METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR REVERSE LINK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IN A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (WLAN)

• US 20090252100A1
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Vincent Knowles IV, Sridhara, Vinay, Abraham, Santosh P., Nanda, Sanjiv, Aggarwal, Alok, Awater, Geert Arnout
• Granted Patent: US 10,771,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for reverse link acknowledgement in a wireless local area network. A method includes receiving, at a first node, a data communication over a common channel, the data communication being decodable by other nodes. The method also includes determining transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each node, and transmitting a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources. An apparatus includes a transmitter configured to transmit to a plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel, and a receiver configured to receive responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

Claims

1. A method for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a data communication over the common channel, the data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes;

determining transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each node; and

transmitting a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises determining the transmission resources based on a protocol that is known to both the first node and a node that transmitted the data communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises determining the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources to be used by all nodes are specified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination comprises determining the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources specific to only the first node are specified.

6. An apparatus for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a data communication over the common channel, the data communication being decodable by the plurality of nodes;

a controller configured to determine transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each of the nodes and the apparatus; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the transmission resources based on a protocol that is known to both the apparatus and a node that transmitted the data communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources to be used by the plurality of nodes and the apparatus are specified.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources specific to only the apparatus are specified.

11. An apparatus for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a data communication over the common channel, the data communication being decodable by the plurality of nodes;

means for determining transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each of the nodes and the apparatus; and

means for transmitting a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining the transmission resources based on a protocol that is known to both the apparatus and a node that transmitted the data communication.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources to be used by the plurality of nodes and the apparatus are specified.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining the transmission resources based on a frame of the data communication in which transmission resources specific to only the apparatus are specified.

16. A computer program product for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium encoded with codes executable to;

receive, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a data communication over the common channel, the data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes;

determine transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each node; and

transmit a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources.

17. An access terminal for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the access terminal, the access terminal comprising:

an antenna;

a receiver configured to receive, via the antenna, a data communication over the common channel, the data communication being decodable by the plurality of nodes;

a controller configured to determine transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each of the plurality of nodes and the access terminal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources.

18. A method for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting to the plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel; and

receiving responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data communication comprises information specifying selected transmission resources to be used by each node.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the data communication comprises a frame in which transmission resources to be used by all nodes are specified.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the data communication comprises a first frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected node are specified.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein the transmission comprises transmitting the first and second frames at different rates or at the same rate.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein the transmission comprises transmitting the first and second frames at different times or at the same time.

25. An apparatus for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit to the plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel; and

a receiver configured to receive responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the data communication comprises information specifying a selected transmission resource to be used by each node.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the data communication comprises a frame in which transmission resources to be used by all nodes are specified.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the data communication comprises a first frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected node are specified.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit the first and second frames at different rates or at the same rate.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit the first and second frames at different times or at the same time.

32. An apparatus for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting to the plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel; and

means for receiving responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the data communication comprises information specifying selected transmission resources to be used by each node.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, data rate, and code resources.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the data communication comprises a frame in which transmission resources to be used by all nodes are specified.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the data communication comprises a first frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected node are specified.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for transmitting the first and second frames at different rates or at the same rate.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the data communication further comprises a second frame in which transmission resources to be used by only a selected second node are specified, and wherein said means for transmitting comprises means for transmitting the first and second frames at different times or at the same time.

39. A computer program product for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium encoded with codes executable to;

transmit to the plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel; and

receive responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

40. An access point for communication using a channel that is common to a plurality of nodes and the access point, the access point comprising:

an antenna;

a transmitter configured to transmit, via the antenna, a data communication over the common channel to the plurality of nodes; and

a receiver configured to receive responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.