METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE EXISTENCE OF BROADCAST AND MULTICAST FRAMES BUFFERED IN AN ACCESS POINT

• US 20150103727A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Huimin, Mo, Liangyao
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method includes: an AP sets a broadcast/multicast indication bit that associates the service network and/or multicast group to the valid state and sends frames that carry the broadcast/multicast indication bit to a STA; the STA determines whether there is broadcast/multicast frame buffered in the AP according to the associated service network and/or multicast group and the received broadcast/multicast indication bit.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a frame in a WLAN, wherein in the WLAN, an Access Point (AP) is shared by at least one virtual APs, or, the AP is shared by multiple Basic Service Set Identities (BSSIDs), and each virtual AP associates with an BSSID, the method comprising:

setting, by the AP, an element corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs and a Partial Virtual Bitmap in a Beacon frame;

wherein the Partial Virtual Bitmap includes a broadcast/multicast indication bit corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs, which is used to indicating whether there is a broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for a Station (STA) associates with each of the multiple BSSIDs;

the element includes an index field and an DTIM Count field, wherein the index field is configured to identify a BSSID among the multiple BSSIDs;

the DTIM Count field associates with the BSSID in the index field, and the DTIM Count field is configured to notify the STA whether the Beacon frame is a DTIM Beacon, which is used to notify the STA when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame;

sending out the Beacon frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the AP, a request message for querying an SSID list from the STA;

sending, by the AP, a response message carrying the SSID list in the AP.

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

the element further includes an Element ID field, a Length field, and a DTIM Period field.

4. A method for receiving a frame in a WLAN, wherein in the WLAN, an Access Point (AP) is shared by at least one virtual APs, or, the AP is shared by multiple Basic Service Set Identities (SSIDs), and each virtual AP associates with an BSSID, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a Station (STA), a Beacon frame sent by the AP;

wherein the Beacon frame includes an element corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs and a Partial Virtual Bitmap;

wherein the Partial Virtual Bitmap includes a broadcast/multicast indication bit corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs, which is used for indicating whether there is a broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for a Station (STA) associates with each of the multiple BSSIDs;

the element includes an index field and an DTIM Count field, wherein the index field is configured to identify a BSSID among the multiple BSSIDs;

the DTIM Count field associates with the BSSID in the index field, and the DTIM Count field is configured to notify the STA whether the Beacon frame is a DTIM Beacon, which is used to notify the STA when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame;

and

determining by the STA, according to Beacon frame whether there is broadcast/multicast frame associated with the STA buffered in the AP and when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

sending, by the STA, a query request message for querying an SSID list to the AP,

receiving, by the STA, a response message carrying the SSID list from the AP;

selecting an SSID from the SSID list for association and recording, by the STA, an index value (BSSID) corresponding to the SSID;

wherein the determining by the STA, according to Beacon frame comprises;

according to the broadcast/multicast indication bit corresponding to the record index value (BSSID), determining whether there is a broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for the Station (STA); and

according to the DTIM Count field and the DTIM Period field that associate with the record index value (BSSID) in the element, determining when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the element further includes an Element ID field, a Length field, and a DTIM Period field.

7. An Access Point (AP) in a WLAN, the AP is shared by at least one virtual APs, or, the AP is shared by multiple Basic Service Set Identities (BSSIDs), and each virtual AP associates with an BSSID, comprising:

a setting unit, configured to, set an element corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs and a Partial Virtual Bitmap in a Beacon frame;

wherein the Partial Virtual Bitmap includes a broadcast/multicast indication bit corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs, which is used to indicating whether there is a broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for a Station (STA) associates with each of the multiple BSSIDs;

the element includes an index field and an DTIM Count field, wherein the index field is configured to identify a BSSID among the multiple BSSIDs;

the DTIM Count field associates with the BSSID in the index field, and the DTIM Count field is configured to notify the STA whether the Beacon frame is a DTIM Beacon, which is used to notify the STA when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame; and

a transceiver, configured to, send out the Beacon frame.

8. The Access Point (AP) according to claim 7,

the transceiver is further configured to receive a request message for querying an SSID list from the STA and send a response message carrying an SSID list in the AP.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the element further includes an Element ID field, a Length field, and a DTIM Period field.

10. A Station (STA) in a WLAN, wherein in the WLAN, an Access Point (AP) is shared by at least one virtual APs, or, the AP is shared by multiple Basic Service Set Identities (SSIDs), and each virtual AP associates with an BSSID, comprising:

a transceiver, configured to receive a Beacon frame sent by the AP;

wherein the Beacon frame includes an element corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs and a Partial Virtual Bitmap;

wherein the Partial Virtual Bitmap includes a broadcast/multicast indication bit corresponding to each of the multiple BSSIDs, which is used for indicating whether there is a broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for a Station (STA) associates with each of the multiple BSSIDs;

the element includes an index field and an DTIM Count field, wherein the index field is configured to identify a BSSID among the multiple BSSIDs;

the DTIM Count field associates with the BSSID in the index field, and the DTIM Count field is configured to notify the STA whether the Beacon frame is a DTIM Beacon, which is used to notify the STA when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame; and

a determining unit, configured to according to the received Beacon frame, determine whether there is broadcast/multicast frame associated with the STA buffered in the AP and when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame.

11. The Station according to the claim 10, wherein

the transceiver is further configured to send a request message for querying an SSID list to the AP and receive a response message carrying the SSID list from the AP;

the determining unit is configured to select an SSID from the SSID list for association and record an index value (BSSID) corresponding to the SSID, according to the broadcast/multicast indication bit that associates with the record index value (BSSID), determine whether there is broadcast/multicast (group addressed) frame buffered in the AP for the Station (STA); and

according to the DTIM Count field and the DTIM Period field that associate with the record index value, determine when to wake up to receive the buffered broadcast/multicast frame.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the element further includes an Element ID field, a Length field, and a DTIM Period field.