Block ack protocols for wireless packet network
View Patent ↗Circuits, methods, and apparatus that reduce overhead and channel bandwidth required for data reception acknowledgment. One such system uses an enhanced block acknowledgment that acknowledges frames received for different data streams. Another system sends an acknowledgment after the occurrence of a triggering event, such as the end of a duration, the reception of a number of frames, or the reception of a frame having a specific sequence number. Another removes the need for acknowledgment frames by including an acknowledgment field in a transmitted data frame. These block acknowledgments and acknowledgment fields may include an acknowledgement of frames received for each data stream having different traffic identifications, they may be for all received frames or for a specific class or groups of classes of traffic, for specific user priorities, or for other subgroups of received frames, and more that one acknowledgment may be included.
1. A method of transferring data across a wireless network comprising:
receiving a first data structure having a first characteristic;
receiving a second data structure having a second characteristic;
receiving a request for acknowledgement that the first data structure having the first characteristic and second data structure having the second characteristic were received; and
transmitting an acknowledgment that the first data structure having the first characteristic and the second data structure having the second characteristic were received.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein a format for the acknowledgement is identified by setting a bit in a format control field.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second data structures are frames.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic is a first traffic identification and the second characteristic is a second traffic identification.
5. A method of transferring data across a wireless network comprising:
receiving a first data frame having a first traffic identification;
receiving a second data frame having a second traffic identification; and
transmitting a block acknowledgment that the first data frame having the first traffic identification and the second data frame having the second traffic identification were received.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein a format for the block acknowledgement is identified by setting a bit in a field control field.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
receiving a block acknowledgement request.
8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
receiving a block acknowledgement request, and
transmitting a first acknowledgment,
wherein the first acknowledgment does not specify that the first data frame having the first identification and the second data frame having the second identification were received.
9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
determining that a first duration has transpired.
10. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
determining that a first number of frames have been received.
11. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
determining that a frame having a first sequence number has been received.
12. A method of transferring data across a wireless network comprising:
with a first station, transmitting a first data frame having a first traffic identification;
with the first station, transmitting a second data frame having a second traffic identification;
with a second station, receiving the first data frame having the first traffic identification and the second data frame having the second traffic identification, and transmitting a block acknowledgment that the first data frame having the first traffic identification and the second data frame having the second traffic identification were received by the second station; and
with the first station, receiving the block acknowledgment that the first data frame having the first traffic identification and the second data frame having the second traffic identification were received by the second station.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
with the first station, transmitting a block acknowledgement request; and
with the second station, receiving the block acknowledgment request.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
with the first station, transmitting a block acknowledgement request, and
with the second station, receiving the block acknowledgment request and transmitting a first acknowledgment,
wherein the first acknowledgment does not specify that the first data structure having the first identification and the second data structure having the second identification were received.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
with the second station, determining that a first duration has transpired.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
with the second station, determining that a first number of frames have been received.
17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
before transmitting the block acknowledgement,
with the second station, determining that a frame having a first sequence number has been received by the second station.
18. A method of transferring data across a wireless network comprising:
transmitting a first frame;
receiving a second frame having a first traffic identification;
receiving a third frame having a second traffic identification; and
transmitting a fourth frame,
wherein the fourth frame comprises an acknowledgement that the second frame having the first traffic identification and the third frame having the second traffic identification were received.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the acknowledgement is located in a first field of the payload section of the fourth frame.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the acknowledgement is located in a first field at the start of a PSDU of the fourth frame.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the acknowledgement is located in the last field at the end of a PSDU of the fourth frame.
22. The method of claim 18 wherein the acknowledgement is located in a fifth frame the following the fourth frame.
23. The method of claim 18 wherein the acknowledgement is located in a field following the fourth frame.
24. A wireless communications device, comprising:
means for receiving a first data structure having a first characteristic;
means for receiving a second data structure having a second characteristic;
means for receiving a request for acknowledgement that the first data structure having the first characteristic and second data structure having the second characteristic were received; and
means for transmitting an acknowledgment that the first data structure having the first characteristic and the second data structure having the second characteristic were received.
25. A wireless communications device, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a first data structure having a first characteristic, to receive a second data structure having a second characteristic, and to receive a request for acknowledgement that the first data structure having the first characteristic and second data structure having the second characteristic were received; and
a transmitter configured to transmit an acknowledgment that the first data structure having the first characteristic and the second data structure having the second characteristic were received.
26. A storage device comprising instructions executable by a digital signal processing circuit, the instructions being executable to:
receive a first data structure having a first characteristic;
receive a second data structure having a second characteristic;
receive a request for acknowledgement that the first data structure having the first characteristic and second data structure having the second characteristic were received; and
transmit an acknowledgment that the first data structure having the first characteristic and the second data structure having the second characteristic were received.
27. A wireless communications device, comprising:
means for transmitting a first frame;
means for receiving a second frame having a first traffic identification;
means for receiving a third frame having a second traffic identification; and
means for transmitting a fourth frame, wherein the fourth frame comprises an acknowledgement that the second frame having the first traffic identification and the third frame having the second traffic identification were received.
28. A wireless communication device, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a first frame;
a receiver configured to receive a second frame having a first traffic identification and to receive a third frame having a second traffic identification, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a fourth frame comprising an acknowledgement that the second frame having the first traffic identification and the third frame having the second traffic identification were received.
29. A storage device comprising instructions executable by a digital signal processing circuit, the instructions being executable to:
transmit a first frame;
receive a second frame having a first traffic identification;
receive a third frame having a second traffic identification; and
transmit a fourth frame comprising an acknowledgement that the second frame having the first traffic identification and the third frame having the second traffic identification were received.