Methods for ensuring medium access in a wireless network

Abstract

A method, performed by an access point controls transmission of a data stream from a station, by determining whether or not to admit the transmission of the data stream. The method includes receiving, from the station, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of a data stream, and including information indicating a QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between a start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream. A schedule for the transmission of the data stream subject to the QoS requirement is calculated when the transmission is admitted and a QoS registration response frame, including information indicating the schedule is transmitted to the station.

1 . A method, performed by an access point, for controlling transmission of a data stream from a station, by determining whether or not to admit the transmission of the data stream, the method comprising: 
 receiving, from the station, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of a data stream, and including information indicating a QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between a start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream;    calculating a schedule for the transmission of the data stream subject to the QoS requirement, when the transmission is admitted; and    transmitting, to the station, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating the schedule.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transmitting a control frame to stations in order to start a contention control phase, and    receiving a reservation request from the station at the contention control phase,    when reception of the reservation request from the station is successful, polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality,    wherein receiving the QoS registration request is at the non-QoS phase after polling the station.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 receiving the QoS registration request is at contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible, every time before transmitting the data stream.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a polling request from the station at a contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream, and    polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality,    wherein receiving the QoS registration is at non-QoS phase after polling the station.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the QoS requirement include at least one of 
 a minimum bandwidth of the data stream,    an average bandwidth of the data stream,    a maximum bandwidth of the data stream,    a maximum latency allowable,    fluctuations of allowable latency,    data packet size,    minimum required interval for each medium dedication, and    extra bandwidth required for at least one of retransmission, preamble and protocol overhead.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising, 
 transmitting, at the contention control phase, a notification including information representing a list of identification numbers of respective stations, from which the reservation request is successfully received.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 at a contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream, receiving the QoS registration request from the station other than stations whose identification numbers are described in the list.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising, 
 at a contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream, receiving a polling request from the station other than the station whose identification numbers are described in the list; and    polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality.    
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the information indicating the schedule comprises information indicating an interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream.    
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transmitting, to the station according to the schedule ( 803 ), a QoS polling frame indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream.    
   
   
       11 . A method, performed by a station, for requesting an access point to admit transmission of a data stream from the station, the method comprising: 
 transmitting, to the access point, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of the data stream, and including information indicating QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between a start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream; and    receiving, from the access point, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating whether or not the transmission is admitted and, when the transmission is admitted, the QoS registration response frame further includes information indicating a schedule for the transmission of the data stream calculated subject to the QoS requirement.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 receiving a QoS polling frame, transmitted by the access point in accordance with the schedule, indicating the start of a time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream.    
   
   
       13 . An access point for controlling transmission of data stream from a station, the access point comprising: 
 a receiving unit that receives, from the station, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of a data stream, and including information indicating QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream;    a service coordinating unit that determines whether or not to admit the transmission of the data stream and that calculates a schedule for the transmission of the data stream subject to the QoS requirement; and    a transmitting unit that transmits, to the station, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating whether or not the transmission is admitted and, when the transmission is admitted, the QoS registration response frame further includes information indicating the schedule.    
   
   
       14 . The access point according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the transmitting unit transmits, to the station, a QoS polling frame indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream.    
   
   
       15 . A station for requesting an access point to admit transmission of a data stream from the station, the station comprising: 
 a transmitting unit that transmits, to the access point, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of the data stream, and including information indicating QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream; and    a receiving unit that receives, from the access point, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating whether or not the transmission is admitted, when the transmission is admitted, the QoS registration response frame further includes information indicating a schedule for the transmission of the data stream calculated, subject to the QoS requirement.    
   
   
       16 . The station according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the receiving unit receives a QoS polling frame, transmitted by the access point, indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream.    
   
   
       17 . A method, performed by an access point, for controlling transmission of a data stream from a station, the method comprising: 
 admitting transmission of a first data stream from the station according to a first QoS requirement,    receiving, from the station, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of a second data stream, and including information indicating a second QoS requirement,    determining whether or not to admit the transmission of the second data stream, and    calculating a merged schedule for the transmission of the first data stream and the second data stream according to the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement,    wherein, when the transmission of the second data stream is admitted, transmitting, to the station, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating the merged schedule; and    transmitting to the station according to the merged schedule, a QoS polling frame indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising 
 transmitting a control frame to stations in order to start a contention control phase,    receiving a reservation request from the station at the contention control phase,    when reception of the reservation request from the station is successful, polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality, and    wherein receiving the QoS registration request is at the non-QoS phase after polling the station.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 receiving the QoS registration request is at contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising 
 receiving a polling request from the station at a contention-based phase during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream,    polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality,    wherein receiving the QoS registration is at the non-QoS phase after polling the station.    
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the information indicating the QoS requirement include at least one of: 
 a minimum bandwidth of the data stream.    an average bandwidth of the data stream,    a maximum bandwidth of the data stream,    a maximum latency allowable,    fluctuations of allowable latency,    a data packet size,    a minimum required interval for each medium dedication, and    extra bandwidth required for at least one of retransmission, preamble and protocol overhead.    
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising 
 transmitting, at the contention control phase, a notification including information representing a list of identification numbers of respective stations, from which the reservation request is successfully received.    
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising 
 at a contention-based phase, during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream, receiving the QoS registration request from the stations other than the stations whose identification numbers are described in the list.    
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising 
 at a contention-based phase, during which the station detects whether or not transmission is possible every time before transmitting the data stream, receiving a polling request from the station other than the stations whose identification numbers are described in the list,    polling the station at a non-QoS phase during which the data stream is transmitted with unsecured quality.    
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement comprises: 
 information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream;    the information indicating the merged schedule comprises information indicating an interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       26 . A method, carried out by a station, for requesting an access point to admit transmission of data stream from the station, the method comprising: 
 a transmission of a first data stream from the station according to first QoS requirement;    transmitting, to the access point, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of second data stream, and including information indicating a second QoS requirement,    when the transmission of the second data stream is admitted by the access point, receiving a QoS registration response frame, transmitted from the access point, including information indicating that the transmission of the second data stream is admitted and information indicating that a merged schedule for the transmission of the first data stream and the second data stream are calculated according to the QoS requirement, and    receiving a QoS polling frame, from the access point according to the merged schedule, indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein each of the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement comprises: 
 information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream;    information indicating the merged schedule comprises information indicating interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       28 . An access point for controlling transmission of data stream from a station, comprising: 
 admitting transmission of a first data stream from the station according to a first QoS requirement,    a receiving unit that receives, from the station, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of a second data stream, and including information indicating second QoS requirement;    a service coordinating unit that determines whether or not to admit the transmission of the second data stream and calculates a merged schedule for the transmission of the first data stream and the second data stream according to the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement,    a transmitting unit, that, when the transmission of the second data stream is admitted, transmits, to the station, a QoS registration response frame including information indicating the transmission of the second data stream is admitted and information indicating the merged schedule, and transmits, to the station according to the merged schedule, a QoS polling frame indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       29 . The access point according to  claim 28 , wherein each of the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement comprises: 
 information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream,    the information indicating the merged schedule comprises information indicating an interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       30 . A station for requesting an access point to admit, transmission of a data stream from the station, the station comprising: 
 admitting transmission of a first data stream from the station according to a first QoS requirement,    a transmitting unit that transmits, to the access point, a QoS registration request frame, indicating a request for transmission of the data stream, and including information indicating a QoS requirement comprising information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the data stream;    a receiving unit that, when the transmission of the second data stream is admitted by the access point, receives a QoS registration response frame, transmitted from the access point, including information indicating the transmission of the second data stream is admitted and information indicating a merged schedule for the transmission of the first data stream and the second data stream calculated according to the QoS requirement, and a QoS polling frame, transmitted from the access point according to the merged schedule, indicating the start of the time period during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.    
   
   
       31 . The station according to  claim 30 , wherein each of the first QoS requirement and the second QoS requirement comprises: 
 information indicating a required interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream, and    the information indicating the merged schedule comprises information indicating an interval between the start of two successive time periods during which the station is permitted to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream.