SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR POLLING FOR DYNAMIC SLOT RESERVATION

• US 20120127972A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assaf Kasher, Solomon Trainin
• Original Assignee: Assaf Kasher, Solomon Trainin
• Inventors: Trainin, Solomon, Kasher, Assaf
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0682 using phase diversity (e.g. phase sweeping)
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods for allocating time to a plurality of devices in the network of a piconet controller. Embodiments comprise selectively directing a steerable antenna beam of the piconet controller to a plurality of devices in succession during a polling process to receive time allocation requests from one or more of the devices. Subsequent to the polling process, a grant procedure is performed wherein a device is granted permission to transmit in a subsequent time interval. Also during the grant process, one or more devices are instructed to receive from the device granted permission to transmit. The polling process and the grant process occur in the same superframe.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending a plurality of millimeter wave (mm wave) directional polling messages to each of a plurality of devices (DEVs) one by one in succession;

in response to one of the polling messages, receiving a directional transmit request from a source DEV, the directional transmit request for an intended directional communication to a recipient DEV;

allocating a mm wave resource for the intended directional communication;

sending a first directional transmission to the source device, the first directional transmission indicating permission to send the intended directional communication, and

sending a second directional transmission to the recipient device, the second directional transmission indicating permission to receive to the intended directional communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending a plurality of mm wave directional polling messages comprises steering an antenna beam.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the mm wave resource comprises allocating a time duration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time duration is in a superframe.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first directional communication and the second communication are sent within a same superframe duration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional transmit request comprises a requested transmit time duration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mm wave directional polling messages are sent in a round robin manner.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver to;

send a plurality of millimeter wave (mm wave) directional polling messages to each of a plurality of devices (DEVs) one by one in succession,

in response to one of the polling messages, receiving a directional transmit request from a source DEV, the directional transmit request for an intended directional transmission to a recipient DEV,

send a first directional communication to the source device, the first directional communication indicating permission to send the intended directional transmission, and

send a second directional communication to the recipient device, the second directional communication indicating permission to receive to the intended directional transmission; and

a processor to allocate a mm wave resource for the intended directional transmission.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mm wave resource comprises a time duration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the time duration is in a superframe.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first directional communication and the second communication are sent within a same superframe duration.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the directional transmit request comprises a requested transmit time duration.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transceiver is to send the plurality of mm wave directional polling messages in a round robin manner.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a selectively directive antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the selectively directive antenna comprises a steerable phased array antenna.

16. A non-transitory machine-accessible medium containing instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

sending a plurality of millimeter wave (mm wave) directional polling messages to each of a plurality of devices (DEVs) one by one in succession;

in response to one of the polling messages, receiving a directional transmit request from a source DEV, the directional transmit request for an intended directional communication to a recipient DEV;

allocating a mm wave resource for the intended directional communication;

sending a first directional transmission to the source device, the first directional transmission indicating permission to send the intended directional communication, and

sending a second directional transmission to the recipient device, the second directional transmission indicating permission to receive to the intended directional communication.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein allocating the mm wave resource comprises allocating a time duration.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the time duration is in a superframe.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first directional communication and the second communication are sent within a same superframe duration.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the directional transmit request comprises a requested transmit time duration.