TRIPLE-PLAY PROTOCOL -- A MEDIA ACCESS CONTROL LAYER PROTOCOL FOR TRANSMISSIONS IN NETWORK-CODED THREE NODE BIDIRECTIONAL COOPERATION

• US 20130077555A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Gao, Wen, Li, Jialing
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described including transmitting a request-to-send signal, determining if a clear-to-send signal and a reverse direction transmission request signal have been received, transmitting first data, a first block acknowledgement request signal and a reverse direction grant signal responsive to the first determination, determining if a first block acknowledgement signal, second data and a second block acknowledgement request signal have been received, transmitting a second block acknowledgement signal responsive to the second determination, determining if a third block acknowledgement signal has been received and transmitting a fourth block acknowledgement signal responsive to the third determination. Further described are a method and apparatus including listening to channels, estimating channel conditions responsive to the listening, determining if a signal has been received, determining if channel conditions are adequate to act as a relay node multicasting a relay node clear to send signal responsive to the first and second determinations and multicasting a block acknowledgement signal and data responsive to the first and second determinations.

Claims

1. A method, said method comprising:

transmitting a request-to-send signal;

determining if a clear-to-send signal and a reverse direction transmission request signal have been received;

transmitting first data, a first block acknowledgement request signal and a reverse direction grant signal responsive to said first determination;

determining if a first block acknowledgement signal, second data and a second block acknowledgement request signal have been received;

transmitting a second block acknowledgement signal responsive to said second determination;

determining if a third block acknowledgement signal has been received and one of transmitting a relay node request to send signal responsive to said second determination and wherein said first determination further comprises determining if a relay node clear to send signal has been received; and

transmitting a fourth block acknowledgement signal responsive to said third determination.

2. An apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a request-to-send signal;

means for determining if a clear-to-send signal and a reverse direction transmission request signal have been received;

means for transmitting first data, a first block acknowledgement request signal and a reverse direction grant signal responsive to said first means for determining;

means for determining if a first block acknowledgement signal, second data and a second block acknowledgement request signal have been received;

means for transmitting a second block acknowledgement signal responsive to said second means for determining;

means for determining if a third block acknowledgement signal has been received and one of means for transmitting a relay node request to send signal responsive to said second determination and wherein said first determining further comprises means for determining if a relay node clear to send signal has been received; and

means for transmitting a fourth block acknowledgement signal responsive to said third means for determining.

3. A method, said method comprising:

determining if a request to send signal has been received;

transmitting a clear to send signal, a reverse direction transmission request signal responsive to said first determination;

determining if first data, a first block acknowledgement request signal and a reverse direction transmission grant signal have been received;

transmitting first block acknowledgement signal, second data and a second block acknowledgement request responsive to said second determination;

determining if a second block acknowledgement signal and third data have been received, wherein one of said first determination and said third determination further comprises determining if a relay node clear to send signal has been received; and

transmitting a third block acknowledgement signal responsive to said third determination.

4. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining if a request to send signal has been received;

means for transmitting a clear to send signal, a reverse direction transmission request signal responsive to said first means for determining;

means for determining if first data, a first block acknowledgement request signal and a reverse direction transmission grant signal have been received;

means for transmitting first block acknowledgement signal, second data and a second block acknowledgement request responsive to said second means for determining;

means for determining if a second block acknowledgement signal and third data have been received, wherein one of said first determining means and said third determining means further comprises means for determining if a relay node clear to send signal has been received; and

means for transmitting a third block acknowledgement signal responsive to said third means for determining.

5. A method, said method comprising:

listening to channels;

receiving first data from a first node;

receiving second data from a second node;

determining if a signal has been received;

determining if channel conditions are adequate to act as a relay node responsive to said listening; and

multicasting a relay node clear to send signal responsive to said first and second determinations.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising multicasting a block acknowledgement signal and third data responsive to said first and second determinations, wherein said third data is a combination of corrupted portions of said first data and corrupted portions of said second data.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said signal is one of a relay node request to send signal and a request to send signal.

8. An apparatus comprising:

means for listening to channels;

means for receiving first data from a first node;

means for receiving second data from a second node;

means for determining if a signal has been received;

means for determining if channel conditions are adequate to act as a relay node responsive to said listening; and

means for multicasting a relay node clear to send signal responsive to said first and second means for determining.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for multicasting a block acknowledgement signal and third data responsive to said first and second means for determining, wherein said third data is a combination of corrupted portions of said first data and corrupted portions of said second data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said signal is one of a relay node request to send signal and a request to send signal.