Signaling in a wireless network with sequential coordinated channel access
View Patent ↗A method signals data in a channel of a network including multiple stations and an access point connected by a wireless channel. A station first requests access to the channel using a sequential coordinated channel access method of an access point. After the station receives permission to access the channel during a contention free period at a time corresponding to a sequence index value received by the station from the access point, the station transmits a resource request message to the access point to obtain a bandwidth allocation. In response, the station receives the bandwidth allocation, and the station can then transmit data during the contention free period according to the bandwidth allocation.
1. A method for signaling in a channel of a network including a plurality of stations and an access point connected by a wireless channel, comprising:
requesting, by a station, access to a channel using a sequential coordinated channel access method of an access point;
receiving, in the station, permission to access the channel during a contention free period at a time corresponding to a sequence index value received by the station from the access point;
transmitting, by the station, a resource request message to the access point to obtain a bandwidth allocation from the access point;
receiving from the access point a resource allocation message including the bandwidth allocation; and
transmitting data during the contention free period according to the bandwidth allocation.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a resource renegotiation message to the access point to modify the bandwidth allocation;
receiving from the access point a new resource allocation message including a modified bandwidth allocation; and
transmitting data during the contention free period according to the modified bandwidth allocation.
3. The method of claim 2 , in which the renegotiation message is transmitted during the contention free period.
4. The method of claim 2 , in which the renegotiation message is transmitted during a contention period.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a resource relinquishment message to the access point to terminate the bandwidth allocation.
6. The method of claim 5 , in which the resource relinquishment message is transmitted during a contention free period.
7. The method of claim 5 , in which the resource relinquishment message is transmitted during a contention period.
8. The method of claim 1 , in which the resource request message is for data to be transmitted as a single traffic stream.
9. The method of claim 1 , in which the resource request message is for data to be transmitted as a plurality of traffic streams.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
indicating a length of time that the station can transmit during the contention free period in the resource allocation message.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allocating the bandwidth to data of a single traffic stream.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allocating the bandwidth to data of a plurality of traffic streams.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
specifying a minimum data rate, a mean data rate, and a peak data rate for the data in a traffic specification of the resource request message.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
specifying a direction of transmitting the data in the traffic specification.