Method to manage medium access for a mixed wireless network

• US 8,081,967 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stephens, Adrian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Application Number:
  US10/832,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20050239455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,794 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/561, 455/127.4, 370/338, 370/442, 370/461
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an access point may provide multiple access to a single medium by providing time division multiple access to the medium.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

during a first phase, transmitting a first communication to indicate an end to a medium reservation period for devices of a first type; and

communicating with the devices of the first type during the first phase;

wherein devices of a second type are prevented from initiating communication during the first phase by the medium reservation period;

wherein the medium reservation period was initiated by a single communication received and processed by the devices of the first type and the devices of the second type; and

wherein the single communication indicates to devices of three or more types of devices not to transmit during phases that do not correspond to devices of the three or more types; and

further comprising communicating with the devices of the three or more types during phases that correspond to devices of a respective one of the three or more types.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communicating with the devices of the first type is initiated by the devices of the first type.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

during a second phase, transmitting a second communication to indicate an end to the medium reservation period for the devices of the first type and the devices of the second type; and

communicating with the devices of the second type during the second phase.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the communicating with the devices of the second type is initiated by the devices of the second type.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising during the second phase, transmitting a third communication to indicate a start to another medium reservation period for the devices of the first type.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the devices of the first type include devices to operate in compliance with a first communications standard, and

wherein the devices of the second type include devices to operate in compliance with a second communications standard.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the devices of the first type are able to process communications of the devices of the second type, and the devices of the second type are unable to process communications of the devices of the first type.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the devices of the first type operate at approximately the same frequency as the devices of the second type.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the single communication is a beacon that is periodically transmitted.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the single communication is a medium reservation packet.

11. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing platform, result in providing multiple access to a medium in a wireless local area network, the instructions to cause the computing platform to:

during a first phase, transmit a first communication to indicate an end to a medium reservation period for devices of a first type; and

communicate with the devices of the first type during the first phase;

wherein devices of a second type are prevented from initiating communication by the medium reservation period;

wherein the medium reservation period was initiated by a single communication received and processed by the devices of the first type and the devices of the second type, and

wherein the single communication indicates to devices of three or more types of devices not to transmit during phases that do not correspond to the devices of the three or more types; and

further comprising communicating with the devices of the three or more types during phases that correspond to devices of a respective one of the three or more types.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein to communicate with the devices of the first type is in response to communications initiated by the devices of the first type.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, the instructions further to cause the computing platform to:

during a second phase, transmit a second communication to indicate an end to the medium reservation period for the devices of the first type and the devices of the second type; and

communicate with the devices of the second type during the second phase.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein to communicate with the devices of the second type is in response to communications initiated by the devices of the second type.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, the instructions further to cause the computing platform to transmit a third communication to indicate a start to another medium reservation period for the devices of the first type.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the devices of the first type include devices to operate in compliance with a first communications standard, and

wherein the devices of the second type include devices to operate in compliance with a second communications standard.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the devices of the first type are able to process communications of the devices of the second type, and the devices of the second type are unable to process communications of the devices of the first type.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the devices of the first type operate at approximately the same frequency as the devices of the second type.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the single communication is a beacon that is periodically transmitted.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the single communication is a medium reservation packet.