Devices and methods for WLAN enhanced broadcast services
An access point (AP) is configured to establish an Enhanced Broadcast Services, (EBCS) multicast stream between one or more backend servers and one or more non-AP stations of a wireless local area network (WLAN). The AP comprises a communication interface configured to transmit or receive a frame of the EBCS multicast stream, wherein the frame comprises a content identifier indicative of the EBCS multicast stream, an EBCS MAC address indicative of the frame being an EBCS frame, and a multicast address indicative of the frame being a multicast frame.
1 . An access point (AP) of a wireless local area network, (WLAN), wherein the AP comprises:
a communication interface configured to transmit or receive a frame of an Enhanced Broadcast Services (EBCS) multicast stream,
wherein the frame comprises a content identifier that indicates the EBCS multicast stream, an EBCS medium access control (MAC) address that indicates an EBCS frame, and a multicast address that indicates a multicast frame, and
wherein the frame is an 802.11 MAC frame comprising a first MAC address field, a second MAC address field, and a third MAC address field.
2 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the first MAC address field comprises the multicast address, and wherein the third MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address.
3 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the first MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address, and wherein the third MAC address field comprises the multicast address.
4 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the second MAC address field comprises a MAC address of the AP or a MAC address of the one or more non-AP stations.
5 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a ToDS bit and a FromDS bit, wherein different settings of the ToDS bit and the FromDS bit indicate at least one of the first MAC address field comprising the EBCS MAC address or the multicast address or indicate the third MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address or the multicast address.
6 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the EBCS MAC address of is a bit sequence from a pool of reserved bit sequences.
7 . The AP of claim 6 , wherein the pool of reserved bit sequences comprises a range of addresses from a standard assigned identifier (SAI) quadrant of a Structured Local Address Plan, (SLAP).
8 . The AP of claim 7 , wherein the pool of reserved bit sequences comprises one or more addresses in a range from a hexadecimal number 70 0F AC 00 00 00 to a hexadecimal number 70 0F AC FF FF FF.
9 . The AP of claim 6 , wherein the pool of reserved bit sequences comprises at least one bit sequence indicative of the EBCS frame being an emergency EBCS frame.
10 . The AP of claim 1 , further comprising a processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface and configured to generate the frame, wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit the frame to the one or more non-AP stations.
11 . The AP of claim 10 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a communication frame from one or more backend servers, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to further generate the frame based on the communication frame.
12 . The AP of claim 11 , wherein the communication frame further comprises information that indicates one or more MAC addresses of the one or more non-AP stations.
13 . The AP of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the frame from one or more non-AP stations, and wherein the AP further comprises processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface and configured to extract the content identifier, the EBCS MAC address, and the multicast address from the frame.
14 . The AP of claim 13 , wherein the third MAC address field of comprises information that indicates a MAC address of one or more backend servers.
15 . The AP of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine one or more MAC addresses of the one or more backend servers based on the information of the third MAC address field.
16 . A method comprising:
establishing, by an access point (AP), an Enhanced Broadcast Services (EBCS) multicast stream between one or more backend servers and one or more non-AP stations of a wireless local area network (WLAN); and
transmitting or receiving, by the AP, a frame of the EBCS multicast stream,
wherein the frame comprises a content identifier that indicates the EBCS multicast stream, an EBCS medium access control (MAC) address that indicates an EBCS frame, and a multicast address that indicates a multicast frame, and
wherein the frame is an 802.11 MAC frame comprising a first MAC address field, a second MAC address field, and a third MAC address field.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first MAC address field comprises the multicast address, and wherein the third MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address, and wherein the third MAC address field comprises the multicast address.
19 . A non-access point (non-AP) station of a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the non-AP station comprises:
a communication interface configured to transmit a frame of an Enhanced Broadcast Services (EBCS) multicast stream to one or more APs,
wherein the frame comprises a content identifier that indicates the EBCS multicast stream, an EBCS medium access control (MAC) address that indicates an EBCS frame, and a multicast address that indicates a multicast frame, and
wherein the frame is an 802.11 MAC frame comprising a first MAC address field, a second MAC address field, and a third MAC address field.
20 . The non-AP station of claim 19 , wherein the first MAC address field comprises the multicast address, and wherein the third MAC address field comprises the EBCS MAC address.