Network device and method for wireless local area network scheduling

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• receiver circuitry configured to receive a request for at least one timeslot for transmitting a first amount of data to the electronic apparatus from a first wireless apparatus of a child node of the electronic apparatus;
• processor circuitry configured to determine a schedule allocating timeslots to communication between the electronic apparatus and the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit the schedule to the first wireless apparatus, wherein
• the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule is greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to transmit the first amount of data;
• and
• a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is an uplink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is a common timeslot which is usable as either an uplink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, or a downlink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus;
• the transmitter circuitry is further configured to transmit the schedule to the first wireless apparatus,
• wherein the value of a downlink parameter determines whether the common timeslot is operable as an uplink timeslot or a downlink timeslot;
• and the receiver circuitry is configured to receive a downlink variable from a second wireless apparatus;
• and the processor circuitry is configured to calculate the downlink parameter based on the downlink variable.

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• receiver circuitry configured to receive a request for at least one timeslot for transmitting a first amount of data to the electronic apparatus from a first wireless apparatus of a child node of the electronic apparatus;
• processor circuitry configured to determine a schedule allocating timeslots to communication between the electronic apparatus and the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit the schedule to the first wireless apparatus, wherein
• the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule is greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to transmit the first amount of data;
• and
• a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is an uplink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is a common timeslot which is usable as either an uplink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, or a downlink timeslot in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus, wherein
• the receiver circuitry is configured to receive a signal request from the first wireless apparatus;
• the processor circuitry is configured to assign the first wireless apparatus to a first list or a second list;
• wherein assigning the first wireless apparatus to a first list or a second list comprises:
• checking the number of timeslots that have been allocated by the electronic apparatus to communication with wireless apparatuses already assigned to the first list;
• and
• checking the number of timeslots that have been allocated by the electronic apparatus to communication with wireless apparatuses already assigned to the second list;
• and
• assigning the first wireless apparatus to the list with the lower number of timeslots allocated by the schedule.

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a request to a second wireless apparatus of a parent node of the electronic apparatus for at least one timeslot for transmitting a first amount of data to the second wireless apparatus;
• receiver circuitry configured to receive a schedule from the second wireless apparatus which allocates timeslots to communication between the electronic apparatus and the second wireless apparatus, wherein
• the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule is greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to transmit the first amount of data to the second wireless apparatus;
• and
• processor circuitry configured to:
• transmit data to the second wireless apparatus using the transmitter circuitry in a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule;
• and
• selectively:
• transmit data to the second wireless apparatus using the transmitter circuitry in a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule;
• or
• receive data from the second wireless apparatus using the receiver circuitry in the second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule.

An electronic apparatus comprising:

• receiver circuitry configured to receive a request for timeslots;
• processor circuitry configured to determine a schedule allocating timeslots to communication between the electronic apparatus and a first wireless apparatus, wherein
• the timeslots allocated to communication between the electronic apparatus and the first wireless apparatus are arranged in the schedule such that a free timeslot immediately follows every timeslot allocated to communication between the electronic apparatus and the first wireless apparatus;
• wherein a free timeslot is a timeslot not allocated to communication between the electronic apparatus and the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• a wireless transmitter operable to transmit the schedule to the first wireless apparatus,
• wherein at least one of the timeslots allocated to communication includes common timeslots which are selectively operable as either uplink timeslots or downlink timeslots, the uplink timeslots being timeslots in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, the downlink timeslots being timeslots in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus.

A method for defining a schedule for a wireless local area network comprising a plurality of electronic apparatuses, wherein the schedule allocates timeslots to communication between neighboring electronic apparatuses, the method comprising:

• a first wireless apparatus transmitting a request to a second wireless apparatus for at least one timeslot for communicating a first amount of data to the second wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus allocating timeslots in a schedule to communication between the first wireless apparatus and the second wireless apparatus;
• wherein the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule is greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to communicate the first amount of data;
• and
• a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is a common timeslot which is useable as either an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, or a downlink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus sending the schedule to the first wireless apparatus.

A method for defining a schedule for a wireless local area network comprising a plurality of electronic apparatuses, wherein the schedule allocates timeslots to communication between neighboring electronic apparatuses, the method comprising:

• a first wireless apparatus transmitting a request to a second wireless apparatus for at least one timeslot for communicating a first amount of data to the second wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus allocating timeslots in a schedule to communication between the first wireless apparatus and the second wireless apparatus;
• wherein the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule is greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to communicate the first amount of data;
• and
• a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is a common timeslot which is useable as either an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, or a downlink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus sending the schedule to the first wireless apparatus, further comprising:
• the first wireless apparatus transmitting a signal request to the second wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus receiving the signal request from the first wireless apparatus;
• the second wireless apparatus assigning the first wireless apparatus to a first list or a second list;
• wherein assigning the first wireless apparatus to a first list or a second list comprises:
• checking the number of timeslots that have been allocated by the second wireless apparatus to communication with neighboring devices already assigned to the first list;
• and
• checking the number of timeslots that have been allocated by the second wireless apparatus to communication with neighboring devices already assigned to the second list;
• and
• assigning the first wireless apparatus to the list with the lower number of timeslots.

A method for defining a schedule for a wireless local area network comprising a plurality of electronic apparatuses, wherein the schedule allocates timeslots to communication between neighboring electronic apparatuses, the method comprising:

• a first wireless apparatus sending a request to a second wireless apparatus for timeslots;
• the second wireless apparatus allocating timeslots in a schedule to communication with the first wireless apparatus;
• the allocated timeslots are arranged in the schedule such that a free timeslot immediately follows every timeslot allocated to communication between the first wireless apparatus and the second wireless apparatus,
• wherein the free timeslot is a timeslot not allocated to communication between the first wireless apparatus and the second wireless apparatus;
• and
• the second wireless apparatus sending the schedule to the first wireless apparatus,
• wherein at least one of the timeslots includes common timeslots which are selectively operable as either uplink timeslots or downlink timeslots, the uplink timeslots being timeslots in which an electronic apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, the downlink timeslots being timeslots in which the electronic apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program which is for defining a schedule for a wireless local area network comprising a plurality of electronic apparatuses, the schedule allocating timeslots to communication between neighboring electronic apparatuses, the program being executed by a computer to provide the steps of:

• transmitting, by a first wireless apparatus, a request to a second wireless apparatus for at least one timeslot for communicating a first amount of data to the second wireless apparatus;
• allocating, by the second wireless apparatus, timeslots in a schedule to communication between the first wireless apparatus and the second wireless apparatus, the number of timeslots allocated by the schedule being greater than the minimum number of timeslots required to communicate the first amount of data, a first one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule is an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, a second one of the timeslots allocated by the schedule being a common timeslot which is useable as either an uplink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus being scheduled to receive data from the first wireless apparatus, or a downlink timeslot in which the second wireless apparatus is scheduled to transmit data to the first wireless apparatus;
• and
• sending, by the second wireless apparatus, the schedule to the first network device.