Wireless communication device and method for dynamic bidirectional aggregation of MAC frames with delayed channel access in a wireless network

1. A method of aggregating packets of a media-access control (MAC) layer flow performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

aggregating MAC layer packets of the MAC layer flow until an estimated packet inter-arrival time is exceeded, until a maximum packet delay time is exceeded, or until a predetermined maximum number of buffered packets is exceeded; and

delaying a channel access attempt until the aggregating is complete, wherein time between consecutive bursts is dynamically varied based on a MAC channel access delay, and

wherein the maximum packet delay time comprises a fraction of a maximum delay bound of the quality-of-service requirement for the MAC layer flow, the fraction ranging between ¼ and ¾.

2. A method of aggregating packets of a media-access control (MAC) layer flow performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

aggregating MAC layer packets of the MAC layer flow until an estimated packet inter-arrival time is exceeded, until a maximum packet delay time is exceeded, or until a predetermined maximum number of buffered packets is exceeded; and

delaying a channel access attempt until the aggregating is complete,

wherein time between consecutive bursts is dynamically varied based on a MAC channel access delay, and

wherein aggregating packets comprises aggregating packets until a reverse grant from a channel access initiator is received, and

wherein when a reverse grant from a channel access initiator is received, the method further comprises:

forming an aggregate from existing packets and sending the aggregate in a reverse direction; and

refraining from updating the estimated packet inter-arrival time.

3. A wireless communication device comprising:

a packet aggregator to aggregate packets of a media-access control (MAC) layer flow for a burst until an estimated packet inter-arrival time is exceeded, a maximum packet delay time is exceeded, or a predetermined maximum number of buffered packets is exceeded;

channel access circuitry to delay a channel access attempt until the aggregating is complete and to dynamically vary time between consecutive bursts based on a MAC channel access delay; and

MAC layer processing circuitry to determine the maximum packet delay time as a fraction of a maximum delay bound of the quality-of-service requirement for the MAC layer flow, the fraction ranging between ¼ and ¾.

4. A wireless communication device comprising:

a packet aggregator to aggregate packets of a media-access control (MAC) layer flow for a burst until an estimated packet inter-arrival time is exceeded, a maximum packet delay time is exceeded, or a predetermined maximum number of buffered packets is exceeded; and

channel access circuitry to delay a channel access attempt until the aggregating is complete and to dynamically vary time between consecutive bursts based on a MAC channel access delay,

wherein the packet aggregator aggregates packets of a flow until a reverse grant from a channel access initiator is received,

wherein when a reverse grant from a channel access initiator is received, the packet aggregator forms an aggregate from existing packets and sends the aggregate in a reverse direction, and

wherein the MAC layer channel access circuitry refrains from updating the estimated packet inter-arrival time.