Method for combining multiple frames of data into a single medium access
View Patent ↗A method of combining multiple frames of data into a single access to a shared communications medium improves network efficiency transmitting in a fashion compatible with legacy network equipment. An increase in the efficiency of use of a shared communications medium is realized by amortizing the overhead of fixed elements of a communication protocol over multiple frames. The sharing of preamble signaling, elimination of multiple inter-frame gaps or spaces, and the use of a legacy signal field permits a representative embodiment of the present invention to more effectively use a shared communication medium, while in addition providing backward compatible support for legacy network stations.
1. A method of operating a transmitter of a communication device for communicating a plurality of data frames using a single access to a shared communication medium in a network comprising communication devices each having a receiver of one of at least a first type and a second type, the method comprising:
when the transmitter is communicating to a communication device having a receiver of the first type:
(a) transmitting preamble information;
(b) after transmitting the preamble information, transmitting a first information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames;
(c) after transmitting the first information portion, transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames;
(d) after transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames, generating an inter-frame gap; and
(e) repeating (a) through (d) until all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted; and
when the transmitter is communicating to a communication device having a receiver of the second type:
(f) transmitting preamble information;
(g) after transmitting the preamble information, transmitting a second information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames;
(h) after transmitting the second information portion, transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames;
(i) repeating (g) through (h) without use of the shared communication medium by another transmitting entity, until all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted in an essentially continuous transmission; and
(j) after all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted, generating an inter-frame gap.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when communicating to the communication device having a receiver of the second type the method comprises:
transmitting a legacy information portion subsequent to transmitting the preamble information and prior to transmitting the second information portion, the legacy information portion compatible with the communication device having a receiver of the first type and comprising information representative of a total duration of transmission of the plurality of data frames, the legacy information portion causing the communication device having a receiver of the first type to refrain from transmitting for at least the total duration of transmission of the plurality of data frames.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the legacy information portion comprises information representing a transmission rate and information representing a length of data to be transmitted.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the communication device having a receiver of the first type is compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a standard.
6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
detecting occupancy of the communication medium, prior to transmitting preamble information.
7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising: determining an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refraining from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating the inter-frame gap comprises refraining from transmitting.
9. A communication device supporting the combining of multiple data frames into a single access to a shared communication medium in a network comprising network entities of a first type and a second type, the device comprising:
a processor communicatively coupled to a memory comprising executable instructions, and to a communication interface compatible with the shared communication medium;
wherein the device communicates the multiple data frames to a network entity of the first type using multiple accesses to the shared communication medium, each access comprising, in order, a preamble portion, a data portion corresponding to one of the multiple data frames, and an inter-frame gap portion; and
wherein the device communicates the multiple data frames to a network entity of the second type using a single access to the shared communication medium comprising, in order, a preamble portion, multiple data portions corresponding to the multiple data frames, and an inter-frame gap portion.
10. The device according to claim 9 wherein the single medium access comprises an information portion comprising a representation of total medium occupancy for communicating the multiple data frames.
11. The device according to claim 9 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
12. The device according to claim 9 wherein the first type of network entity is compliant with one of: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a (1999) standard and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11g (2003) standard.
13. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is capable of detecting occupancy of the shared communication medium.
14. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is capable of:
determining an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refraining from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
15. The device according to claim 9 wherein the inter-frame gap portion comprises a period of time during which the wireless interface does not transmit.
16. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for operating a transmitter of a communication device for communicating a plurality of data frames using a single access to a shared communication medium in a network comprising communication devices each having a receiver of one of at least a first type and a second type, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
when the transmitter is communicating to a communication device having a receiver of the first type:
(a) transmitting preamble information;
(b) after transmitting the preamble information, transmitting a first information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames;
(c) after transmitting the first information portion, transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames;
(d) after transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames, generating an inter-frame gap; and
(e) repeating (a) through (d) until all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted; and
when the transmitter is communicating to a communication device having a receiver of the second type:
(f) transmitting preamble information;
(g) after transmitting the preamble information, transmitting a second information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames;
(h) after transmitting the second information portion, transmitting the one of the plurality of data frames;
(i) repeating (g) through (h) without use of the shared communication medium by another transmitting entity, until all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted in an essentially continuous transmission; and
(j) after all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted, generating an inter-frame gap.
17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 , wherein when communicating to the communication device having a receiver of the second type, the code sections executable by a machine further cause the machine to perform the operations comprising:
transmitting a legacy information portion subsequent to transmitting the preamble information and prior to transmitting the second information portion, the legacy information portion compatible with the communication device having a receiver of the first type and comprising information representative of a total duration of transmission of the plurality of data frames, the legacy information portion causing the communication device having a receiver of the first type to refrain from transmitting for at least the total duration of transmission of the plurality of data frames.
18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 , wherein the legacy information portion comprises information representing a transmission rate and information representing a length of data to be transmitted.
19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 wherein the communication device having a receiver of the first type is compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a standard.
21. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 , wherein the code sections executable by a machine cause the machine to perform the operations comprising:
detecting occupancy of the shared communication medium.
22. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 , wherein the code sections executable by a machine cause the machine to perform the operations comprising:
determining an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refraining from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
23. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16 wherein generating the inter-frame gap comprises refraining from transmitting.