ACCESS METHOD AND DATA FRAME STRUCTURE FOR USE IN BODY AREA NETWORKS

• US 20100195601A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stichting Imec Nederland
• Original Assignee: Stichting Imec Nederland
• Inventors: Zhang, Yan
• Granted Patent: US 8,743,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method for performing, for a plurality of applications, data communication on a wireless medium accessible for a plurality of nodes used by the applications is disclosed. Each application is assigned to one of a plurality of application classes. In one aspect, the method includes sending, at one of the plurality of nodes, a resource request for an application via a control channel dedicated to the application class which the application is assigned to, wherein the resource request is sent employing an access method available for the application class. The method also includes taking a decision on allocating resource on the wireless medium for the application. The method also includes performing data communication for the application via a conflict-free data channel, the data channel being separated in time from the dedicated control channel.

Claims

1. A method of performing, for a plurality of applications, data communication on a wireless medium accessible for a plurality of nodes used by the applications, each application being assigned to one of a plurality of application classes, the method comprising:

sending, from one of the plurality of nodes, a resource request for an application via a control channel dedicated to the application class which the application is assigned to, the resource request being sent employing an access method available to the application class;

making a decision on allocating a resource on the wireless medium to the application; and

performing data communication for the application via a conflict-free data channel, the data channel being separated in time from the dedicated control channel.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the access method is a random access method.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the data channel comprises a first and a second data subchannel separated in time, the second data subchannel being reserved for bursty data communication.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the application has periodical and non-periodical data communication traffic, and wherein the periodical data traffic is communicated via the first data subchannel and the non-periodical data traffic is communicated via the second data subchannel reserved for bursty data communication.

5. The method as in claim 3, wherein the first data subchannel is located in time before the control channels dedicated to the various application classes and the second data subchannel for bursty data communication is located in time after the control channels.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the data communication is performed as a sequence of data frames, each data frame comprising at least the data channel and a plurality of control channels, each control channel being dedicated to one of the plurality of application classes.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the length of the data frames is adjustable.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the dedicated control channel has an adaptive number of time slots.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the number of time slots is adapted to the number of active nodes.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein the number of time slots is determined according to the collision rate on the dedicated control channel.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the data communication over the data channel is performed based on data time slots.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein one data time slot is allocated per node.

13. The method as in claim 11, wherein a plurality of nodes share a data time slot.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored therein a data frame structure for performing, for a plurality of applications, data communication on a wireless medium, each application being assigned to an application class of a plurality of application classes, the data frame structure comprising:

a plurality of control channels, each control channel dedicated to a different application class of the plurality of application classes; and

at least one data channel, the data channel being separated in time from the dedicated control channels.

15. A system for performing, for a plurality of applications, data communication on a wireless medium accessible for a plurality of nodes used by the applications, each application being assigned to one of a plurality of application classes, the system comprising:

a sending module configured to send, from one of the plurality of nodes, a resource request for an application via a control channel dedicated to the application class which the application is assigned to, the resource request being sent employing an access method available to the application class;

a decision module configured to make a decision on allocating a resource on the wireless medium to the application; and

a communication module configured to perform data communication for the application via a conflict-free data channel, the data channel being separated in time from the dedicated control channel.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the data channel comprises a first and a second data subchannel separated in time, the second data subchannel being reserved for bursty data communication.

17. The system as in claim 15, wherein the data communication is performed as a sequence of data frames, each data frame comprising at least the data channel and a plurality of control channels, each control channel being dedicated to one of the plurality of application classes.

18. The system as in claim 15, wherein the dedicated control channel has an adaptive number of time slots.

19. The system as in claim 15, wherein the data communication over the data channel is performed based on data time slots.

20. A system for performing, for a plurality of applications, data communication on a wireless medium accessible for a plurality of nodes used by the applications, each application being assigned to one of a plurality of application classes, the system comprising:

means for sending, from one of the plurality of nodes, a resource request for an application via a control channel dedicated to the application class which the application is assigned to, the resource request being sent employing an access method available to the application class;

means for making a decision on allocating a resource on the wireless medium to the application; and

means for performing data communication for the application via a conflict-free data channel, the data channel being separated in time from the dedicated control channel.