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. One or more circuits for communicating multiple data frames in a single access to a shared communication medium in a network comprising entities of a first type and a second type, the one or more circuits comprising:
at least one processor arranged to operably couple to transmitter circuitry compatible with the shared communication medium, the at least one processor operable to, at least:
communicate the multiple data frames to the 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
communicate the multiple data frames to the network entity of the second type using a single access to the shared communication medium, the single access comprising, in order, a preamble portion, multiple data portions corresponding to the multiple data frames, and an inter-frame gap portion.
2. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 wherein the single medium access comprises an information portion representative of total medium occupancy for communicating the multiple data frames.
3. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
4. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 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.
5. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:
detect occupancy of the shared communication medium.
6. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:
determine an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refrain from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
7. The one or more circuits according to claim 1 wherein the inter-frame gap portion comprises a period of time during which the wireless interface does not transmit.
8. One or more circuits for communicating a plurality of data frames using a shared communication medium in a network comprising devices each having a receiver of one of at least a first type and a second type, the one or more circuits comprising:
at least one processor arranged to operably couple to circuitry for communicating over the shared communication medium, the at least one processor operable to, at least:
when communicating to a device having a receiver of the first type, transmit information comprising, in order, (a) a preamble portion, (b) a first information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames, (c) the one of the plurality of data frames, and (d) an inter-frame gap, the at least one processor repeating (a) through (d) until all of the plurality of data frames have been transmitted; and
when communicating to a device having a receiver of the second type, transmit information comprising, in order, (f) preamble information, (g) a second information portion comprising a representation of a duration of transmission of one of the plurality of data frames, (h) the one of the plurality of data frames, the at least one processor 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 (i) an inter-frame gap.
9. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 , wherein when communicating to the device having a receiver of the second type, the at least one processor is operable to, at least:
transmit 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 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 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.
10. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 , wherein the legacy information portion comprises information representative of a transmission rate and a length of data to be transmitted.
11. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
12. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 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.
13. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:
detect occupancy of the shared communication medium.
14. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to, at least:
determine an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refrain from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
15. The one or more circuits according to claim 8 wherein generating the inter-frame gap comprises refraining from transmitting.
16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor for causing the processor to communicate multiple data frames over a shared communication medium to a network entity of one of at least a first type and a second type, the instructions causing the processor to, at least:
communicate the multiple data frames to the 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
communicate the multiple data frames to the network entity of the second type using a single access to the shared communication medium, the single access comprising, in order, a preamble portion, multiple data portions corresponding to the multiple data frames, and an inter-frame gap portion.
17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 wherein the single medium access comprises an information portion representative of total medium occupancy for communicating the multiple data frames.
18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 wherein the shared communication medium is a wireless communication medium.
19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 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.
20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to, at least:
detect occupancy of the shared communication medium.
21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to, at least:
determine an expected duration of occupancy of the shared communication medium; and
refrain from transmitting for the expected duration of occupancy.
22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16 wherein the inter-frame gap portion comprises a period of time during which the wireless interface does not transmit.