# US 8,787,325 B2 · Scheduling best effort traffic with guaranteed latency traffic in a communications system having a bluetooth-like packet communication protocol > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,325 B2 - Document ID: US8787325B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/622,762 - Filed: 2012-09-19 - Published: 2014-03-20 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-19 - Assignees: ST-Ericsson SA - Applicants: ST-Ericsson SA - Inventors: Jorgen Van Parys - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787325B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/12: Wireless traffic scheduling - H04W 28/10: Flow control {between communication endpoints} - H04W 72/569: {of the traffic information} - H04W 28/021: {in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks (self-organizing networks H04W84/18)} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Time frames (TFs) are allocated for performance of transactions of a low latency data stream (LLDS) and a best effort data stream (BEDS) in Bluetooth®-like equipment, wherein payload carrying packets of the different data streams are equal in size, each occupying multiple TFs. An overrule mechanism enables uncompleted transactions of one data stream to continue as needed into TFs allocated to another data stream. Every TF within an allocation window (AW) is individually allocated to the LLDS or the BEDS, and plural TFs immediately following the AW form a guard space between adjacent AWs, the guard space being allocated to neither the LLDDS or the BEDS. Configuration of the AW and of the guard space guarantees the LLDS a first opportunity to transmit a payload carrying packet and continued opportunities to retransmit the packet until successful, after which the BEDS is given an opportunity for transmission and possible retransmissions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of allocating time frames for performance of transactions of a low latency data stream and transactions of a best effort data stream in a communication equipment, wherein each transaction comprises transmission of a packet and receipt of status information indicating whether the transmission of the packet was successful, wherein payload carrying packets of the low latency data stream and of the best effort data stream are of the same size and each occupies a plurality of time frames, and wherein transmission of any packet in the low latency data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the low latency data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the low latency data stream, and wherein transmission of any packet in the best effort data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the best effort data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the best effort data stream, the method comprising: individually allocating every one of a plurality of time frames within a window of successive time frames for use by the low latency data stream or by the best effort data stream; and allocating a plurality of time frames immediately following the window of successive time frames for use as a guard space between the window of successive time frames and a next occurring window of successive time frames, wherein the time frames of the guard space are neither allocated for use by the low latency data stream nor by the best effort data stream, wherein: the window of successive time frames consists of an initial set of time frames first followed by an intermediate set of time frames and then by a final set of time frames, wherein: the initial set of time frames comprises a plurality of one or more initial groups of time frames that are all allocated for use by the low latency data stream, wherein each initial group of time frames consists of a minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; the intermediate set of time frames consists of a plurality of intermediate groups of time frames, wherein each intermediate group of time frames consists of an initial intermediate time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream and followed by one or more other intermediate time frames allocated for use by the best effort data stream and numbering one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; and the final set of time frames consists of one time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream followed by one time frame allocated for use by the best effort data stream; and the guard space comprises a number of time frames that is one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the communication equipment is a short-range wireless communication device that operates in accordance with an ad hoc networking protocol, and each time frame consists of an even time slot and an immediately following odd time slot. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream is two. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream is three. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the initial set of time frames consists of a plurality of time frames whose number is equal to the minimum number of frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the low latency data stream is a guaranteed latency data stream. ### Claim 7 An apparatus for allocating time frames for performance of transactions of a low latency data stream and transactions of a best effort data stream in a communication equipment, wherein each transaction comprises transmission of a packet and receipt of status information indicating whether the transmission of the packet was successful, wherein payload carrying packets of the low latency data stream and of the best effort data stream are of the same size and each occupies a plurality of time frames, and wherein transmission of any packet in the low latency data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the low latency data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the low latency data stream, and wherein transmission of any packet in the best effort data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the best effort data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the best effort data stream, the method comprising: circuitry configured to individually allocate every one of a plurality of time frames within a window of successive time frames for use by the low latency data stream or by the best effort data stream; and circuitry configured to allocate a plurality of time frames immediately following the window of successive time frames for use as a guard space between the window of successive time frames and a next occurring window of successive time frames, wherein the time frames of the guard space are neither allocated for use by the low latency data stream nor by the best effort data stream, wherein: the window of successive time frames consists of an initial set of time frames first followed by an intermediate set of time frames and then by a final set of time frames, wherein: the initial set of time frames comprises a plurality of one or more initial groups of time frames that are all allocated for use by the low latency data stream, wherein each initial group of time frames consists of a minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; the intermediate set of time frames consists of a plurality of intermediate groups of time frames, wherein each intermediate group of time frames consists of an initial intermediate time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream and followed by one or more other intermediate time frames allocated for use by the best effort data stream and numbering one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; and the final set of time frames consists of one time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream followed by one time frame allocated for use by the best effort data stream; and the guard space comprises a number of time frames that is one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein: the communication equipment is a short-range wireless communication device that operates in accordance with an ad hoc networking protocol, and each time frame consists of an even time slot and an immediately following odd time slot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream is two. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream is three. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the initial set of time frames consists of a plurality of time frames whose number is equal to the minimum number of frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low latency data stream is a guaranteed latency data stream. ### Claim 13 A nontransitory processor readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of allocating time frames for performance of transactions of a low latency data stream and transactions of a best effort data stream in a communication equipment, wherein each transaction comprises transmission of a packet and receipt of status information indicating whether the transmission of the packet was successful, wherein payload carrying packets of the low latency data stream and of the best effort data stream are of the same size and each occupies a plurality of time frames, and wherein transmission of any packet in the low latency data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the low latency data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the low latency data stream, and wherein transmission of any packet in the best effort data stream must begin in a frame that has been allocated for use by the best effort data stream but continues into successive time frames as needed to complete the transmission regardless of whether the successive time frames are allocated to the best effort data stream, the method comprising: individually allocating every one of a plurality of time frames within a window of successive time frames for use by the low latency data stream or by the best effort data stream; and allocating a plurality of time frames immediately following the window of successive time frames for use as a guard space between the window of successive time frames and a next occurring window of successive time frames, wherein the time frames of the guard space are neither allocated for use by the low latency data stream nor by the best effort data stream, wherein: the window of successive time frames consists of an initial set of time frames first followed by an intermediate set of time frames and then by a final set of time frames, wherein: the initial set of time frames comprises a plurality of one or more initial groups of time frames that are all allocated for use by the low latency data stream, wherein each initial group of time frames consists of a minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; the intermediate set of time frames consists of a plurality of intermediate groups of time frames, wherein each intermediate group of time frames consists of an initial intermediate time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream and followed by one or more other intermediate time frames allocated for use by the best effort data stream and numbering one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream; and the final set of time frames consists of one time frame allocated for use by the low latency data stream followed by one time frame allocated for use by the best effort data stream; and the guard space comprises a number of time frames that is one less than the minimum number of time frames required to perform one transaction involving a payload carrying packet of the low latency data stream.