Protocol for wireless multi-channel access control
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer implemented method of providing channel access coordination in a wireless mesh which enables the parallel use of multiple channels, the method comprising:
- determining whether a node has a plurality of radios, and when said node does not have a plurality of radios, then transmitting control and management frames and data traffic on a same channel; and
when said node has a plurality of radios then assigning a first one of said plurality of radios as a control radio to a control channel, said control channel used to exchange control and management frames;
assigning a remainder of said plurality of radios as data radios to data channels, said data channels used to transmit and receiving data;
receiving acknowledgements for said data on said control channel; and
determining an access priority wherein said transmitting and receiving data on said at least one data channel is performed in accordance with said access priority; and
determining a node priority wherein said transmitting and receiving data on said at least one data channel is performed in accordance with said node priority, wherein said determining node priority comprises;
determining the amount of queued traffic at said node;
determining the number of transmit radios at said node; and
determining the node priority based on the amount of queued traffic at the node and the number of radios at the node by dividing the amount of queued traffic by the number of radios.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing channel access coordination in a BSS or a wireless mesh is presented. A control channel is assigned to a control radio. At least one data channel is assigned to at least one data radio. Control signals are transmitted and received on the control channel, and data is transmitted and received on the at least one data channel. Acknowledgements for the data are received on the control channel. A node having a plurality of radios can transmit and receive traffic on different data channels simultaneously.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of providing channel access coordination in a wireless mesh which enables the parallel use of multiple channels, the method comprising:
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determining whether a node has a plurality of radios, and when said node does not have a plurality of radios, then transmitting control and management frames and data traffic on a same channel; and
when said node has a plurality of radios then assigning a first one of said plurality of radios as a control radio to a control channel, said control channel used to exchange control and management frames;assigning a remainder of said plurality of radios as data radios to data channels, said data channels used to transmit and receiving data; receiving acknowledgements for said data on said control channel; and
determining an access priority wherein said transmitting and receiving data on said at least one data channel is performed in accordance with said access priority; anddetermining a node priority wherein said transmitting and receiving data on said at least one data channel is performed in accordance with said node priority, wherein said determining node priority comprises; determining the amount of queued traffic at said node; determining the number of transmit radios at said node; and determining the node priority based on the amount of queued traffic at the node and the number of radios at the node by dividing the amount of queued traffic by the number of radios. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication system comprising:
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a memory; a processor; a communications interface; an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and wherein the memory is encoded with a channel access coordination application that when executed by the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of; determining whether a node has a plurality of radios, and when said node does not have a plurality of radios, then transmitting control and management frames and data traffic on a same channel; and
when said node has a plurality of radios then assigning a first one of said plurality of radios as a control radio to a control channel, said control channel used to exchange control and management frames;assigning a remainder of said plurality of radios as data radios to data channels, said data channels used to transmit and receiving data; receiving acknowledgements for said data on said control channel; wherein the process causes the communication system to determine an access priority by assigning an access category (AC) to a frame based on user priority, determining an expiration time (ET) of a frame by adding a residual lifetime (RLT) of the frame to clock time, and adjusting a priority of the frame based on the ET of the frame by increasing frame priority when the frame has a RLT below a threshold value; and wherein the process causes the communication system to determine a node priority by; determining the amount of queued traffic at said node; determining the number of transmit radios at said node; and determining the node priority based on the amount of queued traffic at the node and the number of radios at the node by dividing the amount of queued traffic by the number of radios. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification