System and method for measurement report time stamping to ensure reference time
First Claim
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1. A method for creating a measurement report (400) among a plurality of stations (201) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising the steps of:
- receiving (301) by a measurement capable station (201) of said plurality of stations (201) a measurement request for at least one measurement report element (500) to be made at a given time;
recording by the measurement capable station (201) said at least one measurement report element (500);
creating by the measurement capable station (201) a measurement report (400) comprising said at least one measurement report element (500) as one of measurement report elements contained therein (405);
respectively time-stamping (404, 504) with an absolute time reference at least one of said at least one recorded measurement report element (500) and said measurement report (400); and
transmitting (308) by the measurement capable station said created measurement report.
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Abstract
A system and method is provided that resolves a possible ambiguity in WLAN measurement reports by having a measuring entity include timer values in returned measurement reports. The time a measurement was requested to be performed and the actual time it was done by a measuring entity can be compared by the receiver to ensure that no ambiguities occurred.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for creating a measurement report (400) among a plurality of stations (201) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising the steps of:
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receiving (301) by a measurement capable station (201) of said plurality of stations (201) a measurement request for at least one measurement report element (500) to be made at a given time;
recording by the measurement capable station (201) said at least one measurement report element (500);
creating by the measurement capable station (201) a measurement report (400) comprising said at least one measurement report element (500) as one of measurement report elements contained therein (405);
respectively time-stamping (404, 504) with an absolute time reference at least one of said at least one recorded measurement report element (500) and said measurement report (400); and
transmitting (308) by the measurement capable station said created measurement report. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein:
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the WLAN is an IEEE 802.11 WLAN;
the Element Id (501) is set to a unique identifier specified by an IEEE 802.11 standard;
each Time Stamp field (404, 504) is a time synchronization function (TSF) timer value (306); and
the combined length of the measurement report elements (405) is less than or equal to the maximum allowed medium access control (MAC) management protocol data unit (MMPDU) size.
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7. A method for creating an autonomous measurement report (400) having at least one measurement report element (500), among a plurality of stations (201) in a wireless local area network, comprising the steps of:
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recording by a measurement capable station (201) of said plurality of stations (201) at least one pre-determined measurement report element (500);
optionally time-stamping with an absolute time reference by the measurement capable station (201) said at least one recorded measurement report element;
creating by the measurement capable station an autonomous measurement report (400) comprising said at least one measurement report element (500);
optionally time-stamping with an absolute time reference of the earliest time of a measurement report element contained therein said autonomous measurement report (400), and transmitting (308) by the measurement capable station said autonomous measurement report (400), wherein, at least one of said autonomous measurement report time-stamp (504) and said at least one measurement report element time-stamp (404) is included in said autonomous measurement report (400). - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method for ensuring correctness of a time reference of a requested measurement among a plurality of stations (STAs) (201) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising the steps of:
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transmitting (308) by a first station (201) a request for at least one time-stamped measurement report element to be performed at a given time;
receiving (301) by a second station both the measurement request and a corresponding measurement report (400) comprising the requested at least one measurement report element (500) and at least one time-stamp (404, 504) comprising an absolute time reference of when the measurement (507) recorded therein was done;
comparing by the second station (201) the given time of the measurement request with the at least one time-stamp (404, 504) to determine correctness of the time-stamp. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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11. The method of claim 10, wherein:
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the WLAN is an IEEE 802.11 WLAN;
the Element Id (501) is set to a unique identifier set by an IEEE 802.11 standard;
each said Time Stamp (504) is a time synchronization function (TSF) timer value (306); and
the combined length of the measurement report elements is less than or equal to the maximum allowed medium access control (MAC) management protocol data unit (MMPDU) size.
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12. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving (301) step further comprises the step of receiving a measurement report having each said Time Stamp (404, 405) set using a time synchronization function (TSF) timer value (306).
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13. An apparatus configured for resource measurement among a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:
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a receiver (301) for receiving an incoming signal;
a measurement acquisition circuit (303) that measures resources of said incoming signal received therein as at least one measurement report element (500);
a timer (306) that provides an absolute time reference;
a control processor (305), coupled to said measurement acquisition circuit (303) and said timer (306) and beginning at a predetermined absolute time, configured to acquire at least one measurement report element of said incoming signal and optionally associate one of (1) an absolute time reference (306) of the start of the first measurement reported (500) within a measurement report (400) as a time-stamp (404) and (2) an absolute time reference (306) of the start of each measurement report element reported therein (507) with a measurement report element time-stamp (504). - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:
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the WLAN is an IEEE 802.11 WLAN;
the Element Id (501) is set to a unique identifier specified by an IEEE 802.11 standard;
each said Time-Stamp (404, 504) is a time synchronization function (TSF) timer value (306); and
the combined length of the measurement report elements is less than or equal to the maximum allowed medium access control (MAC) management protocol data unit (MMPDU) size.
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17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a receiver (301) for receiving a measurement request comprising at least one measurement request element to be measured and reported as a measurement report element (500) and the predetermined time to start measuring.
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18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said measurement request is transmitted by a station (201) of said plurality of stations (201).
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19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said measurement request is transmitted by an access point (200) of said plurality of stations (201).
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Specification