Block ACK frame with flow control
A first communication device generates a block acknowledgement (BA) frame that includes (i) acknowledgement information to indicate, to a second communication device, whether the first communication device successfully received multiple media access control (MAC) frames transmitted by the second communication device, and (ii) an indication of a change in a BA session between the first communication device and the second communication device. The first communication device transmits the BA frame to the second communication device, where the BA frame causes the second communication device to adopt the change in the BA session in response to receiving the BA frame.
1. A method for communicating in a first communication network, the method comprising:
generating, at a first communication device, a block acknowledgement (BA) frame that includes (i) acknowledgement information to indicate, to a second communication device, whether the first communication device successfully received multiple media access control (MAC) frames transmitted by the second communication device during a BA session between the first communication device and the second communication device in the first communication network, and (ii) flow control information to instruct the second communication device to halt transmitting aggregate media access control (MAC) protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to avoid the second communication device interfering with a scheduled transmission in a second communication network; and
transmitting, by the first communication device, the BA frame to the second communication device, wherein the BA frame is configured to cause the second communication device to halt transmitting A-MPDUs to avoid the second communication device interfering with the scheduled transmission in the second communication network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the BA frame includes generating a field, in the BA frame, to include the flow control information.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to the first communication device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow control information includes an indication to shorten a maximum length of aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to be transmitted to the first communication device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the indication to shorten the maximum length of A-MPDUs includes an indication of a fraction with respect to a previous maximum length of A-MPDUs.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BA frame is generated to further include an indication of a time period during which the second communication device is to halt transmitting A-MPDUs.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple MAC frames transmitted by the second communication device correspond to a first traffic class among a plurality of traffic classes;
generating the BA frame includes generating the BA frame to include block acknowledgement information to acknowledge the multiple MAC frames corresponding to the first traffic class; and
the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) corresponding to the first traffic class during the BA session.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple MAC frames transmitted by the second communication device correspond to multiple different traffic classes among a plurality of traffic classes;
generating the BA frame includes generating the BA frame to include block acknowledgement information to acknowledge multiple MAC frames corresponding to the multiple different traffic classes; and
the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) that include MAC frames corresponding to any of the multiple different traffic classes during the BA session.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, at the first communication device, an information element (IE) that includes an indication that the first communication device is capable of generating a BA frame having the flow control information; and
transmitting, by the first communication device, the IE in a packet to the second communication device, as part of an association procedure.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the first communication device, from the second communication device, an information element (IE) that includes an indication that the second communication device is capable of responding to the flow control information to halt transmitting A-MPDUs, wherein the IE is received at the first communication device as part of a beacon frame or an association procedure.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
a network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device includes one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
generate a block acknowledgement (BA) frame that includes (i) acknowledgement information to indicate, to a second communication device, whether the first communication device successfully received multiple media access control (MAC) frames transmitted by the second communication device during a BA session between the first communication device and the second communication device in the first communication network, and (ii) flow control information to instruct the second communication device to halt transmitting aggregate media access control (MAC) protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to avoid the second communication device interfering with a scheduled transmission in a second communication network, and
transmit the BA frame to the second communication device, wherein the BA frame is configured to cause the second communication device to halt transmitting A-MPDUs to avoid the second communication device interfering with the scheduled transmission in the second communication network.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:
generate a field, in the BA frame, to include the flow control information.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to the first communication device.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the flow control information includes an indication to shorten a maximum length of aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) to be transmitted to the first communication device.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the indication to shorten the maximum length of A-MPDUs includes an indication of a fraction with respect to a previous maximum length of A-MPDUs.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to generate the BA frame to further include an indication of a time period during which the second communication device is to halt transmitting A-MPDUs.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the multiple MAC frames transmitted by the second communication device correspond to a first traffic class among a plurality of traffic classes;
the one or more IC devices are configured to generate the BA frame to include block acknowledgement information to acknowledge the multiple MAC frames corresponding to the first traffic class; and
the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) corresponding to the first traffic class during the BA session.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the multiple MAC frames transmitted by the second communication device correspond to multiple different traffic classes among a plurality of traffic classes;
the one or more IC devices are configured to generate the BA frame to include block acknowledgement information to acknowledge multiple MAC frames corresponding to the multiple different traffic classes; and
the flow control information includes an indication to stop transmitting aggregate MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) that include MAC frames corresponding to any of the multiple different traffic classes during the BA session.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:
generate an information element (IE) that includes an indication that the first communication device is capable of generating a BA frame having the flow control information; and
transmit the IE in a packet to the second communication device, as part of an association procedure.
20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to receive an information element (IE) from the second communication device, the IE received as part of a beacon frame or an association procedure, wherein the IE includes an indication that the second communication device is capable of responding to the flow control information to halt transmitting A-MPDUs.