Transmit announcement indication

• US 8,594,122 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wentink, Menzo
• Primary Examiner(s): RIYAMI, ABDULLAH A
• Application Number:
  US11/627,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20070190942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/336, 370/338, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/350, 370/431, 370/443, 370/444, 370/433, 370/448, 370/445, 370/465, 370/474, 370/447, 455/41.2, 455/69, 455/91, 455/296
• US Class Current: 370/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmission announcement indication are disclosed. A transmission announcement indication is provided for use inside a communications frame addressed to a destination as an indication that another transmission for that same destination will follow.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a first communication frame from a first station to a second station;

wherein the first communication frame comprises an address of the second station and a transmit announcement indication indicating that a second communication frame intended for the second station will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station, and wherein the second communication frame follows after a short inter frame space (SIFS) after the first communication frame with the transmit announcement indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first communication frame comprises providing the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving, by the first station, a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the second communication frame from the first station to the second station, wherein the second communication frame does not include the address of the second station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first communication frame comprises providing the transmit announcement indication in a quality of service null (QoS-null) frame.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, by the first station, an acknowledgement (ACK) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the QoS-null frame.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the transmit announcement indication comprises providing the transmit announcement indication with a clear to send (CTS) frame.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication frame comprises a physical layer (PHY) header without a media access control (MAC) portion.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a bit inside a MAC header field.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the bit comprises an high throughput-control field.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit announcement indication is located within one of a data frame, a management frame, or a control frame.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit announcement indication precedes a zero-length frame.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a first communication frame from a first station to a second station;

wherein the first communication frame comprises an address of the second station and a transmit announcement indication indicating that a second communication frame intended for the second station will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station, and wherein the second communication frame follows after a short inter frame space (SIFS) after the first communication frame with the transmit announcement indication.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein transmitting the first communication frame comprises providing the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

16. A system comprising:

a transmitter configured to;

transmit a first communication frame from a first station to a second station;

wherein the first communication frame comprises an address of the second station and a transmit announcement indication indicating that a second communication frame intended for the second station will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station, and wherein the second communication frame follows after a short inter frame space (SIFS) after the first communication frame with the transmit announcement indication.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the transmitter is further configured to provide the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a receiver configured to receive, by the first station, a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the first station comprises one of a wireless radio, desktop computer, portable computer, laptop computer, multi-media players, personal digital assistant (PDA), printer, fax machine, scanner, hub, switch, router, set-top box, and television with communication capability.

27. A method comprising:

receiving a first communication frame from a first station at a second station, wherein the first communication frame includes an address of the second station and a transmit announcement indication that indicates that a second communication frame intended for the second station will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station; and

receiving, at the second station, the second communication frame after a short inter frame space (SIFS) that follows the first communication frame.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the first communication frame comprises receiving the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising transmitting a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station to the first station in response to receiving the RTS frame.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the first communication frame comprises receiving the transmit announcement indication in a quality of service null (QoS-null) frame.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) frame at the second station from the first station.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving the first communication frame comprises receiving the transmit announcement indication with a clear to send (CTS) frame.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first communication frame from a first station, wherein the first communication frame includes an address of a second station and a transmit announcement indication that indicates that a second communication frame will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station; and

receiving, at the second station, the second communication frame after a short inter frame space (SIFS) that follows the first communication frame.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the receiving the first communication frame comprises receiving the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a clear to send (CTS) frame to the first station in response to the RTS frame.

38. A system comprising:

a receiver configured to;

receive a first communication frame from a first station at a second station, wherein the first communication frame includes an address of the second station and a transmit announcement indication that indicates that a second communication frame intended for the second station will follow the first communication frame and that the second communication frame will not include the address of the second station; and

receive the second communication frame after a short inter frame space (SIFS) that follows the first communication frame.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station to the first station in response to the RTS frame.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein the second station comprises one of a wireless radio, desktop computer, portable computer, laptop computer, multi-media players, personal digital assistant (PDA), printer, fax machine, scanner, hub, switch, router, set-top box, and television with communication capability.