Polling in wireless networks

• US 20050135409A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Janczak, Tomasz
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Polling intervals may be modified in response to polling alignment requests from mobile stations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a polling frame; and

sending a polling alignment request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises including the polling alignment request in a data frame.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises including the polling alignment request in an acknowledgement frame.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises sending a request to decrease at least one polling interval.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises sending a request to increase at least one polling interval.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises including a polling alignment request in a quality of service (QoS) field of a data frame.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises including polling alignment information in bits 8-15 of the QoS field.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second polling frame; and

sending a response frame that does not include a polling alignment request.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring a buffering delay; and

forming the polling alignment request in response to the buffering delay.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the polling frame is compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a data frame that includes a polling alignment request; and

modifying at least one polling interval.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein modifying at least one polling interval comprises increasing a next polling interval.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein modifying at least one polling interval comprises decreasing a next polling interval.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the data frame comprises a quality of service (QoS) data plus contention-free acknowledgement (QoS Data+CF Ack) frame.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a data frame that includes a polling alignment request comprises receiving the polling alignment request in bits 8-15 of a quality of service (QoS) field of the data frame.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the data frame is compliant with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

17. A method comprising:

sending a polling request frame;

receiving a polling grant frame that includes virtual polling information; and

sending data frames at times scheduled by the virtual polling information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending another polling request frame to request a modified polling interval.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising including a polling alignment request in at least one of the data frames.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of polling grants; and

keeping track of polling schedules granted in the plurality of polling grants.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the polling schedules are for a plurality of stations in a wireless network.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of polling grants grant a plurality of virtual polling schedules.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein sending data frames at times scheduled by the virtual polling information comprises sending using an access interval otherwise reserved for polling frames.

24. An apparatus having a machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon that when accessed, result in a machine performing:

receiving a polling frame; and

sending a polling alignment request.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises sending a request to decrease at least one polling interval.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein sending a polling alignment request comprises sending a request to increase at least one polling interval.

27. An electronic system comprising:

an antenna;

a radio interface coupled to the antenna;

a medium access control mechanism coupled to the radio interface to receive a polling alignment request and to modify a polling interval; and

an Ethernet interface.

28. The electronic system of claim 27 wherein the medium access control mechanism includes a hybrid coordinator to modify the polling interval.

29. The electronic system of claim 27 wherein the medium access control mechanism is compliant with an IEEE 802.11 standard.