Method and system for medium access control (mac) layer specialization for voice and multimedia data streams

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for medium access control (MAC) layer specialization for voice and multimedia data streams are presented. Aspects of the method include determining a number of attempts for transmitting one or more medium access control (MAC) frames. Aspects of the system may include a processor that enables determination of a number of attempts for transmitting one or more MAC frames. A maximum number for such attempts may be determined based on one or more priority levels associated with different portions of multimedia information being communicated via a wireless medium and contained within the one or more MAC frames.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by use of a processor, video data for transmission from a radio frequency (RF) front end that is coupled to a plurality of transmission antennas, the video data including a frame structure having I frames, P frames and B frames;   assigning, by use of the processor, a priority level associated with the video data in accordance with the frame structure so that I frames are assigned a high priority level and B frames are assigned a low priority level;   determining, by use of the processor, a transmission window based on the priority level associated with the frame structure, wherein the priority level determines a time duration of the transmission window;   assigning one or more transmission antennas based on the priority level associated with the frame structure to transmit the video data;   transmitting and retransmitting the video data in accordance with a transmission state until an acknowledgement is received from a target device receiving the video data;   when the time duration of the transmission window is reached without receiving the acknowledgement,
 terminating retransmission of the video data; and 
 determining an updated transmission state, based on the on the priority level and triggered by determining the time duration of the transmission window is reached without receiving the acknowledgement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the time duration of the transmission window determines a number of times the video data is retransmitted when the acknowledgment is not received from the target device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video data is transmitted in a medium access control (MAC) frame. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the video data is sent as a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting a timer to determine when the time duration of the transmission window is reached. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the processor reverts to a start state when video data transmission is terminated due to reaching end of the time duration. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the P frames are assigned an intermediate priority level. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by use of a processor, video data for transmission from a radio frequency (RF) front end that is coupled to a plurality of transmission antennas, the video data including a frame structure having I frames, P frames and B frames;   assigning, by use of the processor, a priority level associated with the video data in accordance with the frame structure so that I frames are assigned a high priority level and B frames are assigned a low priority level;   determining, by use of the processor, a number of times the video data is to be transmitted based on the priority level, wherein the priority level determines the number of times the video data is retransmitted;   assigning one or more transmission antennas based on the priority level to transmit the video data;   transmitting the data to a target device in accordance with a transmission state until an acknowledgement of data reception is received from a target device; and   when the number of times the video data is transmitted is reached without receiving the acknowledgement,
 terminating retransmission of the video data; and 
 determining an updated transmission state, based on the on the priority level and triggered by determining the number of times the video data is transmitted is reached without receiving the acknowledgement. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining an updated transmission state, based on the on the priority level includes:
 determining the updated transmission state to be a slow transmission state when the priority level associated with the video data corresponds to the high priority level.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining an updated transmission state, based on the on the priority level further includes:
 determining the updated transmission state to be the transmission state when the priority level associated with the video data corresponds to the low priority level.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising setting a timer to determine when the number is reached. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processor reverts to a start state when data transmission is terminated due to reaching the number of times video data is to be transmitted. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the P frames are assigned an intermediate priority level. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the video data includes associated audio data. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) front end operable to couple to a plurality of transmission antennas; and   a processor coupled to the RF front end, wherein the processor is configured to:
 assign a priority level associated with video data to be transmitted by the RF front end, the video data including a frame structure having I frames, P frames and B frames and wherein the priority level is associated with the video data in accordance with the frame structure so that I frames are assigned a highest priority level and B frames are assigned a lowest priority level; 
 determine a transmission window based on the priority level in accordance with the frame structure, wherein the priority level determines a time duration of the transmission window; 
 assign one or more transmission antennas based on the priority level to transmit the video data; 
 cause transmission and retransmission of the video data in accordance with a transmission state until an acknowledgement is received from a target device receiving the video data; and 
 when the time duration of the transmission window is reached without receiving the acknowledgement, terminating retransmission of the video data, and determining an updated processor state based on the on the priority level and triggered by determining the time duration of the transmission window is reached without receiving the acknowledgement. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the time duration of the transmission window determines a number of times the video data is retransmitted when the acknowledgment is not received from the target device. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the video data is transmitted in a medium access control (MAC) frame. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the video data is sent as a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is operable to set a timer to determine when the time duration of the transmission window is reached. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the P frames are assigned an intermediate priority level.