Method for achieving backward compatibility in large bandwidth wireless network, and access point

• US 9,094,970 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Lv, Kaiying, Sun, Bo, Li, Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): SMARTH, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/882,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method for achieving backward compatibility in a large bandwidth wireless network and an Access Point (AP) for solving the technical problem of compatibility between a more effective channelization solution and a plurality of existing channelization solutions. The technical solution of the disclosure is implemented on the basis of time division multiplexing and frequency division multiplexing, and under the time division multiplexing mode, the AP sends/receives wireless frames on channels belonging to a first and a second channelization set respectively and alternately in terms of time according to a communication protocol; and under the frequency division multiplexing mode, the AP independently configures time window parameters and the corresponding main and/or secondary channel parameters on the channels which belong to the first and second channelization sets and are non-overlapped in the frequency domain, and sends/receives the wireless frames. By way of the above solution of the disclosure, the wireless station can establish a large bandwidth wireless network supporting backward compatibility.

Claims

1. A method for achieving backward compatibility in a large bandwidth wireless network, comprising:

sending/receiving, by an Access Point (AP), wireless frames on channels belonging to a first channelization set and a second channelization set respectively and alternately in terms of time according to a communication protocol, the wireless frames comprising at least one of the followings;

wireless control frames, wireless management frames and data wireless frames;

and the method further comprising;

sending, by the AP, control and management information and system configuration information or system configuration information belonging to each channelization solution on a primary channel belonging to the first channelization set and a primary channel belonging to the second channelization set respectively and alternately in terms of time;

wherein the AP sends the system configuration information, or the system configuration information and the control and management information through broadcast or unicast and notifies a Non-AP STA associated with the AP that a Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the Non-AP STA associated with the AP belongs performs switching of working channels between the first channelization set and the second channelization set;

the system configuration information at least comprises one of the following parameters;

primary channel configuration parameters and the time window parameters of the BSS working on a corresponding channelization set;

the control and management information is configured to, in an explicit manner, notify the BSS to perform the switching of the working channels between the first channelization set and the second channelization set.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending/receiving, by a Non-AP Station (STA) associated with the AP which only supports the first channelization set or the second channelization set, wireless frames on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol;

sending/receiving, by a Non-AP STA associated with the AP which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set, wireless frames on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the time window parameters are configured to indicate a contention interval and a contention free interval on a current working channel;

the contention free interval comprises a contention free working time on a working channel in a current channelization set and a working time on a working channel in the other channelization set in terms of time.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

the AP adjusts time window parameters corresponding to channels in the first channelization set and the second channelization set according to an upper-layer command or a local automatic configuration script.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the AP adjusts time window parameters corresponding to channels in the first channelization set and the second channelization set according to an upper-layer command or a local automatic configuration script.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the AP sends the control and management information through broadcast or unicast and notifies the Non-AP STA associated with the AP that the BSS performs the switching of working channels, the AP sends a channel reservation message on a current working channel, and then switches to work on a working channel of the other channelization set;

or the AP switches to work on a working channel of the other channelization set after a specified time.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

finishing, by a Non-AP STA which only supports the first channelization set or the second channelization set, a network access process together with the AP on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol;

finishing, by a Non-AP STA which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set, a network access process together with the AP on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol.

8. A method for achieving backward compatibility in a large bandwidth wireless network, comprising:

sending/receiving, by an Access Point (AP), wireless frames on channels which belong to a first channelization set and a second channelization set respectively and are non-overlapped in a frequency domain, the wireless frames comprising at least one of the followings;

wireless control frames, wireless management frames and data wireless frames;

the AP independently configures at least one of the following parameters on channels of the first channelization set and the second channelization set;

time window parameters, and primary channel parameters;

and the method further comprising;

sending, by the AP, a working channel switching message to notify a Non-AP STA associated with the AP which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set to switch a working channel;

the working channel switching message at least comprises one of the following information;

switching time indication information, target primary working channel information and channelization set information of a target working channel.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

sending/receiving, by a Non-AP STA associated with the AP which only supports the first channelization set or the second channelization set, wireless frames on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol;

sending/receiving, by a Non-AP STA associated with the AP which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set, wireless frames on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

finishing, by a Non-AP STA which only supports the first channelization set or the second channelization set, a network access process together with the AP on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol;

finishing, by a Non-AP STA which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set, a network access process together with the AP on a channel in the first channelization set or on a channel in the second channelization set according to a communication protocol.

11. An Access Point (AP) for achieving backward compatibility in a large bandwidth wireless network, comprising:

a memory storing programming instructions; and

a processor configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps comprising;

sending control and management information and system configuration information or system configuration information belonging to each channelization solution on a primary channel belonging to a first channelization set and a primary channel belonging to a second channelization set respectively and alternately in terms of time; and

sending/receiving wireless frames on channels belonging to the first and the second channelization set respectively and alternately in terms of time according to a communication protocol;

wherein the wireless frames comprises at least one of the followings;

wireless control frames, wireless management frames and data wireless frames;

wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps further comprising;

sending the system configuration information, or the system configuration information and the control and management information through broadcast or unicast and notifies a Non-AP STA associated with the AP that a Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the Non-AP STA associated with the AP belongs performs switching of working channels between the first channelization set and the second channelization set;

the system configuration information at least comprises one of the following parameters;

primary channel configuration parameters and time window parameters of the BSS working on a corresponding channelization set;

the control and management information is configured to, in an explicit manner, notify the BSS to perform the switching of the working channels between the first channelization set and the second channelization set.

12. The AP according to claim 11, wherein

the time window parameters are configured to indicate a contention interval and a contention free interval on a current working channel;

the contention free interval comprises a contention free working time on a working channel in a current channelization set and a working time on a working channel in the other channelization set in terms of time;

the processor is further configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps further comprising;

adjusting time window parameters corresponding to channels in the first channelization set and the second channelization set according to an upper-layer command or a local automatic configuration script.

13. The AP according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps further comprising:

after notifying the Non-AP STA associated with the AP that the BSS performs the switching of the working channels, sending a channel reservation message on a current working channel, and then switching to work on a working channel in the other channelization set;

or directly switching to work on a working channel of the other channelization set after a specified time.

14. An Access Point (AP) for achieving backward compatibility in a large bandwidth wireless network, comprising:

a memory storing programming instructions; and

a processor configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps comprising;

independently configuring at least one of the following parameters on channels which belong to a first channelization set and a second channelization set and are non-overlapped in a frequency domain;

time window parameters, and primary channel parameters; and

independently sending/receiving wireless frames on a channel belonging to the first channelization set and on a channel belonging to the second channelization set;

wherein the wireless frames include at least one of the followings;

wireless control frames, wireless management frames and data wireless frames;

wherein the processor is further configured to be capable of executing the stored programming instructions to perform steps further comprising;

sending a working channel switching message to notify a Non-AP STA associated with the AP which supports the first channelization set and the second channelization set to switch a working channel;

wherein the working channel switching message at least comprises one of the following information;

switching time indication information, target primary working channel information and channelization set information of a target working channel.