System and method for increasing data throughout using a block acknowledgement

• US 8,223,647 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kakani, Naveen, Saifullah, Yousuf
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US10/895,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,918 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/394, 370/428, 370/468, 370/338, 370/474, 370/236.473, 714748-749
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1621 Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to increase data throughput by aggregating block acknowledgements. Embodiments of these systems and methods provide a single block acknowledgement for multiple traffic identifiers in data communication with a communication station. One method includes providing a multiple start sequence number corresponding to each traffic identifier of a plurality of traffic identifiers and providing a bit map corresponding to each multiple start sequence number. The bit map indicates a block acknowledgement of packets corresponding to one traffic identifier of the plurality of traffic identifiers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, in a communication frame, an aggregated block acknowledgement structure, the aggregated block acknowledgement structure comprising a plurality of block acknowledgements, wherein each block acknowledgement of the plurality of block acknowledgements comprises a start sequence number and a block acknowledgement bitmap, and wherein each block acknowledgement corresponds to one traffic identifier of a number of traffic identifiers;

providing, in the communication frame, a data field including a value indicating the number of traffic identifiers; and

causing transmission of the communication frame.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a single acknowledgement in response to multiple frames sent in aggregated fashion to a communication station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing transmission of quality of service data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication frame includes an identification for a receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication frame includes a block acknowledgement control field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication frame includes a duration field indicating a length for the communication frame.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the communication frame at the end of a communication burst.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the communication frame after a delay from the end of a communication burst.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the communication frame at a lower data rate than a data rate of communicated data from a station.

10. A system comprising:

an input/output interface; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, control the processor to at least;

generate an aggregated block acknowledgement structure comprising a plurality of block acknowledgements, wherein each block acknowledgement of the plurality of block acknowledgements comprises a start sequence number and a block acknowledgement bitmap, wherein each block acknowledgement corresponds to one traffic identifier of a number of traffic identifiers, and wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a data field indicating the number of traffic identifiers; and

cause transmission of the block acknowledgement structure using the input/output interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a block acknowledgement control field.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a duration field indicating a length for a communication frame.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein data communicated by the system comprises quality of service data.

14. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, control the device to at least;

generate an aggregated block acknowledgement structure that includes a plurality of block acknowledgements, wherein each block acknowledgement of the plurality of block acknowledgements comprises a start sequence number and a block acknowledgement bitmap, wherein each block acknowledgement corresponds to one traffic identifier of a number of traffic identifiers, and wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a data field indicating the number of traffic identifiers.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a block acknowledgement control field.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a duration field indicating a length for a communication frame.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, control the device to:

communicate quality of service data.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, control a processor to at least:

generate an aggregated block acknowledgement structure comprising a plurality of block acknowledgements, wherein each block acknowledgement of the plurality of block acknowledgements comprises a start sequence number and a block acknowledgement bitmap, wherein each block acknowledgement corresponds to one traffic identifier of a number of traffic identifiers, and wherein the aggregated block acknowledgement structure includes a data field indicating the number of traffic identifiers.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further storing executable instructions that, when executed, control the processor to determine an end to a transmit opportunity.