Method for polling in a medium access control protocol

• US 20060159118A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Sharma, Sanjeev K, Shvodian, William M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A method is provided for a master device (601) to allocate channel time. The master device sends a polling frame (240) to a current destination slave device (602) and a current polled slave device (603). The polling frame includes a current destination slave device address (350), a current polled slave device address (360), and a current payload (330). The master device receives a poll acknowledgement frame (280) if the current polled slave device does not wish to transmit data. However, if no poll acknowledgement frame is received, the master device waits for a set duration then sets the current destination device address to be equal to a new destination device address, sets the current polled device address to be equal to a new polled slave device address, and sets a current payload to be equal to a new payload. This can be repeated until a channel time allocation ends.

Claims

1. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, comprising:

sending a polling frame from the master device to a current destination slave device and a current polled slave device, the polling frame including a current destination slave device address of the destination slave device, a current polled slave device address of the polled slave device, and a current payload for the current destination slave device;

receiving a poll acknowledgement frame if the current polled slave device does not wish to transmit data;

waiting for a set duration if no poll acknowledgement frame is received;

setting the current destination device address to be equal to a new destination device address identifying a new destination device;

setting the current polled device address to be equal to a new polled slave device address identifying a new polled device; and

setting the current payload to be equal to a new payload;

repeating sending a polling frame, receiving a poll acknowledgement frame, waiting for a set duration, setting the current destination device address, and setting the current polled slave device address.

2. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the master device continues to repeat sending a polling frame, receiving a poll acknowledgement frame, waiting for a set duration, setting the current destination device address, setting the current polled slave device address, and setting the current payload until a current channel time allocation ends.

3. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the new destination device address is the same as the current destination device address.

4. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the new polled device address is the same as the current polled device address.

5. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the set duration is a duration of one or more data frames.

6. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a polling frame acknowledgement frame from the destination device after sending the polling frame.

7. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 6, wherein the polling frame acknowledgement frame is not addressed to the master device.

8. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.

9. A method of a master device allocating a channel time, as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.

10. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, comprising:

receiving a polling frame from a master device identifying a first device address as a destination address, identifying a second device address as a polled address, and containing a payload;

processing the payload if the first device address corresponds to a slave address of the slave device;

determining whether the slave device has data to send if the second device address corresponds to the slave address;

sending a poll acknowledgement frame to the master device indicating there is no data to transmit if the slave device is determined to have no data to transmit; and

sending a polled device frame to a remote device if the slave device is determined to have data to transmit.

11. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 10, further comprising sending a polling frame acknowledgement frame to the master device after processing the payload, if the first device address corresponds to a slave address of the slave device.

12. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 10, further comprising receiving a polled device frame acknowledgment frame from the remote device after sending the polled device frame to the remote device.

13. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 10, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.

14. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 10, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.

15. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, comprising:

receiving a polling frame from a master device identifying a slave device address as a destination address, and containing a payload;

processing the payload;

determining whether the slave device has data;

sending a poll acknowledgement frame to the master device indicating there is no data to transmit if the slave device is determined to have no data to transmit; and

sending a polled device frame to a remote device if the slave device is determined to have data to transmit,

wherein the polled device frame includes information indicating whether the payload was properly received.

16. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote device is one of:

the master device and a remote slave device.

17. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, further comprising sending a polling frame acknowledgement frame to the master device after processing the payload, if the first device address corresponds to a slave address of the slave device.

18. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, wherein the payload is a null payload.

19. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, further comprising receiving a polled device frame acknowledgment frame from the remote device after sending the polled device frame to the remote device.

20. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, wherein the method is implemented in an integrated circuit.

21. A method of a operating a slave device in a polling scheme, as recited in claim 15, wherein the method is implemented in an ultra wideband device.