Voice and data wireless communications network and method
A wireless local area network that carries mixed traffic of voice and data communications may be provided. The wireless local area network may include an access point and a plurality of remote terminals that are associated with the access point. The access point may be operably coupled to a wireline network. The access point may receive voice and other communications packets from the remote terminals and the wireline network. Some of the packets may be for transmission to the remote terminals. The access point manages which packets to transmit and when to transmit packets. The access point may manage traffic to maintain a fair distribution of packets and to give priority to voice communications over other communications.
1. A method, comprising:
determining a priority level of each of a plurality of packets in periodic intervals, the priority level based on a voice-capability of a remote terminal to which each of the plurality of packets is directed, whereupon voice packets directed to a voice-capable remote terminal are given a higher priority level than data packets; and
wirelessly transmitting the packets in one-packet-per-terminal rounds over a communications medium with packets having higher priority levels being transmitted prior to packets having lower priority levels, wherein a highest priority packet for each of a plurality of remote terminals is transmitted in each round; and
wherein when an acknowledgement for a transmitted packet is not received, the packet is retransmitted up to a predetermined first number of times, wherein the predetermined first number of times is lower for the voice packets than other packets, wherein when the first number of times is reached, further retry transmissions are halted until after a frequency hop in modulation, after which the retransmitted packet that was not acknowledged is further retransmitted until a predetermined second number of times, and wherein the predetermined second number of times is lower for voice packets than other packets.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly transmitting occurs when it is determined that a carrier channel has been idle for a predetermined amount of time.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a contention window determines the predetermined amount of time, which is different for voice and other data.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the priority level is highest for a network management type of packet.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the priority level is next highest for a voice packet.
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the priority level of each packet is determined based on its transport protocol.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein packet lengths are variable.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the priority level considers a length of each packet.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing the packets in a plurality of transmission queues based on the priority level, wherein each transmission queue corresponding to a destination of the packets corresponding to one priority level.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the priority level of each of the packets includes determining a time of receipt of each packet.
11. A system, comprising:
a plurality of remote terminals, each terminal including a receiver to receive wirelessly transmitted packets; and
an access point receiving the packets from a communication medium, each of the packets having a destination remote terminal, the access point further determining a priority level of each of the packets in periodic intervals, the priority level based on a voice-capability of the destination remote terminal to which each of the packets is directed, whereupon voice packets directed to a voice-capable remote terminal are given a higher priority level than data packets, and wirelessly transmitting each packet in one-packet-per-terminal rounds to the destination remote terminal with packets having higher priority levels being transmitted prior to packets having lower priority levels, wherein a highest priority packet for each of the remote terminals is transmitted in each round; and
wherein when an acknowledgement for a transmitted packet is not received, the packet is retransmitted up to a predetermined first number of times, wherein the predetermined first number of times is lower for the voice packets than other packets, wherein when the first number of times is reached, further retry transmissions are halted until after a frequency hop in modulation, after which the retransmitted packet that was not acknowledged is further retransmitted until a predetermined second number of times, and wherein the predetermined second number of times is lower for voice packets than other packets.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the access point receives further packets, determines the priority level of each of the further packets and wirelessly transmits each further packet to the destination remote terminal with the further packets having higher priority levels being transmitted prior to un-transmitted packets having lower priority levels.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the access point receives further packets, determines the priority level of each of the further packets and wirelessly transmits each further packet to the destination remote terminal with the further packets having the higher priority levels preempting a retransmission of a previously transmitted and unacknowledged packets having lower priority levels.
14. An access point, comprising:
a receiver to receive packets from a communication medium, each of the packets having a destination remote terminal, the receiver having a processor determining a priority level of each of the packets during a periodic interval, the priority level based on a voice-capability of the destination remote terminal to which each of the packets is directed, whereupon voice packets directed to a voice-capable remote terminal are given a higher priority level than data packets; and
a transmitter to wirelessly transmit each packet in one-packet-per-terminal rounds to the destination remote terminal, wherein packets having higher priority levels are transmitted prior to packets having lower priority levels, wherein a highest priority packet for each of a plurality of remote terminals is transmitted in each round; and
wherein when an acknowledgement for a transmitted packet is not received, the packet is retransmitted up to a predetermined first number of times, wherein the predetermined first number of times is lower for the voice packets than other packets, wherein when the first number of times is reached, further retry transmissions are halted until after a frequency hop in modulation, after which the retransmitted packet that was not acknowledged is further retransmitted until a predetermined second number of times, and wherein the predetermined second number of times is lower for voice packets than other packets.