Methods and arrangements for packet flows in wireless networks

• US 9,526,029 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Tetzlaff, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aung, Sai
• Application Number:
  US14/583,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 724 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

Logic may compress wireless communications frames and communicate compressed frames that do not include the duplicative bit sequences within the packet flow. Logic may include the compressed frames in flow frames. Logic may generate, encode, transmit, decode, parse, and interpret flow frames after a packet flow is created. Flow frames may comprise a flow frame control field, a compressed frame, and a frame sequence check. Logic may decompress the compressed flow frame based upon flow decompression rules associated with a flow index of the flow frame. Flow frames may include a duration field to set the network allocation vectors of other stations. And the frame sequence check may be generated based upon the entire flow frame.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled with the memory to implement medium access control (MAC) logic to generate a shortened wireless communications frame, wherein the shortened frame comprises a shortened MAC header, the shortened MAC header comprising a frame control field, a transmitter address and a recipient address;

a frame body; and

a frame check sequence; and

wherein the frame control field comprises a protocol version field, a type field a subtype field, and a From DS (Distribution System) field;

the MAC logic to set the protocol version field to indicate a revision of a standard for the shortened wireless communications frame;

the MAC logic to set the type field to indicate that the shortened wireless communications frame is a shortened data frame, a shortened control frame, or a shortened management frame;

the MAC logic to set the subtype field to identify shortened data frames, shortened control frames, or shortened management frames;

the MAC logic to set the From DS field to a logical zero if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from a non-access point (non-AP) station;

the MAC logic to set the From DS field to a logical one if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from an AP.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the shortened frame further comprises a sequence control field.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the type field identifies the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the subtype field identifies the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.

5. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the recipient and transmitter addresses are located in a Short ID (SID) field.

6. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the protocol version is two bits in length.

7. The wireless communications device of claim 2, wherein the sequence control field is two octets in length.

8. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the frame check sequence (FCS) is four octets in length.

9. The wireless communications device of claim 1, further comprising physical layer logic to create the wireless communications frame with a preamble to create a physical layer protocol data unit.

10. The wireless communications device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna to transmit the wireless communications frame.

11. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device is one or more of the following:

an access points (AP), a wireless stations (STA), a router, a switch, a server, a workstation, a netbook, a mobile device, a laptops, a smart phone, a tablet, a sensor, a meter, a control, an instrument, a monitor or an appliance.

12. The wireless communications device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications device comprises logic to generate the shortened MAC header without a QoS Control field and to generate a standard MAC header with a QoS Control field.

13. A method, comprising:

generating, by a processor implementing medium access control (MAC) logic, a shortened wireless communications frame, wherein the frame comprises;

a shortened MAC header, the MAC header comprising a frame control field, a transmitter address and a recipient address;

a frame body and a frame check sequence; and

wherein the frame control field comprises a protocol version field, a type field, a subtype field, and a From DS (Distribution System) field;

the MAC logic to set the protocol version field to indicate a revision of a standard for the shortened wireless communications frame;

the MAC logic to set the type field to indicate that the shortened wireless communications frame is a shortened data frame, a shortened control frame, or a shortened management frame;

the MAC logic to set the subtype field to identify shortened data frames, shortened control frames, or shortened management frames;

the MAC logic to set the From DS field to a logical zero if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from a non-access point (non-AP) station;

the MAC logic to set the From DS field to a logical one if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from an AP.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the shortened frame further comprises a sequence control field.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the type field identifying the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the subtype field identifying the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the recipient and transmitter addresses are located in a Short ID (SID) field.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising allocating two bits for the protocol version.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising allocating two octets for the sequence control field.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising allocating four octets for the frame check sequence (FCS).

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising encapsulating, by physical layer logic, the wireless communications frame with a preamble to create a physical layer protocol data unit.

22. A machine-accessible product comprising:

a non-transitory medium containing instructions to generate a wireless communications frame, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, causes the station to perform medium access control (MAC) logic operations, the operations comprising;

generating a shortened wireless communications frame that comprising a shortened MAC header, wherein the MAC header comprises a frame control field, a transmitter address and a recipient address;

a frame body; and

a frame check sequence; and

wherein the frame control field comprises a protocol version field, a type field, a subtype field, and a From DS (Distribution System) field;

the MAC logic operations to set the protocol version field to indicate a revision of a standard for the shortened wireless communications frame;

the MAC logic operations to set the type field to indicate that the shortened wireless communications frame is a shortened data frame, a shortened control frame, or a shortened management frame;

the MAC logic operations to set the subtype field to identify shortened data frames, shortened control frames, or shortened management frames;

the MAC logic operations to set the From DS field to a logical zero if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from a non-access point (non-AP) station;

the MAC logic operations to set the From DS field to a logical one if the shortened wireless communications frame is transmitted from an AP.

23. The machine-accessible product of claim 22, wherein the shortened frame further comprises a sequence control field.

24. The machine-accessible product of claim 22, further comprising the type field identifying the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.

25. The machine-accessible product of claim 22, further comprising the subtype field identifying the frame as a data frame, a management frame or a control frame.