Packet extension for wireless communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10148460-B2
Application number	US-201715855245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for providing device(s) with additional processing time to process a packet received wirelessly while still meeting the legacy SIFS time constraint. The additional processing time may be achieved by adding, by a device transmitting the packet, padding and/or a packet extension to the last symbol of the packet. The additional processing time provided to the device(s) advantageously reduces the amount of extra hardware that would normally be added to meet the SIFS time constraint. The amount of padding and/or packet extension to be added to the last symbol is balanced to minimize the complexity of the device(s) against the reduction in system efficiency incurred by the device(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:
one or more processors and/or circuits configured to:
identify a final symbol of an outgoing data packet that includes a data payload;
segment the final symbol into a plurality of short symbol segments;
determine a last short symbol segment of the plurality of short symbol segments that includes a portion of the data payload;
add a first padding and a second padding to the outgoing data packet based on the last short symbol segment and the portion of the data payload; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the outgoing data packet to a receiver.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to add the first padding to a remainder of the last short symbol segment, wherein the remainder of the last short symbol segment does not include the portion of the data payload.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to add the second padding to remaining short symbol segments of the plurality of short symbol segments that follow the last short symbol segment.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first padding is pre-forward error correction padding, and the second padding is post-forward error correction padding.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4 , wherein the second padding is an OFDM scrambling sequence.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
receive a capability of the receiver, and
determine a maximum packet extension, length based on the capability.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors and/or circuits are further configured to:
determine whether the second padding is less than the maximum packet extension length;
in response to determining that the second padding is less than the maximum packet extension length, add a packet extension to the outgoing data packet that has a length equal to the maximum packet extension length.

8. A method of generating an outgoing data packet or transmittal to a receiver, comprising:
identifying a final symbol of the outgoing data packet, the final symbol of the outgoing data packet being a last symbol that includes a portion of a data payload;
segmenting the final symbol into a plurality of short symbol segments;
determining a last short symbol segment of the plurality of short symbol segments that includes the portion of the data payload;
adding a first padding and a second padding to the outgoing data packet based on the last short symbol segment and the portion of the data payload; and
transmitting the outgoing data packet to the receiver.

9. The method of claim 8 ; further comprising:
adding the first padding to a remainder of the last short symbol segment, wherein the remainder of the last short symbol segment does not include the portion of the data payload; and
adding the second padding to remaining short symbol segments of the plurality of short symbol segments that follow the last short symbol segment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first padding is pre-forward error correction padding, and
wherein the second padding is post-forward error correction padding.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comp g;
receiving a capability of the receiver; and
determining a maximum packet extension length based on the received capability.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining that an amount of the second padding is less than the maximum packet extension length; and
in response to the determining that the amount second padding is less than the maximum packet extension length, adding a packet extension to the outgoing data packet equal in length to a difference between the maximum packet extension length and the amount of the second padding.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of short symbol segments includes four short symbol segments, each having a duration of 4 μs, and wherein the maximum packet extension length is 8 μs.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of short symbol segments includes four short symbol segments, each having a duration of 4 μs, and wherein the maximum packet extension length is 16 μs.

15. A method of generating an outgoing data packet for transmittal to a receiver, comprising:
identifying a final symbol of the outgoing data packet that includes a data payload, the final symbol of the outgoing data packet being a last symbol that includes a portion of the data payload;
segmenting the final symbol into a plurality of short symbol segments;
determining a last short symbol segment of the plurality of the plurality of short symbol segments that includes the portion of the data payload;
adding a first padding and a second padding to the outgoing data packet based on the last short symbol segment and the portion of the data payload;
determining whether a packet extension to the outgoing data packet is needed based on an amount of the second padding and a property of the receiver;
adding the packet extension to the outgoing data packet based on determining the packet extension to the outgoing data packet is needed; and
transmitting the outgoing data packet to the receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining of whether the packet extension to the outgoing data packet is needed includes:
determining a maximum packet extension based on the property of the receiver; and
determining whether the amount of the second padding is less than the maximum packet extension.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the property of the receiver includes a constellation threshold that defines a constellation level at which a maximum duration of packet extension supported by the receiver is changed.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the adding of the packet extension includes:
determining a maximum packet extension based on the property of the receiver; and
calculating an amount of packet extension based on the amount of the second padding and the maximum packet extension.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the calculating the amount of packet extension includes:
determining that the amount of the second padding is less than the maximum packet extension; and
calculating the amount of packet extension as being a difference between the maximum packet extension and the amount of the second padding.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the amount of the second padding and the maximum packet extension are each multiple of 4 μs.

Assignees

• Avago Tech Int Sales Pte Lid

Inventors

• Blanksby Andrew
• Korb Matthias
• Porat Ron
• Moelker Dignus-Jan

Classifications

• H04L69/22

  Parsing or analysis of headers · CPC title

• H04L1/0083

  Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control · CPC title

• H04L1/00

  Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)} · CPC title

• H04L12/6418 Primary

  Hybrid transport · CPC title

• H04L12/00

  Data switching networks (interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00) · CPC title