Method and apparatus to manage reverse data flow in a high throughput wireless network

• US 20050285719A1
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stephens, Adrian P.
• Application Number:
  US10/875,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285719A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

An initiator device in a high throughput wireless network is able to communicate with multiple responder devices during a wireless frame exchange. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the initiator may transmit a frame that includes offset and duration related information for each of multiple responders. The offset and duration related information for each responder identifies a transmit time period during which that responder may respond to the initiator.

Claims

1. A method for use in a wireless network, comprising:

transmitting a frame from an initiator to a group of responders as part of a frame exchange, said frame including offset and duration related information for each responder within said group of responders, wherein said offset and duration related information for a particular responder within said group identifies a transmit time period within which said particular responder may transmit a response back to said initiator; and

waiting for a response from each member of said group of responders within an associated transmit time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said group of responders includes multiple responders.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said group of responders includes a single responder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said offset and duration related information includes an offset value and a duration value for each member of said group of responders, said offset value indicating a time after an end of said frame at which a corresponding transmit time period commences and said duration value indicating a duration of said corresponding transmit time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said offset and duration related information includes a start time and a stop time for each member of said group of responders, said start time indicating a time after an end of said frame at which a corresponding transmit time period commences and said stop time indicating a time after said end of said frame at which said corresponding transmit time period ends.

6. A method for use in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a wireless frame from an initiator at a first responder during a frame exchange, said wireless frame including offset and duration related information associated with said first responder that identifies a transmit time period within which said first responder is permitted to transmit a response back to said initiator;

reading said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder from said wireless frame; and

beginning to transmit a response from said first responder to said initiator within said transmit time period.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

ceasing transmission of said response from said first responder to said initiator before, or at, the end of said transmit time period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said wireless frame includes offset and duration related information associated with multiple responders.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder includes an offset value and a duration value, said offset value indicating a time after an end of said wireless frame at which said transmit time period commences and said duration value indicating a duration of said transmit time period.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder includes a start time and a stop time, said start time indicating a time after an end of said wireless frame at which said transmit time period commences and said stop time indicating a time after said end of said wireless frame at which said transmit time period ends.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver to support wireless communication with one or more remote wireless entities; and

a controller to control wireless networking functions of said apparatus, wherein said controller is programmed to;

receive a frame from an initiator device during a frame exchange sequence;

read offset and duration related information associated with said apparatus from said frame, said offset and duration related information associated with said apparatus identifying a transmit time period within which said apparatus may transmit a response back to said initiator device;

detect an end of said received frame;

and start transmitting a response to said initiator device within said identified transmit time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said frame received from said initiator device includes offset and duration related information associated with multiple devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said controller is programmed to stop transmitting said response to said initiator device before, or at, an end of said identified transmit time period.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver to support wireless communication with one or more remote wireless entities; and

a controller to control wireless networking functions of said apparatus, wherein said controller is programmed to;

transmit a frame to a group of responders as part of a frame exchange, said frame including offset and duration related information for each responder within said group of responders, said offset and duration related information for a particular responder identifying a transmit time period within which said particular responder may transmit a response back to said apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said controller is programmed to wait for a response from each of said multiple responders within a corresponding transmit time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

said group of responders includes multiple responders.

17. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

transmit a frame from an initiator to a group of responders as part of a frame exchange, said frame including offset and duration related information for each responder within said group of responders, wherein said offset and duration related information for a particular responder within said group identifies a transmit time period within which said particular responder may transmit a response back to said initiator; and

wait for a response from each responder in said group of responders within an associated transmit time period.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein:

said offset and duration related information includes an offset value and a duration value for each responder within said group, said offset value indicating an offset from an end of said frame at which a corresponding transmit time period commences and said duration value indicating a duration of said corresponding transmit time period.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein:

said offset and duration related information includes a start time and a stop time for each responder within said group, said start time indicating a time after an end of said frame at which a corresponding transmit time period commences and said stop time indicating a time after said end of said frame at which said corresponding transmit time period ends.

20. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

receive a wireless frame from an initiator at a first responder during a frame exchange, said wireless frame including offset and duration related information associated with said first responder that identifies a transmit time period within which said first responder is permitted to transmit a response back to said initiator;

read said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder from said wireless frame; and

begin to transmit a response from said first responder to said initiator within said transmit time period.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein said instructions further operate to:

cease transmission of said response from said first responder to said initiator before, or at, the end of said transmit time period.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein:

said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder includes an offset value and a duration value, said offset value indicating a time after an end of said frame at which said transmit time period commences and said duration value indicating a duration of said transmit time period.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein:

said offset and duration related information associated with said first responder includes a start time and a stop time, said start time indicating a time after an end of said frame at which a corresponding transmit time period commences and said stop time indicating a time after said end of said frame at which said corresponding transmit time period ends.

24. A wireless device comprising:

at least one dipole antenna;

a wireless transceiver, coupled to said at least one dipole antenna, to support wireless communication with one or more remote wireless entities; and

a controller to control wireless networking functions of said wireless device, wherein said controller is programmed to;

receive a frame from an initiator device during a frame exchange sequence;

read offset and duration related information associated with said wireless device from said frame, said offset and duration related information associated with said wireless device identifying a transmit time period within which said wireless device may transmit a response back to said initiator device;

detect an end of said received frame; and

start transmitting a response to said initiator device within said identified transmit time period.

25. The wireless device of claim 24, wherein:

said controller is programmed to stop transmitting said response to said initiator device before, or at, an end of said identified transmit time period.

26. The wireless device of claim 24, wherein:

said frame received from said initiator device includes offset and duration related information associated with multiple devices.

27. A wireless device comprising:

at least one dipole antenna;

a wireless transceiver, coupled to said at least one dipole antenna, to support wireless communication with one or more remote wireless entities; and

a controller to control wireless networking functions of said wireless device, wherein said controller is programmed to;

transmit a frame to a group of responders as part of a frame exchange, said frame including offset and duration related information for each responder within said group of responders, said offset and duration related information for a particular responder identifying a transmit time period within which said particular responder may transmit a response back to said wireless device.

28. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein:

said controller is programmed to wait for a response from each responder in said group of responders within an associated transmit time period.

29. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein:

said group of responders includes multiple responders.

30. A wireless signal frame embodied in a carrier wave, said wireless signal frame comprising:

first offset and duration related information corresponding to a first responder device, said first offset and duration related information identifying a first transmit time period within which said first responder device is permitted to transmit a response to an initiator device; and

second offset and duration related information corresponding to a second responder device, said second offset and duration related information identifying a second transmit time period within which said second responder device is permitted to transmit a response to said initiator device.

31. The wireless signal frame of claim 30, wherein:

said first offset and duration related information includes an offset value and a duration value, said offset value indicating an offset from an end of said wireless signal frame at which said first transmit time period commences and said duration value indicating a duration of said first transmit time period.

32. The wireless signal frame of claim 30, wherein:

said first offset and duration related information includes a start time and a stop time, said start time indicating a time after said end of said wireless signal frame at which said first transmit time period commences and said stop time indicating a time after said end of said wireless signal frame at which said first transmit time period ends.

33. The wireless signal frame of claim 30, further comprising:

offset and duration related information corresponding to at least one responder device other than said first and second responder devices.

34. The wireless signal frame of claim 30, wherein:

said first offset and duration related information and said second offset and duration related information are modulated within a common MPDU of said wireless signal frame.

35. The wireless signal frame of claim 30, wherein:

said first offset and duration related information and said second offset and duration related information are each modulated within a separate MPDU of said wireless signal frame.