System and method for handling asynchronous data in a wireless network

• US 7,684,380 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Star Innovations Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Odman, Knut T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kao, Jutai
• Application Number:
  US10/347,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20030152059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/348
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

A method is provided for transmitting wireless signals in a network comprising a network coordinator and one or more remote devices. The available transmission time is divided into a plurality of superframes, each of which is further divided up into a beacon duration, one or more management time slots, one or more guaranteed time slots, and one or more asynchronous time slots. Each of the management time slots, guaranteed time slots, and asynchronous time slots are assigned to one of the one or more remote devices. The network coordinator sends a beacon to the one or more remote devices during the beacon duration. The device or coordinator assigned to the current guaranteed time slot sends frames of isochronous data in the current guaranteed time slot. The device or coordinator assigned to the current asynchronous time slot sends frames of asynchronous data in the current asynchronous time slot.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network comprising a network coordinator and one or more remote devices, comprising:

dividing up available transmission time into a plurality of superframes;

assigning only a single remote device chosen from the one or more remote devices to each of the plurality of superframes;

dividing each of the plurality of superframes into a beacon duration, one or more management time slots, and one or more guaranteed time slots;

assigning each management time slot to the single chosen remote device in a corresponding one of the plurality of superframes;

assigning each guaranteed time slot to one of the one or more remote devices or to the network coordinator;

sending a beacon from the coordinator to the one or more remote devices during the beacon duration of each of the plurality of superframes;

sending one or more frames of isochronous data in a current guaranteed time slot from the one or more remote device or network coordinator assigned to the current guaranteed time slot; and

sending one or more frames of asynchronous data in at least one of the one or more management time slots from either the network coordinator or the single chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes,

wherein the assigning of the single remote device chosen from the one or more remote devices to each of the plurality of superframes takes place during the beacon assigned to the respective superframe, and

wherein the wireless signals are ultrawide bandwidth signals.

2. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more frames of asynchronous data are sent from the chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes, and are sent to one of the network coordinator or another of the one of the one or more remote devices.

3. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more frames of asynchronous data are sent from the network coordinator, and are sent to either the one of the chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes, or another of the one of the one or more remote devices.

4. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more management time slots in a given superframe includes at least

an uplink management time slot for transferring signals between the chosen device for the given superframe and the network coordinator, and

a downlink management time slot for transferring signals between the network coordinator and the chosen device for the given superframe.

5. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1,

wherein the beacon duration is formed at the beginning of each of the superframes, and

wherein the one or more management time slots are formed directly after the beacon duration.

6. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more frames of asynchronous data is sent from the single chosen remote device to another one of the one or more remote devices.

7. A method of transmitting wireless signals in a network, as recited in claim 1, wherein the asynchronous data is non-administrative asynchronous data.

8. A wireless transmitter, comprising:

means for dividing up available transmission time into a plurality of superframes;

means for assigning only a single remote device chosen from one or more remote devices to each of the plurality of superframes;

means for dividing each of the plurality of superframes into a beacon duration, one or more management time slots, and one or more guaranteed time slots;

means for assigning each management time slot to the single chosen remote device in a corresponding one of the plurality of superframes;

means for assigning each guaranteed time slot to one of the one or more remote devices or to a network coordinator;

means for sending a beacon from the coordinator to the one or more remote devices during the beacon duration of each of the plurality of superframes;

means for sending one or more frames of isochronous data in a current guaranteed time slot from the one or more remote device or network coordinator assigned to the current guaranteed time slot; and

means for sending one or more frames of asynchronous data in at least one of the one or more management time slots from either the network coordinator or the single chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes,

wherein the means for assigning the single remote device chosen from the one or more remote devices to each of the plurality of superframes assigns the single remote device during the beacon assigned to the respective superframe, and

wherein the wireless signals are ultrawide bandwidth signals.

9. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for sending one or more frames of asynchronous data sends the one or more frames of asynchronous data from the chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes, and to one of the network coordinator or another of the one of the one or more remote devices.

10. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for sending one or more frames of asynchronous data sends the one or more frames of asynchronous data from the network coordinator, and to either the one of the chosen remote device in the corresponding one of the plurality of superframes, or another of the one of the one or more remote devices.

11. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more management time slots in a given superframe includes at least

an uplink management time slot for transferring signals between the chosen device for the given superframe and the network coordinator, and

a downlink management time slot for transferring signals between the network coordinator and the chosen device for the given superframe.

12. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for dividing each of the plurality of superframes into a beacon duration, one or more management time slots, and one or more guaranteed time slots forms the beacon duration at the beginning of each of the superframes, and forms the one or more management time slots directly after the beacon duration.

13. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the means for sending one or more frames of asynchronous data send the one or more frames of asynchronous data from the single chosen remote device to another one of the one or more remote devices.

14. A wireless transmitter, as recited in claim 8, wherein the asynchronous data is non-administrative asynchronous data.