Network employing space recycling, and a method for managing the network

Abstract

A method of operating a network coordinator for a spatial reuse scheme includes receiving a reservation request for a time period for a data communication of a target transmitter/receiver pair that uses a directional antenna, searching for a time period reserved in advance for another transmitter/receiver pair, from a Channel Time Allocation Period (CTAP) that is a contention-free access period for the data communication, and reserving a time period for the target transmitter/receiver pair in the CTAP, so that the time period reserved for the target transmitter/receiver pair overlaps the time period reserved in advance for the other transmitter/receiver pair.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of allocating a time period for a communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for allocation a second time period related a second communication link, after allocation a first time period related a first communication link; and   allocating the second time period overlapped with the first time period at same time resources,   wherein the first communication link for an existing reservation is generated between a first communication device and a second communication device, and the second communication link for a new reservation is generated between a third communication device and a fourth communication device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second time period is allocated, after an antenna training of the second communication link. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the antenna training for the first time period and the antennal training for the second time period is performed using a directional antenna for beamforming at different time resources. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 permitting a data communication for the second communication link based on a channel sate of the first communication link.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the data communication for the second communication link is permitted whether interference for the first communication link is lower than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the data communication for the second communication link is permitted when the channel sate of the first communication link is good. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a beamforming for the first communication link is performed in different time from a beamforming for the second communication link. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a beamforming for the first communication link and a beamforming for the second communication link is performed in different direction, to reduce interference between the first communication link and the second communication link. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the first time period reserved in advance is equal to or greater than a length of the second time period. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second time period is allocated, after an antenna training of the second communication link, the antenna training being associated with the spatial reuse scheme. 
     
     
         11 . A method of allocating a time period for a communication device, the method comprising:
 identifying a first time period related a first communication link reserved in advance; and   receiving a request for allocating a second time period related a second communication link different from the first communication link;   allocating the second time period to be overlapped spatially with the first time period.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second time period is allocated, after an antenna training of the second communication link, the antenna training being associated with the spatial reuse scheme. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the antenna training for the first time period and the antennal training for the second time period is performed using a directional antenna for beamforming at different time resources. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 permitting a data communication for the second communication link based on a channel sate of the first communication link.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data communication for the second communication link is permitted whether interference for the first communication link is lower than a predetermined level. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data communication for the second communication link is permitted when the channel sate of the first communication link is good. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a beamforming for the first communication link is performed in different time from a beamforming for the second communication link. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a beamforming for the first communication link and a beamforming for the second communication link is performed in different direction, to reduce interference between the first communication link and the second communication link. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a length of the first time period reserved in advance is equal to or greater than a length of the second time period.