WIRELESS MAC LAYER THROUGHPUT IMPROVEMENTS

• US 20090323594A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Goel, Sandesh, Mishra, Partho P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel involving sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets from a transmitter over the multi-access channel, using a physical layer protocol based on a standard physical layer protocol having a short interframe spacing (SIFS), wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS, attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets at a receiver using the physical layer protocol, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing, and sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel comprising:

sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets from a transmitter over the multi-access channel, using a physical layer protocol based on a standard physical layer protocol having a short interframe spacing (SIFS), wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS;

attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets at a receiver using the physical layer protocol, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing; and

sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the single acknowledgement packet contains packet receipt status information for less than all of the plurality of the MAC data packets.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the single acknowledgement packet contains a first sequence number and a second sequence number to identify a portion of the plurality of MAC data packets as having been successfully received.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first sequence number and the second sequence number identify a leading packet and an ending packet, respectively, of a continuous block of successfully received packets.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is adjustable within a range between zero and SIFS.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is automatically adjustable depending on identity of the receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network utilizes an 802.11-based physical layer protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is associated with at least a first and a second mode of operation, wherein the first mode of operation involves said steps for sequentially sending the plurality of MAC data packets, attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets, and sending the single acknowledgement packet, and wherein the second mode of operation involves the steps of:

from the transmitter, sequentially sending a second plurality of MAC data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the second plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS;

at the receiver, attempting to receive the second plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the second reduced interframe spacing, without sending from the receiver an acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the second plurality of data packets.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is further associated with a third mode of operation involving the steps of:

from the transmitter, sequentially sending a third plurality of MAC data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the third plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by SIFS;

at the receiver, attempting to receive the third plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by SIFS; and

sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the third plurality of MAC data packets.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is dynamically adjustable based on which mode of operation is selected.

11. A method for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel comprising:

from a transmitter capable of sending packets separated by short interframe spacing (SIFS), sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS;

at a receiver capable of receiving packets separated by SIFS, attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing, without sending from the receiver an acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the plurality of data packets.

12. An apparatus for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel comprising:

a transmitter capable of sending packets separated by short interframe spacing (SIFS), the transmitter further capable of sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS; and

a receiver capable of receiving packets separated by SIFS, the receiver further capable of attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing,

wherein the receiver is further capable of sending a single acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the plurality of MAC data packets.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the single acknowledgement packet contains packet receipt status information for less than all of the plurality of the MAC data packets.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the single acknowledgement packet contains a first sequence number and a second sequence number to identify a portion of the plurality of MAC data packets as having been successfully received.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first sequence number and the second sequence number identify a leading packet and an ending packet, respectively, of a continuous block of successfully received packets.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is adjustable within a range between zero and SIFS.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is automatically adjustable depending on identity of the receiver.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the wireless network utilizes an 802.11-based physical layer protocol.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is associated with at least a first and a second mode of operation,

wherein in the first mode of operation, the transmitter is capable of sequentially sending the plurality of MAC data packets, and the receiver is capable of attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets and sending the single acknowledgement packet,

wherein the second mode of operation, the transmitter is further capable of sequentially sending a second plurality of MAC data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the second plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS, and

wherein in the second mode of operation, the receiver is further capable of attempting to receive the second plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the second reduced interframe spacing, without sending an acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the second plurality of data packets.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the apparatus is further associated with a third mode of operation,

wherein in the third mode of operation, the transmitter is capable of sequentially sending a third plurality of MAC data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the third plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by SIFS,

wherein in the third mode of operation, the receiver is capable of attempting to receive the third plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by SIFS, and sending a single acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the third plurality of MAC data packets.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the reduced interframe spacing is dynamically adjustable based on which mode of operation is selected.

22. An apparatus for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel comprising:

a transmitter capable of sending packets separated by short interframe spacing (SIFS), the transmitter further capable of sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets over the multi-access channel, wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS; and

a receiver capable of receiving packets separated by SIFS, the receiver further capable of attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing, without sending an acknowledgement packet associated with the attempt to receive the plurality of data packets.

23. A system for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel comprising:

means for sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets from a transmitter over the multi-access channel, using a physical layer protocol based on a standard physical layer protocol having a short interframe spacing (SIFS), wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS;

means for attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets at a receiver using the physical layer protocol, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing; and

means for sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets.