Transmission resource reservation scheme

• US 8,730,905 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Marin, Janne, Kasslin, Mika, Kneckt, Jarkko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US12/939,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/348, 370/465, 370/468, 455/68, 455/73, 455/434, 455/464
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program for acquiring transmission resources during a transmission period is provided. A first communication apparatus is arranged to utilize at least one other communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional transmission band for the first communication apparatus during the transmission period of the first communication apparatus. Upon reception of a message indicating availability of additional transmission band(s) from the at least one other communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus is configured to increase its transmission band during the transmission period.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring, in a first wireless communication apparatus, a transmission period to transmit data on a first frequency band within a determined transmission time interval, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

determining to utilize a bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band during the transmission period;

causing transmission of a reservation request message to at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation request message instructs the second wireless communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during the transmission period;

receiving a reservation response message from the at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period; and

in response to the reception of the reservation response message, increasing a transmission band to comprise both said first frequency band and said at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period thereby transmitting data on the transmission band having the increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the transmission of the reservation request message at the beginning of the transmission period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing transmission of data only on the first frequency band until the reservation response message is received during the transmission period; and

causing transmission of data on the first frequency band and on the at least one additional frequency band after the reservation response message is received during the transmission period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the reservation response message during a time interval between data transmission intervals during the transmission period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation request message comprises an identifier of the second wireless communication apparatus, and at least one frequency channel indicator indicating the at least one additional frequency band that is to be reserved by the second wireless communication apparatus.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a first wireless communication apparatus in a second communication apparatus, a reservation request message instructing the second wireless communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during a transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, the at least one additional frequency band being requested for use by the first wireless communication apparatus while transmitting data on a first frequency band, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

monitoring for availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus;

in response to detection of availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, causing transmission of a reservation response message to the first wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus to enable the first wireless communication apparatus to increase the bandwidth of transmission to comprise the first frequency band and the at least one additional frequency band so that the first wireless communication apparatus transmits data during the transmission period on a transmission band having increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing, in the second wireless communication apparatus, transmission of a reservation message reserving the at least one frequency band by triggering a network allocation vector setting to the reserved at least one frequency band.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reservation message is a clear-to-send message.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein second wireless communication apparatus is requested to reserve a plurality of frequency bands, the method further comprising causing the transmission of the reservation message on each frequency band separately.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, in the reservation request message, transmission parameters related to transmission of the reservation response message; and

transmitting the reservation response message according to the received transmission parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission parameters relate to at least one of timing and transmission frequency of the reservation response message.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

acquire a transmission period to transmit data on a first frequency band within a determined transmission time interval, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

determine to utilize a bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band during the transmission period;

cause transmission of a reservation request message from a first wireless communication apparatus to at least a second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation request message instructs the second wireless communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during the transmission period;

receive a reservation response message from the at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period; and

in response to the reception of the reservation response message, cause the first wireless communication apparatus to increase a transmission band to comprise both said first frequency band and said at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period thereby transmitting data on the transmission band having the increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause the transmission of the reservation request message at the beginning of the transmission period.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

cause transmission of data only on the first frequency band until the reservation response message is received during the transmission period; and

cause transmission of data on the first frequency band and on the at least one additional frequency band after the reservation response message is received during the transmission period.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive the reservation response message during a time interval between data transmission intervals during the transmission period.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reservation request message comprises an identifier of the second wireless communication apparatus, and at least one frequency channel indicator indicating the at least one additional frequency band that is to be reserved by the second wireless communication apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises radio interface components enabling the apparatus to access a radio medium.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

cause reception of a reservation request message from a first wireless communication apparatus the reservation request message instructing the apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during a transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, the at least one additional frequency band being requested for use by the first wireless communication apparatus while transmitting data on a first frequency band, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

monitor for availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus;

in response to detection of availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, cause transmission of a reservation response message to the first wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus to enable the first wireless communication apparatus to increase the bandwidth of transmission to comprises the first frequency band and the at least one additional frequency band so that the first wireless communication apparatus transmits data during the transmission period on a transmission band having increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause transmission of a reservation message reserving the at least one frequency band by triggering a network allocation vector setting to the reserved at least one frequency band.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the reservation message is a clear-to-send message.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is requested to reserve a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause the transmission of the reservation message on each frequency band separately.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

receive, in the reservation request message, transmission parameters related to transmission of the reservation response message; and

cause transmission of the reservation response message according to the received transmission parameters.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the transmission parameters relate to at least one of timing and transmission frequency of the reservation response message.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises radio interface components enabling the apparatus to access a radio medium.

25. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for acquiring a transmission period for a first wireless communication apparatus to transmit data on a first frequency band within a determined transmission time interval, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

code for determining to utilize a bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band during the transmission period;

code for causing transmission of a reservation request message from the first wireless communication apparatus to at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation request message instructs the second wireless communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during the transmission period;

code for receiving a reservation response message from the at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period; and

code for, in response to the reception of the reservation response message, increasing a transmission band to comprise both said first frequency band and said at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period thereby transmitting data on the transmission band having the increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.

26. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for causing reception of a reservation request message from a first wireless communication apparatus the reservation request message instructing the apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during a transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, the at least one additional frequency band being requested for use by the first wireless communication apparatus while transmitting data on a first frequency band, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network;

code for monitoring for availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus;

code for, in response to detection of availability of the at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus, causing transmission of a reservation response message to the first wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period of the first wireless communication apparatus to enable the first wireless communication apparatus to increase the bandwidth of transmission to comprise the first frequency band and the at least one additional frequency band so that the first wireless communication apparatus transmits data during the transmission period on a transmission band having increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.