Spectrum efficiency for uplink wireless communications
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, by a first station from an access node, information indicative of an uplink transmission opportunity in a wireless local area network, shared by the first station and a second station, on a frequency channel, the information indicating a first priority for the first station and a second priority for the second station, the first priority being different from the second priority, the information further specifying a listening period within the uplink transmission opportunity;
when the first priority is lower than the second priority, listening, by the first station, for a transmission on the frequency channel from the second station to the access node during the listening period; and
, in case the transmission on the frequency channel from the second station did not occur during the listening period, transmitting, by the first station, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity after the listening period has ended; and
when the first priority is higher than the second priority, transmitting, by the first station to the access node, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity without listening during the listening period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless network having one or more access points and one or more stations may improve spectrum efficiency for uplink transmissions by assigning a plurality of stations to a channel (or subchannel), each with a different priority. A channel may be assigned to a first station with the first priority, a second station with a second priority, and so on (e.g., instead of assigning the channel to just one station). An access point may transmit information indicative of the channel assignments, priorities, and other information used by stations to perform uplink transmissions. If a station with the highest priority receives the data from the access point, it may start transmission. A station with a lower priority may listen, during a listening period, to the same channel and determine whether the higher priority station started transmission during the listening period. If the higher priority station did not start transmission during the listening period, the lower priority station may transmit uplink data to the access point.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a first station from an access node, information indicative of an uplink transmission opportunity in a wireless local area network, shared by the first station and a second station, on a frequency channel, the information indicating a first priority for the first station and a second priority for the second station, the first priority being different from the second priority, the information further specifying a listening period within the uplink transmission opportunity; when the first priority is lower than the second priority, listening, by the first station, for a transmission on the frequency channel from the second station to the access node during the listening period; and
, in case the transmission on the frequency channel from the second station did not occur during the listening period, transmitting, by the first station, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity after the listening period has ended; andwhen the first priority is higher than the second priority, transmitting, by the first station to the access node, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity without listening during the listening period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to perform; receiving, by the apparatus from an access node, information indicative of an uplink transmission opportunity in a wireless local area network, shared by the apparatus and a second station, on a frequency channel, the information indicating a first priority for the apparatus and a second priority for the second station, the first priority being different from the second priority, the information further specifying a listening period within the uplink transmission opportunity; when the first priority is lower than the second priority, listening, by the apparatus, for a transmission on the frequency channel from the second station to the access node during the listening period; and
, in case the transmission on the frequency channel from the second station did not occur during the listening period, transmitting, by the apparatus, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity after the listening period has ended; andwhen the first priority is higher than the second priority, transmitting, by the apparatus to the access node, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity without listening during the listening period. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a first station, causes the first station at least to perform:
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receiving, by a first station from an access node, information indicative of an uplink transmission opportunity in a wireless local area network, shared by the first station and a second station, on a frequency channel, the information indicating a first priority for the first station and a second priority for the second station, the first priority being different from the second priority, the information further specifying a listening period within the uplink transmission opportunity; when the first priority is lower than the second priority, listening, by the first station, for a transmission on the frequency channel from the second station to the access node during the listening period; and
, in case the transmission on the frequency channel from the second station did not occur during the listening period, transmitting, by the first station, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity after the listening period has ended; andwhen the first priority is higher than the second priority, transmitting, by the first station to the access node, data to the access node on the frequency channel during the uplink transmission opportunity without listening during the listening period. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification