Wireless transmission system

• US 9,967,895 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishimura, Haruki, Fujiwara, Ryosuke, Katagishi, Makoto, Miyazaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULYSSE, JAEL M
• Application Number:
  US14/445,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20150036619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Provided is a wireless transmission system including a plurality of access points and an access controller. The access controller determines a start standard time for a polling period for the plurality of access points to perform polling communication with a plurality of wireless terminals. The access controller generates a scheduling setting information indicating timings when the plurality of access points perform polling communication with the plurality of wireless terminals during the polling period. The access controller transmits, to each of the plurality of access points, a polling period start signal including the start standard time and a corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information for each of the plurality of access points. The plurality of access points perform polling communication with the plurality of wireless terminals based on respective polling period start signals.

Claims

1. A wireless transmission system comprising:

a plurality of access points configured to communicate with a plurality of wireless terminals connected within a plurality of wireless coverage areas to the plurality of access points; and

an access controller configured to communicate with the plurality of access points,

wherein each of the access points retains first information indicating which of the wireless terminals are located in a corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas of the access points, and second information indicating which of the wireless terminals are connected with the corresponding access point within the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas,

wherein each of the access points transmits updated information of the first information and the second information to the access controller,

wherein the access controller retains third information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are located in the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas of each of the access points, and fourth information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are connected with each of the access points within the corresponding wireless coverage areas thereof,

wherein the access controller updates the third information and the fourth information based on the updated information received from the access points,

wherein the access controller determines a start standard time for a polling period for each of the access points to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals,

wherein the access controller generates a scheduling setting information indicating timings when the access points are to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals during the polling period based on the updated third information and updated fourth information,

wherein the access controller transmits, to each of the access points, a polling period start signal including the start standard time and a corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information for each of the access points,

wherein each of the access points performs a non-overlapping communication phase over separate time periods with the wireless terminals including a polling communication phase where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points followed by a CSMA communication phase after the non-overlapping polling communication phase where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points based on the polling period start signal and the corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information,

wherein each of the polling communication phases includes an exhaustive polling phase in which polling communication is performed separately and individually with all of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points, and a selective polling phase in which polling communication is performed with one or more of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase, and

wherein the access controller determines a length of the exhaustive polling phase based on a number of wireless terminals connected with the corresponding one of the access points.

2. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling setting information regulates the communication phase which includes an exhaustive polling phase for each of the access points to perform non-overlapping polling communication with all of the wireless terminals wirelessly connected during the polling period, and

wherein the access controller receives, from each of the access points, an exhaustive polling phase end notice indicating a number of wireless terminals which failed communication during the exhaustive polling phase,

wherein the access controller generates second scheduling setting information after receiving the exhaustive polling phase end notices from all of the access points,

wherein the second scheduling setting information regulates the communication phase which includes a selective polling phase for each of the access points to perform non-overlapping polling communication with the wireless terminals which failed communication during the respective exhaustive polling phase,

wherein the access controller determines the selective polling phase based on the number of the wireless terminals which failed the communication during the exhaustive polling phase indicated in the end notification,

wherein the access controller transmits, to each of the access points, a selective polling phase start signal including a corresponding portion of the second scheduling setting information for each of the access points, and

wherein each of the access points performs non-overlapping selective polling communication based on the received selective polling phase start signal.

3. The wireless transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling setting information regulates the communication phase which includes an exhaustive polling phase for each of the access points to perform communication separately and individually with all of the connected wireless terminals during the polling period,

wherein, during the exhaustive polling phases of the access points, when one wireless terminal is performing polling communication with one of the access points, other wireless terminals of the access points which are located in a coverage area of the wireless terminal performing the polling communication are prohibited from performing polling communication.

4. A method to control a plurality of access points configured to communicate with a plurality of wireless terminals connected within a plurality of wireless coverage areas to the plurality of access points,

wherein each of the access points retains first information indicating which of the wireless terminals are located in a corresponding one of the coverage areas of the access points, and second information indicating which of the wireless terminals are connected with the corresponding access point within the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas,

the method comprising:

receiving updated information of the first information and the second information to the access controller from each of the access points;

updating, based on the updated information received from the access points, third information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are located in the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas of each of the access points, and fourth information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are connected with each of the access points within the corresponding wireless coverage areas thereof;

determining a start standard time for a polling period for each of the access points to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals;

generating a scheduling setting information indicating timings when the access points are to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals during the polling period based on the updated third information and updated fourth information;

transmitting, to each of the access points, a polling period start signal including the start standard time and a corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information for each of the access points; and

performing, by each of the access points, a non-overlapping communication phase over separate time periods with the wireless terminals including a non-overlapping polling communication phase where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points followed by a CSMA communication phase after the non-overlapping polling communication phase where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points based on the polling period start signal and the corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information,

wherein each of the polling communication phases includes an exhaustive polling phase in which polling communication is performed separately and individually with all of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points, and a selective polling phase in which polling communication is performed with one or more of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase, and

wherein the method further comprises determining a length of the exhaustive polling phase based on a number of wireless terminals connected with the corresponding one of the access points.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the scheduling setting information regulates the communication phase which includes an exhaustive polling phase for each of the access points to perform non-overlapping polling communication with all of wirelessly connected wireless terminal during the polling period,

the method further comprising:

receiving, from each of the access points, an exhaustive polling phase end notice indicating the number of wireless terminals which failed communication during the exhaustive polling phase,

generating second scheduling setting information after receiving the exhaustive polling phase end notices from all of the access points, the second scheduling setting information regulating a selective polling phase for each of the access points to perform non-overlapping polling communication with wireless terminals which failed communication during the respective exhaustive polling phase;

determining the selective polling phase based on the number of wireless terminals which failed the communication during the exhaustive polling phase indicated in the end notification;

transmitting, to each of the access points, a selective polling phase start signal including a corresponding portion of the second scheduling setting information for each of the access points in the second scheduling setting information.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the scheduling setting information regulates the communication phase which includes an exhaustive polling phase for each of the access points to perform communication separately and individually with all of the connected wireless terminals during the polling period,

wherein, during the exhaustive polling phases of the access points, when one wireless terminal is performing polling communication with one of the access points, other wireless terminals of the access points which are located in a coverage area of the wireless terminal performing the polling communication are prohibited from performing polling communication.

7. A wireless transmission system comprising:

a plurality of access points configured to communicate with a plurality of wireless terminals connected within a plurality of wireless coverage areas to the plurality of access points; and

an access controller configured to communicate with the plurality of access points,

wherein each of the access points retains first information indicating which of the wireless terminals are located in a corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas of the access points, and second information indicating which of the wireless terminals are connected with the corresponding access point within the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas,

wherein each of the access points transmits updated information of the first information and the second information to the access controller,

wherein the access controller retains third information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are located in the corresponding one of the wireless coverage areas of each of the access points, and fourth information indicating correlations between each of the access points and which of the wireless terminals are connected with each of the access points within the corresponding wireless coverage areas thereof,

wherein the access controller updates the third information and the fourth information based on the updated information received from the access points,

wherein the access controller determines a start standard time for a polling period for each of the access points to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals,

wherein the access controller generates a scheduling setting information indicating timings when the access points are to perform polling communication with the wireless terminals during the polling period based on the updated third information and updated fourth information,

wherein the access controller transmits, to each of the access points, a polling period start signal including the start standard time and a corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information for each of the access points,

wherein each of the access points separately performs a communication phase over separate time periods with the wireless terminals including a non-overlapping polling communication phase over separate time periods with the wireless terminals where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals followed by a CSMA communication phase where data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals after the non-overlapping polling communication phase based on the polling period start signal and the corresponding portion of the scheduling setting information,

wherein the CSMA phases of all of the access points are scheduled to coincide with one another,

wherein each of the polling communication phases includes an exhaustive polling phase in which polling communication is performed separately and individually with all of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals connected to the corresponding one of the access points, and a selective polling phase in which polling communication is performed with one or more of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase and data is received from at least one of the wireless terminals that failed to communicate data during the exhaustive polling phase, and

wherein the access controller determines a length of the exhaustive polling phase based on a number of wireless terminals connected with the corresponding one of the access points.

8. The wireless transmission system according to claim 7,

wherein the access points separately transmit polling phase end notices to the access controller, and

wherein the access controller instructs all of the access points to start the CSMA phase in response to receiving a last one of the polling phase end notices.