ALLOWING A SINGLE TRANSMITTER TO TRANSMIT MULTIPLE DATA FRAMES IN OFDM COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20130250953A1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W., Vasseur, Jean-Philippe, Hong, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0033 each allocating device acting autonomously, i.e. without negotiation with other allocating devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a transmitting device may determine a first data frame to a first destination and a second data frame to a second destination, and may assign subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames. Once assigned, the transmitting device may augment a transmission physical (PHY) header with a destination and tone map tuple for each of the first and second destinations, and transmits the transmission with the first and second data frames simultaneously on the assigned subcarriers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, at a transmitting device, a first data frame to a first destination and a second data frame to a second destination;

assigning subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames;

augmenting a transmission physical (PHY) header with a destination and tone map tuple for each of the first and second destinations; and

transmitting the transmission with the first and second data frames simultaneously on the assigned subcarriers.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a frame check sequence within the PHY header for the entire transmission.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing an individual frame check sequence within the PHY header for each destination and tone map tuple within the transmission.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first and second destination devices are capable of receiving transmissions with data frames on assigned subcarriers prior to assigning subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one or more subcarriers for the first data frame and second data frame are overlapping; and

, in response,

selecting, for each of the one or more overlapping subcarriers, one of either the first or second data frame to which the respective overlapping subcarrier is assigned in the non-overlapping arrangement.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the subcarriers for the first data frame and second data frame are completely overlapping; and

, in response,

transmitting the first and second data frames independently.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein assigning comprises:

assigning the subcarriers proportionally according to a size of the first and second data frames.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of data frames; and

selecting the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on a number of non-overlapping subcarriers between the first and second data frames.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising:

selecting the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on their having the highest number of non-overlapping subcarriers.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of data frames; and

selecting the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on a minimum difference in transmission time between the first and second data frames.

11. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of data frames; and

selecting the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on an indication of how long of a delay is tolerated by the first and second data frames prior to being transmitted.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces to communicate within a computer network;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

s a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

determine a first data frame to a first destination and a second data frame to a second destination;

assign subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and to second data frames;

augment a transmission physical (PHY) header with a destination and tone map tuple for each of the first and second destinations; and

transmit the transmission with the first and second data frames simultaneously on the assigned subcarriers.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

provide a frame check sequence within the PHY header for the entire transmission.

14. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

provide an individual frame check sequence within the PHY header for each destination and tone map tuple within the transmission.

15. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine that the first and second destination devices are capable of receiving transmissions with data frames on assigned subcarriers prior to assigning subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames.

16. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine that one or more subcarriers for the first data frame and second data frame are overlapping; and

, in response,

select, for each of the one or more overlapping subcarriers, one of either the first or second data frame to which the respective overlapping subcarrier is assigned in the non-overlapping arrangement.

17. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine that the subcarriers for the first data frame and second data frame are completely overlapping; and

, in response,

transmit the first and second data frames independently.

18. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed to assign is further operable to:

assign the subcarriers proportionally according to a size of the first and second data frames.

19. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine a plurality of data frames; and

select the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on a number of non-overlapping subcarriers between the first and second data frames.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

select the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on their having the highest number of non-overlapping subcarriers.

21. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine a plurality of data frames; and

select the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on a minimum difference in transmission time between the first and second data frames.

22. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

determine a plurality of data frames; and

select the first and second frames from the plurality of data frames based on an indication of how long of a delay is tolerated by the first and second data frames prior to being transmitted.

23. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

determine a first data frame to a first destination and a second data frame to a second destination;

assign subcarriers in a non-overlapping arrangement to the first and second data frames;

augment a transmission physical (PHY) header with a destination and tone map tuple for each of the first and second destinations; and

transmit the transmission with the first and second data frames simultaneously on the assigned subcarriers.