Coordinating frequency division multiplexing transmissions

Abstract

A device for coordinating frequency division multiplexing transmissions over a shared transmission medium may include a processor circuit configured to receive bandwidth requests from devices for transmissions over the shared transmission medium during a time period. A first bandwidth request may correspond to a point-to-multipoint transmission over the shared transmission medium. The processor circuit may be further configured to schedule bandwidth allocations on the shared transmission medium for the time period based at least in part on the bandwidth requests, where a first bandwidth allocation that corresponds to the first point-to-multipoint transmission is scheduled during the time period prior to other bandwidth allocations. The processor circuit may be further configured to transmit, over the shared transmission medium, an indication of the bandwidth allocations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 receive a plurality of bandwidth requests from a plurality of devices for transmissions over a shared transmission medium during a time period, wherein a first bandwidth request of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponds to transmitting a first point-to-multipoint transmission over the shared transmission medium; 
 schedule a plurality of bandwidth allocations on the shared transmission medium for the time period based at least in part on the plurality of bandwidth requests, wherein a first bandwidth allocation of the plurality of bandwidth allocations that corresponds to the first point-to-multipoint transmission is selectively scheduled during the time period prior to any other bandwidth allocations of the plurality of bandwidth allocations; and 
 transmit, over the shared transmission medium, an indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the shared transmission medium comprises at least one of a coaxial transmission medium or a powerline transmission medium. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises a medium access plan frame and the time period comprises a medium access plan cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine a first frame size associated with a first subset of the plurality of bandwidth requests; and   transmit, over the shared transmission medium., the first frame size in conjunction with the indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations.   
     
     
         5 . The device of claim.  4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine a second frame size associated with a second subset of the plurality of bandwidth requests; and   transmit, over the shared transmission medium, the second frame size in conjunction with the first frame size and the indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations, the second frame size differing from the first frame size.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of devices comprise a first gateway device, a first client device, and a second client device, a second bandwidth request of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponds to a first transmission from the first client device to the first gateway device, and a third bandwidth request of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponds to a second transmission from the second client device to the first gateway device. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine a first bitloading associated with the first transmission and a second bitloading associated with the second transmission;   determine a total number of requested symbols based at least in part on the first bitloading, the first bandwidth request, the second bitloading, and the second bandwidth request;   determine, based at least in part on the total number of requested symbols, a size of a frame for aggregating a second bandwidth allocation for the first transmission and a third bandwidth allocation for the second transmission; and   transmit, over the shared transmission medium, the size of the frame in conjunction with the indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations.   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the frame comprises an orthogonal frequency-division multiple access frame. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the second and third bandwidth allocations of the plurality of bandwidth allocations are scheduled during the time period subsequent to the first bandwidth allocation of the plurality of bandwidth allocations, and a fourth bandwidth allocation of the plurality of bandwidth allocations for a peer-to-peer transmission is scheduled during the time period subsequent to the second and third bandwidth allocations of the plurality of bandwidth allocations. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bandwidth requests is for a peer-to-peer transmission over a plurality of channels of the shared transmission medium. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of channels are bonded at a physical coding sublayer, a physical medium attachment sublayer, or a physical medium dependent sublayer. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first point-to-multipoint transmission is from a first gateway device to a plurality of first client devices, and a second bandwidth request of the plurality of bandwidth requests is for a second point-to-multi-point transmission from a second gateway device to a plurality of second client devices, the first gateway device being distinct from the second gateway device. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of bandwidth requests from a plurality of devices for transmissions over a shared transmission medium during a time period, wherein at least one of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponding to a single point-to-multipoint transmission;   scheduling a plurality of bandwidth allocations on the shared transmission medium for the time period based at least in part on the plurality of bandwidth requests, wherein the at least one of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponding to the single point-to-multipoint transmission is selectively scheduled to occur in the time period prior to any other bandwidth requests of the plurality of bandwidth requests; and   transmitting, over the shared transmission medium, an indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the single point-to-multipoint transmission is from a server device and to a first device and a second device of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the shared transmission medium comprises at least one of a coaxial transmission medium or a powerline transmission medium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the indication comprises a medium access plan frame and the time period comprises a medium access plan cycle. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the instructions comprising:
 instructions to receive a plurality of bandwidth requests from a plurality of devices for transmissions over a shared transmission medium during a time period, wherein at least one of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponding to a single point-to-multipoint transmission;   instructions to schedule a plurality of bandwidth allocations on the shared transmission medium for the time period based at least in part on the plurality of bandwidth requests, wherein the at least one of the plurality of bandwidth requests corresponding to the single point-to-multipoint transmission is selectively scheduled to occur in the time period prior to any other bandwidth requests of the plurality of bandwidth requests; and   instructions to transmit, over the shared transmission medium, an indication of the plurality of bandwidth allocations.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the single point-to-multipoint transmission is from a server device and to a first device and a second device of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the shared transmission medium comprises at least one of a coaxial transmission medium or a powerline transmission medium. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the indication comprises a medium access plan frame and the time period comprises a medium access plan cycle.