Wireless access points providing hybrid 802.11 and scheduled priority access communications

• US 9,161,387 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimosa Networks, Inc. (Airspan Networks Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mimosa Networks, Inc. (Airspan Networks Inc.)
• Inventors: Fink, Jaime, Gurevich, David, Hinman, Brian, Masilamani, Ashok N., Ponnampalam, Vishakan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Application Number:
  US14/045,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• 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: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

Wireless access points providing hybrid 802.11 and scheduled priority access communications are provided herein. An exemplary wireless access point may be configured to communicate with a set of standard access clients using an 802.11 mode of communication during standard access phases, as well as communicate with a set of priority access clients during priority access phases, when the wireless access point is not communicating with the set of standard access clients, using a priority mode of communication.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to communicate with a wireless access point using a media access control (MAC) protocol, the computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing a MAC protocol, wherein the MAC protocol is executed by the processor to;

receive a priority activation frame from the wireless access point;

evaluate the priority activation frame received from the wireless access point to determine if a group identifier included in the priority activation frame corresponds to a group identifier assigned to the computing device by the wireless access point;

communicate with the wireless access point, for a specified period of time specified in the priority activation frame, if the group identifier of the priority activation frame matches the group identifier of the computing device;

receive a priority deactivation frame from the wireless access point;

cease communication with the wireless access point after receiving the priority deactivation frame; and

communicate with the wireless access point during standard access phases, which is after the specified period of time specified in the priority activation frame, using a standard 802.11 mode when the computing device is nomadic, the standard access phases not overlapping with a specified period of time specified in a priority activation frame.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes the MAC protocol to receive a priority deactivation frame from the wireless access point prior to ceasing communication with the wireless access point.

3. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes the MAC protocol to receive a group identifier for each of a priority access group and a standard access group.

4. A method executed by a computing device configured to communicate with a wireless access point using a media access control (MAC) protocol, the method comprising:

evaluating a priority activation frame received from the wireless access point to determine if a group identifier included in the priority activation frame corresponds to a group identifier assigned to the computing device by the wireless access point;

communicating with the wireless access point when the computing device is fixed, for a specified period of time specified in the priority activation frame, if the group identifier of the priority activation frame matches the group identifier of the computing device;

ceasing communication with the wireless access point if the group identifier of the priority activation frame does not match the group identifier of the computing device; and

communicating with the wireless access point during standard access phases using a standard 802.11 mode when the computing device is nomadic, the standard access phases not overlapping with a specified period of time specified in a priority activation frame.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising receiving a priority deactivation frame from the wireless access point prior to ceasing communication with the wireless access point.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising receiving a group identifier for each of a priority access group and a standard access group.