MAC PACKET DATA UNIT CONSTRUCTION FOR WIRELESS SYSTEMS

• US 20110080873A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ZHANG, Hang, Fong, Mo-Han
• Granted Patent: US 8,737,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs. The method includes determining one or more characteristics of a service flow and selecting on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types. The service flow data is encapsulated in MAC PDUs with a header of the selected type. The MAC PDUs with the encapsulated service flow data are then wirelessly transmitted. Also, a method for communication between a Base Station (BS) and a Subscriber Station (SS). The method includes generating at the BS a plurality of MAC PDU packets with a payload component holding service flow data and a plurality of MAC PDU packets without payload component, carrying control information. The method also includes transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDU packets with the payload component and the MAC PDU packets with the control information to the SS.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising;

a. determining one or more characteristics of a service flow;

b. selecting on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types;

c. encapsulating service flow data in MAC PDUs with a header according to the selected MAC PDU header type;

d. transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDUs with the encapsulated service flow data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes encryption requirement.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes ARQ requirement.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes SDU fragmentation requirement.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the service flow includes a range of possible lengths of SDUs to be encapsulated in a MAC PDU.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of MAC PDU header types includes a first header type and a second header type.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first header type is shorter than the second header type.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of a first header type and the encapsulating includes placing a single SDU per MAC PDU.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, including providing the header of the first header type with a data field for carrying information indicating a length of the single SDU.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the data field for carrying information indicating a length of the single SDU carries a code that can take several possible values, each value being associated with an SDU length.

14. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the header of the first header type includes a data field for carrying a code that can take at least two different values, a first value indicative that the MAC PDU has a payload and a second value indicative that the MAC PDU has no payload.

15. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a plurality of SDUs per MAC PDU.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the MAC PDU is free of a packing sub-header in connection with each SDU.

17. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the MAC PDU has a sub-header containing information on a length of one or more SDUs.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the sub-header immediately follows the header of the second header type.

19. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field containing information indicative of a number of SDUs in the MAC PDU.

20. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the header of the second header type includes a field carrying a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, each value being inactive of an SDU fragmentation scheme, whereby the code can represent a plurality of different SDU fragmentation schemes.

26. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the MAC PDU has a header of the second header type and the encapsulating includes placing a singe SDU or a fragment of an SDU per MAC PDU.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

21-25. -25. (canceled)

27-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising;

a. determining if a desired service flow is a VoIP service flow or a service flow that is not a VoIP service flow;

b. selecting on the basis of the determining a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types;

c. encapsulating service flow data in MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header type;

d. transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header.

33. A device for performing wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising;

e. logic including software for execution by a CPU for;

i. determining one or more characteristics of a service flow;

ii. selecting on the basis of the one or more characteristics a MAC PDU header type among a plurality of MAC PDU header types;

iii. encapsulating service flow data in MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header type;

f. a transmitter for transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDUs with the selected MAC PDU header.

34. A method for wireless communication using MAC PDUs, comprising;

g. providing control information conveying a parameter of a wireless communication system;

h. encapsulating the control information in a MAC PDU packet;

i. transmitting wirelessly the MAC PDU packet.

35. A method as defined in claim 34, including receiving at a receiver the MAC PDU packet and processing the MAC PDU packet to extract the control information.

36. A method as defined in claim 35, including implementing an action at the receiver in response to the control information.

37. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein MAC PDU has no payload component.

38. A method as defined in claim 37, wherein the MAC PDU has a header and a sub-header.

39. A method as defined in claim 38, wherein the sub-header carries at least a component of the control information.

40. A method as defined in claim 39, wherein the sub-header includes a field with a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, each value being indicative of a different type of control information carried in the MAC PDU.

41. A method as defined in claim 40, wherein the sub-header including a field with a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, one of the distinct values indicating that the control information in the MAC PDU is the last MAC PDU of a series of MAC PDUs conveying a control communication.

42. A method as defined in claim 37, wherein the MAC PDU has a header that carries control information.

43. A method as defined in claim 42, wherein the header includes a field with a code that can take a plurality of distinct values, each value being indicative of a different type of control information carried in the MAC PDU.

44. A method as defined in claim 43, wherein the header consists of four bytes.

45-48. -48. (canceled)