System and method for reservation of disjoint time intervals in wireless local area networks

• US 8,824,495 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Qin, Xiangping, Singh, Harkirat, Ngo, Chiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, WEI PO ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/415,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20100002639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230, 370/310, 370/312, 370/328, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/338, 370/345, 370/346, 370/347, 370/348, 370/349, 370/350, 370/432, 370/433, 370/442, 370/449, 370/450, 370/458, 370/459
• US Class Current: 370/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0891 for synchronized access

Abstract

A system and method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network. Parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV) define a reservation of a plurality of disjoint time durations during which transmissions by devices other than a target device are deferred. Parameters are sent as a control or data packet over a network and received by the devices associated with the network.

Claims

1. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting a first control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more other devices in the wireless network are to be deferred, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

setting the disjoint NAV;

deferring transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks; and

clearing the disjoint NAV if a message indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a particular period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one or more data packets to a target device during the plurality of disjoint time blocks.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more data packets during the plurality of disjoint time blocks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second control packet from a target device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first control packet is a request-to-send (RTS) message, and the second control packet is a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting an RTS message and receiving a CTS message between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control packet is a request-to-send (RTS) message or a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising deferring transmissions during disjoint time blocks for any devices that receive a first RTS message and a first CTS message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmissions are deferred for a particular number of times with an interval equal to reoccurrence time.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

for a predefined number of times that an RTS message or a CTS message is received incorrectly, freeing time blocks for transmission by clearing NAV settings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control packet includes a target ID indicative of a target device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network utilizes an IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of disjoint time blocks do not occur at equal time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include one or more time durations of the disjoint time blocks, and one or more time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting an RTS message and receiving a CTS message between two consecutive disjoint time blocks.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of disjoint time blocks are periodic time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of disjoint time blocks are periodic time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the periodic time blocks are of a same time duration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least some of the periodic time blocks include audio data, video data, or audio and video (A/V) data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the time duration to be:

less than or equal to a preset maximum time duration; and

greater than or equal to a preset minimum time duration.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the time interval to be:

less than or equal to a preset maximum time interval; and

greater than or equal to a preset minimum time interval.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring a duty cycle ratio between the time duration and the time interval to be less than or equal to a preset maximum duty cycle ratio.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising requiring the total number of the periodic time blocks to be less than or equal to a preset maximum number of time blocks.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein an RTS message is transmitted and a CTS message is received during the at least one beacon protection time block.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks further include periodic disjoint time blocks that occur at equal time intervals.

26. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

determining that a receiving device is not the target device;

setting the disjoint NAV;

deferring transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks; and

clearing the disjoint NAV if a message indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a particular period.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the control packet includes a request-to-send (RTS) message or a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising periodically receiving one or more additional RTS or CTS messages, wherein the one or more additional RTS or CTS messages are indicative of the disjoint NAV.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the message indicative of the disjoint NAV comprises an RTS or CTS message, and the particular period comprises a preset number of times.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the message indicative of the disjoint NAV comprises an RTS or CTS message, and the particular period comprises a next scheduled disjoint time block.

31. A method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a first control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

determining that a receiving device is the target device;

receiving data packets during one or more of the plurality of the disjoint time blocks; and

clearing the disjoint NAV if an additional control packet indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a particular period.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising transmitting a second control packet.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second control packet is indicative of the disjoint NAV.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first control packet includes a request-to-send (RTS) message, and the second control packet includes a clear-to-send (CTS) message.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising periodically receiving one or more additional control packets indicative of the disjoint NAV.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the particular period comprises a preset number of times.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the particular period comprises a next scheduled disjoint time block.

38. A system for reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more other devices in the wireless network are to be deferred, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two disjoint consecutive time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

set the disjoint NAV;

defer transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks; and

clear the disjoint NAV if a message indicative of the disjoint NAV is not received for a preset number of times or is not received before a next scheduled disjoint time block.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising an antenna, in data communication with the processor, configured to transmit the control packet.

40. A system for reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a target device and a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more devices other than the target device are to be deferred, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time durations of the disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

determine if a receiving device is the target device;

set the disjoint NAV if the receiving device is not the target device;

defer transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks if the disjoint NAV is set; and

receive data packets during one or more of the plurality of the disjoint time blocks if the receiving device is the target device.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising an antenna, in data communication with the processor, configured to receive the control packet.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the wireless network operates at a frequency from about 2.4 GHz to about 60 GHz.

43. A system for reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate a control packet comprising parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV), the parameters indicative of a plurality of disjoint time blocks during which transmissions by one or more other devices in the wireless network are to be deferred, wherein the parameters indicative of the plurality of disjoint time blocks include a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, a total number of periodic time blocks, and a plurality of time intervals between two consecutive time blocks, wherein the plurality of disjoint time blocks include;

at least one beacon protection time block during which a beacon for a superframe is transmitted, and a first time duration, a time interval between two consecutive disjoint time blocks, and a second time duration, wherein the beacon is transmitted during the second time duration;

determine that a receiving device is not a target device;

set the disjoint NAV;

defer transmissions of data packets during one or more of the plurality of disjoint time blocks; and

for a predefined number of times that a message indicative of a disjoint NAV is received incorrectly, free time blocks for transmission by clearing NAV settings.