DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH A GROUP OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION UNITS

• US 20110141892A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stacey, Robert J., Gong, Michelle X.
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of simultaneously communicating with a group of wireless communication devices. For example, a wireless communication unit may assign a plurality of wireless communication devices to at least one Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) group based on traffic-specification (TSPEC) information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group, respectively. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A device including:

a wireless communication unit to assign a plurality of wireless communication devices to at least one Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) group based on traffic-specification (TSPEC) information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communication devices,

wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the TSPEC information corresponding to a wireless communication device includes at least one of a traffic pattern of traffic flow between the wireless communication device and the wireless communication unit, and quality of service of the traffic flow, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to the group based on at least one of the traffic pattern and the quality of service.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the TSPEC information includes a directionality of the traffic flow, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to the group based on the directionality of the traffic flow.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the directionality of the traffic flow includes an uplink traffic flow, a downlink traffic flow or a bidirectional traffic flow.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the quality of service of the traffic flow represents a priority type of the traffic flow, the priority type including a voice priority, a video priority, a best effort priority or a background priority.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit group allocation information to the plurality of wireless communication devices assigned to the group, wherein the group allocation information includes a group address assigned to the group, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit a common transmission to the plurality of wireless communication devices assigned to the group by transmitting the common transmission addressed to the group address.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the group allocation information includes an indication of an order at which the wireless communication devices of the group are to respond to the wireless communication unit.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign a wireless communication device of the plurality of devices to an uplink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents an uplink traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to a downlink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents a downlink traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to a bi-directional isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents a bidirectional traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

and wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to a bi-directional asynchronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents another traffic pattern,

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a coordinator of a wireless communication network.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit at least one scheduling frame including an indication of a downlink period, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit the plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group during the downlink period.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the scheduling frame includes an indication of an uplink period, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously receive a plurality of different uplink transmissions from the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group during the uplink period.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the scheduling frame having an address field including a group address assigned to the group.

13. A method comprising:

assigning a plurality of wireless communication devices to at least one Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) group based on traffic specification (TSPEC) information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communication devices; and

simultaneously transmitting a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the TSPEC information corresponding to a wireless communication device includes at least one of a traffic pattern of traffic flow corresponding to the wireless communication device, and quality of service of the traffic flow, and wherein assigning the plurality of wireless communication devices includes assigning the wireless communication device to the group based on at least one of the traffic pattern and the quality of service.

15. The method of claim 13 including transmitting group allocation information to the plurality of wireless communication devices assigned to the group, wherein the group allocation information includes a group address assigned to the group.

16. The method of claim 13 including assigning a wireless communication device of the plurality of devices to an uplink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents an uplink traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

assigning the wireless communication device to a downlink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents a downlink traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

assigning the wireless communication device to a bi-directional isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents a bidirectional traffic pattern including at least one of video and voice data,

and assigning the wireless communication device to a bi-directional asynchronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication device represents another traffic pattern,

17. The method of claim 13 including transmitting at least one scheduling frame including an indication of a downlink period, simultaneously transmitting the plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group during the downlink period.

18. A system comprising:

at least one wireless communication device including;

one or more antennas; and

a wireless communication unit to assign a plurality of other wireless communication devices to at least one Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) group based on traffic-specification (TSPEC) information corresponding to the plurality of other wireless communication devices, and to simultaneously transmit via the antennas a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of other wireless communication devices of the group, respectively.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the TSPEC information corresponding to a wireless communication device includes at least one of a traffic pattern of traffic flow between the wireless communication device and the wireless communication unit, and quality of service of the traffic flow, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to assign the wireless communication device to the group based on at least one of the traffic pattern and the quality of service.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit group allocation information to the plurality of wireless communication devices assigned to the group, wherein the group allocation information includes a group address assigned to the group, and wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit a common transmission to the plurality of wireless communication devices assigned to the group by transmitting the common transmission addressed to the group address.