Method and apparatus for reliable multicast communication over wireless network

Abstract

Method and apparatus for reliable multicast communication over wireless network are provided. According to embodiments of the invention, the method includes determining a priority category for a multicast communication to be transmitted. The method includes designating, for the multicast communication, one of the multicast communication recipients as a leader based on the priority category and multicast diagnostics information received from the multicast communication recipients. The leader is assigned to transmit to the multicast communication source an acknowledgment frame indicating receipt of a multicast communication frame received from the source.

1 . A method comprising:
 determining a priority category for a multicast communication to be transmitted; and   designating, for the multicast communication, one of a plurality of multicast communication recipients as a leader to transmit to a multicast communication source an acknowledgment frame indicating receipt of a multicast communication frame received from the multicast communication source, wherein designating the leader is based on the priority category and multicast diagnostics information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the priority category is based on a reliability requirement for the multicast communication. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the priority category comprises determining the priority category according to a pre-determined set of rules. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the priority category comprises determining the priority category according to traffic assignment on the application level. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the priority category comprises determining the priority category according to analysis of the multicast diagnostics information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multicast diagnostics information comprises received multicast frame count information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating the leader comprises designating the leader based on one of more performance metrics of said multicast communication recipients. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 re-designating another multicast communication recipient as a new leader if one or more of said performance metrics associated with the new leader are larger than a corresponding performance metric associated with a previously designated leader and an hysteresis condition is met.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 re-designating another multicast communication recipient as a new leader if one or more of said performance metrics associated with the new leader are smaller than a corresponding performance metric associated with a previously designated leader and an hysteresis condition is met.   
     
     
         10 . A communication device comprising:
 a transmitter to transmit a multicast communication to a plurality of multicast communication recipients; and   a diagnostic unit to determine a priority category for the multicast communication and to designate one of the multicast communication recipients as a leader based on the priority category and multicast diagnostics information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients, wherein the leader being designated to transmit an acknowledgment frame indicating receipt of a multicast communication frame received from the communication device.   
     
     
         11 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the priority category is based on a reliability requirement for the multicast communication. 
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the priority category being determined according to a pre-determined set of rules. 
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the priority category being determined according to traffic assignment on the application level. 
     
     
         14 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the priority category being determined according to analysis of the multicast diagnostics information. 
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the multicast diagnostics information comprises received multicast frame count information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients. 
     
     
         16 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic unit is to designate the leader based on one of more performance metrics of said multicast communication recipients 
     
     
         17 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostics unit is to re-designate another multicast communication recipient as a new leader if one or more of said performance metrics associated with the new leader are larger than a corresponding performance metric associated with a previously designated leader and an hysteresis condition is met. 
     
     
         18 . The communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostics unit is to re-designate another multicast communication recipient as a new leader if one or more of said performance metrics associated with the new leader are smaller than a corresponding performance metric associated with a previously designated leader and an hysteresis condition is met. 
     
     
         19 . A wireless communication system comprising:
 at least one communication device having:   a dipole antenna to transmit wireless communication signals;   a transmitter to transmit a multicast communication to a plurality of multicast communication recipients;   a diagnostic unit to determine a priority category for the multicast communication and to designate one of the multicast communication recipients as a leader based on the priority category and multicast diagnostics information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients, wherein the leader being designated to transmit an acknowledgment frame indicating receipt of a multicast communication frame received from the communication device.   
     
     
         20 . The wireless communication system of  claim 18 , wherein the communication device comprises a receiver to receive the acknowledgment frame and the diagnostics information. 
     
     
         21 . The wireless communication system of  claim 18 , wherein the priority category is based on a reliability requirement for the multicast communication. 
     
     
         22 . An article comprising a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, result in:
 determining a priority category for a multicast communication to be transmitted; and   designating, for the multicast communication, one of a plurality of multicast communication recipients as a leader to transmit to a multicast communication source an acknowledgment frame indicating receipt of a multicast communication frame received from the multicast communication source, wherein designating the leader is based on the priority category and multicast diagnostics information received from one or more of said multicast communication recipients.   
     
     
         23 . The article of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions when executed further result in:
 determining the priority category according to analysis of the multicast diagnostics information.   
     
     
         24 . The article of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions when executed further result in:
 designating the leader based on one of more performance metrics of said multicast communication recipients.