IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,395,997
Granted Patent B2
US 8,395,997 · App. 12/945,805 · Granted Mar 12, 2013

Multi-channel wireless communications

Inventors: Raja Banerjea (Sunnyvale, CA); Yong Liu (Campbell, CA); Hongyuan Zhang (Fremont, CA); Harish Ramamurthy (Sunnyvale, CA); Sudhir Srinivasa (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,395,997
App. No.
12/945,805
Filed
Nov 12, 2010
Granted
Mar 12, 2013
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2462
USPC
370/241
Abstract

Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes monitoring wireless communication channels, including a first channel and a second channel, to produce a monitoring output, determining a first transmission period for the first channel, determining a second transmission period for the second channel, transmitting, based on the first transmission period, a first packet on the first channel to cause one or more wireless communication devices to set a transmission protection period for the first channel and the second channel based on a reception of the first packet, transmitting, based on the second transmission period, a second packet on the second channel, and monitoring, after the end of the first transmission period, for one or more acknowledgements. An end of the second transmission period can be aligned with an end of the first transmission period.

Claims (71)

1. A method comprising:

monitoring wireless communication channels, including a first channel and a second channel, to produce a monitoring output;

determining a first transmission period for the first channel by applying a first Interframe Space (IFS) duration and a second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein the second duration is shorter than the first duration;

determining a second transmission period for the second channel by applying the first IFS duration and the second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein an end of the second transmission period is aligned with an end of the first transmission period;

transmitting, based on the first transmission period, a first packet on the first channel to cause one or more wireless communication devices to set a transmission protection period for the first channel and the second channel based on a reception of the first packet;

transmitting, based on the second transmission period, a second packet on the second channel; and

monitoring, after the end of the first transmission period, for one or more acknowledgements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first duration is an Arbitration IFS (AIFS) duration;

the second duration is a Point Coordination Function IFS (PIFS) duration; and

monitoring the channels comprises monitoring for wireless traffic on the wireless communication channels with respect to the first duration and the second duration.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the first transmission period comprises, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the first channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, determining the first transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the second transmission period comprises, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the second channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, determining the second transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

transmitting the first packet comprises transmitting to a first wireless communication device that is configured for communications based on a first wireless communication standard; and

transmitting the second packet comprises transmitting to a second wireless device that is configured for communications based on a second wireless communication standard, wherein the first channel is used by each of the first wireless communication standard and the second wireless communication standard.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the first packet comprises a field indicative of a length of the first packet; and

the method further comprises setting the field to indicate a downlink Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

transmitting the first packet comprises transmitting to a wireless communication device;

transmitting the second packet comprises transmitting to the wireless communication device; and

the wireless communication channels are associated with an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) configured for communications based on 80 MHz, 120 MHz, or 160 MHz bandwidths.

8. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry to access wireless communication channels, including a first channel and a second channel; and

processor electronics configured to

monitor the wireless communication channels to produce a monitoring output,

determine a first transmission period for the first channel by applying a first Interframe Space (IFS) duration and a second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein the second duration is shorter than the first duration,

determine a second transmission period for the second channel by applying the first IFS duration and the second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein an end of the second transmission period is aligned with an end of the first transmission period,

control a transmission, based on the first transmission period, of a first packet on the first channel to cause one or more wireless communication devices to set a transmission protection period for the first channel and the second channel based on a reception of the first packet,

control a transmission, based on the second transmission period, a second packet on the second channel, and

monitor, after the end of the first transmission period, for one or more acknowledgements.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first duration is an Arbitration IFS (AIFS) duration;

the second duration is a Point Coordination Function IFS (PIFS) duration; and

the processor electronics are configured to monitor for wireless traffic on the wireless communication channels with respect to the first duration and the second duration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor electronics, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the first channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, are configured to determine the first transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor electronics, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the second channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, are configured to determine the second transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first packet is transmitted to a first wireless communication device that is configured for communications based on a first wireless communication standard; and

the second packet is transmitted to a second wireless device that is configured for communications based on a second wireless communication standard, wherein the first channel is used by each of the first wireless communication standard and the second wireless communication standard.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

the first packet comprises a field indicative of a length of the first packet; and

the processor electronics are configured to set the field to indicate a downlink Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access transmission.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the first packet and the second packet are transmitted to the same wireless communication device, and

the wireless communication channels are associated with an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) configured for communications based on 80 MHz, 120 MHz, or 160 MHz bandwidths.

15. A system comprising:

circuitry to transmit and receive on wireless communication channels, including a first channel and a second channel; and

processor electronics configured to

monitor the wireless communication channels to produce a monitoring output,

determine a first transmission period for the first channel by applying a first Interframe Space (IFS) duration and a second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein the second duration is shorter than the first duration,

determine a second transmission period for the second channel by applying the first IFS duration and the second IFS duration to the monitoring output, wherein an end of the second transmission period is aligned with an end of the first transmission period,

control a transmission, based on the first transmission period, of a first packet on the first channel to cause one or more wireless communication devices to set a transmission protection period for the first channel and the second channel based on a reception of the first packet,

control a transmission, based on the second transmission period, a second packet on the second channel, and

monitor, after the end of the first transmission period, for one or more acknowledgements.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first duration is an Arbitration IFS (AIFS) duration;

the second duration is a Point Coordination Function IFS (PIFS) duration; and

the processor electronics are configured to monitor for wireless traffic on the wireless communication channels with respect to the first duration and the second duration.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor electronics, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the first channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, are configured to determine the first transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor electronics, in response to the monitoring output indicating a presence of traffic on the second channel during a period based on the AIFS duration, are configured to determine the second transmission period based on an end of the PIFS duration.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first packet is transmitted to a first wireless communication device that is configured for communications based on a first wireless communication standard; and

the second packet is transmitted to a second wireless device that is configured for communications based on a second wireless communication standard, wherein the first channel is used by each of the first wireless communication standard and the second wireless communication standard.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein:

the first packet comprises a field indicative of a length of the first packet; and

the processor electronics are configured to set the field to indicate a downlink Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access transmission.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the first packet and the second packet are transmitted to the same wireless communication device, and

the wireless communication channels are associated with an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) configured for communications based on 80 MHz, 120 MHz, or 160 MHz bandwidths.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2020
From: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 053475/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2020
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 052918/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2020
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 051778/0537 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2010
From: BANERJEA, RAJA; LIU, YONG; ZHANG, HONGYUAN; RAMAMURTHY, HARISH; SRINIVASA, SUDHIR
To: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 025396/0688 →
LICENSE Recorded Nov 23, 2010
From: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 025396/0736 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2010
From: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 025396/0707 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2010
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
To: MARVELL WORLD TRADE LTD.
Reel/Frame 025396/0716 →
Continuity (5)
Provisional Application 61329905 · Apr 30, 2010
Provisional Application 61316268 · Mar 22, 2010
Provisional Application 61312135 · Mar 9, 2010
Provisional Application 61261108 · Nov 13, 2009
Related Publication 20110116401A1 · May 19, 2011