Scheduling with reverse direction grant in wireless communication systems

• US 20070058605A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Nanda, Sanjiv, Meylan, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate increased communication channel bandwidth efficiency in association with scheduled time periods that allocate channel access to particular stations. According to various aspects, systems and methods are described that facilitate providing and/or utilizing reverse direction grants in connection with scheduled channel access. Such systems and/or method can mitigate an amount of unused channel access time after a station completes data transmission prior to an end of the allocated period.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a multi-poll frame that schedules transmissions for a number of time periods associated with transmission opportunities;

communicating data during a particular one of the scheduled time periods associated with a particular transmission opportunity in a first direction according to the multi-poll frame;

transmitting a reverse direction grant during the particular scheduled time period associated with the particular transmission opportunity in the first direction, the reverse direction grant enables a recipient to transmit data; and

receiving data communicated in a second direction during the particular scheduled time period associated with the particular transmission opportunity.

2. The method of claim 1, the first direction is to a station.

3. The method of claim 1, the first direction is from a station.

4. The method of claim 1, the first direction is opposite the second direction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating whether to transmit the reverse direction grant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining an amount of time remaining in the particular scheduled time period associated with the particular transmission opportunity.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether a station indicated to be a transmitter in the multi-poll frame completed an associated transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating whether to employ a received reverse direction grant during at least a portion of a remainder of the particular scheduled time period associated with the particular transmission opportunity.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising evaluating at least one of an amount of time remaining in the particular scheduled time period and an amount of data to be transmitted in the second direction upon obtaining channel access.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the multi-poll frame which is a frame that indicates, for each of the number of time periods, information associated with a respective, corresponding transmission opportunity, the information includes at least one of an identity of a transmitting station, an identity of a receiving station, a start time, and a duration.

11. The method of claim 1, the multi-poll frame is a SCHED frame.

12. An apparatus that facilitates utilizing a reverse direction grant in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a memory that stores information associated with at least one transmission opportunity related to access of a channel; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that is configured to transmit a reverse direction grant during a transmission opportunity assigned to the apparatus, according to the information, based upon information to be transmitted from the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a channel access identifier to determine a time at which the apparatus at least one of receives and transmits data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the channel access identifier to synchronize the apparatus to at least one other apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize the channel access identifier to operate in a sleep mode during times in which the apparatus is not identified to be at least one of a receiver and a transmitter.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to utilize a received reverse direction grant and alter the apparatus from receiving data during a current transmission opportunity to transmitting data during the current transmission opportunity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to employ the reverse direction grant to alter the apparatus from receiving data to transmitting data based at least in part on one or more of an amount of time remaining in the current transmission opportunity and an amount of data to be transmitted by the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the reverse direction grant when the apparatus completes a transmission during the transmission opportunity prior to an end of an allocated duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to transmit the reverse direction grant based at least in part on an amount of time remaining in the transmission opportunity.

20. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving data communicated during a particular transmission opportunity in a first direction according to a schedule;

means for receiving a reverse direction grant during the particular transmission opportunity in the first direction; and

means for transmitting data in a second direction during the particular transmission opportunity via employing the received reverse direction grant.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for identifying a time at which the apparatus is scheduled to at least one of receive and transmit data via a communication channel.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for synchronizing the apparatus to disparate apparatuses.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for enabling the apparatus to utilize a sleep mode to reduce power consumption during transmission opportunities when the apparatus is not communicating via the communication channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for determining whether to employ a received reverse direction grant during at least a portion of a remainder of the particular transmission opportunity.

25. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for:

communicating data during a transmission opportunity in a first direction according to a schedule for channel access;

evaluating whether to transmit a reverse direction grant;

transmitting a reverse direction grant to a recipient in the first direction during the transmission opportunity; and

receiving data from the recipient of the reverse direction grant in a second direction during the transmission opportunity.

26. The computer readable-medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for utilizing a sleep mode during a transmission opportunity that allocates channel access to disparate apparatuses.

27. The computer readable-medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for scheduling a number of transmission opportunities by generating a multi-poll frame which includes a frame that comprises data associated with at least one of a transmitter, a receiver, a start time, and a duration associated with a respective transmission opportunity for each of a plurality of time periods.

28. The computer readable-medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for scheduling a number of transmission opportunities by generating an order in which a token is passed.

29. The computer readable-medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for identifying that an associated station is indicated as a transmitter by the schedule.