METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR EXTENDED REVERSE DIRECTION GRANT IN A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK (WLAN)

• US 20090252110A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kandala, Srinivas, Sridhara, Vinay, Abraham, Santosh P., Nanda, Sanjiv
• Granted Patent: US 9,450,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/330
• 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 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for extended reverse direction grant in a WLAN. In an aspect, a method includes transmitting data within a transmit interval to a plurality of the nodes, wherein the data comprises a first indicator. The method also includes receiving, in response to the first indicator, a data transmission from at least one of the nodes, wherein the data transmission was transmitted using a selected transmission resource and is received within the transmit interval. In an aspect, an apparatus includes a receiver to receive, within a time interval, first data over a common channel, the first data being decodable by other nodes. The apparatus also includes a controller to determine whether the first data comprises a first indicator, and a transmitter to transmit second data within the time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data comprises the first indicator.

Claims

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

transmitting first data to the plurality of the nodes using a first transmission resource, wherein the first data is transmitted within a transmit opportunity time interval and comprises a first indicator; and

receiving, in response to the first indicator, at least one data transmission from at least one of the nodes, respectively, wherein the at least one data transmission was transmitted using at least one second transmission resource, respectively, and is received within the transmit opportunity time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first data to comprise at least one resource identifier that identifies the at least one second transmission resource, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indicator comprises the at least one resource identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data that is set to a first state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

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

a transmitter configured to transmit first data to the plurality of the nodes using a first transmission resource, wherein the first data is transmitted within a transmit opportunity time interval and comprises a first indicator; and

a receiver configured to receive, in response to the first indicator, at least one data transmission from at least one of the nodes, respectively, wherein the at least one data transmission was transmitted using at least one second transmission resource, respectively, and is received within the transmit opportunity time interval.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said transmitter is configured to generate the first data to comprise at least one resource identifier that identifies the at least one second transmission resource, respectively.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first indicator comprises the at least one resource identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data that is set to a first state.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one second transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

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

means for transmitting first data to the plurality of the nodes using a first transmission resource, wherein the first data is transmitted within a transmit opportunity time interval and comprises a first indicator; and

means for receiving, in response to the first indicator, at least one data transmission from at least one of the nodes, respectively, wherein the at least one data transmission was transmitted using at least one second transmission resource, respectively, and is received within the transmit opportunity time interval.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for transmitting operates to generate the first data to comprise at least one resource identifier that identifies the at least one second transmission resource, respectively.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first indicator comprises the at least one resource identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data that is set to a first state.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one second transmission resource comprises at least one resource selected from a set comprising space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

19. 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 first data to the plurality of the nodes using a first transmission resource, wherein the first data is transmitted within a transmit opportunity time interval and comprises a first indicator; and

receive, in response to the first indicator, at least one data transmission from at least one of the nodes, respectively, wherein the at least one data transmission was transmitted using at least one second transmission resource, respectively, and is received within the transmit opportunity time interval.

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

an antenna;

a transmitter coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit first data to the plurality of the nodes using a first transmission resource, wherein the first data is transmitted within a transmit opportunity time interval and comprises a first indicator; and

a receiver configured to receive, in response to the first indicator, at least one data transmission from at least one of the nodes, respectively, wherein the at least one data transmission was transmitted using at least one second transmission resource, respectively, and is received within the transmit opportunity time interval.

21. 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 first data communication over the common channel, the first data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes and is received within a transmit opportunity time interval;

determining whether the first data communication comprises a first indicator; and

transmitting a second data communication within the transmit opportunity time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data communication comprises the first indicator.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising identifying the selected transmission resources by a resource identifier in the first data communication.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first indicator comprises the resource identifier.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data communication that is set to a first state.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining the selected transmission resources from parameters associated with the first data communication.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the selected transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

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

a receiver configured to receive, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a first data communication over the common channel, the first data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes and is received within a transmit opportunity time interval;

a controller configured to determine whether the first data communication comprises a first indicator; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a second data communication within the transmit opportunity time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data communication comprises the first indicator.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said controller is configured to identify the selected transmission resources by a resource identifier in the first data communication.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first indicator comprises the resource identifier.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data communication that is set to a first state.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said controller is configured to determine the selected transmission resources from parameters associated with the first data communication.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the selected transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

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

means for receiving, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a first data communication over the common channel, the first data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes and is received within a transmit opportunity time interval;

means for determining whether the first data communication comprises a first indicator; and

means for transmitting a second data communication within the transmit opportunity time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data communication comprises the first indicator.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for identifying the selected transmission resources by a resource identifier in the first data communication.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the first indicator comprises the resource identifier.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first indicator comprises a selected bit associated with the first data communication that is set to a first state.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for determining the selected transmission resources from parameters associated with the first data communication.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the selected transmission resources comprise some of space, frequency, time, and code division resources.

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;

receive, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a first data communication over the common channel, the first data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes and is received within a transmit opportunity time interval;

determine whether the first data communication comprises a first indicator; and

transmit a second data communication within the transmit opportunity time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data communication comprises the first indicator.

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

an antenna;

a receiver configured to receive, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, a first data communication over the common channel, the first data communication being decodable by other nodes of the plurality of nodes and is received within a transmit opportunity time interval;

a controller configured to determine whether the first data communication comprises a first indicator; and

a transmitter to transmit via the antenna a second data communication within the transmit opportunity time interval using selected transmission resources, if the first data communication comprises the first indicator.