Enhanced channel allocation over multi-channel wireless networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for simultaneous transmission of data from two or more wireless communication device during a transmission opportunity otherwise reserved for a single communication device. The invention proposes collaboration among the group of communication devices to reserve a transmission opportunity on a composite channel comprising of a plurality of sub-channels for the entire group and to efficiently manage allocation of the sub-channels for simultaneous data transmission from two or more devices. In the main aspect of the invention, the collaboration takes the form of grouping the sub-channels in the reserved composite channel so as to allow two or more stations to transmit data simultaneously over a contiguous frequency band. The collaboration among the group of communication devices may be in a managed or an ad hoc mode. The invention is particularly relevant to the IEEE 802.11 ac communication standard.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transmitting data in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 sending, from a wireless communication apparatus, a frame including an identifier (ID), the ID having been associated with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and a plural parts of channel resource each of which has been allocated to at least one of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses;   wherein a first part of the allocated parts of the channel resource is used by a first wireless communication apparatus of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses to transmit a first data frame and a second part of the allocated parts of the channel resource is used by a second wireless communication apparatus of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses to transmit a second data frame.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the wireless communication apparatus, the first and second data frames from the first and second wireless communication apparatuses via the respective allocated parts of the channel resource according to the associated ID. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the first data frame by the first wireless communication apparatus is concurrently performed with the transmission of the second data frame by the second wireless communication apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the wireless communication apparatus, a data frame via a part of the channel resource allocated according to the associated ID. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame including the ID is a control frame. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ID is a group identifier. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ID defines configuration comprising resource allocation for the transmission of data frames. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the configuration comprises station identifiers identifying wireless communications apparatuses allowed to communicate in associated plural parts of the channel resource. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein an identifier identifying a wireless communications apparatus is a media access control (MAC) address. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ID is indicated, in a preamble, at a start of a data frame transmission. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein associating an ID with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and a plural parts of channel resource is performed prior data frame transmission in a transmission opportunity (TxOP). 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the allocated parts represent sub-channels of the channel resource. 
     
     
         13 . A communication apparatus communicating via a wireless network, the communication apparatus comprising:
 transmission means for sending, from the wireless communication apparatus, a frame including an identifier (ID), the ID having been associated with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and a plural parts of channel resource each of which has been allocated to at least one of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses;   wherein a first part of the allocated parts of the channel resource is used by a first wireless communication apparatus of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses to transmit a first data frame and a second part of the allocated parts of the channel resource is used by a second wireless communication apparatus of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses to transmit a second data frame.   
     
     
         14 . A communication apparatus communicating via a wireless network, the communication apparatus comprising:
 transmission means for sending, from the wireless communication apparatus, a frame including an identifier (ID), the ID having been associated with a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and a plural sub-channels of channel resource each of which has been allocated to at least one of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses;   wherein sending the frame causing one or more wireless communication apparatuses to transmit data frames in respectively allocated sub-channels according to the associated ID.   
     
     
         15 . The communication apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising means for defining, prior the sending of the frame, a configuration associated with the ID, wherein the configuration comprises a resource allocation to the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses for the transmission of data frames.