Using rate buckets

1. A method comprising:

selecting, by a higher-level layer in a wireless device, a selected rate bucket of a plurality of different rate buckets, a rate bucket of the plurality of different rate buckets comprising a plurality of coding rates, wherein the selecting of the selected rate bucket is performed by the higher-level layer based on an Application Identifier (AID) or Provider Service Identifier (PSID) in an application layer message frame;

sending, by the higher-level layer to a lower-level layer in the wireless device, an indication of the selected rate bucket; and

using, by the lower-level layer, the selected rate bucket in a wireless communication by the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower-level layer comprises a physical layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the using of the selected rate bucket comprises using at least one encoding capability of the selected rate bucket, the at least one encoding capability selected from among a combination of at least two of modulation, coding rate, or coding scheme.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing, by the wireless device, mapping information that maps PSIDs or AIDS to respective rate buckets of the plurality of different rate buckets, wherein the selecting of the selected rate bucket is further based on the mapping information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication is in a list of parameters useable by a PHY entity of the wireless device, the PHY entity being part of the lower-level layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the higher-level layer, a packet comprising a plurality of messages containing indications of the plurality of different rate buckets,

wherein the selected rate bucket is used to transmit the packet by the lower-level layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the packet comprises a concatenation of the plurality of messages.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the indications of the plurality of different rate buckets contained in the plurality of messages comprise different PSIDs.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the indications of the plurality of different rate buckets contained in the plurality of messages comprise different AIDs.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selecting of the selected rate bucket from among the plurality of different rate buckets comprises resolving a conflict between the plurality of different rate buckets.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the wireless device to another wireless device, a further indication of at least one supported data rate and/or at least one supported encoding capability.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the further indication is included in a Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) Service Advertisement.

13. A wireless device comprising:

a communication interface comprising a lower-level layer to communicate over a wireless network;

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions of a higher-level layer, the instructions of the higher-level layer executable on the at least one processor to:

select a selected rate bucket of a plurality of different rate buckets, wherein a rate bucket of the plurality of different rate buckets comprises a plurality of coding rates,

use an application programming interface (API) to set the selected rate bucket for use with message frames sent by the lower-level layer in a wireless communication until the higher-level layer uses the API to change a rate bucket for use by the lower-level layer, and

send, from the higher-level layer to the lower-level layer, an indication of the selected rate bucket,

wherein the lower-level layer is to use the selected rate bucket in the wireless communication by the wireless device.

14. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the using of the selected rate bucket comprises using at least one encoding capability of the selected rate bucket, the at least one encoding capability selected from among a combination of at least two of modulation, coding rate, or coding scheme.

15. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the indication is in a list of parameters useable by a PHY entity of the wireless device, the PHY entity being part of the lower-level layer.

16. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions of the higher-level layer are executable on the at least one processor to:

receive, at the higher-level layer, a packet comprising a plurality of messages containing indications of the plurality of different rate buckets,

wherein the selected rate bucket is for use in transmitting the packet by the lower-level layer.

17. The wireless device of claim 16 , wherein the packet comprises a concatenation of the plurality of messages.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a wireless device to:

receive, at a higher-level layer in the wireless device, a packet comprising a plurality of messages containing indications of a plurality of different rate buckets;

select a selected rate bucket of the plurality of different rate buckets, wherein a rate bucket of the plurality of different rate buckets comprises a plurality of coding rates; and

send, by the higher-level layer to a lower-level layer in the wireless device, an indication of the selected rate bucket, wherein the lower-level layer is to use the selected rate bucket in transmitting the packet in a wireless communication by the lower-level layer.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the selecting of the selected rate bucket is performed by the higher-level layer based on an Application Identifier (AID) or Provider Service Identifier (PSID) in the packet.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the indications of the plurality of different rate buckets contained in the plurality of messages comprise different PSIDs or different AIDs.