Method of classifying data and transmitting data in a PLC network and apparatus therefor

• US 20070195762A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Joon-hee, You, Ho-jeong, Lee, Ju-han, Choi, Jun-hae, Kim, In-hwan, Chang, Seung-gi
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2458 Modification of priorities while in transit

Abstract

A method of transmitting data more effectively, and more particularly, a method of classifying service traffic, transmitting data according to the classifications of the service traffic, and performing a contention free slot (CFS) allocation in order to transmit data in a power line communication (PLC) network, and an apparatus to do the same. The data transmission method includes determining transmission priority of data according to service traffic characteristics, and transmitting data according to the determined transmission priority, thereby providing differentiated quality of service (QoS) according to service traffic characteristics.

Claims

1. A data transmission method, comprising:

determining transmission priority of data according to service traffic characteristics; and

transmitting data according to the determined transmission priority.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

3. A data transmission method, comprising:

inputting data including first transmission priority information;

mapping the first transmission priority information to second transmission priority information according to service traffic characteristics; and

transmitting the data based on the second transmission priority information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

5. A data transmission apparatus, comprising:

a priority information mapping unit to receive data including first transmission priority information and to map the first transmission priority information to second transmission priority information according to service traffic characteristics; and

a data transmission unit to transmit the data based on the second transmission priority information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

7. A channel allocation method, comprising:

transmitting a channel allocation request including channel allocation priority information according to service traffic characteristics; and

allocating channels based on the channel allocation priority information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

9. A channel allocation request apparatus comprising:

a channel allocation request transmission unit to transmit a channel allocation request including channel allocation priority information according to service traffic characteristics.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

11. A channel allocation apparatus comprising:

a channel allocation unit to allocate channels based on channel allocation priority information according to service traffic characteristics.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the service traffic characteristics comprise at least one of whether to provide data in real-time, error sensitivity, and allowable delay.

13. A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to:

determine transmission priority of data according to service traffic characteristics; and

transmit data according to the determined transmission priority.

14. A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to:

input data including first transmission priority information;

map the first transmission priority information to second transmission priority information according to service traffic characteristics; and

transmit the data based on the second transmission priority information.

15. A computer readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program to:

transmit a channel allocation request including channel allocation priority information according to service traffic characteristics; and

allocate channels based on the channel allocation priority information.

16. An apparatus to request a channel allocation using priority determined according to service traffic characteristics, the apparatus comprising:

a priority information recognition/combination unit to receive data, recognize priority information included in the data, and attach power line communication (PLC) priority information generated based on the service traffic characteristics to the data if the priority information is not included in the data or if the priority information other than the PLC priority information is included in the data; and

a command frame generation unit to generate a channel allocation request command frame, and transmit the channel allocation request command frame to a coordinator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the coordinator comprises:

a time period comparison unit to compare a channel available time period and a time requested by the station and then determine whether to use PLC priority information to allocate the channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if the time period requested by the station is longer than the channel available time period, allocating channels on each piece of data using a priority according to the PLC priority information.

19. An apparatus to sequentially transmit data based on a transmission priority determined according to service traffic characteristics in a power line communication (PLC) network, comprising:

a mapping unit to map a priority information field of a data packet to a PLC priority information field;

a priority information combination unit to attach the mapped PLC priority information field to a frame header;

a data frame generation unit to attach the frame header and other fields to a data frame body to generate a data frame; and

a data frame transmission unit to transmit the generated data frame.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the generated data frame is stored in a data frame buffer of the data frame transmission unit prior to being transmitted.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmission priority of the generated data frame is determined based on the PLC priority information field prior to transmitting the generated data frame to a lower layer based on the transmission priority.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the mapping occurs when the data packet is input to the apparatus from an upper layer to a media access control (MAC) layer.

23. A method of sequentially transmitting data based on a transmission priority determined according to service traffic characteristics in a power line communication PLC network, comprising:

inputting a data packet;

mapping a priority information field of the data packet to a PLC priority information field;

attaching the mapped PLC priority information field to a frame header;

generating a data frame by attaching the frame header and other fields to a data frame body; and

transmitting the generated data frame.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing the generated data frame prior to transmitting, in order to determine the transmission priority of the generated data frame based on the PLC priority information field.