MULTIPOLL FOR QOS-DRIVEN WIRELESS LANS

• US 20100085933A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Jin-Meng, Lin, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

A method and a system are disclosed for providing quality of service (QoS)-driven channel access within a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network. At least one available TO is allocated to a selected non-PC station having traffic to transmit. A multipoll frame containing information relating to at least two allocated TOs is then sent from the PC station containing information relating to each allocated TO.

Claims

1. A method for providing a quality of service (QoS)-driven channel access within a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network, comprising:

determining at least one transmission opportunity (TO) that is available during a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe for transmitting traffic in the BSS, where a time duration of the superframe comprises the CFP and a contention period (CP); and

sending from a point coordinator (PC) station of the BSS, a multipoll frame allocating at least two TOs to respective non-PC stations and identifying each allocated TO by a respective duration time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration time for a TO is a maximum length of time for the TO.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each successive TO starts after a preceding TO when a duration time associated with the preceding TO expires.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multipoll frame comprises information relating to at least two allocated TOs, wherein when a data frame that is indicated to be a final data frame is transmitted in a selected TO, a TO that is subsequent to the selected TO begins a short interframe spacing (SIFS) period of time after a preceding station sends the final data frame.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the TO that is subsequent to the selected TO ends when a duration time associated with the TO that is subsequent to the selected TO ends.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the TO that is subsequent to the selected TO is a last TO identified in the multipoll frame, any remaining time is returned for reallocation by the PC station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the multipoll frame at a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, where the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID; and

transmitting from the non-PC station at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being associated with a VSID, wherein the at least one data frame is part of an up-stream traffic.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the multipoll frame at a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, where the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID; and

transmitting from the non-PC station at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being associated with the VSID, wherein the at least one data frame is part of a side-stream traffic.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the multipoll frame at a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID; and

transmitting from the non-PC station at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being associated with a selected VSID that is different from the VSID identified in the multipoll frame, and the at least one data frame being transmitted based on a comparison of a QoS parameter set associated with the selected VSID and a QoS parameter set associated with the VSID identified in the multipoll frame.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the multipoll frame at a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one AID; and

transmitting from the non-PC station at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being transmitted based completely on a determination made by a frame scheduling entity (FSE) of the non-PC station.

11. A system comprising a point coordinator (PC) station in a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless network, comprising:

the PC station, comprising;

a frame scheduling entity (FSE) for determining at least one transmission opportunity (TO) that is available during a contention free period (CFP) of a superframe for transmitting traffic in the BSS, where a time duration of the superframe comprises the CFP and a contention period (CP); and

a transmitter for sending a multipoll frame allocating at least two TOs to respective non-PC stations and identifying each allocated TO by a respective duration time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the duration time for a TO is a maximum length of time for the TO.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each successive TO starts after a preceding TO when a duration time associated with the preceding TO expires.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the multipoll frame contains information relating to at least two allocated TOs, wherein when a data frame that is indicated to be a final data frame is transmitted in a selected TO, a TO that is subsequent to the selected TO begins a short interframe spacing (SIFS) period of time after a preceding station sends the final data frame.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the TO that is subsequent to the selected TO ends when a duration time associated with the TO that is subsequent to the selected TO ends.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, receives the multipoll frame, and transmits at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID, and wherein the at least one data frame is part of an up-stream traffic.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, receives the multipoll frame, and transmits at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID, and wherein the at least one data frame is part of a side-stream traffic.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a non-PC station in the BSS receiving the multipoll frame, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one VSID, the non-PC station being a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, the PC station transmitting at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being associated with a selected VSID that is different from the VSID identified in the multipoll frame, and the at least one data frame being transmitted based on a comparison of a QoS parameter set associated with the selected VSID and a QoS parameter set associated with the VSID identified in the multipoll frame.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising;

a non-PC station in the BSS receiving the multipoll frame, wherein the multipoll frame includes information relating to at least one AID, the non-PC station being a non-PC station for which an available TO was allocated, and the non-PC station transmitting from the non-PC station at least one data frame during the TO allocated to the non-PC station, the at least one data frame being transmitted based completely on a determination made by the FSE of the non-PC station.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).