Method and apparatus for supporting data flow control in a wireless mesh network
First Claim
1. In a wireless mesh network including a plurality of mesh points (MPs), a method of supporting data flow control in the mesh network, the method comprising:
- (a) a source MP sending, over a path, a data packet destined to a destination MP, the data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and an available data rate field, the available data rate field in the data packet indicating a data rate requested by the source MP for a data flow identified by the flow ID field; and
(b) sending an acknowledgement (ACK) packet to the source MP in response to the data packet, the ACK packet including a flow ID field and an available data rate field, whereby the source MP adjusts a data rate in accordance with the available data rate field in the ACK packet.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for supporting data flow control in a wireless mesh network by reporting to a source mesh point (MP) in a particular path the allowed data rate that each MP in the path may support. The source MP sends, over the path, a data packet destined which includes a flow identification (ID) field and an available data rate field to a destination MP. An acknowledgement (ACK) packet including the same fields is sent in response to the data packet. The source MP adjusts a data rate in accordance with the available data rate field in the ACK packet. Alternatively, a congestion indication field may be used instead of the available data rate field to indicate that congestion exists on the path. Additionally, a quality of service (QoS) field indicating QoS parameters for the data flow may be included in the data and ACK packets.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. In a wireless mesh network including a plurality of mesh points (MPs), a method of supporting data flow control in the mesh network, the method comprising:
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(a) a source MP sending, over a path, a data packet destined to a destination MP, the data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and an available data rate field, the available data rate field in the data packet indicating a data rate requested by the source MP for a data flow identified by the flow ID field; and
(b) sending an acknowledgement (ACK) packet to the source MP in response to the data packet, the ACK packet including a flow ID field and an available data rate field, whereby the source MP adjusts a data rate in accordance with the available data rate field in the ACK packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In a wireless mesh network including a plurality of mesh points (MPs), a method of supporting data flow control in the mesh network, the method comprising:
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(a) a source MP sending, over a path, a data packet destined to a destination MP, the data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and a congestion indication field, the congestion indication field in the data packet indicating that congestion exists on the path; and
(b) sending an acknowledgement (ACK) packet to the source MP in response to the data packet, the ACK packet including a flow ID field and a congestion indication field, whereby the source MP increases or decreases its data transmission rate in accordance with the congestion indication field in the ACK packet. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for transmitting data and acknowledgement (ACK) packets; and
(b) a medium access control (MAC) entity for generating the transmitted data and ACK packets, each of the data and ACK packets including a flow identification (ID) field and an available data rate field, the available data rate field indicating an available data rate for a data flow identified by the flow ID field.
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32. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) for supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for transmitting data and acknowledgement (ACK) packets; and
(b) a medium access control (MAC) entity for generating the transmitted data and ACK packets, each of the data and ACK packets including a flow identification (ID) field and a congestion indication field, the congestion indication field indicating that congestion exists at the MP.
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33. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) for supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for transmitting data and acknowledgement (ACK) packets; and
(b) a medium access control (MAC) entity for generating the transmitted data and ACK packets, each of the data and ACK packets including a flow identification (ID) field and a quality of service (QoS) field, the QoS field indicating QoS parameters for the data flow.
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34. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for receiving a data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and an available data rate field;
(b) a data flow controller for updating the available data rate field based on an available data rate at the MP, the available data rate field indicating an available data rate for a data flow identified by the flow ID field; and
(c) a medium access control (MAC) entity for transmitting a data packet with the updated available data rate field via the antenna.
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35. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for receiving a data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and a congestion indication field, the congestion indication field indicating that congestion exists at the MP;
(b) a data flow controller for updating the congestion indication field to indicate that congestion exists at the MP; and
(c) a medium access control (MAC) entity for transmitting a data packet with the updated congestion indication field via the antenna.
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36. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for receiving a data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and a congestion indicator field;
(b) a data flow controller for increasing or decreasing the data transmission rate of the MP in accordance with the congestion indication field.
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37. In a wireless mesh network, a plurality of mesh points (MPs) supporting data flow control in the mesh network, each of the MPs comprising:
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(a) an antenna for receiving a data packet including a flow identification (ID) field and a quality of service (QoS) field, the QoS field identifying an access class of the data flow or other QoS parameters; and
(b) a data flow controller for reducing the data rate for data flows with a lower priority access class to accommodate higher access class flows.
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Specification