VTS FRAME FORMAT

• US 20100165906A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Vlantis, George A., Chu, Liwen
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• 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 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting a video frame in wireless local area network communications are proposed. In one aspect, a method generates and transmits an IEEE 802.11 media access control (MAC) frame containing a video transport stream (VTS) frame. The VTS frame includes a video frame and a VTS control header that includes control information with respect to the video frame.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a video frame in wireless local area network communications, the method comprising:

generating an IEEE 802.11 media access control (MAC) frame containing a video transport stream (VTS) frame, the VTS frame having the video frame and a VTS control header that includes control information with respect to the video frame; and

transmitting the MAC frame.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the control information includes information related to at least one of an intra-access category priority and a frame discard priority with respect to the video frame.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the control information further includes IEEE 802.1 audio video bridging (AVB) related information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the IEEE 802.11 MAC frame comprises:

generating the MAC frame to include a frame control header, a frame body field, and the VTS frame in the MAC frame; and

setting each of a type field and a subtype field in the frame control header of the MAC frame to a respective value to indicate a presence of the VTS frame in the MAC frame.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein setting the type field and the subtype field in the frame control header of the MAC frame comprises setting a value of the type field to 11 and setting a value of the subtype field to one of 1000, 1001, 1010, 1011, 1100, 1110, and 1111.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the IEEE 802.11 MAC frame comprises generating the IEEE 802.11 MAC frame to include a frame control header, a frame body field, and the VTS frame in the MAC frame without encapsulating the VTS control header in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the IEEE 802.11 MAC frame comprises generating the IEEE 802.11 MAC frame to include a frame control header, a frame body field, and the VTS frame in the MAC frame with the VTS control header and the video frame encapsulated in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

setting an ethertype field in the MAC frame to distinguish the encapsulated VTS frame from other frames encapsulated in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein setting the ethertype field comprises setting a value of the ethertype field to 89-0d.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

setting an encapsulated type field in the MAC frame to indicate encapsulation of the VTS frame in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

11. A circuit in a wireless communication device, comprising:

communication logic configured to generate an IEEE 802.11 media access control (MAC) frame that contains a video transport stream (VTS) frame having a video frame and a VTS control header in the MAC frame that contains control information with respect to the video frame.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the VTS control header includes information related to at least one of an intra-access category priority and a frame discard priority with respect to the video frame.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the VTS control header further includes IEEE 802.1 audio video bridging (AVB) related information.

14. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the communication logic is configured to generate the MAC frame having a frame control header and the VTS frame, and wherein the communication logic is further configured to set a type field and a subtype field in the frame control header of the MAC frame to indicate a presence of the VTS frame in the MAC frame.

15. The circuit of claim 14 wherein the communication logic sets a value of the type field to 11 and sets a value of the subtype field to one of 1000, 1001, 1010, 1011, 1100, 1110, and 1111.

16. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the MAC frame further includes a frame body field, and wherein the VTS control header is not encapsulated in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

17. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the MAC frame further includes a frame body field, and wherein the VTS control header and the video frame are encapsulated in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

18. The circuit of claim 17 wherein the communication logic is configured to set an ethertype field in the MAC frame to distinguish the encapsulated VTS frame from other frames encapsulated in the frame body field of the MAC frame.

19. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the communication logic sets the ethertype field to 89-0d.

20. The circuit of claim 17 wherein the communication logic sets an encapsulated type field in the MAC frame to indicate encapsulation of the VTS frame in the frame body field of the MAC frame.