SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RESERVATION OF DISJOINT TIME INTERVALS IN WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

• US 20100002639A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Singh, Harkirat, Ngo, Chiu, Qin, Xiangping
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0891 for synchronized access

Abstract

A system and method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network. Parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV) define a reservation of a plurality of disjoint time durations during which transmissions by devices other than a target device are deferred. Parameters are sent as a control or data packet over a network and received by the devices associated with the network.

Claims

1. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more other devices in the wireless network are to be deferred.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one or more data packets to the target device during the plurality of disjoint time blocks.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more data packets during the plurality of disjoint time blocks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second control packet from the target device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first control packet is a request-to-send (RTS) message, and the second control packet is a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control packet is a request-to-send (RTS) message or a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting an RTS message and receiving a CTS message between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control packet includes a target ID indicative of the target device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network utilizes an IEEE 802.11 standard.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of disjoint time blocks do not occur at equal time intervals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include one or more time durations of the disjoint time blocks, and one or more time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of disjoint time blocks are periodic time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a total number of the periodic time blocks.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of disjoint time blocks are periodic time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the periodic time blocks are of a same time duration.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the periodic time blocks include audio and/or video (A/V) data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a time duration of each of the periodic time blocks, an interval time between two consecutive periodic time blocks, and a total number of the periodic time blocks.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the time duration to be:

less than or equal to a preset maximum time duration; and

greater than or equal to a preset minimum time duration.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the time interval to be:

less than or equal to a preset maximum time interval; and

greater than or equal to a preset minimum time interval.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring a duty cycle ratio between the time duration and the time interval to be less than or equal to a preset maximum duty cycle ratio.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the total number of the periodic time blocks to be less than or equal to a preset maximum number of time blocks.

22. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting an RTS message and receiving a CTS message between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein an RTS message is transmitted and a CTS message is received during the at least one beacon protection time block.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks further include periodic disjoint time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

27. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred;

determining that a receiving device is not the target device;

setting the disjoint NAV vector; and

deferring transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the control packet includes a request-to-send (RTS) message or a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising periodically receiving one or more additional RTS or CTS messages indicative of the disjoint NAV.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising clearing the disjoint NAV vector if an RTS or CTS message indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a preset number of times.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising clearing the disjoint NAV vector if an RTS or CTS message indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received before a next scheduled disjoint time block.

32. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred;

determining that a receiving device is the target device; and

receiving data packets during one or more of the plurality of the disjoint time blocks.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising transmitting a second control packet.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second control packet is indicative of the disjoint NAV.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first control packet includes a request-to-send (RTS) message, and the second control packet includes a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising periodically receiving one or more additional control packets indicative of the disjoint NAV.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising clearing the disjoint NAV vector if an additional control packet indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a preset number of times.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising clearing the disjoint NAV vector if an additional control packet indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received before a next scheduled disjoint time block.

39. A system for reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more other devices in the wireless network are to be deferred.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising an antenna, in data communication with the processor, configured to transmit the control packet.

41. A system for reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred;

determine if a receiving device is the target device;

set the disjoint NAV vector if the receiving device is not the target device;

defer transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks if the disjoint NAV vector is set; and

receive data packets during one or more of the plurality of the disjoint time blocks if the receiving device is the target device.

42. The system of claim 41, further comprising an antenna, in data communication with the processor, configured to receive the control packet.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the wireless network operates at a frequency from about 2.4 GHz to about 60 GHz.