Packet concatenation in wireless networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transmitter for preparing a concatenated data packet for transmission to a plurality of receiving devices, comprising:
- means for preparing a preamble, a standard signal field comprising a length field for indicating a length of the concatenated data packet, a first signal field that describes characteristics of a first data packet and a second signal field that describes characteristics of a second data packet; and
means for broadcasting the preamble, the standard signal field, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet as a concatenated packet to receiving devices able to decode the concatenated message and to receiving devices unable to decode the concatenated message,wherein legacy receiving devices use the length of the concatenated packet to defer to a wireless medium and the receiving devices able to decode concatenated messages detect use the first signal field to identify the first data packet succeeding the preamble as a concatenated data packet by detecting that the first signal field follows directly after the standard signal field,wherein the preamble, the standard signal field, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet are transmitted in order, andwherein the first signal field is immediately followed in time by the first data packet and the second signal field is immediately followed in time by the second data packet.
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Abstract
A wireless network includes a transmitting device and a plurality of receiving devices. The transmitting device is configured to receive a plurality of data packets, including a first data packet and a second data packet, prepare a preamble, prepare a signal field for each of the plurality of data packets, including a first signal field based on the first data packet and a second signal field based on the second data packet, and broadcast the preamble, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet as a concatenated packet.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A transmitter for preparing a concatenated data packet for transmission to a plurality of receiving devices, comprising:
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means for preparing a preamble, a standard signal field comprising a length field for indicating a length of the concatenated data packet, a first signal field that describes characteristics of a first data packet and a second signal field that describes characteristics of a second data packet; and means for broadcasting the preamble, the standard signal field, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet as a concatenated packet to receiving devices able to decode the concatenated message and to receiving devices unable to decode the concatenated message, wherein legacy receiving devices use the length of the concatenated packet to defer to a wireless medium and the receiving devices able to decode concatenated messages detect use the first signal field to identify the first data packet succeeding the preamble as a concatenated data packet by detecting that the first signal field follows directly after the standard signal field, wherein the preamble, the standard signal field, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet are transmitted in order, and wherein the first signal field is immediately followed in time by the first data packet and the second signal field is immediately followed in time by the second data packet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for preparing a concatenated data packet for transmission to a plurality of receiving devices, comprising:
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preparing a preamble; preparing a first signal field that describes characteristics of a first data packet; preparing a second signal field that describes characteristics of a second data packet; preparing a standard signal field, the standard signal field comprising a length field for indicating a length of the concatenated data packet; assembling the preamble, the standard signal field, the first signal field, the second signal field, the first data packet, and the second data packet to form the concatenated data packet; broadcasting the concatenated data packet to the plurality of receiving devices; requesting an acknowledgement from a first one of a plurality of receiving devices; and in the absence of an acknowledgement from the first one of the plurality of receiving devices, rebroadcasting at least one of the first data packet or the second data packet that was originally directed to the first one of the plurality of receiving devices; wherein legacy receiving devices use the length of the concatenated packet to defer to a wireless medium and receiving devices able to decode concatenated messages use the first signal field to identify the first data packet succeeding the preamble as a concatenated data packet by detecting that the first signal field follows directly after the standard signal field. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification