PIGGYBACK REQUESTS IN SCHEDULED TRANSMISSION

• US 20080187003A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Becker, Donald W.
• Application Number:
  US11/771,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20080187003A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1273 of downlink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are presented for conducting communications over a shared communication medium, involving (a) sending a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include (i) a request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space and (ii) a scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment, (b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, (c) from the first node, sending a current data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request, and (d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.

Claims

1. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

(a) sending a request from a first node in the plurality of nodes, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments;

(b) obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space;

(c) from the first node, sending a current data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment; and

(d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the piggyback request serves as an initial request for the subsequent data transmission.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first node makes a selection between using a piggyback request versus using a request in the request signal space.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first node makes the selection based on expected latency of the current data transmission.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the first node makes the selection based on a quality-of-service consideration associated with the subsequent data transmission.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the piggyback request serves as a redundant request corresponding to a previously sent request for the subsequent data transmission.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein, if the previously sent request is received, an assignment is made associating the previously sent request to a scheduled transmission segment.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the piggyback request is used to detect a collision of multiple requests in a request segment.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, if the piggyback request is a sole piggyback request received corresponding to the previously sent request, no collision is detected and the piggyback request is ignored.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein, if the piggyback request is one of a plurality of piggyback requests received corresponding to the previously sent request, a collision is detected and the plurality of piggyback requests is individually processed.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the piggyback request is used to handle a missed request in a request segment.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein if the previously sent request is not received, an assignment is made associating the piggyback request to a scheduled transmission segment.

13. A method for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes including a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

(a) at the second node, receiving a request from the first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the request sent in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments;

(b) at the second node, making an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and sending a corresponding assignment message;

(c) at the second node, receiving a current data transmission from the first node in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request; and

(d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.

14. An apparatus for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, comprising:

(a) a first node capable of sending a request over the shared communication medium, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the first node capable of sending the request in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments;

(b) wherein the first node is capable of obtaining an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space;

(c) wherein the first node is capable of sending a current data transmission in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request in accordance with the assignment; and

(d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the piggyback request serves as an initial request for the subsequent data transmission.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first node makes a selection between using a piggyback request versus using a request in the request signal space.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first node makes the selection based on expected latency of the current data transmission.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first node makes the selection based on a quality-of-service consideration associated with the subsequent data transmission.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the piggyback request serves as a redundant request corresponding to a previously sent request for the subsequent data transmission.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein, if the previously sent request is received, an assignment is made associating the previously sent request to a scheduled transmission segment.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the piggyback request is used to detect a collision of multiple requests in a request segment.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein, if the piggyback request is a sole piggyback request received corresponding to the previously sent request, no collision is detected and the piggyback request is ignored.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein, if the piggyback request is one of a plurality of piggyback requests received corresponding to the previously sent request, a collision is detected and the plurality of piggyback requests is individually processed.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the piggyback request is used to handle a missed request in a request segment.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein if the previously sent request is not received, an assignment is made associating the piggyback request to a scheduled transmission segment.

26. An apparatus for conducting communications over a shared communication medium involving a plurality of nodes, comprising:

(a) a second node capable of receiving a request from a first node, the shared communication medium organized to include a request signal space and a scheduled transmission signal space, the request signal space including a plurality of request segments each having a different location within the request signal space, the scheduled transmission signal space including a plurality of scheduled transmission segments each having a different location within the scheduled transmission signal space, the second node capable of receiving the request in a request segment that is one of the plurality of request segments;

(b) wherein the second node is capable of making an assignment associating the request with a scheduled transmission segment selected from the plurality of scheduled transmission segments, the assignment taking into account location of the request within the request signal space, and sending a corresponding assignment message;

(c) wherein the second node is capable of receiving a data transmission from the first node in the scheduled transmission segment associated with the request; and

(d) wherein a portion of the current data transmission includes a piggyback request from the first node for a subsequent data transmission.