Collision mitigation for multicast transmission in wireless local area networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described including multicasting a medium reservation message, receiving responses to the medium reservation message and determining if a ratio of the received responses to an expected number of responses exceeds a threshold. Also described are a method and apparatus including receiving a medium reservation message, determining if the medium reservation message specifies this receiver in a list of receivers from which a response is requested, determining if a medium is idle and transmitting the response to the medium reservation message responsive to the second determination.

1 . A method, said method comprising:
 multicasting a medium reservation message;   receiving responses to said medium reservation message; and   determining if a ratio of said received responses to an expected number of responses exceeds a threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising multicasting data during a medium reservation time interval. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining if a medium is idle; and   determining a medium reservation time interval.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said medium is a wireless channel. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method is performed via a wireless network. 
     
     
         6 . A method, said method comprising:
 receiving a medium reservation message;   determining if said medium reservation message specifies this receiver in a list of receivers from which a response is requested;   determining if a medium is idle; and   transmitting said response to said medium reservation message responsive to said second determination.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising determining a time period in which to transmit said response responsive to an order is said list. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining whether to transmit a cancellation message; and   transmitting a cancellation message responsive to said determination.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said medium is a wireless channel. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said method is performed via a wireless network. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for multicasting a medium reservation message;   means for receiving a response to said medium reservation message; and   means for determining if a ratio of said received responses to an expected number of responses exceeds a threshold.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising means for multicasting data during a medium reservation time interval. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 means for determining if a medium is idle; and   means for determining a medium reservation time interval.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said medium is a wireless channel. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said apparatus operates via a wireless network. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for receiving a medium reservation message;   means for determining if said medium reservation message specifies this receiver in a list of receivers from which a response is requested;   means for determining if a medium is idle; and   means for transmitting said response to said medium reservation message responsive to said second determining means.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising means for determining a time period in which to transmit said response responsive to an order is said list. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 means for determining whether to transmit a cancellation message; and   means for transmitting a cancellation message responsive to said determination.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said medium is a wireless channel. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said apparatus operates via a wireless network.