DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SCHEDULING COMMUNICATIONS WITH A GROUP OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION UNITS

• US 20130142097A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gong, Michelle X., Stacey, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1273 of downlink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of scheduling communications with a group of wireless communication devices. For example, a wireless communication unit may transmit at least one scheduling frame including an indication of a downlink period allocated for simultaneous transmission from the wireless communication unit to at least one group of a 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 during the downlink period. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device including a processor, a memory, one or more antennas, and a wireless communication unit, the wireless communication unit capable to:

transmit a Power Save Multi-Poll (PSMP) frame to wireless communication devices of a group of wireless communication devices, the PSMP frame including;

a station information (STA_INFO) type field;

a PSMP downlink transmission period (PSMP-DTT) field to indicate a PSMP-DTT, during which the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit to the group of wireless communication devices;

a PSMP downlink transmission start offset (PSMP-DTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-DTT; and

a PSMP group address ID field to indicate an address assigned to the group of wireless communication devices; and

simultaneously transmit a plurality of different wireless transmissions to respective ones of wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-DTT.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the PSMP group address ID field is 43 bits.

3. The device of claim 1, further capable to:

receive traffic-specification (TSPEC) information from a wireless communication device; and

group the wireless communication device with other wireless communication devices based on the TSPEC information of the wireless communication device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the TSPEC information includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a traffic pattern of traffic flow with the wireless communication unit, and a quality of service of the traffic flow.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the group of wireless communication devices which receive the PSMP frame is one of a downlink isochronous group, a bi-directional isochronous group or a bi-directional asynchronous group, the wireless communication unit further being capable to assign wireless communication devices:

to the downlink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication devices represents a downlink traffic pattern including at least one of video or voice data;

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

to the bi-directional asynchronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication devices represents another traffic pattern.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the PSMP frame further includes:

a PSMP uplink transmission period (PSMP-UTT) field to indicate a PSMP-UTT, during which the wireless communication unit is to receive an uplink transmission from one or more of the wireless communication devices of the group; and

a PSMP uplink transmission start offset (PSMP-UTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-UTT.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the PSMP frame includes a plurality of PSMP frames, the wireless communication unit further being capable to send a respective one of the plurality of PSMP frames to respective ones of the wireless communication devices of the group, each of the plurality of PSMP frames having a different PSMP-UTT start offset value such that each of the wireless communication devices of the group can perform its uplink transmission during non-overlapping time periods.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously receive a plurality of different uplink transmissions from respective ones of the wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-UTT.

9. The device of claim 1, further capable to, prior to transmitting the PSMP frame, reserve a wireless communication medium for a duration including at least a duration of the PSMP frame and the PSMP-DTT.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit the plurality of transmissions in the form of a space-division-multiple-access transmission.

11. A wireless communication device including a processor, a memory, one or more antennas, and a wireless communication unit, the wireless communication unit capable to:

transmit a Power Save Multi-Poll (PSMP) frame to wireless communication devices of a group of wireless communication devices, the PSMP frame including;

a station information (STA_INFO) type field;

a PSMP downlink transmission period (PSMP-DTT) field;

a PSMP downlink transmission start offset (PSMP-DTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-DTT;

a PSMP group address ID field to indicate an address assigned to the group of wireless communication devices;

a PSMP uplink transmission period (PSMP-UTT) field to indicate a PSMP-DTT, during which the wireless communication unit is to receive an uplink transmission from one or more of the wireless communication devices of the group; and

a PSMP uplink transmission start offset (PSMP-UTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-UTT; and

simultaneously receive a plurality of different uplink wireless transmissions from respective ones of wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-UTT.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the PSMP group address ID field is 43 bits.

13. The device of claim 11, further capable to:

receive traffic-specification (TSPEC) information from a wireless communication device; and

group the wireless communication device with other wireless communication devices based on the TSPEC information of the wireless communication device.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting a Power Save Multi-Poll (PSMP) frame to wireless communication devices of a group of wireless communication devices, the PSMP frame including;

a station information (STA_INFO) type field;

a PSMP downlink transmission period (PSMP-DTT) field to indicate a PSMP-DTT for simultaneously transmitting to the group of wireless communication devices;

a PSMP downlink transmission start offset (PSMP-DTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-DTT; and

a PSMP group address ID field to indicate an address assigned to the group of wireless communication devices; and

simultaneously transmitting a plurality of different wireless transmissions to respective ones of wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-DTT.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the PSMP group address ID field is 43 bits.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising:

receiving traffic-specification (TSPEC) information from a wireless communication device; and

grouping the wireless communication device with other wireless communication devices based on the TSPEC information of the wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the TSPEC information includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a traffic pattern of traffic flow, and a quality of service of the traffic flow.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the group of wireless communication devices which receive the PSMP frame is one of a downlink isochronous group, a bi-directional isochronous group or a bi-directional asynchronous group, the method comprising assigning wireless communication devices:

to the downlink isochronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication devices represents a downlink traffic pattern including at least one of video or voice data;

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

to the bi-directional asynchronous group if the TSPEC information corresponding to the wireless communication devices represents another traffic pattern.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the PSMP frame further includes:

a PSMP uplink transmission period (PSMP-UTT) field to indicate a PSMP-UTT, during which an uplink transmission is to be received from one or more of the wireless communication devices of the group; and

a PSMP uplink transmission start offset (PSMP-UTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-UTT.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the PSMP frame includes a plurality of PSMP frames, the method comprising sending a respective one of the plurality of PSMP frames to respective ones of the wireless communication devices of the group, each of the plurality of PSMP frames having a different PSMP-UTT start offset value such that each of the wireless communication devices of the group can perform its uplink transmission during non-overlapping time periods.

21. The method of claim 19 comprising simultaneously receiving a plurality of different uplink transmissions from respective ones of the wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-UTT.

22. The method of claim 14 comprising, prior to transmitting the PSMP frame, reserving a wireless communication medium for a duration including at least a duration of the PSMP frame and the PSMP-DTT.

23. The method of claim 14 comprising transmitting the plurality of transmissions in the form of a space-division-multiple-access transmission.

24. A method comprising:

transmitting a Power Save Multi-Poll (PSMP) frame to wireless communication devices of a group of wireless communication devices, the PSMP frame including;

a station information (STA_INFO) type field;

a PSMP downlink transmission period (PSMP-DTT) field;

a PSMP downlink transmission start offset (PSMP-DTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-DTT;

a PSMP group address ID field to indicate an address assigned to the group of wireless communication devices;

a PSMP uplink transmission period (PSMP-UTT) field to indicate a PSMP-DTT, during which an uplink transmission is to be received from one or more of the wireless communication devices of the group; and

a PSMP uplink transmission start offset (PSMP-UTT start offset) field to indicate a time of initiation of the PSMP-UTT; and

simultaneously receiving a plurality of different uplink wireless transmissions from respective ones of wireless communication devices of the group during the PSMP-UTT.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the PSMP group address ID field is 43 bits.

26. The method of claim 24 comprising:

receiving traffic-specification (TSPEC) information from a wireless communication device; and

grouping the wireless communication device with other wireless communication devices based on the TSPEC information of the wireless communication device.