METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESOLVING BLINDED-NODE PROBLEMS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20090154372A1
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaofei, Nanda, Sanjiv, Abraham, Santosh, Nandagopalan, Saishankar
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0841 with collision treatment

Abstract

Techniques for resolving blinded-node problems are described herein. One aspect operates on the physical (PHY) layer only, which a second layer operates on the medium access control (MAC) layer. Both aspects involve having a node stop processing a data packet that is not destined for it so as to be able to reserve its resources to detect control and other packets. An apparatus for implementing the techniques are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication comprising:

receiving a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information; and

decoding the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reception of the packet is at a receiving node and decoding the at least one header comprises:

determining a destination of the packet; and

returning to monitoring for a transmission of another packet upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting a first timing parameter upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first timing parameter is a network allocation vector (NAV), during which the receiving node avoids transmission of a request to send (RTS).

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising stopping further processing of the non-header information upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein decoding the at least one header comprises:

determining a type of the packet; and

upon determining that the type is a control packet, then processing the non-header information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control packet is one of a request to send (RTS) packet and a clear to send (CTS) packet.

8. A computer-program product for wireless communication comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising codes executable by at least one computer to;

receive a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information; and

decode the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed.

9. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

means for receiving a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information; and

means for decoding the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed.

10. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reception of the packet is at a receiving node and the means for decoding the at least one header comprises:

means for determining a destination of the packet; and

means for returning to monitoring for a transmission of another packet upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

11. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for setting a first timing parameter upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

12. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first timing parameter is a network allocation vector (NAV), during which the receiving node avoids transmission of a request to send (RTS).

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for stopping further processing of the non-header information upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for decoding the at least one header comprises:

means for determining a type of the packet; and

means for processing the non-header information upon determining that the type is a control packet.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control packet is one of a request to send (RTS) packet and a clear to send (CTS) packet.

16. An apparatus for wireless communications comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information; and

a decoder configured to decode the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the receiver is a receiving node and the decoder is further configured to:

determine a destination of the packet; and

return to monitoring for a transmission of another packet upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein decoder is further configured to set a first timing parameter upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first timing parameter is a network allocation vector (NAV), during which the receiving node avoids transmission of a request to send (RTS).

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the decoder is further configured to stop further processing of the non-header information upon determining that the destination is for a node different from the receiving node.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the decoder is further configured to:

determine a type of the packet; and

upon determining that the type is a control packet, then process the non-header information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control packet is one of a request to send (RTS) packet and a clear to send (CTS) packet.

23. An access point comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver adapted to receive, via the antenna, a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information; and

a decoder coupled to the receiver, the decoder configured to decode the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed.

24. An access terminal comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a packet comprising at least one header and non-header information;

a decoder coupled to the receiver, the decoder configured to decode the at least one header to determine whether the non-header information should be processed; and

a user interface adapted to provide an indication based on the non-header information.