MAC Packet Data Unit Construction for Wireless System

• US 20130028155A1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fong, Mo-Han, Zang, Hang
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs. The method includes determining one or more characteristics of a service flow and selecting on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types. The service flow data is encapsulated in MAC PDUs with a header of the selected type. The MAC PDUs with the encapsulated service flow data are then wirelessly transmitted. Also, a method for communication between a Base Station (BS) and a Subscriber Station (SS). The method includes generating at the BS a plurality of MAC PDU packets with a payload component holding service flow data and a plurality of MAC PDU packets without payload component, carrying control information. The method also includes transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDU packets with the payload component and the MAC PDU packets with the control information to the SS.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising:

a communication device determining one or more characteristics of a service flow;

the communication device selecting on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types;

the communication device encapsulating service flow data in MAC PDUs with a header according to the selected MAC PDU header type;

the communication device transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDUs with the encapsulated service flow data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes encryption requirement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes ARQ requirement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes SDU fragmentation requirement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes a range of possible lengths of SDUs to be encapsulated in a MAC PDU.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of MAC PDU header types includes a first header type and a second header type and wherein the first header type is shorter than the second header type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the one or more characteristics of the service flow comprises determining if the service flow is a VoIP service flow

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of a first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a single SDU per MAC PDU.

9. The method of claim 8, including providing the header of the first header type with a data field for carrying information indicating a length of the single SDU.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data field for carrying information indicating a length of the single SDU carries a code that can take several possible values, each value being associated with an SDU length.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of SDUs have the same length.

13. The method of claim 12, including providing the header of the first header type with a data field for carrying information indicating a number of SDUs encapsulated in the MAC PDU.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the header of the first header type includes a data field for carrying a code that can take at least two different values, a first value indicative that the MAC PDU has a payload and a second value indicative that the MAC PDU has no payload.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the MAC PDU is free of a packing sub-header in connection with each SDU.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the MAC PDU has a sub-header containing information on a length of one or more SDUs.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sub-header immediately follows the header of the second header type.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field containing information indicative of a number of SDUs in the MAC PDU.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field carrying a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, each value being inactive of an SDU fragmentation scheme, whereby the code can represent a plurality of different SDU fragmentation schemes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that a first SDU of the plurality of SDUs is fragmented.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that a last SDU of the plurality of SDUs is fragmented.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that the first SDU and the last SDU of the plurality of SDUs are fragmented.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that none of the plurality of SDUs is fragmented.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field with data conveying a fragment sequence number in connection with an SDU of the plurality of SDUs, the fragment sequence number being related to the service flow.

26. The method of claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a singe SDU or a fragment of an SDU per MAC PDU.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field carrying a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, each value being inactive of an SDU fragmentation scheme, whereby the code can represent a plurality of different SDU fragmentation schemes.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that a payload of the MAC PDU is the first fragment of an SDU.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that a payload of the MAC PDU is the last fragment of an SDU.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that a payload of the MAC PDU is the middle fragment of an SDU.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein one of the fragmentation schemes of the different SDU fragmentation schemes indicates that the single SDU is not fragmented.

32. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for performing wireless communication using MAC PDUs, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

determine one or more characteristics of a service flow;

select on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types;

encapsulate service flow data in MAC PDUs with a header according to the selected MAC PDU header type;

transmit wirelessly the MAC PDUs with the encapsulated service flow data.

33. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes encryption requirement.

34. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes ARQ requirement.

35. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes SDU fragmentation requirement.

36. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes a range of possible lengths of SDUs to be encapsulated in a MAC PDU.

37. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein said determining the one or more characteristics of the service flow comprises determining if the service flow is a VoIP service flow.

38. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 32, wherein the plurality of MAC PDU header types includes a first header type and a second header type, and wherein the first header type is shorter than the second header type.

39. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 38, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of a first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a single SDU per MAC PDU.

40. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 38, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

41. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 38, wherein the header of the first header type includes a data field for carrying a code that can take at least two different values, a first value indicative that the MAC PDU has a payload and a second value indicative that the MAC PDU has no payload.

42. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 38, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

43. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 38, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a singe SDU or a fragment of an SDU per MAC PDU.

44. A communication device configured to perform wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising:

processing hardware, configured to;

determine one or more characteristics of a service flow;

select on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types; and

encapsulate service flow data in MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header type; and

wireless communication circuitry coupled to the processing hardware, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit the MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header type.

45. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes encryption requirement.

46. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes ARQ requirement.

47. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes SDU fragmentation requirement.

48. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes a range of possible lengths of SDUs to be encapsulated in a MAC PDU.

49. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the plurality of MAC PDU header types includes a first header type and a second header type, wherein the first header type is shorter than the second header type.

50. The communication device of claim 49, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of a first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a single SDU per MAC PDU.

51. The communication device of claim 49, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

52. The communication device of claim 49, wherein the header of the first header type includes a data field for carrying a code that can take at least two different values, a first value indicative that the MAC PDU has a payload and a second value indicative that the MAC PDU has no payload.

53. The communication device of claim 49, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

54. The communication device of claim 49, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a singe SDU or a fragment of an SDU per MAC PDU.

55. The communication device of claim 44, wherein said determining the one or more characteristics of the service flow comprises determining if the service flow is a VoIP service flow.