Method and system for synchronization in a wireless local area network

A system for achieving sychronization in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the system comprising:

• at least two end stations, wherein each of the at least two stations further comprises:
• a local clock unit;
• and
• a transit/receive control unit coupled to the local clock unit, the transmit/recieve control unit including a time synchronization field register for storing a value of the local clock unit;
• wherein one of the at least two end stations compares a time synchronzation field register value of a packet upon reciept from another of the at least two end stations with a value of the local clock unit to determine wheter updating of the local clock unit is necessary without requiring maintenance of communication with a master node end station by the at least two end stations.

A system for achieving synchronization in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the system comprising:

• at least two end stations, wherein each of the at least two end stations further comprises:
• a local clock unit;
• and
• a transmit/receive control unit coupled to the local clock unit, the transmit/receive control unit including a time synchronization field register for storing a value of the local clock unit;
• wherein one of the at least two end stations compares a time synchronization field register value of a packet upon receipt from another of the at least two end stations with a value of the local clock unit to determine whether updating of the local clock unit is necessary such that when the time synchronization field register value is greater than the local clock unit value, the time synchronization field register is updated to the time synchronization field register value and the at least two end stations utilize the time synchronization field register to track duration of high priority and low priority traffic periods.

A method for utilizing predetermined communication parameters to support varying communication modes in a WLAN, the method comprising:

• maintaining synchronization in the WLAN between at least two end stations;
• providing a starting time and ending time of a high priority traffic period for the synchronized at least two end stations;
• and
• performing asynchronous data transfer between the synchronized at least two end stations before and after the high priority traffic period.

A method for utilizing predetermined communication parameters to support varying communication modes in a WLAN, the method comprising:

• maintaining synchronization in the WLAN between at least two end stations by receiving a packet with a time synchronization field value from a first end station of the at least two end stations by a second end station of the at least two end stations, and comparing upon receipt of the packet the time synchronization field value with a local time value in the second end station to determine whether the local time value requires updating to maintain synchronization between the first and second end stations;
• providing a starting time and ending time of a high priority traffic period for the synchronized at least two end stations;
• and
• performing asynchronous data transfer between the synchronized at least two end stations before and after the high priority traffic period.