Transmit power management in shared-communications channel networks
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting data in a wireless network comprising:
- transmitting from a station a request-to-send (RTS) frame at a first potency, wherein the first potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a first bit rate and a first radiated power level;
receiving at the station a clear-to-send (CTS) frame in response to the RTS frame, wherein the CTS frame has a second potency determinable, based at least in part on, a second bit rate and a second radiated power level;
transmitting from the station a data frame in response to the CTS frame, wherein the data frame is transmitted at a third potency determinable, based at least in part on, a third bit rate and a third radiated power level; and
receiving at the station an acknowledgment frame as a response to the data frame, wherein the acknowledgment frame has a fourth potency determinable, based at least in part on, a fourth bit rate, a fourth radiated power level, and a frame size of the acknowledgement frame,wherein at least one of the first potency, the second potency, and the fourth potency is greater than the third potency, andwherein the third bit rate is greater than at least one of the first bit rate and the second bit rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of ameliorating the hidden node problem in wireless local area networks employing power control is disclosed. The illustrative embodiments function in a variety of ways that have a common theme: while the Data Frames are transmitted at lesser potency, at least one of the control frames—Request-to-Send, Clear-to-Send, and Acknowledgement—associated with the Data Frame are sent at a greater potency. This causes at least one of the “loud” control frames to be heard and decoded by all of the potentially contending stations. And because the control frames carry duration information for the virtual carrier sense mechanism, their reception suppresses transmissions by potentially-contending stations that cannot sense the “quiet” Data Frames.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting data in a wireless network comprising:
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transmitting from a station a request-to-send (RTS) frame at a first potency, wherein the first potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a first bit rate and a first radiated power level; receiving at the station a clear-to-send (CTS) frame in response to the RTS frame, wherein the CTS frame has a second potency determinable, based at least in part on, a second bit rate and a second radiated power level; transmitting from the station a data frame in response to the CTS frame, wherein the data frame is transmitted at a third potency determinable, based at least in part on, a third bit rate and a third radiated power level; and receiving at the station an acknowledgment frame as a response to the data frame, wherein the acknowledgment frame has a fourth potency determinable, based at least in part on, a fourth bit rate, a fourth radiated power level, and a frame size of the acknowledgement frame, wherein at least one of the first potency, the second potency, and the fourth potency is greater than the third potency, and wherein the third bit rate is greater than at least one of the first bit rate and the second bit rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of receiving data frames transmitted in the wireless network comprising:
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receiving at a first station a request-to-send (RTS) frame from a transmitting station, wherein the RTS frame has a first potency and wherein the first potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a first bit rate and a first radiated power level transmitting from the first station a clear-to-send (CTS) frame in response to the RTS frame and the availability of the media channel, wherein the CTS frame is transmitted at a second potency determinable, based at least in part on, a second bit rate and a second radiated power level; receiving at the first station a data frame as a response to the CTS frame, wherein the data frame has a third potency determinable, based at least in part on, a third bit rate and a third radiated power level; and transmitting from the first station an acknowledgment frame in response to the data frame, wherein the acknowledge frame has a fourth potency determinable, based at least in art on, a fourth bit rate and a fourth radiated power level, wherein at least one of the first potency, the second potency, and the fourth potency is greater than the third potency, and wherein the third bit rate is greater than at least one of the first bit rate and the second bit rate. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for transmitting data frames in a wireless network comprising:
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a transmitter configured to determine a first potency, based at least in part on, at least a first bit rate and a first radiated power level and to transmit a request-to-send (RTS) frame at the first potency; and a receiver configured to receive a clear-to-send (CTS) frame at a second potency, wherein the CTS frame is a response to the RTS frame and wherein the second potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a second bit rate and a second radiated power level, wherein the transmitter is further configured to determine a third potency, based at least in part on, a third bit rate and a third radiated power level and to transmit in response to the CTS frame at least one data frame at the third potency, wherein the third potency is less than at least one of the first potency and the second potency, and wherein the third bit rate is greater than at least one of the first bit rate and the second bit rate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for receiving data frames in a wireless network comprising:
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a receiver for receiving a request-to-send (RTS) frame at a first potency, wherein the first potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a first bit rate and a first radiated power level; and a transmitter for determining a second potency, based at least in part on, a second bit rate and a second radiated power level and for transmitting in response to the RTS frame a clear-to-send (CTS) frame at the second potency, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive at least one data frame at a third potency, wherein the third potency is determinable, based at least in part on, a third bit rate and a third radiated power level, wherein the third potency is less than at least one of the first potency and the second potency, and wherein the third bit rate is greater than at least one of the first bit rate and the second bit rate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification