US 10,523,821 B2Granted

Synchronized group messaging

AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated

InventorsYan Zhou, Simone Merlin, George Cherian, Santosh Paul Abraham, Gwendolyn Denise Barriac, Hemanth Sampath

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Abstract

Devices and methods for synchronized group messaging in a wireless communication system are described. Multicast transmissions, such as those in a dense network, can cause significant medium usage because same multicast packet is likely sent by multiple APs at different time. Medium usage in such implementations may be redundant. As such, the transmission medium is not used optimally. Devices and methods which coordinate and align group messages (e.g., multicast packets) amongst APs are described. Each AP may be configured to transmit identical packets at the same time. Therefore, medium usage can be reduced, while the range can be extended due to accumulated energy from APs.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for synchronizing wireless communications, comprising:

receiving access point information, the access point information including one or more of:
a load on at least one second access point, wireless channel information, or an identification of multicast streams to be used for synchronized wireless communications;
determining, by a first access point, a common transmission time for synchronous wireless communications by a group of access points based on the access point information, the group of access points including the first access point and the least one second access point;
transmitting, by the first access point, a trigger frame to the group of access points prior to the common transmission time, the trigger frame indicating the common transmission time;
and
transmitting, by the first access point, based on the common transmission time, a first wireless communication to at least one first wireless communication device synchronously with at least one second wireless communication from the at least one second access point to at least one second wireless communication device.

3 more elements

An access point, comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the access point to:
receive access point information, the access point information including one or more of a load on at least one second access point, wireless channel information, or an identification of multicast streams to be used for synchronized wireless communications;
determine a common transmission time for synchronous wireless communications by a group of access points based on the access point information, the group of access points including the access point and the at least one second access point;
transmit a trigger frame to the group of access points prior to the common transmission time, the trigger frame indicating the common transmission time;
and
transmit, based on the common transmission time, a first wireless communication to at least one first wireless communication device synchronously with at least one second wireless communication from the at least one second access point to at least one second wireless communication device.

5 more elements

An access point, comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the access point to:
determine a common transmission time for synchronous wireless communications by a group of access points, the group of access points including the access point and at least one second access point;
transmit a trigger frame to the group of access points prior to the common transmission time, the trigger frame indicating the common transmission time;
and
transmit, based on the common transmission time, a first wireless communication to at least one first wireless communication device synchronously with at least one second wireless communication from the at least one second access point to at least one second wireless communication device,
wherein:
the group of access points is a first group of access points;
and
the synchronous wireless communications including the trigger frame and the first wireless communication are transmitted on a first primary wireless channel of the first group of access points;
and
transmit group messaging transmit time offset information, the group messaging transmit time offset information identifying at least one second common transmission time associated with at least one second group of access points operating on at least one second primary wireless channel different than the first primary wireless channel.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/038,023Filed 17 Jul 2018 · continuation
Priority: 1 Nov 2013
Published: US 2018/0324306 A18 Nov 2018
Granted: 31 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04M 3/567
Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities: multimedia conference systems
H04L 12/189
For broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast: in combination with wireless systems
H04L 5/0055
Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals: physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK
H04M 2203/205
Related to features of supplementary services: broadcasting

Family

Application61/898,924Us provisional application · filed 1 Nov 2013
Application14/269,960Parent of this continuation · filed 5 May 2014
US 2018/0324306 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Nov 2018
US 2015/0124681 A1Published application
US 10,523,821 B2This patent

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