Multiple access communication network with combined contention and reservation mode access

• US 6,240,083 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1997
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Newton, Helen R., Shin, Soon S., Lai, Cuong Hon, Wright, Andrew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US08/806,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 370/337, 370/347, 370/348, 370/349, 370/443, 370/445, 370/447, 370/461, 370/462, 370/312, 370/345, 370/346, 370/458
• US Class Current: 370/348
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

Channel access for communicating a data packet over a multiple access communication network with a forward channel and a multiple access reverse channel which efficiently handles a mix of short message and long data transfer communication type traffic is provided by combined contention and reservation mode access to the multiple reverse channel. A forward channel transmission apparatus or base station broadcasts a forward channel control packet associated with a subsequent transmission window which channel control packet includes an indication of contention or reservation mode for the subsequent transmission window and an identifier identifying a device to be granted reservation mode access to the reverse channel. The forward channel transmission apparatus allocates access to reservation mode transmissions responsive to reservation requests transmitted by reverse channel transmission apparatus or subscriber devices having data packets to transmit which exceed the data packet size which may be transmitted within the constraints of a contention mode burst. For short length data packets, the reverse channel transmission apparatus transmits the data packet in a contention window rather than transmitting a reservation request to obtain reservation mode access to the reverse channel for transmission of the data packet. The base station further transmits an acknowledgment of successfully received data packets allowing the subscriber device to submit for retransmission data packets which are not successfully transmitted without the need to involve higher layer error recovery mechanisms. The broadcast channel control packet is associated with a subsequent transmission window so that the reverse channel transmission apparatus may be provided with slow receive to transmit switching time hardware.

Claims

1. A channel access method for communicating a data packet over a multiple access communication network, the method comprising:

periodically broadcasting respective channel control packets on a forward channel in respective forward channel transmission windows, a respective channel control packet including a designation of one of a contention mode or a reservation mode for a respective corresponding reverse channel transmission window of a reverse channel, the designation of reservation mode identifying a specific device for which the corresponding reverse channel transmission window is reserved;

receiving one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated;

determining if the data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size; and

responsive to said reading step and to said step of determining if the data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size, determining whether to transmit one of the data packet or a channel reservation request in the reverse channel transmission window corresponding to the forward channel transmission window of the received broadcast control channel packet.

2. The channel access method of claim 1 wherein the following steps are performed following said step of transmitting a reservation request on the reverse channel:

receiving the transmitted reservation request; and

,

broadcasting a channel control packet on the forward channel responsive to the received transmitted reservation request indicating reservation mode and the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated.

3. The channel access method of claim 2 wherein the reservation request includes an identifier associated with a device transmitting a reservation request and wherein the following steps are performed after said step of receiving the transmitted reservation request:

reading the reservation request to determine the identifier associated with the device transmitting the reservation request; and

,

determining if reservation mode access to the reverse channel is available to the device transmitting the reservation request and the number of forward channels blocks for which access will be allocated; and

wherein said step of broadcasting a channel control packet on the forward channel responsive to the received transmitted reservation request includes the step of broadcasting a channel control packet indicating reservation mode and including an access device identifier associated with the device transmitting the reservation request if it is determined that reservation mode access is available in said determining if reservation mode access to the reverse channel is available step; and

,

wherein said step of reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated includes the step of reading the access device identifier; and

,

wherein said step of transmitting the data packet on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated includes the step of transmitting the data packet only if the received access device identifier identifies the device attempting to transmit the data packet.

4. The channel access method of claim 3 wherein the reservation request further includes an indication of the size of the data packet to be transmitted and wherein the step of determining if reservation mode access to the reverse channel is available to the device transmitting the reservation request and the number of forward channels blocks for which access will be allocated further comprises the steps of:

determining if the size of the data packet to be transmitted exceeds the predetermined maximum number of forward channel blocks;

allocating the predetermined maximum number of forward channel blocks if the size of the data packet to be transmitted exceeds the predetermined maximum number of forward channel blocks; and

allocating a number of forward channel blocks sufficient to fit the data packet to be transmitted if the size of the data packet to be transmitted does not exceed the predetermined maximum number of forward channel blocks.

5. The channel access method of claim 3 wherein said step of receiving the transmitted reservation request includes the step of receiving a plurality of transmitted reservation requests and wherein said step of determining if reservation mode access to the reverse channel is available includes the step of queuing the plurality of received transmitted reservation requests for reservation mode access to the reverse channel.

6. The channel access method of claim 3 wherein the channel control packet further includes an acknowledgment status flag associated with a previously transmitted data packet indicating whether the data packet was received.

7. The channel access method of claim 6 wherein said step of reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated includes the step of reading the acknowledgment status flag of the received channel control packet to determine if a previously transmitted data packet was received and wherein the following step is performed following said step of reading the received channel control packet:

submitting for retransmission a previously transmitted data packet if the acknowledgment status flag of the received channel control packet indicates that the previously transmitted data packet was not received.

8. The channel access method of claim 2 wherein the reverse channel transmission windows are synchronized to the forward channel and wherein said step of periodically broadcasting the channel control packet includes the step of broadcasting a channel control packet during each of the forward channel blocks.

9. The channel access method of claim 8 wherein the following step is performed following said step of reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated:

selecting one of a predetermined number of contention mode transmission windows corresponding to portions of the forward channel block designated for contention mode transmission; and

wherein said step of transmitting the data packet or said step of transmitting a reservation request transmit in the selected transmission window.

10. The channel access method of claim 8, wherein each of the channel control packets is associated with a subsequent forward channel block, wherein said forward channel block is at least one block ahead of reverse channel transmissions corresponding to the subsequent forward channel block so as to allow a minimum of a one full block interval to switch from receive to transmit and wherein the following step is performed following said step of reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated:

selecting a transmission window corresponding to the forward channel block associated with received channel control packet; and

wherein said step of transmitting the data packet or said step of transmitting a reservation request transmits in the selected transmission window.

11. The channel access method of claim 10 wherein each of said forward channel blocks includes a plurality of transmission windows and wherein said selecting step includes the step of selecting a transmission window corresponding to one of the plurality of transmission windows of the forward channel block associated with the received channel control packet.

12. The channel access method of claim 8 wherein the channel control packet further includes an acknowledgment status flag associated with a preceding one of the forward channel blocks indicating whether a transmission was received.

13. The channel access method of claim 12 wherein said step of reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated includes the step of reading the acknowledgment status flag of the received channel control packet to determine if a previous transmission was received and wherein the following step is performed following said step of reading the received channel control packet:

submitting for retransmission a preceding transmission if the acknowledgment status flag of the received channel control packet indicates that the preceding transmission was not received.

14. The channel access method of claim 1 wherein the multiple access communication network is a wireless network.

15. The channel access method of claim 14 wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

16. The channel access method of claim 1 wherein said reading step includes the step of reading the received channel control packet to determine a reverse channel operation mode.

17. The channel access method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the data packet is less than all of the data packet and wherein the step of transmitting a portion of the data packet is followed by the steps of:

determining if a remaining portion of the data packet which was not transmitted exceeds a predetermined size;

transmitting a second reservation request on the reverse channel if the remaining portion of the data packet exceeds the predetermined size;

receiving a third one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received third one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated and the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated; and

transmitting at least a portion of the remaining portion of the data packet which fits in the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated in the third one of the broadcast channel control packets on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated in the third one of the broadcast channel control packets.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the designation of a reservation mode occurs without explicitly identifying a reverse channel transmission window.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein respective ones of the reverse channel transmission windows have a respective fixed timing offset with respect to respective ones of the forward channel transmission windows.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the designation of the reservation mode includes a number of reverse channel transmission windows on the reverse channel for which access is allocated, the number of reverse channel transmission windows for which access is allocated being no more than a predetermined maximum number.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit the data packet or the channel reservation request is followed by:

transmitting the data packet on the reverse channel if contention mode is indicated in said reading step and if the data packet size is no larger than the predetermined size in said determining step.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit the data packet or the channel reservation request is followed by:

transmitting a reservation request on the reverse channel if contention mode is indicated in said reading step and if the data packet size exceeds the predetermined size in said determining step.

23. A method according claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting a reservation request on the reverse channel is followed by:

receiving a second one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated and the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated; and

,

transmitting a portion of the data packet which fits in the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated in said step of reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets.

24. A channel access method for communicating a data packet over a multiple access communication network having a forward channel defining forward channel blocks and a reverse channel which is delineated into the defined forward channel blocks for transmission windows, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically broadcasting a channel control packet on the forward channel, the channel control packet including a designation of one of a contention mode or a reservation mode, the designation of reservation mode including a number of forward channel blocks on the reverse channel for which access is allocated, the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated being no more than a predetermined maximum number of the forward channel blocks;

receiving one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated;

then determining if the received packets were received without error;

then generating a dynamic access control parameter for regulating access to the reverse channel based on whether the received packets were received without error;

determining if the data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size;

transmitting the data packet on the reverse channel if contention mode is indicated in said reading step and if the data packet size is no larger than the predetermined size in said determining step;

transmitting a reservation request on the reverse channel if contention mode is indicated in said reading step and if the data packet size exceeds the predetermined size in said determining step; and

, then,

receiving a second one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated and the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated; and

,

transmitting a portion of the data packet which fits in the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated in said step of reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets,

wherein said step of periodically broadcasting a channel control packet includes the step of periodically broadcasting a channel control packet including the generated dynamic access control parameter.

25. The channel access method of claim 24 wherein the following steps are performed following said reading step:

reading the dynamic access control parameter in the received channel control packet;

generating an access control limit value; and

submitting a packet for transmission if the generated access control limit value satisfies the dynamic access control parameter.

26. A forward channel transmission apparatus for use in a multiple access communication network, the apparatus comprising:

broadcasting means operatively connected to said forward channel for broadcasting channel control packets on a forward channel in respective forward channel transmission windows, a respective channel control packet including an indication of reservation or contention mode for a respective corresponding reverse channel transmission window of a reverse channel and an identifier, the indication of reservation mode identifying a specific device for which the corresponding reverse channel transmission window is reserved;

receiving means operatively connected to said reverse channel for receiving, during contention mode operations on the reverse channel, a data packet and a reservation request including an identifier associated with the requesting device on said reverse channel and for receiving during reservation mode operations on the reverse channel a data packet on said reverse channel;

reading means responsive to said receiving means for reading said reservation request to determine if said identifier associated with said requesting device;

determining means responsive to said reading means for determining if reservation mode access to said reverse channel is available to said requesting device request and the number of forward channels blocks for which access is allocated and for determining if reservation mode or contention mode will be selected for said reverse channel; and

,

generating means responsive to said determining means for generating said channel control packet including setting said reservation or contention mode indication and said identifier.

27. The forward channel transmission apparatus of claim 26 wherein said determining means further comprises means for determining if said data packet or said reservation request have been successfully received and wherein said channel control packet further includes an acknowledgment of successfully received data packets or reservation requests and wherein said generating means further includes means for setting said acknowledgment of successfully received data packets or reservation requests.

28. The forward channel transmission apparatus of claim 26 further comprising means for queuing a plurality of said reservation requests.

29. The forward channel transmission apparatus of claim 26 wherein said forward channel is delineated into forward channel blocks and wherein said broadcasting means includes means for broadcasting one of said channel control packets in each of said forward channel blocks and wherein transmissions on said reverse channel are synchronized to correspond to said forward channel blocks and wherein said generating means further includes means for generating and providing to said broadcasting means one of said channel control packets including an indication of reservation or contention mode and an identifier associated with a subsequent one of said forward channel blocks.

30. The forward channel transmission apparatus of claim 26 wherein said multiple access communication network is a wireless network.

31. The forward channel transmission apparatus of claim 26 wherein said wireless network is a cellular network.

32. A reverse channel transmission apparatus for use in a multiple access communication network, the apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving channel control packets on a forward channel in respective forward channel transmission windows, a respective channel control packet including a designation of one of a contention mode or a reservation mode for a respective corresponding reverse channel transmission window of a reverse channel, the designation of a reservation mode identifying a specific device for which the corresponding reverse channel transmission window is reserved;

reading means operatively connected to said receiving means for reading said received channel control packet to determine if a contention or a reservation mode is indicated and if an identifier associated with said reverse channel transmission apparatus is included in said channel control packet;

determining means for determining if a data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size;

means responsive to said reading means and said determining means for transmitting said data packet on said reverse channel if contention mode is indicated and if said data packet is no larger than said predetermined size and for transmitting a portion of said data packet which fits in the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated on said reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated and if an identifier associated with said reverse channel transmission apparatus is included in said channel control packet; and

,

means responsive to said reading means and said determining means for transmitting a reservation request on said reverse channel if contention mode is indicated and if the size of said data packet exceeds said predetermined size.

33. The reverse channel transmission apparatus of claim 32 wherein said means for reading said received channel control packet includes means for reading an acknowledgment status flag in said channel control packet to determine if a previously transmitted data packet was received and wherein said reverse channel transmission apparatus further comprises:

means responsive to said reading means for submitting for retransmission said previously transmitted data packet if said previously transmitted data packet was not received.

34. The reverse channel transmission apparatus of claim 32 wherein said forward channel is delineated into forward channel blocks and wherein transmissions by said means for transmitting data packets and said means for transmitting reservation requests are synchronized to correspond to said forward channel blocks and wherein said means for transmitting data packets and said means for transmitting reservation requests transmit in a selected subsequent one of said forward channel blocks associated with said received channel control packet.

35. The reverse channel transmission apparatus of claim 32 wherein said multiple access communication network is a wireless network.

36. The reverse channel transmission apparatus of claim 35 wherein said wireless network is a cellular network.

37. The reverse channel transmission apparatus of claim 32 wherein the portion of the data packet is less than all of the data packet, the apparatus further comprising:

means for determining if a remaining portion of the data packet which was not transmitted exceeds a predetermined size;

means for transmitting a second reservation request on the reverse channel if the remaining portion of the data packet exceeds the predetermined size;

means for receiving a third one of the broadcast channel control packets;

means for reading the received third one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated and the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated; and

means for transmitting at least a portion of the remaining portion of the data packet which fits in the number of forward channel blocks for which access is allocated in the third one of the broadcast channel control packets on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated in the third one of the broadcast channel control packets.

38. A channel access method for communicating a data packet over a multiple access communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically broadcasting respective channel control packets on a forward channel in respective forward channel transmission windows, a respective channel control packet including a designation of one of a contention mode or a reservation mode for a respective corresponding reverse channel transmission window of a reverse channel, the designation of reservation mode identifying a specific device for which the corresponding reverse channel transmission window is reserved;

receiving one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received channel control packet to determine if a contention or reservation mode is indicated;

determining if the data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size; and

transmitting a reservation request on the reverse channel instead of the data packet if contention mode is indicated in said reading step and if the data packet size exceeds the predetermined size in said determining step; and

, then,

receiving a second one of the broadcast channel control packets;

reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets to determine if reservation mode is indicated; and

,

transmitting the data packet on the reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated in said step of reading the received second one of the broadcast channel control packets.

39. A reverse channel transmission apparatus for use in a multiple access communication network, the apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving channel control packets on a forward channel in respective forward channel transmission windows, a respective channel control packet including a designation of one of a contention mode or a reservation mode for a respective corresponding reverse channel transmission window of a reverse channel, the designation of reservation mode identifying a specific device for which the corresponding reverse channel transmission window is reserved;

reading means operatively connected to said receiving means for reading said received channel control packet to determine if a contention or a reservation mode is indicated and if an identifier associated with said reverse channel transmission apparatus is included in said channel control packet;

determining means for determining if a data packet to be communicated exceeds a predetermined size;

means responsive to said reading means and said determining means for transmitting said data packet on said reverse channel if contention mode is indicated and if said data packet is no larger than said predetermined size and for transmitting said data packet on said reverse channel if reservation mode is indicated and if an identifier associated with said reverse channel transmission apparatus is included in said channel control packet; and

,

means responsive to said reading means and said determining means for transmitting a reservation request instead of the data packet on said reverse channel if contention mode is indicated and if the size of said data packet exceeds said predetermined size.