System and method for medium access control enabling both full-duplex and half-duplex communications

• US 9,167,601 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aggarwal, Vaneet, Jana, Rittwik, Rice, Christopher W., Shankaranarayanan, Nemmara K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/456,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20140348033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1461 Suppression of signals in the return path, i.e. bidirectional control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• 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 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for a modified MAC protocol which can facilitate communications with both full-duplex and half-duplex devices. A system configured according to the disclosed method can enable communications between an Access Point (AP) and a client in either full duplex or half duplex. The system can similarly enable peer-to-peer communications in both full duplex and half duplex communication modes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating transmission data at a first rate on a frequency spectrum; and

upon receiving data in the frequency spectrum while communicating the transmission data;

stopping communication of the transmission data at a current frame;

dropping the current frame; and

communicating, beginning with a frame which immediately follows the current frame, the transmission data at a reduced rate on the frequency spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data is communicated in a first communication format and the data is received in a second communication format which is dissimilar to the first communication format.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication format comprises a full duplex communication format and the second communication format comprises a half duplex communication format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing self-interference cancellation while communicating first transmission data at the first rate; and

applying the self-interference cancellation only when receiving the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current frame is not retransmitted after dropping the current frame.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting a collision, stopping communication of the transmission data; and

communicating a jam signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the jam signal is received by a plurality of full duplex clients.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

communicating transmission data at a first rate on a frequency spectrum; and

upon receiving data in the frequency spectrum while communicating the transmission data;

stopping communication of the transmission data at a current frame;

dropping the current frame; and

communicating, beginning with a frame which immediately follows the current frame, the transmission data at a reduced rate on the frequency spectrum.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmission data is communicated in a first communication format and the data is received in a second communication format which is dissimilar to the first communication format.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first communication format comprises a full duplex communication format and the second communication format comprises a half duplex communication format.

11. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:

preparing self-interference cancellation while communicating first transmission data at the first rate; and

applying the self-interference cancellation only when receiving the data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the current frame is not retransmitted after dropping the current frame.

13. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:

upon detecting a collision, stopping communication of the transmission data; and

communicating a jam signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the jam signal is received by a plurality of full duplex clients.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

communicating transmission data at a first rate on a frequency spectrum; and

upon receiving data in the frequency spectrum while communicating the transmission data;

stopping communication of the transmission data at a current frame;

dropping the current frame; and

communicating, beginning with a frame which immediately follows the current frame, the transmission data at a reduced rate on the frequency spectrum.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the transmission data is communicated in a first communication format and the data is received in a second communication format which is dissimilar to the first communication format.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the first communication format comprises a full duplex communication format and the second communication format comprises a half duplex communication format.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:

preparing self-interference cancellation while communicating first transmission data at the first rate; and

applying the self-interference cancellation only when receiving the data.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the current frame is not retransmitted after dropping the current frame.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, having additional instructions stored which result in operations comprising:

upon detecting a collision, stopping communication of the transmission data; and

communicating a jam signal.