Downlink communication with multiple acknowledgements

• US 8,995,404 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingenu Inc.
• Original Assignee: On-Ramp Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Sinsuan, Kenneth C., Myers, Theodore J., Cohen, Lewis N., Hughes, Matthew, Werner, Daniel Thomas, Boesel, Robert W., Singler, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, SAI MING
• Application Number:
  US13/745,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0003 Code application, i.e. aspects relating to how codes are applied to form multiplexed channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

Methods, systems and instructions stored on computer-readable media for generating, at a first node, a plurality of data units. The plurality of data units are spread with a common pseudo-noise (PN) code that is used by a plurality of nodes, including the first node and a second node, that are in communication with an access point. A random timing offset is determined, and a first data unit is transmitted to the access point at a first time based upon a slot start time and the random timing offset. The first data unit is transmitted while at least a portion of a second signal is transmitted from the second node such that both the first data unit and the second signal are received by the access point. The second signal is transmitted at a second time based on the slot time and a second random timing offset.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a processor configured to;

spread using a first spreading factor a first data frame using a first pseudo-noise (PN) spreader;

spread using a second spreading factor a second data frame using the first PN spreader;

spread a broadcast frame using a second PN spreader;

generate a complex data stream having a first component and a second component, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are assigned to the first component and the broadcast frame is assigned to the second component, wherein the first component comprises either a real component or an imaginary component of the complex data stream, wherein the second component comprises either the real component or the imaginary component of the complex data stream, and wherein the first component is not the same as the second component; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the complex data stream, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are transmitted in a single data channel slot.

2. The access point of claim 1, wherein the broadcast frame comprises a plurality of acknowledgements for a plurality of tags.

3. The access point of claim 1, wherein the second spreading factor is less than the first spreading factor.

4. The access point of claim 1, wherein the broadcast frame is spread using a third spreading factor.

5. The access point of claim 4, wherein the first spreading factor is less than the third spreading factor.

6. The access point of claim 1, wherein the first spreading factor is based at least in part on a quality of a link with a tag.

7. The access point of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first tag frame from a first tag, wherein the first tag fame is received at a first time based in part on a slot start time and a first random timing offset, and wherein the first tag frame is received while at least a portion of a second tag frame is received from a second tag, wherein the second tag frame is receiving based in part on the slot start time and a second random timing offset, and wherein one of the plurality of acknowledgements acknowledges the receipt of the first tag frame.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to spread using a first spreading factor a first data frame using a first pseudo-noise (PN) spreader;

instructions to spread using a second spreading factor a second data frame using the first PN spreader;

instructions to spread a broadcast frame using a second PN spreader, wherein the broadcast frame comprises a plurality of acknowledgements for a plurality of tags;

instructions to generate a complex data stream having a first component and a second component, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are assigned to the first component and the broadcast frame is assigned to the second component, wherein the first component comprises either a real component or an imaginary component of the complex data stream, wherein the second component comprises either the real component or the imaginary component of the complex data stream, and wherein the first component is not the same as the second component; and

instructions to transmit the complex data stream, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are transmitted in a single data channel slot.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the broadcast frame comprises a plurality of acknowledgements for a plurality of tags.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the second spreading factor is less than the first spreading factor.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the broadcast frame is spread using a third spreading factor.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first spreading factor is less than the third spreading factor.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first spreading factor is based at least in part on a quality of a link with a tag.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to receive a first tag frame from a first tag, wherein the first tag fame is received at a first time based in part on a slot start time and a first random timing offset, and wherein the first tag frame is received while at least a portion of a second tag frame is received from a second tag, wherein the second tag frame is receiving based in part on the slot start time and a second random timing offset, and wherein one of the plurality of acknowledgements acknowledges the receipt of the first tag frame.

15. A method comprising:

spreading using a first spreading factor a first data frame using a first pseudo-noise (PN) spreader;

spreading using a second spreading factor a second data frame using the first PN spreader;

spreading a broadcast frame using a second PN spreader, wherein the broadcast frame comprises a plurality of acknowledgements for a plurality of tags;

generating a complex data stream having a first component and a second component, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are assigned to the first component and the broadcast frame is assigned to the second component, wherein the first component comprises either a real component or an imaginary component of the complex data stream, wherein the second component comprises either the real component or the imaginary component of the complex data stream, and wherein the first component is not the same as the second component; and

transmitting the complex data stream, wherein the first data frame and the second data frame are transmitted in a single data channel slot.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the broadcast frame comprises a plurality of acknowledgements for a plurality of tags.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second spreading factor is less than the first spreading factor.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the broadcast frame is spread using a third spreading factor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first spreading factor is less than the third spreading factor.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first spreading factor is based at least in part on a quality of a link with a tag.