Mechanism for reserving multiple channels of a single medium access control and physical layer
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus are disclosed for enabling coexistence in a wireless local-area network between legacy stations and stations that can transmit higher-bandwidth signals. The illustrative embodiment employs a transceiver that can transmit and receive higher-bandwidth signals over a combination of two or more shared-communications channels, and an enhanced medium access control (MAC) protocol by which stations progressively reserve channels before transmitting higher-bandwidth signals.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving a first message over a first shared-communications channel; and
a processor for: processing the first message, wherein processing said first message comprises:
a notification that said first shared-communications channel has been reserved, and
reserving the first shared-communications channel and a second shared-communications channel, wherein the reserving is defined by one or more values that define in time
(a) a first reservation offset time interval upon the conclusion of which a first signal is transmitted over a combination of the first shared-communications channel and the second shared-communications channel, and during which the first and second shared-communications channels are used; and
(b) a second reservation duration time interval during which a first shared-communications channel and the second shared-communications channel are reserved, and upon the conclusion of which the transmission of the first signal over the combination of said first shared- communications channel and said second shared-communications channel is ended, wherein said second time interval is after said first time interval.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first message is also received by a station that always transmits via one shared-communications channel at a time, and wherein said notification causes said station to refrain from transmitting until after said second time interval.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiver is also for receiving, during said first time interval, a second message over said second shared-communications channel associated with reserving said second shared-communications channel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter for transmitting, during the first reservation offset time interval, a second signal over the first shared-communications channel only.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transmitter is also for transmitting, after said second time interval, a third signal over the combination of a plurality of shared-communications channels.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said transmitter is also for, prior to transmitting said third signal, transmitting sequentially over each of said plurality of shared-communications channels a respective message for reserving each of the plurality of shared-communications channels.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transmitter is also for, prior to receiving said first message:
transmitting over each of a plurality of shared-communications channels a respective message for reserving each of the plurality of shared-communications channels; and
transmitting a third signal over the combination of said plurality of shared-communications channels.
8. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a processor for:
sending signals to said transmitter, receiving signals from said receiver, and
executing a contention-based protocol prior to said transmitter transmitting said second signal over said first shared-communications channel.
9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second signal comprises a data message.
10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second signal comprises a reservation message for reserving said first shared-communications channel during a third time interval; and wherein said third time interval is after said second time interval; and wherein said transmitter is also for:
transmitting, within said first time interval, a third signal over said second shared-communications channel for reserving said second shared-communications channel during said third time interval, and
transmitting, within said third time interval, a fourth signal over the combination of said first shared-communications channel and said second shared-communications channel.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said reservation message is also received by a station that always transmits via one shared-communications channel at a time, and wherein said reservation message causes said station to refrain from transmitting until after said third time interval.
12. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second signal comprises a reservation message comprising one or more values defining a third time interval; and wherein said third time interval is after said second time interval; and wherein said transmitter is also for:
transmitting, within said second time interval and after said first signal is transmitted, a third signal over said second shared-communications channel for reserving said second shared-communications channel during said third time interval, and
transmitting, within said third time interval, a fourth signal over the combination of said first shared-communications channel and said second shared-communications channel.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said reservation message is also received by a station that always transmits via one shared-communications channel at a time, and wherein said reservation message causes said station to refrain from transmitting until after said third time interval.
14. A method comprising:
(a) receiving a first message over a first shared-communications channel, wherein said first message comprises:
(i) a notification that said first shared-communications channel has been reserved,
(ii) values that define in time a first reservation offset time interval and a second reservation duration time interval, and
(b) reserving the first shared-communications channel and a second shared-communications channel defined in time by
(i) the first time interval, upon the conclusion of which a first signal is transmitted over a combination of the first shared-communications channel and the second shared-communications channel, and during which the first and second shared-communications channels are used; and
(ii) the second time interval upon the conclusion of which the transmission of the first signal over the combination of said first shared-communications channel and said second shared-communications channel is ended, wherein said second time interval is after said first time interval.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first message is also received by a station that always transmits via one shared-communications channel at a time, and wherein said notification causes said station to refrain from transmitting until after said second time interval.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
(c) receiving, during said first time interval, a second message over said second shared-communications channel associated with reserving said second shared-communications channel.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
(c) executing, after (a) and prior to (b), a contention-based protocol to gain access to said first shared-communications channel.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting, within said time interval, a second signal over said first shared-communications channel only.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
(c) transmitting, after said second time interval, sequentially over each of a plurality of shared-communications channels a respective message for reserving each of the plurality of shared-communications channels; and
(d) transmitting a third signal over the combination of said plurality of shared-communications channels.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
transmitting, prior to receiving said first message, sequentially over each of a plurality of shared-communications channels a respective message for reserving each of the plurality of shared-communications channels; and
transmitting a third signal over the combination of said plurality of shared-communications channels.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein said second signal comprises a reservation message for reserving said first shared-communications channel during a third time interval that is after said second time interval; said method further comprising:
(c) transmitting, within said first time interval, a third signal over said second shared-communications channel for reserving said second shared-communications channel during said third time interval, and
(d) transmitting, within said third time interval, a fourth signal over the combination of said first shared-communications channel and said second shared-communications channel.
22. The method of claim 18 wherein said second signal comprises a reservation message for reserving said first shared-communications channel during a third time interval that is after said second time interval; said method further comprising:
(c) transmitting, within said second time interval and after said first signal is transmitted, a third signal over said second shared-communications channel for reserving said second shared-communications channel during said third time interval, and
(d) transmitting, within said third time interval, a fourth signal over the combination of said first shared-communications channel and said second shared-communications channel.