Synchronized group messaging

Abstract

Devices and methods for synchronized group messaging in a wireless communication system are described. Multicast transmissions, such as those in a dense network, can cause significant medium usage because same multicast packet is likely sent by multiple APs at different time. Medium usage in such implementations may be redundant. As such, the transmission medium is not used optimally. Devices and methods which coordinate and align group messages (e.g., multicast packets) amongst APs are described. Each AP may be configured to transmit identical packets at the same time. Therefore, medium usage can be reduced, while the range can be extended due to accumulated energy from APs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:
 identifying a transmission time for transmitting a message to a recipient via a first wireless communication transmitter, wherein contents of the message is to be transmitted to at least one other recipient via a second wireless communication transmitter;   identifying common group messaging parameters associated with the first wireless communication transmitter and the second wireless communication transmitter, the common group messaging parameters including a group temporal key, a common transmission media access control address, and a common group identifier;   generating the message based at least in part on the common group messaging parameters, wherein contents of the message to be transmitted to the recipient is the same as contents of the message transmitted to the at least one other recipient; and   transmitting the message at the identified transmission time to the recipient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the transmission time comprises receiving the transmission time from a central node or inter-transmitter negotiation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the transmission time comprises receiving a trigger frame, the trigger frame indicative of the transmission time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message comprises at least one of a multicast message or a common broadcast message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying common group messaging parameters comprises:
 receiving a zone identifier associated with the first wireless communication transmitter and with the second wireless communication transmitter; and   determining, based on the zone identifier, the common group messaging parameters.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the zone identifier comprises receiving the zone identifier from a zone management node. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein receiving the zone identifier comprises:
 transmitting a zone negotiation message to the second wireless communication transmitter, the zone negotiation message including the common group messaging parameters; and   receiving a zone confirmation message from the second wireless communication transmitter acknowledging the common group messaging parameters.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the common group messaging parameters further includes a packet sequence number, wherein the message transmitted to the recipient and the message transmitted to the at least one other recipient include the packet sequence number. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the common transmission media access control address to the recipient via one or more of a beacon, an association response, a probe response, or a unicast frame. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the group temporal key to the recipient via a unicast frame after the recipient obtains a unicast traffic key, the group temporal key being decryptable by the unicast traffic key. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a non-acknowledgment transmission period information indicating a time period for receiving non-acknowledgment messages; and   upon receipt of a non-acknowledgment message during the time period, retransmitting the message.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication transmitter and the second wireless communication transmitter are included in a transmission group,
 wherein the method further comprises sensing a transmission medium based on the identified transmission time, and   wherein transmitting the message is based on said sensing, wherein:
 upon sensing the transmission medium as clear, the message is transmitted at the identified transmission time; and 
 upon sensing the transmission medium as busy, disassociating from the transmission group and transmitting the message after the identified transmission time to the recipient. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein transmitting the message includes reserving of the transmission medium for the first wireless communication transmitter, said reservation for permission to transmit at the identified transmission time. 
     
     
         14 . A wireless communication device comprising:
 a timing processor configured to identify a transmission time for transmitting a message to a recipient, wherein contents of the message is to be transmitted to at least one other recipient via a second wireless communication device;   a zone identity manager configured to obtain a zone identifier for the wireless communication device, the zone identifier further associated with the second wireless communication device, the zone identifier indicative of common group messaging parameters, the common group messaging parameters including a group temporal key, a common transmission media access control address, and a common group identifier;   a packet processor configured to generate the message based at least in part on the common group messaging parameters, wherein contents of the message to be transmitted to the recipient is the same as contents of the message transmitted to the at least one other recipient via the second wireless communication device; and   a transmitter configured to transmit the message at the identified transmission time to the recipient.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , further comprising a group control receiver and a clock, the group control receiver configured to receive a trigger frame including transmission time information, wherein the timing processor is configured to identify the transmission time based on the received transmission time information and a current time provided by the clock. 
     
     
         16 . The device of Clam  14 , wherein the message comprises at least one of a multicast message or a common broadcast message. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the common group messaging parameters further includes a packet sequence number, wherein the message transmitted to the recipient and the message transmitted to the at least one other recipient include the packet sequence number. 
     
     
         18 . A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a first wireless communication transmitter, common group messaging parameters, the common group messaging parameters associated with the first wireless communication transmitter and a second wireless communication transmitter, the common group messaging parameters including a group temporal key, a common transmission media access control address, and a common group identifier; and   receiving a group message from the first wireless communication transmitter; and   decoding the group message based at least in part on the common group messaging parameters.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the common transmission media access control address is received via one or more of a beacon message, an association response message, a probe response message, or a unicast frame. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the common group messaging parameters include non-acknowledgment message transmission information identifying when the first wireless communication transmitter will accept a non-acknowledgment message, and
 wherein the method further comprises:
 identifying a sequence number for a corrupt message or a missing message; and 
 transmitting the non-acknowledgment message including the sequence number based at least in part on the non-acknowledgment message transmission information.