Medium accessing mechanisms within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

• US 20130265965A1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Fischer, Matthew James, Erceg, Vinko, Lauer, Joseph Paul, Kim, Joonsuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A multi-user super-frame (MU-SF), as controlled by a MU-SF owner, is used to govern the manner by which various wireless communication devices have access to the communication medium. When various wireless communication devices operate within a wireless communication system, communication medium access can be handled differently for wireless communication devices having different capabilities. Per the MU-SF, those having a first capability may get medium access in accordance with a first operational mode (e.g., carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA)), while those having a second capability may get medium access in accordance with a second operational mode (e.g., scheduled access). The respective durations for each of the first operational mode and the second operational mode within various MU-SFs need not be the same; the respective durations thereof may be adaptively modified based on any number considerations.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a multi-user super-frame (MU-SF) to indicate a contention free period with associated first at least one cluster and a contention based period with associated second at least one cluster for communication medium access by a plurality of wireless communication devices, located remotely from the wireless communication device; and

at least one wireless communication interface configured to transmit the MU-SF to and support subsequent communications with the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the MU-SF.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor configured to provide a mapping of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones within at least one channel within at least one frequency band for the first at least one cluster.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein, based on the first at least one cluster:

the wireless communication device configured to receive a first signal from a first of the plurality of wireless communication devices using a first mapping of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones within a first at least one channel within a first at least one frequency band; and

the wireless communication device configured to receive a second signal from a second of the plurality of wireless communication devices using a second mapping of OFDM tones within a second at least one channel within a second at least one frequency band.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communication interface configured to transmit the MU-SF as a multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame or an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices includes a first wireless communication device operative based on a first IEEE 802.11 standard and a second wireless communication device operative based on a second IEEE 802.11 standard that is a legacy IEEE 802.11 standard relative to the first IEEE 802.11 standard.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor configured to generate at least one additional MU-SF based on communications received from at least some of the plurality of wireless communication devices during a time period governed by the MU-SF;

and

the at least one wireless communication interface configured to transmit the at least one additional MU-SF to and support subsequent communications with the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the at least one additional MU-SF.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second at least one cluster includes the first at least one cluster;

and

the wireless communication device configured to receive communications via the first at least one cluster during both the contention free period and the contention based period.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is an access point (AP);

and

the plurality of remote wireless communication devices is a plurality of wireless stations (STAs).

13. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is an access point (AP);

and

the plurality of remote wireless communication devices is a plurality of wireless stations (STAs).

9. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a multi-user super-frame (MU-SF) to indicate a contention free period with associated first at least one cluster and a contention based period with associated second at least one cluster, that includes the first at least one cluster, for communication medium access by a plurality of wireless communication devices, located remotely from the wireless communication device; and

at least one wireless communication interface configured to transmit the MU-SF to the plurality of wireless communication devices, as a multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame or an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame, and to support subsequent communications with the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the MU-SF.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor configured to provide:

a first mapping of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones within a first at least one channel within a first at least one frequency band for the first at least one cluster; and

a second mapping of OFDM tones within a second at least one channel within a second at least one frequency band for the second at least one cluster.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices includes a first wireless communication device operative based on a first IEEE 802.11 standard and a second wireless communication device operative based on a second IEEE 802.11 standard that is a legacy IEEE 802.11 standard relative to the first IEEE 802.11 standard.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor configured to generate at least one additional MU-SF based on communications received from at least some of the plurality of wireless communication devices during a time period governed by the MU-SF;

and

the at least one wireless communication interface configured to transmit the at least one additional MU-SF to and support subsequent communications with the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the at least one additional MU-SF.

14. A method for operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

generating a multi-user super-frame (MU-SF) to indicate a contention free period with associated first at least one cluster and a contention based period with associated second at least one cluster for communication medium access by a plurality of wireless communication devices, located remotely from the wireless communication device; and

via at least one wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device;

transmitting the MU-SF to the plurality of wireless communication devices; and

receiving subsequent communications from at least some of the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the MU-SF.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating the MU-SF further comprising providing a mapping of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones within at least one channel within at least one frequency band for the first at least one cluster.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, via the at least one wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device and based on the first at least one cluster:

receiving a first signal from a first of the plurality of wireless communication devices using a first mapping of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones within a first at least one channel within a first at least one frequency band; and

receiving a second signal from a second of the plurality of wireless communication devices using a second mapping of OFDM tones within a second at least one channel within a second at least one frequency band.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, via the at least one wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device, transmitting the MU-SF as a multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame or an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices includes a first wireless communication device operative based on a first IEEE 802.11 standard and a second wireless communication device operative based on a second IEEE 802.11 standard that is a legacy IEEE 802.11 standard relative to the first IEEE 802.11 standard.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating at least one additional MU-SF based on communications received from at least some of the plurality of wireless communication devices during a time period governed by the MU-SF;

and

via the at least one wireless communication interface of the wireless communication device;

transmitting the at least one additional MU-SF to the plurality of wireless communication devices; and

supporting subsequent communications with the plurality of wireless communication devices based on the at least one additional MU-SF.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the wireless communication device is an access point (AP); and

the plurality of remote wireless communication devices is a plurality of wireless stations (STAs).