for a downstreaming service.

21. The access point of claim 18, wherein the duration is the largest possible period, in accordance with a wireless communication standard.

22. A method for reducing contention conflicts in a broadcast/multicast wireless transmission comprising the steps of coordinating by an access point in a first cell a contention-free session, each said contention-free session including multiple transmissions with other member stations in the first cell, using interframe spaces of sufficient duration such that a single duration during a session delivers the broadcast/multicast information in a single communication stream eliminating the requirement for contending for the medium for each broadcast/multicast frame transmission.

23. A mobile terminal comprising means to receive a computed duration for transmission of a plurality of broadcast/multicast frames, wherein said computed duration controls a counter in a plurality of devices associated with a wireless network including said mobile terminal.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, further wherein a communication stream to at least one of said plurality of devices associated with said wireless network is uninterrupted for said computed duration.

25. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, further wherein said counter is a network allocation counter.

26. The mobile terminal according to claim 23, further wherein said counter prevents all but one of said plurality of devices associated with said wireless network from attempting to transmit for a predetermined period of time.