System and method for response frame type indication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10149202-B2
Application number	US-201615235884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for indicating response frame types according to response frame durations in a wireless network. The embodiments include defining a plurality of response frame types in accordance to different transmission durations. The different response frame types are assigned corresponding indication values. When transmitting a current frame to a receiver entity, a transmitter entity selects a response frame type from the defined response frame types, and indicates in the current frame the selected response frame type using the assigned indication value. When a third entity receives the current frame, the third entity waits for a time period about equal to a predefined inter-frame and backoff time before transmitting a new frame. Upon determining that the indication value in the current frame is for sending a response frame, the third entity also waits an additional time period about equal to the transmission duration of the indicated response frame type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in a wireless network, the method comprising:
setting, by a transmitter entity, a response indication in a signal (SIG) field of a frame, the SIG field being in a physical layer (PHY) header of the frame,
wherein the response indication comprises two bits to indicate one response type among four different response types,
wherein the four response types comprise a no response type, a null data packet (NDP) response type, a normal response type and a long response type, wherein each of the four different response types indicates a different class of transmission duration of a response to be sent by a receiver entity,
wherein a binary value of 00 for the response indication specifies the no response type, wherein a binary value of 01 for the response indication specifies the NDP response type, a binary value of 10 for the response indication specifies the normal response type and a binary value of 11 for the response indication specifies the long response type; and
transmitting, by the transmitter entity, the frame over a channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter entity is an access point (AP) and wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the frame to a station (STA), or wherein the transmitter entity is the STA and wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the frame to the AP.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the normal response type comprises a normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and a normal block ACK(BA) response type, the normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and the normal block ACK(BA) response type belong to a same class transmission duration, and wherein a second response indication in the frame is used to indicate whether the normal response type is the normal ACK response type or the normal BA response type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NDP response type comprises a short acknowledgement (ACK) frame type and short block ACK(BA) frame type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a response frame of NDP response type includes a PHY header and excludes a payload.

6. A method comprising:
detecting, by a receiver entity, in a received first frame intended for another receiver entity, a response indication in a signal (SIG) field of the first frame, the SIG field being in a physical layer (PHY) header of the first frame,
wherein the response indication comprises two bits to indicate one response type among four different response types,
wherein the four response types comprise a no response type, a null data packet (NDP) response type, a normal response type and a long response type, wherein each of the four different response types indicates a different class of transmission duration of a response to be sent by the other receiver entity,
wherein a binary value of 00 for the response indication specifies the no response type, wherein a binary value of 01 of the response indication specifies the NDP response type, a binary value of 10 for the response indication specifies the normal response type and a binary value of 11 for the response indication specifies the long response type; and
transmitting, by the receiver entity, a second frame over a channel following expiration of a delay period, wherein the delay period corresponds to the class of transmission duration specified by the response indication.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the delay period further corresponds to predefined inter-frame time.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first frame is communicated from an access point (AP) to a station (STA), and wherein the STA is the intended receiver entity, and wherein the receiver entity is different than the STA.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first frame is communicated from a station (STA) to an access point (AP), wherein the AP is the intended receiver entity, and wherein the receiver entity is different than the AP.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the normal response type comprises a normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and a normal block ACK(BA) response type, the normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and the normal block ACK(BA) response type belong to a same class transmission duration, and wherein a second response indication in the frame is used to indicate whether the normal response type is the normal ACK response type or the normal BA response type.

11. A wireless communication device in a wireless network, the wireless communication device comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to:
set a response indication in a signal (SIG) field of, the SIG field being in a physical layer (PHY) header of the first frame,
wherein the response indication comprises two bits to indicate-one response type among four different response types,
wherein the four response types comprise a no response type, a null data packet (NDP) response type, a normal response type and a long response type, wherein each of the four different response types indicates a different class of transmission duration of a response sent by a receiver entity,
wherein a binary value of 00 for the response indication specifies the no response type, wherein a binary value of 01 for the response indication specifies the NDP response type, a binary value of 10 for the response indication specifies the normal response type and a binary value of 11 for the response indication specifies the long response type; and
transmit the frame over a channel.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication device is a station (STA) or an access point (AP).

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the normal response type comprises a normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and a normal block ACK(BA) response type, the normal acknowledgement (ACK) response type and the normal block ACK(BA) response type belong to a same class transmission duration, and wherein a second response indication in the frame is used to indicate whether the normal response type is the normal ACK response type or the normal BA response type.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein a response frame of NDP response type includes a PHY header and excludes a payload.

15. A wireless communication device in a wireless network, the wireless communication device comprising:
at least one processor;
a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the at least one processor, the programming including instructions to:
receive a first frame intended for another communication device;
detect a response indication in a signal (SIG) field of the first frame, the SIG field being in a physical layer (PHY) header of the first frame,
wherein the response indication comprises two bits to specify one response type among four different response types,
wherein the four response types comprise a no response type, a null data packet (NDP) response type, a normal response type and a long response type, wherein each of the four different response types indicates a different class of transmission duration of a response to be sent by the other communication device,
wherein a binary value of 00 for the response indication specifies the no response type, wherein a binary value of 01 for the response indication specifies the NDP response type, a binary value of 10 for the response indication specifies the normal response type and a binary value of 11 for the response indication specifies the long response type; and
transmit a second frame over a channel following ex

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Younghoon
• Yang Yunsong
• Rong Zhigang

Classifications

• H04W52/0238

  where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal · CPC title

• H04W74/006 Primary

  in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal · CPC title

• H04L1/1685

  the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W52/0216 Primary

  using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame · CPC title