Relay within single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications
View Patent ↗A relay receives a frame from a source, and based on state of a relayed frame bit within the frame, the relay selects an operational mode: implicit acknowledgement mode, first explicit acknowledgement mode, or second explicit acknowledgement mode. The relay sets the relayed frame bit in subsequent transmissions to indicate transmission opportunity (TXOP) control of the communication medium (e.g., whether under control of the relay or the source). The source may receive acknowledgement of the relay's successful receipt of the frame implicitly via the relay transmitting a relayed frame to the destination. Alternatively, the source may receive acknowledgement of the relay's successful receipt of the frame explicitly in a response frame from the relay. State of a more data bit in the frame receive from the source may indicate the source has one or more additional frames intended for the destination.
1. A wireless communication device comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a frame from a first other wireless communication device;
process content of the frame to determine whether the first other wireless communication device has implicit acknowledgement capability;
when the first other wireless communication device is determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, generate a relayed frame that includes implicit acknowledgement for the first other wireless communication device and transmit the relayed frame to a second other wireless communication device; and
when the first other wireless communication device is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability:
generate a response frame and transmit the response frame to the second other wireless communication device for explicit acknowledgement for the first other wireless communication device; and
generate the relayed frame and transmit the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device.
2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured, when the first other wireless communication device is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, to:
generate the response frame to indicate to the first other wireless communication device that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the wireless communication device; or
generate the response frame to indicate to the first other wireless communication device that the TXOP is controlled by the first other wireless communication device.
3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
generate the relayed frame to indicate to the second other wireless communication device that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the first other wireless communication device; or
generate the relayed frame to indicate to the second other wireless communication device that the TXOP is controlled by the wireless communication device.
4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive, after transmission of the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device, another response frame from the second other wireless communication device, wherein the another response frame indicates successful receipt of the relayed frame by the second other wireless communication device.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
process content of the frame to determine whether the first other wireless communication device has an additional frame intended for the second other wireless communication device; and
when the first other wireless communication device is determined to have the additional frame intended for the second other wireless communication device, receive the additional frame from the first other wireless communication device before transmitting the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device.
6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive the frame from the first other wireless communication device, wherein the frame is based on a first modulation coding set (MCS); and
generate the relayed frame and transmit the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device based on a second MCS.
7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
a wireless station (STA), wherein the first other wireless communication device includes a smart meter station (SMSTA) configured to perform generate the frame to include information related to monitoring of gas service, electrical service, television service, or Internet service, and the second other wireless communication device includes an access point (AP).
8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:
a wireless station (STA), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes another STA, a smart meter station (SMSTA), or an access point (AP).
9. A wireless communication device comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive, from a smart meter station (SMSTA), a frame that includes information related to at least one of monitoring or sensing of at least one of a service provided to a building or a condition of the building;
process content of the frame to determine whether the SMSTA has implicit acknowledgement capability;
when the SMSTA is determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, generate a relayed frame that includes implicit acknowledgement for the SMSTA and transmit the relayed frame to an access point (AP); and
when the SMSTA is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability:
generate a response frame and transmit the response frame to the AP for explicit acknowledgement for the AP;
generate the relayed frame and transmit the relayed frame to the AP; and
receive, after transmission of the relayed frame to the AP, another response frame from the AP, wherein the another response frame indicates successful receipt of the relayed frame by the AP.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured, when the SMSTA is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, to:
generate the response frame to indicate to the SMSTA that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the wireless communication device; or
generate the response frame to indicate to the SMSTA that the TXOP is controlled by the SMSTA.
11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
generate the relayed frame to indicate to the AP that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the SMSTA; or
generate the relayed frame to indicate to the AP that the TXOP is controlled by the wireless communication device.
12. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive the frame from the SMSTA, wherein the frame is based on a first modulation coding set (MCS); and
generate the relayed frame and transmit the relayed frame to the AP based on a second MCS.
13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
the service provided to the building includes gas service, electrical service, television service, or Internet service; or
the condition of the building relates to motion detection, door ajar detection, temperature measurement, atmospheric measurement, or environmental measurement.
14. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
receiving, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, a frame from a first other wireless communication device;
processing content of the frame to determine whether the first other wireless communication device has implicit acknowledgement capability;
when the first other wireless communication device is determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, generating a relayed frame that includes implicit acknowledgement for the first other wireless communication device and transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, the relayed frame to a second other wireless communication device; and
when the first other wireless communication device is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability:
generating a response frame and transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, the response frame to the second other wireless communication device for explicit acknowledgement for the first other wireless communication device; and
generating the relayed frame and transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device.
15. The method of claim 14 , when the first other wireless communication device is not determined to have implicit acknowledgement capability, further comprising:
generating the response frame to indicate to the first other wireless communication device that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the wireless communication device; or
generating the response frame to indicate to the first other wireless communication device that the TXOP is controlled by the first other wireless communication device.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
generating the relayed frame to indicate to the second other wireless communication device that transmission opportunity (TXOP) is controlled by the first other wireless communication device; or
generating the relayed frame to indicate to the second other wireless communication device that the TXOP is controlled by the wireless communication device.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving, after transmission of the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device, another response frame from the second other wireless communication device, wherein the another response frame indicates successful receipt of the relayed frame by the second other wireless communication device.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
processing content of the frame to determine whether the first other wireless communication device has an additional frame intended for the second other wireless communication device; and
when the first other wireless communication device is determined to have the additional frame intended for the second other wireless communication device, receiving the additional frame from the first other wireless communication device before transmitting the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device.
19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving the frame from the first other wireless communication device, wherein the frame is based on a first modulation coding set (MCS); and
generating the relayed frame and transmit the relayed frame to the second other wireless communication device based on a second MCS.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless station (STA), and at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes another STA, a smart meter station (SMSTA), or an access point (AP).