Data transmission method and communication system using the same
A data transmission method suitable for a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a plurality of first stations which uses an 802.11 protocol and a plurality of second stations which uses an 802.11e protocol and supports Quality of Service (QoS). The data transmission method includes following steps. One of the second stations is used as a Contention AssisTance (CAT) station to obtain a medium access right with a first access category (AC). The second station broadcasts a CAT packet to all the first stations and the other second stations. The other second stations stop contending for the medium access right for a first predetermined time according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit a packet with a QoS requirement according to the CAT packet.
1. A data transmission method, suitable for a communication system, wherein the communication system comprises a plurality of first stations which uses an 802.11 protocol and a plurality of second stations which uses an 802.11e protocol and supports Quality of Service (QoS), the data transmission method comprising:
using one of the second stations as a Contention AssisTance (CAT) station to obtain a medium access right with a first access category (AC), wherein the method of using one of the second stations as the CAT station comprises voluntarily issuing the first AC after counting a second predetermined time by using a CAT timer in the second stations connected to a QoS access point (QAP) which uses the 802.11e protocol and supports QoS, and obtaining the medium access right by using one of the second stations connected to the QAP; and
broadcasting a CAT packet to all the first stations and the other second stations, wherein the other second stations stop contending for the medium access right for a first predetermined time according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit a packet with a QoS requirement according to the CAT packet.
2. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a transmission opportunity (TXOP) field for specifying a time interval in which the first stations start the packet with the QoS requirement according to the CAT packet.
3. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a duration field, and the other second stations determine the first predetermined time according to the content of the duration field.
4. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined time is the sum of a distribute coordination function (DCF) inter-frame space (DIFS) time and a deferring window time.
5. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the CAT timer in the second station gives timeout at every CAT interval to notify the second station to transmit the CAT packet, and the CAT timer adjusts the CAT interval by receiving CAT packets from the other second stations in order to avoid collision.
6. The data transmission method according to claim 5 , wherein the CAT interval is adjusted through an adaptive interval method, and the adaptive interval method comprises adjusting the CAT interval according to the transmission frequency of the other second stations.
7. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the packet with the QoS requirement is to transmit voice or video data.
8. The data transmission method according to claim 1 , wherein the first stations randomly generate a deferring time within a deferring window according to the CAT packet, and the first stations detect a DIFS and the randomly generated deferring time to obtain the medium access right.
9. The data transmission method according to claim 8 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a TXOP field for specifying a time interval in which the first stations start the packet with the QoS requirement according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit the packet with the QoS requirement at intervals of two short IFS (SIFS) with a acknowledgement signal ACK.
10. A communication system, comprising:
a plurality of first stations, for transmitting data by using an 802.11 protocol; and
a plurality of second stations, for transmitting data which supports QoS by using an 802.11e protocol, wherein one of the second stations is used as a CAT station of a medium access with Contention AssisTance (MACAT) protocol and obtains a medium access right with a first AC, wherein a method of using one of the second stations as the CAT station comprises voluntarily issuing the first AC after counting a second predetermined time by using a CAT timer in the second stations connected to a QAP which uses the 802.11e protocol and supports QoS, and obtaining the medium access right by using one of the second stations connected to the QAP, and by broadcasting a CAT packet to all the first stations and the other second stations, the other second stations stop contending for the medium access right for a first predetermined time according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit a packet with a QoS requirement according to the CAT packet.
11. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a TXOP field for specifying a time interval in which the first stations start the packet with the QoS requirement according to the CAT packet.
12. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a duration field, and the other second stations determines the first predetermined time according to the content of the duration field.
13. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined time is the sum of a DIFS time and a deferring window time.
14. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the CAT timer in the second station gives timeout at every CAT interval to notify the second station to transmit the CAT packet, and the CAT timer adjusts the CAT interval by receiving CAT packets from the other second stations in order to avoid collision.
15. The communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the CAT interval is adjusted through an adaptive interval method, and the adaptive interval method comprises adjusting the CAT interval according to the transmission frequency of the other second stations.
16. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the packet with the QoS requirement is to transmit voice or video data.
17. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein the first stations randomly generate a deferring time within a deferring window according to the CAT packet, and the first stations detect a DIFS and the randomly generated deferring time to obtain the medium access right.
18. The communication system according to claim 17 , wherein the CAT packet comprises a TXOP field for specifying a time interval in which the first stations start the packet with the QoS requirement according to the CAT packet, and the first stations transmit the packet with the QoS requirement at intervals of two short IFS (SIFS) with a acknowledgement signal ACK.