Method and system for controlling access to a wireless communication medium

• US 8,649,322 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grandhi, Sudheer A., Chandra, Arty, Levy, Joseph S., Terry, Stephen E., Shaheen, Kamel M., Zeira, Eldad
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Ben H
• Application Number:
  US11/199,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,109 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-338
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/02 Diversity systems; Multi-antenna system, i.e. transmission or reception using multiple antennas RAKE receivers H04B1/7115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2612 Arrangements for wireless medium access control, e.g. by allocating physical layer transmission capacity H04B7/2615 - H04B7/2643 take precedence; provision for broadband connection H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access to a wireless communication medium are disclosed. The system includes at least one access point (AP) and at least one station (STA). The AP defines a superframe for transmission of data in a time domain having a high throughput (HT) period which includes at least one scheduled resource allocation (SRA) and at least one management SRA (MSRA). The AP broadcasts an extended beacon (EB) including information about the SRA and MSRA. The SRA is defined for transmitting traffic data between the AP and the STA, and the MSRA is defined for transmitting management and control data between the AP and the STA. The system reduces station battery consumption, supports higher throughput for non-real time (NRT) traffic and is more efficient for real time (RT) traffic while maintaining full compatibility.

Claims

1. A method for use in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n access point (AP), the method comprising:

broadcasting, by the IEEE 802.11n AP, an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon in a beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon is decodable by legacy IEEE 802.11 stations (STA)s and IEEE 802.11n STAs and includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval; and

broadcasting, by the IEEE 802.11n AP, the second beacon in the beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is broadcast at a higher data rate than the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval indicates when the IEEE 802.11n beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon includes information included in the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon is identical to the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon includes an identification of the IEEE 802.11n beacon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon interval is a time period between successive broadcasts of the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon by the AP.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element (IE) that indicates a plurality of supported rates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element (IE) that indicates an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) parameter set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element that indicates channel information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval includes one of a periodicity, frequency band, or subchannel information of the second beacon.

11. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n access point (AP) comprising:

a transmitter configured to;

broadcast an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon in a beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon is decodable by legacy IEEE 802.11 stations (STA)s and IEEE 802.11n STAs and includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval; and

broadcast the second beacon in the beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is broadcast at a higher data rate than the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

12. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the indication indicates when the IEEE 802.11n beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval.

13. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that includes information included in the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

14. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is identical to the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

15. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that includes an identification of the IEEE 802.11n beacon.

16. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the beacon interval is a time period between successive broadcasts of the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

17. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates a plurality of supported rates.

18. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) parameter set.

19. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to broadcast an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates channel information.

20. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 11, wherein the indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval includes one of a periodicity, frequency band, or subchannel information of the second beacon.

21. A method for use in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n high throughput (HT) station (STA), the method comprising:

receiving, from an IEEE 802.11n access point (AP), an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon in a beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon is decodable by legacy IEEE 802.11 STAs and IEEE 802.11n STAs and includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be received from the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval; and

receiving, from the IEEE 802.11n AP, an IEEE 802.11n beacon in the beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon is received at a higher data rate than the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the indication of whether the second beacon will be received from the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval indicates when the IEEE 802.11n beacon will be received within the beacon interval.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon includes information included in the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon is identical to the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon includes an identification of the IEEE 802.11n beacon.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the beacon interval is a time period between successive broadcasts of the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon from the IEEE 802.11n AP.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element (IE) that indicates a plurality of supported rates.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element (IE) that indicates an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) parameter set.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon comprises an information element (IE) that indicates channel information.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval includes one of a periodicity, frequency band, or subchannel information of the second beacon.

31. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n high throughput (HT) station (STA) comprising:

a receiver configured to;

receive, from an IEEE 802.11n access point (AP), an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon in a beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon is decodable by legacy IEEE 802.11 STAs and IEEE 802.11n STAs and includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be received from the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval; and

receive, from the IEEE 802.11n AP, the second beacon in the beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is received at a higher data rate than the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

32. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication that includes when the IEEE 802.11n beacon will be received from the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval.

33. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that includes information included in the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

34. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is identical to the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

35. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that includes an identification of the IEEE 802.11n beacon.

36. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the beacon interval is a time period between successive broadcasts of the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon from the IEEE 802.11n AP.

37. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates a plurality of supported rates.

38. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) parameter set.

39. The IEEE 802.11n HT STA of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an IEEE 802.11n beacon that comprises an information element (IE) that indicates channel information.

40. The IEEE 802.11 HT STA of claim 31, wherein the indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval includes one of a periodicity, frequency band, or subchannel information of the second beacon.

41. An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11n access point (AP) comprising:

a transmitter configured to;

broadcast an IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon in a beacon interval, wherein the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon is decodable by legacy IEEE 802.11 stations (STA)s and IEEE 802.11n STAs and includes an indication of whether a second beacon will be broadcasted by the IEEE 802.11n AP within the beacon interval; and

broadcast the second beacon in the beacon interval, wherein the second beacon is an IEEE 802.11n beacon that is decodable only by IEEE 802.11n STAs.

42. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 41, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon has a greater transmission range compared to the IEEE 802.11 legacy beacon.

43. The IEEE 802.11n AP of claim 41, wherein the IEEE 802.11n beacon includes an indication that the IEEE 802.11n beacon is an IEEE 802.11n beacon.