Wireless Network Scheduling Data Frames Including Physical Layer Configuration

Abstract

A wireless network is disclosed in which individual wireless stations can be configured to implement any of a plurality of physical configurations including antenna configurations. Such antenna configurations may include, without limitation, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and single input single output (SISO). Different types of MIMO configurations can also be implemented such as open loop MIMO and closed loop MIMO.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A wireless station usable to communicate across a wireless network, comprising: 
 a host device;    a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device;    a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said physical layer contains a plurality of antennas and is configurable to communicate with other stations or access points on said network using any of a plurality of antenna configurations selected from the group consisting of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and single input single output (SISO); and    a coordinator to specify the physical configuration to be used during communication.    
   
   
       19 . A wireless station usable to communicate across a wireless network, comprising: 
 a host device;    a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device;    a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said physical layer contains a plurality of antennas and is configurable to communicate with other stations or access points on said network using any of a plurality of antenna configurations selected from the group consisting of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and single input single output (SISO);    a receiver to receive a frame from the wireless network in which an antenna configuration is encoded and configures itself to comport with said antenna configuration; and    a coordinator to decode said frame and configure said physical layer to comport with said antenna configuration used for communication.    
   
   
       20 . (canceled)  
   
   
       21 . The station of  claim 18  wherein said antenna configuration comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of open loop multiple input multiple output (MIMO), closed loop MIMO, and single input single output-(SISO).  
   
   
       22 . A method for providing configuration information in a communication system, said method comprising: 
 forming a polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information being capable of specifying whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication; and    transmitting said polling frame to a receiving device for decoding by said receiving device and configuration of a physical layer of said receiving device in accordance with the physical layer configuration information contained in the polling frame.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the polling frame includes more than one bit in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the polling frame includes two bits in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the two bits are used to encode retry and power management information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the at least one bit in which the physical layer configuration information is encoded is used for a purpose other than to encode physical layer configuration information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the configuration information specifies whether closed loop MIMO, open loop MIMO or SISO is to be used.  
   
   
       28 . A method for providing configuration information in a communication system, said method comprising: 
 forming a non-polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information specifies whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used; and    transmitting said non-polling frame to a receiving device for decoding by said receiving device and configuration of a physical layer of said receiving device in accordance with the physical layer configuration information contained in the non-polling frame.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the at least one bit comprises a plurality of bits that are also used to encode a value that is indicative of a transmission opportunity time period.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein forming also includes forming the non-polling frame to include a more bit that specifies whether a subsequent frame of data is to follow the current non-polling frame.  
   
   
       31 . A method of coordinating the behavior of a plurality of wireless devices in a wireless network, comprising: 
 forming a frame to a wireless receiving device to specify the antenna configuration that the receiving device is to use for a subsequent communication; and    sending said frame to said receiving device for configuration of said receiving device to comport with the antenna configuration specified by said frame.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said antenna configuration comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and single input single output (SISO).  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein said antenna configuration comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of open loop multiple input multiple output (MIMO), closed loop MIMO, and single input single output (SISO).  
   
   
       34 . A method of configuring a wireless device in a communication system, said method comprising: 
 receiving a polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information being capable of specifying whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication;    decoding the polling frame; and    configuring a physical layer of said receiving device in accordance with the physical layer configuration information contained in the polling frame; wherein said polling frame also causes the receiving device to determine whether it has information to return.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the polling frame includes more than one bit in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the polling frame includes two bits in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the two bits are used to encode retry and power management information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the at least one bit in which the physical layer configuration information is encoded is used for a purpose other than to encode physical layer configuration information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the configuration information specifies whether closed loop MIMO, open loop MIMO or SISO is to be used.  
   
   
       40 . A method of configuring a wireless device in a communication system, said method comprising: 
 receiving a non-polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information specifies whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication;    decoding said non-polling; and    configuring a physical layer of said receiving device in accordance with the physical layer configuration information contained in the non-polling frame.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the at least one bit comprises a plurality of bits that are also used to encode a value that is indicative of a transmission opportunity time period.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the non-polling frame also includes a more bit that specifies whether a subsequent frame of data is to follow the current non-polling frame.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein configuring is performed if said more bit is set to indicate that a subsequent frame of data is to follow the current non-polling frame.  
   
   
       44 . A method of configuring a wireless device in a communication system with a plurality of transmission devices, wherein some of said transmission devices have antenna configurations than other of said transmission devices, comprising: 
 receiving a frame by said wireless receiving device to specify the antenna configuration that the receiving device is to use for a subsequent communication;    decoding said frame; and    configuring said receiving device to comport with the antenna configuration specified by said frame.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said antenna configuration comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and single input single output (SISO).  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said antenna configuration comprises a configuration selected from the group consisting of open loop multiple input multiple output (MIMO), closed loop MIMO, and single input single output (SISO).  
   
   
       47 . A polling frame for configuring a wireless device in a communication system, said polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information being capable of specifying whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication.  
   
   
       48 . The polling frame of  claim 47  wherein the polling frame includes more than one bit in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       49 . The polling frame of  claim 47  wherein the polling frame includes two bits in which the physical configuration information is encoded.  
   
   
       50 . The polling frame of  claim 49  wherein the two bits are used to encode retry and power management information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       51 . The polling frame of  claim 47  wherein the at least one bit in which the physical layer configuration information is encoded is used for a purpose other than to encode physical layer configuration information in non-polling frames.  
   
   
       52 . A non-polling frame for configuring a wireless device in a communication system, said non-polling frame including at least one bit in which physical layer configuration information is encoded, said configuration information specifies whether a single input single output (SISO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication or a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configuration is to be used for communication.  
   
   
       53 . The non-polling frame of  claim 52  wherein the at least one bit comprises a plurality of bits that are also used to encode a value that is indicative of a transmission opportunity time period.  
   
   
       54 . The non-polling frame of  claim 52  wherein the non-polling frame also includes a more bit that specifies whether a subsequent frame of data is to follow the current non-polling frame.