Enhanced channel access mechanism for improving performance in dense WiFi environments

• US 9,661,656 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Ginsburg, Noam, Ross, Rony
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US14/228,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20150237652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

Disclosed in some examples are methods, devices (e.g., STAs and APs), and machine readable mediums which utilize a Simultaneous Channel Access (SCA) to allow transmissions of a first wireless network to take place while transmissions are already ongoing in a second wireless network (the Principal Channel Access (PCA)). The SCA allows devices which support SCA to transmit frames even when other nearby devices on other networks have already accessed the medium and are engaged in frame transmission.

Claims

1. A method performed by a physical network node in a first wireless network, comprising:

receiving by transceiver circuitry of the node, a first frame over a wireless channel designated to a second wireless network;

responsive to receiving the first frame designated to the second wireless network and while the wireless channel is still occupied by activity occurring on the second wireless network;

calculating, by processing circuitry of the node, transmission parameters to send a second frame to a second physical network node in the first wireless network by calculating that the transmission parameters result in a third physical network node that is in the second wireless network and is the recipient of the first frame sent via the wireless channel, receiving the second frame from the node in the first wireless network via the wireless channel at a power level that is below a noise threshold; and

transmitting, by the transceiver circuitry, over the wireless channel, the second frame to the second node in the first wireless network using the calculated transmission parameters, while the wireless channel is still occupied by activity occurring on the second wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission parameters are calculated based upon measurement messages exchanged between the node and the third node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission parameters are calculated based upon an overheard message sent by the third node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the overheard message is a control message.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending an agreement message to the second node;

receiving a reply from the second node;

determining that the reply from the second node indicates that the second node agrees to reception of the transmission; and

responsive to determining that the reply from the second node indicates that the second node agrees to receive the transmission, transmitting the second frame according to the agreement.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the agreement message is sent periodically according to a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first frame over the wireless channel designated to the second wireless network comprises:

receiving the first frame;

decoding at least one of;

Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) and Medium Access Control (MAC) headers; and

determining that the at least one of the PLCP and MAC headers indicates that the first frame is designated to the second wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

9. A network device for communicating in a first wireless network, comprising:

a transceiver circuitry configured to receive a first frame over a wireless channel designated to a second wireless network; and

an analysis circuitry configured to;

calculate, in response to receiving the first frame designated to the second wireless network, while the wireless channel is still occupied by activity occurring on the second wireless network, transmission parameters to send a second frame to a second network device in the first wireless network by calculating that the transmission parameters result in a third network device that is in the second wireless network and is the recipient of the first frame sent via the wireless channel, receiving the second frame from the network device in the first wireless network via the wireless channel at a power level that is below a noise threshold; and

wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to send the second frame over the wireless channel to the second network device using the calculated transmission parameters.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the network device is an Access Point (AP).

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the network device is a Station (STA).

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured to calculate the transmission parameters based upon measurement messages exchanged between the network device and the third network device.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured to calculate the transmission parameters based upon an overheard message sent by the third network device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the overheard message is a control message.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the first wireless network and the second wireless network operate in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the analysis circuitry is configured to determine the activity on the second wireless network based upon an overheard request to send and corresponding clear-to-send message on the second wireless network.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions which when performed by a node, cause the node to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first frame over a wireless channel designated to a second wireless network;

responsive to receiving the first frame designated to the second wireless network, while the wireless channel is still occupied by activity occurring on the second wireless network;

calculating transmission parameters to send a second frame to a second node in the first wireless network by calculating that the transmission parameters result in a third node that is in the second wireless network and is the recipient of the first frame sent via the wireless channel, receiving the second frame from the node in the first wireless network at a power level that is below a noise threshold; and

transmitting the second frame over the wireless channel to the second node using the calculated transmission parameters.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations of calculating the transmission parameters comprise calculating the transmission parameters based upon measurement messages exchanged between the node and the third node.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations of calculating the transmission parameters comprise calculating the transmission parameters based upon an overheard message sent by the third node.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the overheard message is a control message.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

sending an agreement message to the second node;

receiving a reply from the second node;

determining that the reply from the second node indicates that the second node agrees to reception of the transmission; and

responsive to determining that the reply from the second node indicates that the second node agrees to receive the transmission, transmitting the second frame according to the agreement.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the agreement message is sent periodically according to a predetermined amount of time.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations of receiving a first frame over a wireless channel designated to a second wireless network comprise:

receiving the first frame;

decoding at least one of;

Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) and Medium Access Control (MAC) headers; and

determining that the at least one of the PLCP and MAC headers indicates that the first frame is designated to the second wireless network.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first wireless network operates in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations comprise:

determining the activity on the second wireless network based upon an overheard request to send and corresponding clear-to-send message on the second wireless network.