TRIGGERING DOWNLINK TRAFFIC WITH TIMING INDICATION
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in order to provide a technique to trigger downlink traffic with a timing indication. The method, apparatus and computer program product may utilize one or more of a (1) “downlink transmission time” in the synch NDP frame indicating the beginning of downlink data transmission; (2) “downlink transmission restricted access” in the synch NDP frame starting at “downlink transmission time” during which downlink data transmission will take place to one or more STAs; (3) an indication in the NDP frame whether the downlink data transmission is unicast or broadcast; (4) ACK as a response to an NDP frame indicating whether the STA will be available to receive data at downlink transmission time or not; or (5) a new message format for the short NDP frame with timing information.
1 . A method comprising:
causing a transmission block to be provided with the transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
receiving an acknowledgment signal from the at least one target station; and
causing data to be provided to the at least one target station at the transmission time.
2 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the acknowledgement signal indicates that the at least one target station is unable to receive data at the transmission time; and
causing postponement of transmission of data to the at least one target station.
3 . A method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transmission time is a time at which the transmission will start, and
wherein the transmission block further comprises a fourth portion indicating at least one of a transmission stop time or a transmission duration.
4 . A method according to claim 3 further comprising: causing transmission access to be provided,
wherein the transmission block further comprises a fifth portion indicating whether the provided data is transmitted unicast or multicast, and a sixth portion indicating identification of each of the at least one target station,
wherein transmission access is provided as a function of a number of target stations identified, the unicast or multicast indication and a transmission duration.
5 . A method according claim 4 , wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is unicast, the method further comprises providing a number of transmission slots such that each target receives a transmission slot during the transmission duration and the transmission time indicates a transmission start time for each of the plurality of target stations respectively.
6 . A method according claim 4 , wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is multicast, the method further comprises providing a single transmission slot such that each target receives the transmission at the transmission time.
7 . A method comprising:
receiving a transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
determining whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
causing transmission of an acknowledgement signal indicating whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
causing the at least one target station to enter a low power mode;
causing the at least one target station to wake from the lower power mode at or before the transmission time; and
receiving data at the transmission time.
8 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
cause a transmission block to be provided with the transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
receive of an acknowledgment signal from the at least one target station; and
cause data to be provided to the at least one target station at the transmission time.
9 . An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine that the acknowledgement signal indicates that the at least one target station is unable to receive data at the transmission time; and
cause postponement of transmission of data to the at least one target station.
10 . An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the transmission time is a time at which the transmission will start, and wherein the transmission block further comprises a fourth portion indicating at least one of a transmission stop time or a transmission duration.
11 . An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause transmission access to be provided,
wherein the transmission block further comprises a fifth portion indicating whether the provided data is transmitted unicast or multicast, and a sixth portion indicating identification of each of the at least one target station,
wherein transmission access is provided as a function of a number of target stations identified, the unicast or multicast indication and a transmission duration.
12 . An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is unicast, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide a number of transmission slots such that each target receives a transmission slot during the transmission duration and the transmission time indicates a transmission start time for each of the plurality of target stations respectively.
13 . An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is multicast, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide a single transmission slot such that each target receives the transmission at the transmission time.
14 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive a transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
determine whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
cause transmission of an acknowledgement signal indicating whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
cause the at least one target station to enter a low power mode;
cause the at least one target station to wake from the lower power mode at or before the transmission time; and
receive data at the transmission time.
15 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein with the computer-readable program instructions comprising program instructions configured for:
causing a transmission block to be provided with the transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
receiving an acknowledgment signal from the at least one target station; and
causing data to be provided to the at least one target station at the transmission time.
16 . A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the computer-readable program instructions further comprise program instructions configured for:
determining that the acknowledgement signal indicates that the at least one target station is unable to receive data at the transmission time; and
causing postponement of transmission of data to the at least one target station.
17 . A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the transmission time is a time at which the transmission will start, and
wherein the transmission block further comprises a fourth portion indicating at least one of a transmission stop time or a transmission duration.
18 . A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the computer-readable program instructions further comprise program instructions configured for: causing transmission access to be provided,
wherein the transmission block further comprises a fifth portion indicating whether the provided data is transmitted unicast or multicast, and a sixth portion indicating identification of each of the at least one target station,
wherein transmission access is provided as a function of a number of target stations identified, the unicast or multicast indication and a transmission duration.
19 . A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is unicast, the computer-readable program instructions further comprise program instructions configured for providing a number of transmission slots such that each target receives a transmission slot during the transmission duration and the transmission time indicates a transmission start time for each of the plurality of target stations respectively.
20 . A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein when a plurality of target stations are identified and transmission is multicast, the computer-readable program instructions further comprise program instructions configured for providing a single transmission slot such that each target receives the transmission at the transmission time.
21 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein with the computer-readable program instructions comprising program instructions configured for:
receiving a transmission block comprising a first portion indicating at least one target station, a second portion indicating a presence of downlink traffic, and a third portion indicating a transmission time;
determining whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
causing transmission of an acknowledgement signal indicating whether the at least one target station is capable of receiving data at the transmission time;
causing the at least one target station to enter a low power mode;
causing the at least one target station to wake from the lower power mode at or before the transmission time; and
receiving data at the transmission time.