Point coordinator control passing scheme using a scheduling information parameter set for an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network

Abstract

A communications protocol in a system such as an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN multi-hop system providing transmission scheduling information is disclosed. The transmission scheduling is formatted within a CF-Poll+Data+SIPS data frame transmitted by the point coordinator (PC) which may be any one of the access point (AP) nodes transmitting in turn as dictated by the scheduling parameters within the scheduling information parameter set (SIPS). The SIPS comprises an offset field, the time left for the presently functioning PC; a delay field, where an AP delays functioning as a PC; and the interval field, the time allowed for an AP to function as a PC. The subsequent scheduling of assigned transmission slots by providing boundaries for the transmission frames through SIPS eliminates collisions resulting from multiple units transmitting simultaneously, thereby supporting interactive media and voice communications on WLAN multi-hop systems.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.