Direct link setup mechanisms for wireless LANs

• US 9,198,212 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Yee, James, Goel, Sandesh, Kopikare, Milind, Chen, James Chieh-Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILE, FEBEN
• Application Number:
  US13/871,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20140321297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/331, 370/332
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A client station including a communication circuit to communicate, via an infrastructure mode, with an access point in a basic service set; identify, based on signals transmitted by the access point, a plurality of client stations in the basic service set capable of communicating via a direct link setup mode; and during a predetermined time period, communicate, via the direct link setup mode, with the plurality of client stations; and a control circuit to, during the predetermined time period, determine strength of signals received from the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, determine highest supportable data rates for communicating with the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, and select, based on (i) the strength of the signals and (ii) the highest supportable data rates, one or more of the plurality of client stations for communicating via the direct link setup mode.

Claims

1. A client station comprising:

a communication circuit configured to

communicate, via an infrastructure mode, with an access point in a basic service set,

identify, based on signals transmitted by the access point, a plurality of client stations in the basic service set capable of communicating via a direct link setup mode, and

communicate, via the direct link setup mode, with the plurality of client stations; and

a control circuit configured to

determine strength of signals received from the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode;

determine highest supportable data rates for communicating with the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode;

select, based on (i) the strength of the signals received from the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode and (ii) the highest supportable data rates, one or more of the plurality of client stations for communicating via the direct link setup mode; and

negotiate a communication schedule with the one or more of the plurality of client stations based on a common timer synchronization function received by the one or more of the plurality of client stations from beacons transmitted by the access point,

wherein the communication schedule (i) specifies a start time and a communication interval to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, and (ii) includes a series of communication windows separated by fixed intervals.

2. The client station of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to select (i) a first channel to communicate with the access point via the infrastructure mode and (ii) a second channel to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, wherein the second channel is different than the first channel.

3. The client station of claim 1, wherein:

the communication circuit is configured to communicate with a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations at a data rate via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

the control circuit is configured to

determine packet loss rates while the communication circuit is communicating with the first client station via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode, and

select (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower packet loss rate to communicate with the first client station.

4. The client station of claim 1, wherein:

the communication circuit is configured to communicate with a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations at a data rate via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

the control circuit is configured to

determine packet loss rates while the communication circuit is communicating with the first client station via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode, and

select, based on the packet loss rates of (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode, (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower power consumption to communicate with the first client station.

5. The client station of claim 1, wherein:

the communication circuit is configured to unicast a block of data at a data rate to a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

the control circuit is configured to select, to communicate with the first client station, (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower transit time while unicasting the block of data at the data rate to the first client station.

6. The client station of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the client station to:

enter a power save mode in response to selecting the direct link setup mode to communicate with a first client station from the one or more of the plurality of client stations,

leave the power save mode at the start time of one of the communication windows,

communicate with the first client station via the direct link setup mode during the one of the communication windows, and

resume the power save mode at an end of the communication interval of the one of the communication windows.

7. A method comprising:

Communicating, via an infrastructure mode, with an access point in a basic service set;

identifying, at a client station, based on signals transmitted by the access point, a plurality of client stations in the basic service set capable of communicating via a direct link setup mode;

communicating, via the direct link setup mode, with the plurality of client stations;

determining strength of signals received at the client station from the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode;

determining highest supportable data rates for communicating with the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode;

selecting, based on (i) the strength of the signals received from the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode and (ii) the highest supportable data rates, one or more of the plurality of client stations for communicating via the direct link setup mode; and

negotiating a communication schedule with the one or more of the plurality of client stations based on a common timer synchronization function received by the one or more of the plurality of client stations from beacons transmitted by the access point,

wherein the communication schedule (i) specifies a start time and a communication interval to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, and (ii) includes a series of communication windows separated by fixed intervals.

8. The method or claim 7, further comprising selecting (i) a first channel to communicate with the access point via the infrastructure mode and (ii) a second channel to communicate with the one or more of the plurality of client stations via the direct link setup mode, wherein the second channel is different than the first channel.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating with a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations at a data rate via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode;

determining packet loss rates while communicating with the first client station via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

selecting (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower packet loss rate to communicate with the first client station.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating with a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations at a data rate via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode;

determining packet loss rates while communicating with the first client station via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

selecting, based on the packet loss rates of (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode, (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower power consumption to communicate with the first client station.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

unicasting a block of data at a data rate to a first client station from the one or more of the plurality of client stations via (i) the infrastructure mode and (ii) the direct link setup mode; and

selecting, to communicate with the first client station, (i) the infrastructure mode or (ii) the direct link setup mode having a lower transit time while unicasting the block of data at the data rate to the first client station.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising causing the client station to:

enter a power save mode in response to selecting the direct link setup mode to communicate with a first client station of the one or more of the plurality of client stations,

leave the power save mode at the start time of one of the communication windows,

communicate with the first client station via the direct link setup mode during the one of the communication windows, and

resume the power save mode at an end of the communication interval of the one of the communication windows.