METHOD OF SCHEDULING RADIO RESOURCE IN WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK

• US 20150049686A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Liang, Zheng, Bin, Fanxiang, Wen, Haibo, Yao, Chunyan
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• 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 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, in an access point of a wireless local area network, of scheduling a radio resource, wherein at least one categorization rule is set in the wireless local area network, and at least one access group is set for a plurality of non-access-point stations served by the access point according to each of the at least one categorization rule, the method comprising the steps of: sending at least one categorization message to at least one of the plurality of stations, each categorization message comprising information about one of all the access groups which are set in the wireless local area network according to the at least one categorization rule; and sending a clear-to-send frame to the plurality of stations to indicate a radio resource allocated to an access group to be protected among all the access groups. The invention can distinctly resolve the contention for radio resource between the stations, effectively limit the number of concurrently contending stations and provide flexibility in access control of an access group.

Claims

1. A method, in an access point of a wireless local area network, of scheduling a radio resource, wherein at least one categorization rule is set in the wireless local area network, and at least one access group is set for a plurality of non-access-point stations served by the access point according to each of the at least one categorization rule, the method comprising the steps of:

a. sending at least one categorization message to at least one of the to plurality of stations, each categorization message comprising information about one of all the access groups which are set in the wireless local area network according to the at least one categorization rule, and the information about the access group comprising first information, second information and third information, wherein the first information indicates the categorization rule of the access group, the second information indicates an access group label of the access group, and the third information indicates a status code of the access group; and

b. sending a clear-to-send frame to the plurality of stations to indicate a radio resource allocated to an access group to be protected among all the access groups.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

changing at least one of the at least one categorization rule and the access group corresponding thereto according to a network condition and/or a quality-of-service requirement of the access group to be protected.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating performance of one of all the access groups; and

adjusting the status code of the access group according to a predetermined rule.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein before the step of evaluating the performance of the access group, the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a first request message from a station belonging to the access group, the first request message requesting the access point to adjust the access group.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the status code of the access group comprises Join, Conditional Join, Stay, Conditional Leave and Leave.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

adjusting the radio resource allocated to the access group to be protected according to a change in network condition and/or a change in to quality-of-service requirement of the access group to be protected.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the step a, the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a second request message from at least one of the plurality of stations, the second request message requesting for the categorization message; and

in the step a, the at least one categorization message is sent to the at least one station sending the second request message.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a receiver address included in the clear-to-send frame indicates a group address of the access group to be protected.

9. A method, in a non-access-point station of a wireless local area network, of assisting in scheduling a radio resource, wherein the wireless local area network comprises a plurality of non-access-point stations and an access point serving the plurality of non-access-point stations, at least one categorization rule is set in the wireless local area network, and at least one access group is set for the plurality of non-access-point stations according to each of the at least one categorization rule, the method comprising the steps of:

i. receiving at least one categorization message from the access point, each categorization message comprising information about one of all the access groups which are set in the wireless local area network according to the at least one categorization rule, and the information about the access group comprising first information, second information and third information, wherein the first information indicates the categorization rule of the access group, the second information indicates an access group label of the access group, and the third information indicates a status code of the access group;

ii. joining/not joining/staying in/leaving the access group according to the third information of the access group;

iii. receiving a clear-to-send frame from the access point; and

iv. if an access group, to be protected, indicated in the clear-to-send frame is the access group which the station currently has joined, then contending for a radio resource in a period indicated in the clear-to-send frame.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

v. if the access group, to be protected, indicated in the clear-to-send frame is different from the access group which the station currently has joined, then keeping sleeping in the period indicated in the clear-to-send frame.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the at least categorization rule and the access group corresponding thereto are changed according to a network condition and/or a quality-of-service requirement of the access group to be protected.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the status code of any one of all the access groups is adjusted according to a predetermined rule.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

sending a first request message to the access point to request the access point to adjust the access group.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the status code of the access group comprises Join, Conditional Join, Stay, Conditional Leave and Leave.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein before the step i, the method further comprises the step of:

sending a second request message to the access point to request for the categorization message.