Apparatus and methods for frame control design
Systems, methods, and devices for communicating packets having a plurality of types are described herein. In some aspects, the packets include a MAC header with a frame control field. The sub-fields included in a particular frame control field may be based on the type of information to be communicated to the receiving device.
1. A method of generating a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the method comprising:
generating the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having:
a type field storing information indicating the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame,
a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and
a field having a length of three (3) bits and:
when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID),
when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and
when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and
transmitting the packet.
2. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.
4. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.
5. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.
6. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.
7. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.
8. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.
11. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.
12. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.
13. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.
15. The method of claim 1 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic identifier indicates a traffic class of a data unit included in the packet.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame control field is generated to include a sub-field indicating whether enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA), hybrid coordinated controlled channel access (HCCA), or hybrid coordinator function (HCF) controlled channel access)-(HCCA) enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) mixed mode (HEMM) is used.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field indicates the management frame is one of an Action frame or an Action no Ack frame.
20. An apparatus configured to generate a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to generate the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having:
a type field storing information identifying the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame,
a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and
a field having a length of three (3) bits and:
when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID),
when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and
when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and
a transmitter configured to transmit the packet.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.
23. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.
24. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.
25. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.
26. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.
27. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.
28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.
30. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.
31. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.
32. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.
34. The apparatus of claim 20 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.
35. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.
36. An apparatus configured to generate a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header, the apparatus comprising:
means for generating the medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having:
a type field storing information indicating the frame is the control frame, the management frame, or the data frame,
a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version, and
a field having a length of three (3) bits and:
when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID),
when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control field, and
when the type field indicates the frame is the management frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control field, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and
means for transmitting the packet.
37. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.
38. The apparatus of claim 37 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.
39. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.
40. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.
41. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.
42. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.
43. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an identification of a network service set.
44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the information indicating an identification of a network service set is included in a short service set identifier sub-field.
45. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the identification of the network service set includes a hash of a short service set identifier.
46. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.
47. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.
48. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.
49. The apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.
50. The apparatus of claim 36 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.
51. The apparatus of claim 50 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.
52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method of communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising:
generating a packet including a frame comprising a medium access control header including a frame control field for use in each of a control frame, a management frame, and a data frame, the frame control field having:
a type field storing information indicating the frame is the data frame, the management frame, or the control frame,
a protocol version field storing information indicating a protocol version of the frame, and
a field having a length of three (3) bits and:
when the type field indicates the frame is the data frame, the field storing information indicating three (3) least significant bits (LSBs) of a traffic identifier (TID), and
when the type field indicates the frame is the control frame, the field storing information indicating a subtype of the control frame, and
when the type field is the management frame, the field storing information a subtype of the management frame, a non-zero value in the protocol version field indicating that the medium access control header is a compressed medium access control header; and
transmitting the packet.
53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from a distribution system.
54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53 , wherein the information indicating whether the packet is transmitted from the distribution system is included in a from-distribution system sub-field.
55. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating a power management state.
56. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether an additional frame is to be transmitted.
57. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating whether frame protection is present.
58. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating if a destination address is present in the packet.
59. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an end of a service period.
60. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing retransmission information indicating whether the frame is being retransmitted.
61. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted.
62. The computer-readable medium of claim 61 , wherein the information indicating one of whether additional sub-frames are to be transmitted and whether a reverse direction is granted is included in a sub-field.
63. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 , the frame control field further storing information indicating an aggregated service data unit.
64. The computer-readable medium of claim 63 , wherein the information indicating an aggregated service data unit is included in an aggregated medium access control level service data unit sub-field.