Control frame format for WLAN

• US 9,832,057 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yong, Ramamurthy, Harish, Zhang, Hongyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, FAHMIDA S
• Application Number:
  US14/846,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20150381397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2613 Structure of the reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• 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 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

In a method for transmitting a data unit in a wireless communication network, a physical layer (PHY) preamble and a media access control layer (MAC) header are generated. In generating the MAC header, a first address field to include a first address and a second address field to include a second address are generated. The first, not globally unique, address indicates a communication device for which the data unit is intended or a communication device that is transmitting the data unit. The second address field indicates the other one of a communication device for which the data unit is intended or a communication device that is transmitting the data unit. The first address field and the second address field are included in the MAC header. The MAC header omits a globally unique address corresponding to the first address of the first address field.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a control data unit in a wireless network, the method comprising:

choosing, at a communication device;

(i) to send a request to send (RTS) data unit or a clear to send to self (CTS-to-self) data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 2 MHz, or

(ii) to send the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 1 MHz;

generating, at the communication device, the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth; and

causing the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit to be transmitted by the communication device such that the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying a total channel bandwidth of 4 MHz, 8 MHz, or 16 MHz.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein choosing (i) or (ii) is based on channel conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein choosing (i) or (ii) is based on channel bandwidth capabilities of one or more other communication devices in the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein choosing (i) or (ii) is based on a base channel bandwidth utilized to transmit a RTS data unit received by the communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein choosing (i) or (ii) is based on a base channel bandwidth request received from another communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, at the communication device, a RTS data unit that was transmitted by the other communication device, wherein the RTS data unit transmitted by the other communication device includes the base channel bandwidth request;

wherein

generating the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit comprises generating the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth, and

causing the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit to be transmitted by the communication device comprises causing the CTS-to-self data unit to be transmitted

in response to the RTS data unit transmitted by the other communication device, and

such that the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying N times the base channel bandwidth.

7. A communication device, comprising:

a network interface device having one or more integrated circuits configured to;

choose;

(i) to send a request to send (RTS) data unit or a clear to send to self (CTS-to-self) data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 2 MHz, or

(ii) to send the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 1 MHz;

wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to;

generate the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth, and

transmit the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit such that the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying a total channel bandwidth of 4 MHz, 8 MHz, or 16 MHz.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to choose (i) or (ii) based on channel conditions.

9. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to choose (i) or (ii) based on channel bandwidth capabilities of one or more other communication devices in a wireless network.

10. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to choose (i) or (ii) based on a base channel bandwidth utilized to transmit a RTS data unit received by the communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to choose (i) or (ii) based on a base channel bandwidth request received from another communication device.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:

choose (i) or (ii) based on the base channel bandwidth request included in a RTS data unit that was transmitted by the other communication device;

wherein

the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth comprises the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth,

the CTS-to-self data unit is transmitted by the network interface device in response to the network interface device receiving the RTS data unit transmitted by the other communication device, and

the one or more integrated circuits are configured to transmit the CTS-to-self data unit such that the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying N times the base channel bandwidth.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

choose;

(i) to send a request to send (RTS) data unit or a clear to send to self (CTS-to-self) data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 2 MHz, or

(ii) to send the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at a base channel bandwidth of 1 MHz;

cause a network interface device to generate the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth, wherein the network interface device includes or is coupled to the processor; and

cause the network interface device to transmit the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit such that the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying a total channel bandwidth of 4 MHz, 8 MHz, or 16 MHz.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to choose (i) or (ii) based on channel conditions.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the network interface device is included in a communication device; and

the computer readable medium further stores machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to choose (i) or (ii) based on channel bandwidth capabilities of one or more other communication devices in a wireless network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to choose (i) or (ii) based on a base channel bandwidth utilized to transmit a RTS data unit received by a communication device that includes the network interface device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to choose (i) or (ii) based on a base channel bandwidth request received at the network interface device from another communication device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

choose (i) or (ii) based on the base channel bandwidth request included in a RTS data unit that was transmitted by the other communication device and received at the network interface device;

wherein

the RTS data unit or the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth comprises the CTS-to-self data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth,

the computer readable medium stores machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause the network interface device to

transmit the CTS-to-self data unit in response to the network interface device receiving the RTS data unit transmitted by the other communication device, and transmit the CTS-to-self data unit such that the CTS data unit at the chosen base channel bandwidth is duplicated to generate a transmission occupying N times the base channel bandwidth.