Enhanced carrier sensing for multi-channel operation

• US 8,259,745 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gong, Michelle X, Stephens, Adrian P
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US12/748,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-329, 370335-336, 370/338, 370342-343, 370345-346, 370/348, 370441-442, 370/445, 370447-450, 370458-459, 370461-462
• US Class Current: 370/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

In various embodiments, a multi-channel request-to-send and a multi-channel clear-to-send may be used in a wireless communications network to assure that a subsequent multi-channel communications exchange between two devices takes place only over channels that are sensed by both devices as being free.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising

a first device for operating in a wireless communication network, the first device including a processor, a memory, and at least one radio, the at least one radio to:

transmit a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) to reserve multiple channels to a second device in the wireless communications network, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the first device as being free;

receive a first multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) from the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the second device as being free; and

transmit a message to the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first indication is to include a bit map.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MRTS is to be transmitted simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MCTS is to be received simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the MRTS is to be transmitted to the second device and to a third device; and

the first device is to receive a second MCTS from the third device, the second MCTS to include a third indication of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were also sensed by the third device as being free.

6. A method, comprising:

transmitting a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) from a first device to reserve multiple channels to a second device in a wireless communications network, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the first device as being free;

receiving a multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) from the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the second device as being free; and

transmitting a message to the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first indication includes a bit map.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said transmitting the MRTS comprises transmitting simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said receiving the MCTS comprises receiving the MCTS simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the MRTS to a third device in the wireless communications network;

receiving a second MCTS from the third device, the second MCTS to include a third indication of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the third device as being free; and

transmitting a message to the third device using one or more of the channels indicated by the third indication.

11. An article comprising

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

transmitting a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) from a first device to reserve multiple channels to a second device in a wireless communications network, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the first device as being free;

receiving a multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) from the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the second device as being free; and

transmitting a message to the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the first indication includes a bit map.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the operation of transmitting the MRTS comprises transmitting the MRTS on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the operation of receiving the MCTS comprises receiving the MCTS on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.

15. The article of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the MRTS to a third device in the wireless communications network;

receiving a second MCTS from the third device, the second MCTS to include a third indication of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the third device as being free; and

transmitting a message to the third device using one or more of the channels indicated by the third indication.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a first device to operate in a wireless communication network, the first device including a processor, a memory, and at least one radio, the at least one radio to;

receive a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) to reserve multiple channels from a second device in the wireless communications network, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the second device as being free;

transmit a multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) to the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the first device as being free; and

receive a message from the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second indication is to include a bit map.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the MRTS is to be received simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the MCTS is to be transmitted simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless communications device, a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) to reserve multiple channels from a second wireless communications device, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the second device as being free;

transmitting a multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) to the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the first device as being free; and

receiving a transmission from the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second indication includes a bit map.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving the MRTS simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the MCTS simultaneously on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.

24. An article comprising

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless communications device, a multi-channel request-to-send (MRTS) to reserve multiple channels from a second wireless communications device, a first indication in the MRTS of which of multiple channels were sensed by the second device as being free;

transmitting a multi-channel clear-to-send (MCTS) to the second device, a second indication in the MCTS of which of the multiple channels indicated by the first indication were sensed by the first device as being free; and

receiving a transmission from the second device using one or more of the channels indicated by the second indication.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein the second indication includes a bit map.

26. The article of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the MRTS on each of the channels indicated as being free by the first indication.

27. The article of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the MCTS on each of the channels indicated as being free by the second indication.