802.11 enhanced distributed channel access

• US 9,155,027 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): ELPENORD, CANDAL
• Application Number:
  US13/680,831
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method includes generating a first traffic indication map that announces a restricted access window. The method includes transmitting a first beacon, including the first traffic indication map, over a wireless medium and then transmitting a second beacon. The restricted access window begins after the first beacon and ends before the second beacon. The method includes, during the restricted access window, accessing the wireless medium using first channel access parameters; and after the restricted access window but before the second beacon, accessing the wireless medium using second channel access parameters. The first channel access parameters include a first short interframe space and a first slot time. The second channel access parameters include a second short interframe space equal to the first short interframe space and a second slot time. The second slot time and the first slot time are related by an integer multiple that is greater than one.

Claims

1. A wireless access point comprising:

a medium access control (MAC) circuit configured to generate a first traffic indication map, wherein the first traffic indication map announces a restricted access window; and

a physical layer device configured to

transmit a first beacon over a wireless medium, wherein the first beacon includes the first traffic indication map, wherein the restricted access window begins subsequent to transmission of the first beacon, and wherein the restricted access window ends prior to transmission of a second beacon, wherein the second beacon is transmitted subsequent to the first beacon with no intervening beacons,

during the restricted access window, access the wireless medium using a first set of channel access parameters, wherein the first set of channel access parameters includes a first short interframe space and a first slot time, and

subsequent to the restricted access window but prior to the transmission of the second beacon, access the wireless medium using a second set of channel access parameters, wherein

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second short interframe space and a second slot time,

the first short interframe space and the second short interframe space are equal,

the second slot time and the first slot time are related by an integer multiple, and

the integer is greater than one.

2. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein the physical layer device is configured to receive frames during the restricted access window using a channel having a first bandwidth.

3. The wireless access point of claim 2, wherein the physical layer device is configured to, subsequent to the restricted access window but prior to the transmission of the second beacon, receive frames using a channel having a second bandwidth.

4. The wireless access point of claim 3, wherein the first bandwidth is one of 1 MHz or 2 MHz, and the second bandwidth is the other of 1 MHz or 2 MHz.

5. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of arbitration interframe space values corresponding to a plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of arbitration interframe space values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of arbitration interframe space values and the second plurality of arbitration interframe space values, respectively, are related by the integer multiple.

6. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of minimum contention window values corresponding to a plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of minimum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of minimum contention window values and the second plurality of minimum contention window values are related, respectively, by the integer multiple.

7. The wireless access point of claim 6, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of maximum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of maximum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of maximum contention window values and the second plurality of maximum contention window values are related, respectively, by the integer multiple.

8. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein the physical layer device is configured to omit transmitting the first traffic indication map until transmissions having a predetermined channel bandwidth are detected.

9. The wireless access point of claim 8, wherein the predetermined channel bandwidth is 1 MHz.

10. The wireless access point of claim 8, wherein the physical layer device is configured to, while omitting transmitting the first traffic indication map, periodically transmit second traffic indication maps, wherein the second traffic indication maps do not specify restricted access windows.

11. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein the MAC circuit is configured to instruct the physical layer device to transmit the second beacon in response to a target beacon transmission time.

12. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein the first traffic indication map comprises a delivery traffic indication map.

13. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein the MAC circuit is configured to, immediately subsequent to the first beacon being transmitted, selectively instruct the physical layer device to transmit at least one of queued multicast data and queued broadcast data.

14. The wireless access point of claim 13, wherein the first traffic indication map indicates whether the queued multicast data and the queued broadcast data will be transmitted.

15. The wireless access point of claim 1, wherein:

the first traffic indication map specifies a second restricted access window,

the second restricted access window begins subsequent to the end of the restricted access window, and

the second restricted access window ends prior to the transmission of the second beacon.

16. The wireless access point of claim 15, wherein the second restricted access window begins immediately subsequent to the end of the restricted access window.

17. The wireless access point of claim 15, wherein the physical layer device is configured to, during the second restricted access window, access the wireless medium using the second set of channel access parameters.

18. A method of operating a wireless access point, the method comprising:

generating a first traffic indication map, wherein the first traffic indication map announces a restricted access window;

transmitting a first beacon over a wireless medium, wherein

the first beacon includes the first traffic indication map, and

the restricted access window begins subsequent to transmission of the first beacon;

transmitting a second beacon subsequent to the first beacon with no intervening beacons, wherein the restricted access window ends prior to transmission of the second beacon;

during the restricted access window, accessing the wireless medium using a first set of channel access parameters, wherein the first set of channel access parameters includes a first short interframe space and a first slot time; and

subsequent to the restricted access window but prior to the transmission of the second beacon, accessing the wireless medium using a second set of channel access parameters, wherein

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second short interframe space and a second slot time,

the first short interframe space and the second short interframe space are equal,

the second slot time and the first slot time are related by an integer multiple, and

the integer multiple is greater than one.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving frames during the restricted access window using a channel having a first bandwidth.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, subsequent to the restricted access window but prior to the transmission of the second beacon, receiving frames using a channel having a second bandwidth.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first bandwidth is one of 1 MHz or 2 MHz, and the second bandwidth is the other of 1 MHz or 2 MHz.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of arbitration interframe space values corresponding to a plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of arbitration interframe space values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of arbitration interframe space values and the second plurality of arbitration interframe space values, respectively, are related by the integer multiple.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of minimum contention window values corresponding to a plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of minimum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of minimum contention window values and the second plurality of minimum contention window values are related, respectively, by the integer multiple.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the first set of channel access parameters includes a first plurality of maximum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories,

the second set of channel access parameters includes a second plurality of maximum contention window values corresponding to the plurality of access categories, and

the first plurality of maximum contention window values and the second plurality of maximum contention window values are related, respectively, by the integer multiple.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising omitting transmitting the first traffic indication map until transmissions having a predetermined channel bandwidth are detected.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined channel bandwidth is 1 MHz.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising, while omitting transmitting the first traffic indication map, periodically transmitting second traffic indication maps, wherein the second traffic indication maps do not specify restricted access windows.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the second beacon in response to a target beacon transmission time.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the first traffic indication map comprises a delivery traffic indication map.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising, immediately subsequent to the first beacon being transmitted, selectively transmitting at least one of queued multicast data and queued broadcast data.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first traffic indication map indicates whether the queued multicast data and the queued broadcast data will be transmitted.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first traffic indication map specifies a second restricted access window,

the second restricted access window begins subsequent to the end of the restricted access window, and

the second restricted access window ends prior to the transmission of the second beacon.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the second restricted access window begins immediately subsequent to the end of the restricted access window.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising, during the second restricted access window, access the wireless medium using the second set of channel access parameters.