MAC Header Compression in Long-Range Wireless Local Area Networks

• US 20130195001A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at or from a station STA, a plurality of packets. Each packet includes a set of flag bits, and a MAC header containing at least a first address field specifying a receiver address and a second address field specifying a transmitter address. The method also includes determining whether each set of flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated, and processing the MAC header of each packet. Processing the MAC header of each packet includes processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of flag bits indicates that the STA was not associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated. The third address field contains a MAC address of the STA.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at or from a station (STA), a plurality of packets, wherein

each packet of the plurality of packets includes (i) a set of one or more flag bits, and (ii) a medium access control (MAC) header, and

each MAC header contains at least (i) a first address field specifying a receiver address, and (ii) a second address field specifying a transmitter address;

determining whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an access point (AP) when the respective packet was generated; and

processing the MAC header of each packet of the plurality of packets, wherein processing the MAC header of each packet includes processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was not associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated, and wherein the third address field contains a MAC address of the STA.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet includes aggregated MAC service data units (A-MSDUs), and wherein processing the MAC header of each packet does not include processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet includes A-MSDUs.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the MAC header of each packet includes the respective set of one or more flag bits.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of packets includes receiving the plurality of packets at the STA.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein processing the MAC header of each packet includes processing an association identifier (AID) of the STA, located in the first address field, in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of packets includes receiving the plurality of packets from the STA.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein processing the MAC header of each packet includes processing an association identifier (AID) of the STA, located in the second address field, in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein processing the AID of the STA includes:

determining the MAC address of the STA based on the AID of the STA; and

calculating a counter mode with CBC-MAC protocol (CCMP) nonce based on the MAC address of the STA.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein processing the AID of the STA includes:

calculating a counter mode with CBC-MAC protocol (CCMP) nonce based on a receiver MAC address included in the first address field.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein processing the AID of the STA includes:

calculating a counter mode with CBC-MAC protocol (CCMP) nonce based on the AID of the STA augmented by additional bits.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface configured to

receive, from a station (STA), a plurality of packets, wherein

each packet of the plurality of packets includes (i) a set of one or more flag bits, and (ii) a medium access control (MAC) header, and

each MAC header contains at least (i) a first address field specifying a receiver address, and (ii) a second address field specifying a transmitter address,

determine whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an access point (AP) when the respective packet was generated, and

process the MAC header of each packet of the plurality of packets, wherein the network interface is configured to process the MAC header of each packet at least in part by processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was not associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated, and wherein the third address field contains a MAC address of the STA.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network interface is further configured to determine whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet includes aggregated MAC service data units (A-MSDUs), and wherein the network interface is configured to process the MAC header of each packet without processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet includes A-MSDUs.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the MAC header of each packet includes the respective set of one or more flag bits.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network interface is configured to process the MAC header of each packet at least in part by processing an association identifier (AID) of the STA, located in the second address field, in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the STA was associated with an AP when the respective packet was generated.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of packets, wherein

each packet of the plurality of packets includes (i) a set of one or more flag bits, and (ii) a medium access control (MAC) header, and

each MAC header contains at least (i) a first address field specifying a receiver address, and (ii) a second address field specifying a transmitter address;

determining whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet is a multicast packet; and

processing the MAC header of each packet of the plurality of packets, wherein processing the MAC header of each packet includes processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the respective set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet is a multicast packet, and wherein the third address field contains a MAC multicast address.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

receiving a plurality of packets includes receiving one or more packets of the plurality of packets from a station (STA); and

the second address field of the MAC header of each of the one or more packets received from the STA specifies an association identifier (AID) of the STA.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the MAC header of each packet includes the respective set of one or more flag bits.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface configured to

receive a plurality of packets, wherein

each packet of the plurality of packets includes (i) a set of one or more flag bits, and (ii) a medium access control (MAC) header, and

each MAC header contains at least a first address field specifying receiver address, and (ii) a second address field specifying a transmitter address,

determine whether each set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet is a multicast packet, and

process the MAC header of each packet of the plurality of packets, wherein the network interface is configured to process the MAC header of each packet at least in part by processing a third address field in each packet for which it is determined that the set of one or more flag bits indicates that the respective packet is a multicast packet, and wherein the third address field contains a MAC multicast address.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the network interface is configured to receive the plurality of packets at least in part by receiving one or more packets of the plurality of packets from a station (STA); and

the second address field of the MAC header of each of the one or more packets received from the STA specifies an association identifier (AID) of the STA.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the MAC header of each packet includes the respective set of one or more flag bits.