US 10,433,250 B2Granted

Time division multiple access (TDMA) media access control (MAC) adapted for single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

AssigneeAvago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited

InventorsPeiman Amini, Matthew James Fischer

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Time division multiple access (TDMA) media access control (MAC) adapted for single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Various com systems may include smart meter stations (SMSTAs) and/or wireless stations (STAs). Appropriate coordination is made with respect to such communication devices to ensure appropriate uplink (and/or downlink) communications between a network manager or coordinator (e.g., an access point (AP)) and the SMSTAs and/or STAs. With respect to SMSTAs, the relative duration of time that such communication devices are awake and operative versus asleep (or in a reduced power and/or functionality state) can be significant. Certain implementations may include a relatively large number of such communication devices (e.g., 10s, 100s, 1000s, or more), and appropriate coordination and scheduling of such communications to/from them is made using one or more variations of TDMA signaling (e.g., including different respective service periods (SPs), communication medium access operational modes, adaptation thereof, etc.).

Claims18

Dependent claims

A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication interface;
and
processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
support, via the communication interface, first communications with a first other wireless communication device to provide at least one characteristic of the wireless communication device to the first other wireless communication device;
receive, via the communication interface, an announcement or assignment frame from the first other wireless communication device that is based on the at least one characteristic and that includes first information to direct the wireless communication device to awaken from a power savings mode to an operational mode and to support second communications with the first other wireless communication device at or during a first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame and also includes second information to direct a second other wireless communication device to awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode and to support third communications with the first other wireless communication device at or during a second time specified within the announcement or assignment frame;
generate or acquire sensing or measurement data that is associated with the wireless communication device based on the first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame;
and
based on the first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame, awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode and transmit, via the communication interface, third information to the first other wireless communication device after awakening from the power savings mode to the operational mode, wherein the third information includes the sensing or measurement data that is associated with the wireless communication device.

5 more elements

A smart meter station (SMSTA) comprising:

a communication interface;
and
processing circuitry that is coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
support, via the communication interface, first communications with an access point (AP) to provide at least one characteristic of the SMSTA to the AP;
receive, via the communication interface, an announcement or assignment frame from the AP that is based on the at least one characteristic and that includes first information to direct the SMSTA to awaken from a power savings mode to an operational mode and to support second communications with the AP at or during a first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame and also includes second information to direct another SMSTA to awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode and to support third communications with the AP at or during a second time specified within the announcement or assignment frame;
and
based on the first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame:
awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode;
generate or acquire sensing or measurement data that is associated with the SMSTA;
and
transmit the sensing or measurement data that is associated with the SMSTA to the AP.

8 more elements

A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

supporting, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, first communications with a first other wireless communication device to provide at least one characteristic of the wireless communication device to the first other wireless communication device;
receiving, via the communication interface, an announcement or assignment frame from the first other wireless communication device that is based on the at least one characteristic and that includes first information to direct the wireless communication device to awaken from a power savings mode to an operational mode and to support second communications with the first other wireless communication device at or during a first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame and also includes second information to direct a second other wireless communication device to awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode and to support third communications with the first other wireless communication device at or during a second time specified within the announcement or assignment frame;
generating or acquiring sensing or measurement data that is associated with the wireless communication device based on the first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame;
and
based on the first time specified within the announcement or assignment frame, awaken from the power savings mode to the operational mode and transmitting, via the communication interface, third information to the first other wireless communication device after awakening from the power savings mode to the operational mode, wherein third information includes the sensing or measurement data that is associated with the wireless communication device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/965,624Filed 27 Apr 2018 · continuation
Priority: 26 Sep 2011
Published: US 2018/0249410 A130 Aug 2018
Granted: 1 Oct 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04W 52/0216
Managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is leader and terminal is follower: using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic…
H04L 1/0041
By using forward error control: arrangements at the transmitter end
H04L 1/0065
Concatenated codes: serial concatenated codes
H04W 84/12
Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks: wLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Family

Application61/539,352Us provisional application · filed 26 Sep 2011
Application61/539,357Us provisional application · filed 26 Sep 2011
Application13/539,186Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jun 2012
Application14/607,460Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jan 2015
US 8,958,398 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Feb 2015
US 2018/0249410 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Aug 2018
US 9,986,504 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2013/0077608 A1Published application
US 2015/0146601 A1Published application
US 10,433,250 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.