Coordinated directional medium access control in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method for coordinating the transmitting and receiving of data packets over wireless channels by a plurality of nodes defining a wireless network, the method comprising:
- during a contention period, automatically selecting from among the plurality of nodes a master sending node and corresponding master receiving node in response to an omni-directionally transmitted request to send, the master sending and receiving nodes defining a master-node pair;
selecting from among remaining ones of the plurality of nodes at least one slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node if a spatial reuse ratio associated with the master-node pair is less than a predetermined threshold and if directional data transmissions between the slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node avoid interfering with directional data transmissions between the master nodes and other pairs of slave nodes; and
during a coordination period, causing the master sending node and at least one slave sending node to each directionally transmit at least one data packet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of simultaneously transmitting and receiving multiple data packets over wireless channels among the nodes of a wireless network is provided. The method includes automatically selecting a master sending node and corresponding master receiving node in response to an omni-directionally transmitted request to send during a contention period. The method also includes selecting a slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node if a spatial reuse ratio correspond to the master-node pair is less than a predetermined threshold and if directional data transmissions between the slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node avoid interfering with directional data transmissions between the master nodes and other pairs of slave nodes. The method further includes causing the master sending node and slave sending node to directionally transmit data packets during a coordination period.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for coordinating the transmitting and receiving of data packets over wireless channels by a plurality of nodes defining a wireless network, the method comprising:
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during a contention period, automatically selecting from among the plurality of nodes a master sending node and corresponding master receiving node in response to an omni-directionally transmitted request to send, the master sending and receiving nodes defining a master-node pair;
selecting from among remaining ones of the plurality of nodes at least one slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node if a spatial reuse ratio associated with the master-node pair is less than a predetermined threshold and if directional data transmissions between the slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node avoid interfering with directional data transmissions between the master nodes and other pairs of slave nodes; and
during a coordination period, causing the master sending node and at least one slave sending node to each directionally transmit at least one data packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data packets in a wireless network, the system comprising:
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a master sending node and corresponding master receiving node automatically selected from a plurality of nodes during a contention period in which the master sending node omni-directionally transmits a request-to-send frame and the master receiving node responds to the request-to-send frame by omni-directionally transmitting a clear-to-send frame; and
at least one slave sending node and corresponding slave receiving node selected from others of the plurality of nodes, the at least one slave sending node omni-directionally transmitting another request-to-send frame and the corresponding slave receiving node responds by omni-directionally transmitting another clear-to-send frame;
wherein during a second phase of a coordination period each of the master sending node and at least one slave sending node directionally transmits at least one data packet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A set of control frames embodied in carrier signals, comprising:
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an request-to-send (RTS) frame comprising a coordinated directional medium access control (CDMAC) extension; and
a clear-to-send (CTS) frame comprising a coordinated directional medium access control extension. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification