Method for a simple 802.11e HCF implementation
First Claim
1. A method for controlling access by an access point, comprising:
- allocating a fixed transmission window to a target station, the transmission window of sufficient size to enable the target station to send a queued frame in response to a poll;
establishing a polling schedule for the target station;
allocating a maximum amount of uplink data based on an application data rate for the target station;
polling the target station according to the polling schedule when the uplink data sent by the target station does not exceed an admitted data rate; and
,reclaiming a channel by the access point when the access point receives a response from the target station indicating a last frame of the uplink data explicitly returning the channel to the access point.
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Abstract
A Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF) implementation wherein an access point'"'"'s existing (E)DCF transmit queues are augmented by at least one strict priority HCF transmit queue. The HCF queues are only used to schedule downlink data and CF-Poll transmissions are used for admitted downlink flows and for uplink flows. The 802.1D user priority value is used to select the HCF queue for an admitted flow. The strict priority HCF transmit queues are always serviced first, in priority order before any other (E)DCF transmit queue. The channel is considered busy to (E)DCF transmit queues while the strict priority queues are being serviced. An admissions control mechanism is used to control data flows and prevents the strict priority traffic from starving (E)DCF traffic. A single, simple AP scheduler is used for scheduling both polling times and station wakeup time.
6 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for controlling access by an access point, comprising:
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allocating a fixed transmission window to a target station, the transmission window of sufficient size to enable the target station to send a queued frame in response to a poll; establishing a polling schedule for the target station; allocating a maximum amount of uplink data based on an application data rate for the target station; polling the target station according to the polling schedule when the uplink data sent by the target station does not exceed an admitted data rate; and
,reclaiming a channel by the access point when the access point receives a response from the target station indicating a last frame of the uplink data explicitly returning the channel to the access point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21)
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11. An access point, comprising
at least one strict priority transmit queue and at least one transmit queue having a lower priority than strict priority queue; - and
wherein the access point is operative to allocate a fixed transmission window to a target station, the transmission window of sufficient size to enable the target station to send a queued frame in response to a poll; wherein the access point is further operative to establish a polling schedule for the target station; wherein the access point is further operative to allocate a maximum amount of uplink data based on an application data rate for the target station; wherein the access point is further operative to poll the target station according to the polling schedule by placing a poll frame in the strict priority queue when the uplink data sent by the target station does not exceed an admitted data rate; and
,wherein the access point is further operative to reclaim a channel when the access point receives a response from the target station indicating a last frame of the uplink data explicitly returning the channel to the access point. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification