Cross Indication of Queue Size in a Reverse Direction Protocol

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related to cross indication of queue size in a reverse direction protocol. In some embodiments, a reverse direction (RD) grantor may transmit a frame to an RD responder. The RD responder may identify data to be transmitted to the RD grantor based on the received frame. The RD responder may generate a frame that may comprise a plurality of sub-frames. The RD responder may set a sub-field in each of the sub-frames indicating whether there is data to transmit. The RD responder may also set a second sub-field that may indicate a priority or traffic stream associated with the data to be transmitted. The RD responder may transmit the frame (and associated sub-frames) to the RD grantor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a first user device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by the one or more processors of the first user device, a first frame from a second user device, wherein the first frame comprises an access category (AC) constraint field that indicates to the one or more processors that:
 a second frame sent to the second user device is a frame, comprising data that is associated with the AC constraint field, when the AC constraint field is 1, or 
 the second frame sent to the second user device is a frame associated with a traffic identifier (TID), in a TID field preceding the AC constraint field, when the AC constraint field is 0; 
   determining, by the one or more processors of the first user device, a value of a reverse direction grant (RDG) field of the first frame is indicative of the second user device initiating a grant of time to the first user device during a transmission opportunity (TxOP) to initiate a frame exchange sequence with the first device in a wireless medium;   identifying, by the one or more processors of the first user device, that the data is to be transmitted to the second user device;   generating, by the one or more processors of the first user device, the second frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames, wherein each of the plurality of sub-frames is associated with a portion of the data to be transmitted;   setting, by the one or more processors of the first user device, a first value of a subfield of at least one of the plurality of sub-frames to indicate that there is data to be transmitted;   setting, by the one or more processors of the first user device, a second value of a second subfield to indicate a user priority or a traffic stream identifier associated with the portion of the data to be transmitted by the first user device; and   transmitting, by the one or more processors of the first user device, the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the second user device.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames are quality of service (QoS) frames. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first subfield occupies bit  10  and the second subfield occupies bits  11 - 14  in a QoS control field of each of the plurality of sub-frames. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first frame comprises a request for an immediate response and the operations further comprise:
 generating, by the one or more processors of the first user device, an acknowledgment frame; and   transmitting by the one or more processors of the first user device, the acknowledgment frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the second user device as a block acknowledgment.   
     
     
         5 . A device comprising:
 at least one transceiver;   at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 receive a first frame from a user device, wherein the first frame comprises an access category (AC) constraint field that is used to indicate to the at least one processor that:
 a second frame sent to the second user device is a frame, comprising data that is associated with the AC constraint field, when the AC constraint field is 1, or 
 
 the second frame sent to the second user device is a frame associated with a traffic identifier (TID), in a TID field preceding the AC constraint field, when the AC constraint field is 0; 
 determine a value of a reverse direction grant (RDG) field of the first frame is indicative of the user device initiating a grant of time to the device during a transmission opportunity (TxOP) to initiate a frame exchange sequence with the device in a wireless medium; 
 identify, that the data is to be transmitted to the user device; 
 generate a second frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames, wherein each of the plurality of sub-frames is associated with a portion of the data to be transmitted; 
 set a first value of a subfield of at least one of the plurality of sub-frames to indicate that there is data to be transmitted; 
 set a second value of a second subfield to indicate a user priority or a traffic stream identifier associated with the portion of the data to be transmitted; and 
 transmit the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the user device. 
   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the first frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames are quality of service (QoS) frames. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the first subfield occupies bit  10  and the second subfield occupies bits  11 - 14  in a QoS control field of each of the plurality of sub-frames. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the first frame comprises a request for an immediate response and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 generate an acknowledgment frame; and   transmit the acknowledgment frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the second user device as a block acknowledgment.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one antenna. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a first user device, a first frame from a second user device, wherein the first frame comprises an access category (AC) constraint field that is used to indicate to the first user device that:
 a second frame sent to the second user device is a frame, comprising data that is associated with the AC constraint field, when the AC constrain field is 1, or 
 the second frame sent to the second user device is a frame associated with a traffic identifier (TID), in a TID field preceding the AC constraint field, when the AC constrain field is 0; 
   determining, by the first user device, a value of a reverse direction grant (RDG) field of the first frame is indicative of the second user device initiating a grant of time to the first user device during a transmission opportunity (TxOP) to initiate a frame exchange sequence with the first device in a wireless medium;   identifying, by the first user device, that the data is to be transmitted to the second user device;   generating, by the first user device, the second frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames, each of the plurality of sub-frames associated with a portion of the data to be transmitted;   setting, by the first user device, a first value of a subfield of at least one of the plurality of sub-frames to indicate that there is data to be transmitted;   setting, by the first user device, a second value of a second subfield to indicate a user priority or a traffic stream identifier associated with the portion of the data to be transmitted by the first user device; and   transmitting, by the first user device, the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the second user device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames are quality of service (QoS) frames. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first subfield occupies bit  10  and the second subfield occupies bits  11 - 14  in a QoS control field of each of the plurality of sub-frames. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first frame comprises a request for an immediate response and the operations further comprise:
 generating, by the first user device, an acknowledgment frame; and   transmitting, by the first user device, the acknowledgment frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames to the second user device as a block acknowledgment.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one transceiver;   at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 transmit a first frame to a user device, wherein the first frame comprises:
 a value of a reverse direction grant (RDG) field indicative of the apparatus initiating a grant of time to the user device during a transmission opportunity (TxOP) to initiate a frame exchange sequence in a wireless medium with the user device, and 
 an access category (AC) constraint field that is used to indicate to the user device that:
 a second frame transmitted by the user device to the apparatus is a frame, comprising data that is associated with the AC constraint field, 
 
 when the AC constraint field is 1, or
 the second frame sent to the apparatus is a frame associated with a traffic identifier (TID), in a TID field preceding the AC constraint field, 
 
 when the AC constraint field is 0; 
 
 receive, from the user device, the second frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames, wherein each of the plurality of sub-frames is associated with a portion of the data to be received, by the apparatus, from the user device; 
 determine that a first value of a subfield of at least one of the plurality of sub-frames indicates that there is data to be received, by the apparatus, from the user device; 
 determine that a second value of a second subfield of the at least one of the plurality of sub-frames indicates a user priority or a traffic stream identifier associated with the portion of the data to be received, by the apparatus, from the user device; and 
 transmit an acknowledgment frame to the user device in response to receiving the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames. 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first frame and the second frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames are quality of service (QoS) frames. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first subfield occupies bit  10  and the second subfield occupies bits  11 - 14  in a QoS control field of each of the plurality of sub-frames. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first frame comprises a request for an immediate response and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 receive a second acknowledgment frame and the second frame comprising the plurality of sub-frames from the user device as a block acknowledgment.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one antenna.