Techniques to manage retransmissions in a wireless network

• US 7,668,102 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ho, Minnie, Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US11/011,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20060126513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 370/334, 370/315, 370/506, 370/328, 370/230, 370/338, 370/469, 370/394, 370/403, 455/132, 455/63.1
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Method and apparatus to manage retransmissions in a wireless network are described.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver array having multiple antennas and multiple receivers, said receivers to receive a physical protocol data unit including a length value of the physical protocol data unit and having multiple media access control protocol data units; and

a media access controller to connect to said transceiver array, said media access controller to use said length value to estimate when to generate a block acknowledgement message, said block acknowledgment message to include an individual acknowledgement value for each media access control protocol data unit, with each individual acknowledgement value to indicate whether a corresponding media access control protocol data unit has been received.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said media access controller is to monitor a first power level for said received physical protocol data unit, compare said power level to a second power level, and estimate when to generate said block acknowledgement message in accordance with said comparison.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transceiver away includes at least one transmitter, said media access controller to send said block acknowledgement message using said transmitter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said media access controller is to send said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval, said delay interval to represent a time interval to resend said physical protocol data unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said delay interval comprises a short interframe spacing time.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said physical protocol data unit includes a block acknowledgement request, said media access controller to send said block acknowledgement message during said delay interval even if said receivers fail to receive said block acknowledgement request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each media access control protocol data unit includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols.

8. A system, comprising:

an access point to send a physical protocol data unit including a length value of the physical protocol data unit and having multiple media access control protocol data units;

a station to receive said packet, said station comprising;

a transceiver array having multiple antennas and multiple receivers, said receivers to receive said physical protocol data unit; and

a media access controller to connect to said transceiver array, said media access controller to use said length value to estimate when to generate a block acknowledgement message, said block acknowledgment message to include an individual acknowledgement value for each media access control protocol data unit, with each individual acknowledgement value to indicate whether a corresponding media access control protocol data unit has been received.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said media access controller is to monitor a first power level for said received physical protocol data unit, compare said power level to a second power level, and estimate when to generate said block acknowledgement message in accordance with said comparison.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said transceiver away includes at least one transmitter, said media access controller to send said block acknowledgement message using said transmitter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said media access controller is to send said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval, said delay interval to represent a time interval to resend said physical protocol data unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said delay interval comprises a short interframe spacing time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said physical protocol data unit includes a block acknowledgement request, said media access controller to send said block acknowledgement message during said delay interval even if said receivers fail to receive said block acknowledgement request.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein each media access control protocol data unit includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbols.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a physical protocol data unit including a length value of the physical protocol data unit and having multiple media access control protocol data units;

estimating when to generate a block acknowledgement message for said physical protocol data unit using said length value; and

generating a block acknowledgement message using said estimate, said block acknowledgment message to include an individual acknowledgement value for each media access control protocol data unit, with each individual acknowledgement value to indicate whether a corresponding media access control protocol data unit has been received.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said estimating comprises:

monitoring a first power level for said received physical protocol data unit;

comparing said first power level to a second power level; and

estimating when to generate said block acknowledgement message in accordance with said comparison.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval to resend said physical protocol data unit.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval to resend said physical protocol data unit if a block acknowledgement request is not received during said delay interval.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving said block acknowledgement message; and

resending at least one of said media access control protocol data units in accordance with said block acknowledgement message.

20. An article, comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, are operable to receive a physical protocol data unit including a length value of the physical protocol data unit and having multiple media access control protocol data units, estimate when to generate a block acknowledgement message for said physical protocol data unit using said length value, and generate a block acknowledgement message using said estimate, said block acknowledgment message to include an individual acknowledgement value for each media access control protocol data unit, with each individual acknowledgement value to indicate whether a corresponding media access control protocol data unit has been received.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, are further operable to monitor a first power level for said received physical protocol data unit, compare said first power level to a second power level, and estimate when to generate said block acknowledgement message in accordance with said comparison.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, are further operable to send said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval to resend said physical protocol data unit.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, are further operable to send said block acknowledgement message during a delay interval to resend said physical protocol data unit if a block acknowledgement request is not received during said delay interval.

24. The article of claim 23, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, are further operable to receive said block acknowledgement message, and resend at least one of said media access control protocol data units in accordance with said block acknowledgement message.