Method, system and device for providing differentiated quality of service for wireless communication devices

Abstract

A method may include, in an access point (AP) configured to control data transmission for an associated station (STA) in a time interval, storing a unique identifier and a quality of service (QoS) requirement for each STA in a first set in a non-volatile memory of the AP. In response to the STA associating with the AP, if the associated STA is in the first set, allocating a time in the time interval for the STA to meet the QoS requirement of the STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the STA, and if the associated STA is not in the first set, establishing QoS for the STA, the STA having a lower priority than any associated STA in the first set. Corresponding systems and devices are also disclosed.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application is an international application of U.S. patent application No. 16 / 576,469 filed on September 19, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 880,510 filed on July 30, 2019, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless systems, and more particularly to wireless systems configured to provide approximately a minimum quality of service to connected devices. Background Art

[0004] Wi-Fi integrated circuit devices are added to automobiles for various infotainment applications. A very common use is to replace the audio / video cable between the infotainment console in the car and the "onboard" audio or video devices (such as sound system speakers, rear seat video players / game consoles, security cameras, cab intercoms and monitoring systems, etc.). Another use for such a device is to act as a Wi-Fi access point (AP) to connect other Wi-Fi devices, such as devices that are "brought" to the car, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. A Wi-Fi AP can connect devices to each other or to the Internet.

[0005] However, since a large number of Wi-Fi devices are connected at a restricted site (i.e., a car), bandwidth contention may occur between the Wi-Fi devices, which may negatively affect the connection quality of these in-vehicle Wi-Fi devices, especially audio / video devices. For example, in the case of a car, it is desirable to provide a Wi-Fi environment with built-in devices that have a robust connection with an infotainment console without facing bandwidth contention caused by the introduction of Wi-Fi devices.

[0006] Current QoS schemes for Wi-Fi devices include Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), which is a mandatory feature for certification in the Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) specification promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA), and Hybrid Coordinated Channel Access (HCCA), which is considered optional and is not required for any WFA certification program. EDCA cannot prevent QoS degradation when there is severe bandwidth contention. HCCA is not widely supported. Although HCCA can guarantee QoS, it requires complex admission control processing and bandwidth-aware scheduling based on first-come, first-served. Therefore, neither can effectively solve the shortcomings to ensure QoS for an environment such as a car with both onboard devices and introduced devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figures 1A to 1C is a series of block diagrams illustrating the operation of the system according to an embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F is a series of block diagrams illustrating the operation of a system that can prioritize quality of service (QoS) for vehicle-mounted stations (STAs) by scheduling contention-free periods (CFPs) according to an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 is a diagram of data that may be stored in an access point (AP) configuration parameter block, according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 4 is a timing diagram illustrating QoS scheduling according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 5 is a diagram of a system that can prioritize QoS for in-vehicle STAs by scheduling a target wake time (TWT), according to an embodiment.

[0012] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B is a diagram showing another system that can prioritize QoS for in-vehicle STAs by scheduling TWT according to another embodiment.

[0013] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an AP device according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an AP device according to another embodiment.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a method for prioritizing QoS according to an embodiment.

[0016] Fig.10 is a flowchart of a method for scheduling CFP for a vehicular STA according to an embodiment.

[0017] Fig.11 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting data to an on-vehicle STA in a CFP according to an embodiment.

[0018] Fig.12 is a flowchart of a method for scheduling TWT for an in-vehicle STA according to an embodiment.

[0019] Fig.13 is a diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0020] Fig.14 is a diagram of an automotive wireless system according to an embodiment.

[0021] Fig.15 is a flow chart of a method for adding an incoming device to an in-vehicle list according to an embodiment.

[0022] Fig.16A and Fig. 16B is a diagram illustrating an interface operation according to an embodiment.

[0023] Fig.17 is a flow chart of a method according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] According to an embodiment, an access point (AP) of a wireless system may store information about multiple first type stations (STAs) in a non-volatile memory. The information may include a unique identifier for each first type STA, and a quality of service (QoS) value for the STA. When a first type STA seeks association with an AP, the AP may allocate a time in a service interval for the first type STA that can ensure QoS (as indicated by the QoS value stored by the AP). Such time allocation may be performed without maintaining reception of QoS data from the first type STA. In addition, such time allocation may be performed without the first type STA making a request or negotiation for QoS. Other STAs (i.e., STAs that do not belong to the first type) may meet QoS requirements with a lower priority than the first type STA.

[0025] In some implementations, the AP may schedule a contention-free period (CFP) and a contention period (CP) in each service interval. A first type of STA may be served in a CFP, other types of STA may be served in a CP, and other types of STA may not be served in any CFP reserved for the first type of STA.

[0026] In some embodiments, when the service period is sufficient to meet the QoS of the first type STA, the AP may establish a target wake-up time (TWT) for the first type STA. The TWT for the first type STA may have priority over access (including TWT) for other types of STAs.

[0027] In some embodiments, the AP may be a "soft AP" in a wireless system for an automobile. The first type STA may be an "in-vehicle" device (e.g., a device that is part of the automobile). Thus, the in-vehicle device may receive priority QoS when associating with the AP without requesting a specific QoS or negotiating for admission to the wireless system. Thus, QoS may be maintained for the in-vehicle device even if other wireless devices are introduced into the automobile and connected to the soft AP.

[0028] In the various embodiments below, similar items are referred to by the same reference numerals, but with the leading digits corresponding to the figure number.

[0029] Figures 1A to 1C 1 is a series of diagrams illustrating a system 100 according to an embodiment. The system 100 may include an access point 102 to which multiple STAs may associate. The AP 102 may store a station value 104 in a non-volatile manner. The station value 104 may include a unique identifier and a QoS value for the STA. The unique identifier may be transmitted by the STA when the STA attempts to associate with the AP 102. The STA identified by the station value 104 is referred to herein as a "first type" STA and may have a higher priority than other types of STAs in terms of QoS.

[0030] The AP may communicate with the STAs during service intervals, one service interval being shown as 106. In some implementations, the service interval 106 is no less than the total amount of time required to provide the indicated QoS for the first type of STAs plus some additional time to enable other STAs to join the network.

[0031] Figure 1A The system 100 is shown before any STA is associated with the AP 102. Without any first type STA being associated, the AP 102 can provide QoS according to some default manner without any predetermined priority. In the illustrated embodiment, the AP 102 can provide a "per request" type of service 108. Thus, when a STA attempts to join the network, the AP 102 can provide a specific QoS as requested by the STA.

[0032] Figure 1B The system 100 is shown after associating two first type STAs 110-0 and 110-2. Figure 1A Differently, the AP 102 has scheduled time allocations 112-0 and 112-1 in the interval 106 for the first type STAs 110-0 and 110-1. The scheduling of the time allocations 112-0 / 112-1 may occur upon detection of a unique identifier transmitted by the first type STA 110-0 / 110-1, and is not in response to any kind of request by the STA for service or admission to the system 100. The remainder of the interval 106 may be freely accessed by other STAs according to any suitable means, including by request.

[0033] The time allocation 112-0 / 112-1 is sufficient to meet the QoS value for the first type of STA as indicated by the station value 104, which is stored by the AP 102. It will be appreciated that the time allocation 112-0 / 112-1 need not be continuous. That is, the time allocation 112-0 / 112-1 may include multiple portions distributed within the interval 106. Although the time allocation 112-0 / 112-1 may occur at the same time in a subsequent interval, in some embodiments, the time allocation 112-0 / 112-1 may vary between intervals. However, as long as the first type of STA 110-0 / 110-1 is associated with the AP 102, they will be provided with the time allocation 112-0 / 112-1.

[0034] Figure 1C The system 100 is shown after another STA 114 that is not of the first type (i.e., not identified by the station value 104 stored in the AP 102) is associated. The STA 114 can therefore be considered a second type STA. The data transmission time on the medium for the second type STA 114 can be established by request. That is, the STA 114 must request or negotiate for a specific service and have such service approved by the AP 102. This is in contrast to the first type STA 110-0 / 110-1, which can be allocated time when it is detected by the AP 102. When associated with the AP 102, the second type STA 114 can have a lower priority than the first type STA 110-0 / 110-1. That is, without some special operations, the time allocated to the first type STA 110-0 / 110-1 will not give way to accommodate the second type STA 114. In addition, the time allocated to the second type STA 114 can be occupied to ensure sufficient time for another first type STA. Figure 1C In the example embodiment, a second type STA 114 is given a transmission time 116 within the interval 106 outside of the time allocations 112 - 0 / 112 - 1 .

[0035] According to an embodiment, a wireless system may be deployed in an environment including pre-existing STAs, which may be conceptualized as "vehicle-mounted" STAs. Vehicular STAs may be expected to provide certain functions and therefore require minimum QoS.

[0036] Implementations may have various features, including but not limited to:

[0037] 1. The AP has a configuration parameter block that defines all vehicle-mounted STAs, and the configuration parameter block includes the MAC address and required bandwidth of the vehicle-mounted STAs.

[0038] 2. The AP can check whether any associated STA is a vehicle-mounted STA. If there is no vehicle-mounted STA, the AP can run a contention-based protocol (e.g., enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA)) to establish a QoS protocol for the associated STA. However, this can change when the vehicle-mounted STA is associated with the AP. When associated with the vehicle-mounted STA, the AP can run a protocol (e.g., hybrid coordinated channel access (HCCA)) that can schedule a contention-free period (CFP). In the CFP, the AP can deliver downlink data to the vehicle-mounted STA, and then poll the vehicle-mounted STA to send uplink data. Such data transmission is subject to the vehicle-mounted STA bandwidth specification in the AP configuration parameter block. After the CFP ends, the remaining STAs (i.e., non-vehicle-mounted STAs) can use a contention-based protocol to compete for the medium. In an embodiment where the AP and the vehicle-mounted STA are IEEE802.11ax compatible devices, the AP can schedule a TWT session instead of the CFP, and deliver data about the vehicle-mounted STA in the TWT service period reserved for the vehicle-mounted STA. The TWT reserved bandwidth is also subject to the onboard STA bandwidth specification in the AP configuration parameter block.

[0039] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F is a series of block diagrams illustrating systems according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F Can be Figures 1A to 1C An example of a system 100 is shown in FIG. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F A system 200 is shown with an AP 202 and a plurality of vehicle-mounted STAs (STA0 to STA2). The vehicle-mounted STAs (STA0 to STA2) are present in an operating environment but may not always be active (e.g., associated with the AP 202). The AP 202 may include a configuration parameter block with a non-volatile memory 204 that may store information about the vehicle-mounted STAs including a unique station identifier and a QoS value. The AP 202 may schedule communications during an interval 206.

[0040] Figure 2A The system 200 is shown before any association with a vehicle-mounted STA. An interval 206 scheduled by the AP 202 may include a contention period (CP) 218 ​​and, optionally, a contention-free period (219). During the CP 218, the STA may communicate with the AP 202 to request or negotiate access to the medium. In some embodiments, the AP 202 may operate an EDCA CP (i.e., the CP 218 is an EDCA CP) despite the absence of an associated vehicle-mounted device.

[0041] Figure 2BThe system 200 is shown after the vehicle-mounted STA1 210-1 is associated with the AP 202. When the vehicle-mounted STA1 210-0 associates with the AP 202, the vehicle-mounted STA1 can transmit its unique identifier. When the AP 202 determines that the unique identifier is stored in the non-volatile memory 204, the AP 202 identifies STA1 210-1 as a vehicle-mounted STA and automatically schedules a time allocation 212 for STA1 210-1 to ensure the QoS value of the vehicle-mounted STA1 210-1. The AP 202 performs scheduling without a QoS request from the vehicle-mounted STA1 and does not receive QoS data in the transmission from the vehicle-mounted STA1. In the illustrated embodiment, the time allocation 212 can take the form of a CFP. It should be understood that the CFP can be any contention-free time period according to any appropriate protocol, and therefore can include a period scheduled within the CP such as a control access period (CAP) as just one example. In some implementations, AP 202 may run HCCA CFP and EDCA CP (ie, CFP 212 is a HCCA CFP and CP 218 is an EDCA CP).

[0042] Still refer to Figure 2B , in the illustrated embodiment, within the CFP 212, the AP 202 may transmit any downlink data (e.g., data from the AP to the STA), and then poll the STA (CF Poll STA1) for any uplink data (e.g., data from the STA to the AP). The onboard STA1 210-1 may then transmit any data, or indicate that there is no data to send. The AP 202 may indicate the end of the CP 212 using the CF End Transmission. In some embodiments, such a data transmission may include a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for one device (e.g., the AP 202) followed by a TXOP for another device (e.g., STA1 210-1).

[0043] Figure 2CThe system 200 is shown when the incoming STA 214-0 is associated with the AP 202. The AP 202 and the vehicle-mounted STA 210-1 can continue to perform data transmission in the scheduled CP 212. In contrast to the vehicle-mounted device that is automatically given a time allocation, the incoming STA 214-0 will undergo an association and authentication process (Auth / Assoc). If the incoming STA 214-0 is compatible with the QoS process, the incoming STA 214-0 can request access to the medium to establish its own QoS requirements. Once associated, data transmission for the incoming STA 214-0 can then be performed in a contention-based manner. In the illustrated embodiment, this can include a request to send (RTS), clear to send (CTS) type process. In some embodiments, the CFP 212 can be an HCCA CFP and the CP218 can be an EDCA CP.

[0044] Figure 2D The system 200 is shown after two additional vehicle-mounted STAs 210-0 and 210-2 are associated with the AP 202. The AP 202 increases the CFP 212 to ensure that the QoS for the newly added vehicle-mounted STAs 210-0 / 210-2 can be met. In the illustrated embodiment, the AP 202 can transmit DL data and poll for uplink data from the associated vehicle-mounted STAs (210-0 to 210-2). Note that the AP 202 can also schedule one or more other CFPs for the newly associated vehicle-mounted STAs 210-0 / 210-2 (i.e., it is not necessary to serve the vehicle-mounted STAs in the same CFP). Data transmission for the introduced STA 214-0 continues to occur in the CP 218. In some embodiments, the CFP 212 can be an HCCA CFP and the CP 218 can be an EDCA CP.

[0045] Figure 2E The system 200 is shown when the second introduced STA4 214-1 is associated with the AP 202. Data transmission between the AP 202 and the vehicle-mounted STAs (210-0 to 210-2) can continue in one or more scheduled CFPs 212. As in the case of the first introduced STA3 214-0, the second introduced STA4 214-1 can authenticate the AP 202 and associate with the AP 202. In addition, if the STA4 214-1 is compatible with the QoS protocol, the STA4 214-1 can request admission to the system with a given QoS value. Data transmission between the AP 202 and the introduced STAs (214-0 / 214-1) can occur in the CP 218. In some embodiments, the CFP 212 can be an HCCA CFP and the CP 218 can be an EDCA CP.

[0046] Figure 2F The system 200 is shown when two vehicle-mounted STAs 210-1 / 210-2 are disconnected from the system 200. In response, the AP 202 generates a time allocation for such vehicle-mounted STAs 210-1 / 210-2. In the illustrated embodiment, the duration of the CFP 212 may be correspondingly reduced. Data transmission for the incoming STA 214-0 / 214-1 may continue in the CP 218. In the event that all vehicle-mounted STAs are disconnected from the AP 202, the system 200 may return to Figure 2A In the state shown, only contention-based access is used to establish QoS.

[0047] In some implementations, system 200 may be compatible with the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the AP may include a configuration parameter block that may store station identifiers with corresponding QoS requirements in a non-volatile manner.Such data values ​​may take any form suitable for the standards / protocols deployed by the wireless system. Figure 3 An example of such configuration parameters is shown. The configuration parameters 320 may include a MAC address 320-0 for each onboard STA, and a QoS level 320-1 for the onboard STA.

[0049] While embodiments may provide automatic QoS time reservation according to any suitable protocol, some embodiments may leverage existing features of IEEE wireless standards. Figure 4 is a timing diagram illustrating one such embodiment. Figure 4 The scheduling shown in can be performed by the AP.

[0050] Reference Figure 4 , the AP may perform a number of steps to provide the indicated QoS to the vehicle-mounted STA having priority over other (e.g., incoming) STAs. In some embodiments, the AP may be a software-enabled access point (soft AP). The soft AP may include instructions that are not specifically designed to provide a wireless network and are executed by one or more processors in a computing device to enable the computing device to operate as an AP. Figure 4 The timing space according to the standard is shown, which includes the PCF interframe space (PIFS), the short interframe space (SIFS) and the slot timing (aSlotTime). The data transmission (QoS Data) and the acknowledgement (ACK) are also shown.

[0051] The AP can store Figure 3 The information about the onboard STA is shown, and the following functions can be performed:

[0052] 1. The SoftAP may run EDCA until one or more STAs with MAC addresses matching the onboard device list associate with the SoftAP.

[0053] 2. If there is downlink data for the associated vehicle STA, the soft AP can start HCCA CFP and transmit the downlink data based on the bandwidth requirements specified in the vehicle device list (see Figure 4 If the downlink data contains a mixture of different access category (AC) data, the soft AP can prioritize AC audio and AC video over other AC data.

[0054] 3. The SoftAP may send a QoS CF poll frame to initiate the HCCA CFP for uplink data. The associated vehicle-mounted STAs may be polled in turn to send uplink data based on their bandwidth requirements (see Figure 4 Each polled STA may send CF NULL to indicate that it has finished sending uplink data in this round or to indicate that it has no uplink data to send. If the polled vehicle STA has a mix of different AC data, it may prioritize AC audio and AC video over other AC data during uplink transmission.

[0055] 4. After completing a round of downlink CFP and uplink CFP, there may be remaining bandwidth before the next round of CFP, depending on the system design. The soft AP can then cause the system to enter CP and run EDCA as a QoS mechanism. If there is remaining low-priority AC data for both uplink and downlink that temporarily exceeds the requested bandwidth, both the soft AP and the STA can compete for the channel for transmission.

[0056] 5. After all vehicle-mounted STAs are disassociated from the soft AP, the soft AP can run EDCA.

[0057] When an associated station is detected from a stored list, an embodiment may use any appropriate method to automatically allocate QoS time. For example, although the embodiments herein describe the scheduling of CFP, other embodiments may use different scheduling features. For example, some systems may be compatible with standards (i.e., IEEE802.11ax) that include a target wake time (TWT). A TWT may be a time period in an interval reserved for a particular STA. Data transmission to a STA may occur during a TWT service period, and otherwise the STA may be in a non-receiving (e.g., sleep) mode. In such an embodiment, the AP may schedule a TWT with a service period sufficient to provide the QoS indicated for the onboard STA (in non-volatile memory on the AP).

[0058] For example, in the case where the soft AP and the vehicle-mounted STA support the TWT feature as defined in 802.11ax, the AP can be configured to ensure that the allocation of the TWT time slot is not under severe contention, and to ensure that the aggregate bandwidth of the vehicle-mounted STA is reserved during the service period of the TWT. Implementations may include various methods to avoid excessive contention, including but not limited to:

[0059] 1. A soft AP can run HCCA (i.e., only wait for PIFS to enter a TWT slot), so that the soft AP can maximize its chance of occupying the channel for a TWT slot. In the case of a dense deployment with multiple APs, each AP can wait for PIFS with a probability of approximately 1 / N, where N is the expected average number of conflicting TWT service periods scheduled by the overlapping network (e.g., basic service set BSS). This can avoid bandwidth waste caused by two or more APs continuously conflicting TWT slots.

[0060] 2. When the soft AP starts scheduling TWT time slots, it can add a small amount of randomness on top of the calculated TWT session service period so that the scheduled TWT sessions will not have the same service period as TWT sessions scheduled by other APs in nearby overlapping BSSs. This can avoid TWT time slot conflicts between overlapping BSSs due to the same TWT timing and cycle.

[0061] Now refer to Figure 5 An implementation scheme utilizing TWT is performed.

[0062] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a system with an AP that can be a soft AP that can use pre-allocation and reservation of TWT time slots to guarantee bandwidth for vehicle-mounted STAs. In the illustrated embodiment, the system can be a basic service set (BSS) 500 including an AP 502, two vehicle-mounted STAs 510-0 / 510-1, and an introduced STA 514. The AP 502 and the vehicle-mounted STAs 510-0 / 510-1 can support TWT features compatible with the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0063] Once associated with AP 502, the vehicle-mounted STA 510-0 / 510-1 may send a TWT request with a service period (SP) and service interval (SI) requirement sufficient to ensure the QoS of the vehicle-mounted STA 510-0 / 510-1 to AP 502. In AP 502, the SP of the vehicle-mounted STA 510-0 / 510-1 may be allocated in a non-overlapping time domain. This Figure 5This is shown in FIG by the TWT time slots labeled with STA1 and STA2. The QoS requirements for STA1 may result in STA1's TWT being scheduled with a higher frequency than STA2's TWT (despite less expected data transmission).

[0064] The time slot allocation for the vehicle-mounted STA 510-0 / 510-1 (and any other vehicle-mounted STA known to the AP) can be pre-allocated and reserved by the time division multiplexing (TDM) scheduler of the AP 502 based on the MAC address of the vehicle-mounted STA 510-0 / 510-1. The time slot reservation can be a one-to-one mapping to the vehicle-mounted STA identified by the vehicle-mounted station information stored by the AP502. If the vehicle-mounted STA is associated with the BSS 500, the corresponding time slot reservation is activated and individually assigned to the vehicle-mounted STA. If no vehicle-mounted STA with a reserved time slot is detected, the time slot is identified as inactive and can be used for contention-based access (e.g., EDCA) or for a lower priority TWT session for an introduced STA.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the vehicle-mounted STA maintains a QoS priority over the introduced STA. Therefore, if a reserved time slot has been allocated for the introduced STA when the corresponding vehicle-mounted STA joins the BSS 500, the AP 502 can reallocate the reserved time slot for the joined vehicle-mounted STA alone, and if necessary, reschedule the TWT session for the affected introduced STA.

[0066] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B is a block diagram illustrating a system according to another embodiment. Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Shows something like FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F However, the system in FIG. 1 has an AP that utilizes TWT scheduling to ensure QoS for in-vehicle devices.

[0067] Fig. 6A The system 600 is shown during the association of the vehicle STAs 610-0 and 610-1. In response to receiving the unique identifiers for the associated vehicle STAs 610-0 / 610-1, the AP 602 can reserve TWT time slots 612-0 and 612-1, respectively. The duration and frequency of the TWTs 612-0 / 612-1 are selected to satisfy the SP and SI of each vehicle STA 610-0 / 610-1.

[0068] Still refer to Fig. 6A, TWT can be established in a broadcast manner and / or in a separate manner. In the broadcast case, AP 602 can send a beacon (scheduling beacon) that can indicate the schedule of its TWT 612-0 / 612-1 to the vehicle-mounted STA 610-0 / 610-1. In the separate case, once the STA is associated with AP 602, AP 602 can reserve some periodic service time for the vehicle-mounted STA 610-0 / 610-1, and AP 602 will not release such periodic service time for any other STA. When the vehicle-mounted STA 610-0 / 610-1 negotiates with AP 602 for a TWT session (STA0 / STA1 Negot. and TWT Negot.), AP can assign the reserved periodic service time to the vehicle-mounted STA 610-0 / 610-1. That is, the service time is reserved at the time of association, and the service time can be available when the separate TWT negotiation begins.

[0069] Figure 6B The system 600 is shown after associating yet another onboard STA 610-2 and two incoming STAs 614-0 / 614-1. TWT timeslot 612-2 has been allocated to onboard STA2 610-2. Data transmission for incoming STA 614-0 / 614-1 can be performed in the same interval 606 but at a time other than TWT timeslot 612-0 / 612-1 / 612-2. In the specific embodiment shown, data transmission for incoming STA 614-0 / 614-1 can occur during a contention period, however, this should not be construed as limiting. An incoming STA can negotiate for its own TWT timeslot, however, as noted herein, such a timeslot will have a lower priority than any TWT timeslot used for an onboard STA.

[0070] The various operations described herein may be performed by the AP in any appropriate manner. In some implementations, such operations may be performed using microcode and firmware present in the MAC layer circuitry of the WLAN AP device. However, such specific implementations should not be construed as limiting.

[0071] Figure 77 is a block diagram of a device 702 according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, the device 702 may be an implementation of an AP as described herein. The device 702 may include a communication circuit 730, a controller 732, a radio circuit 734, and an input / output (I / O) circuit 736. The communication circuit 730 may be a WLAN circuit including a Wi-Fi control circuit 730-0 and a MAC layer circuit 730-1. The communication circuit 730 and the radio circuit 734 may be configured to operate in any suitable frequency band including, but not limited to, a 2.4 GHz band, a 5.0 GHz band, and / or a 6.0 GHz band.

[0072] The Wi-Fi control circuit 730-0 may include a configuration block 738 and an allocation section 740. The configuration block 738 may include a non-volatile storage element that stores a MAC value and a QoS value for the vehicle-mounted STA. Based on such values, the allocation section 740 may schedule time allocation for the vehicle-mounted STA after an association or equivalent scheme as described herein. The allocation section 740 may include any suitable arithmetic logic circuit for establishing time allocation. The arithmetic logic circuit may include fixed logic, programmable logic, one or more processors that execute instructions, and any combination of the above items.

[0073] The radio circuit 734 may include circuits for receiving and transmitting signals according to at least one standard or protocol. The radio circuit 734 may include any appropriate circuits according to the selected protocol, and in some embodiments, the radio circuit may include a physical interface (PHY) circuit and a baseband circuit. In some embodiments, the radio circuit 734 may transmit / receive on any internationally recognized industrial, scientific, or medical (ISM) band. In some embodiments, the radio circuit 734 may be compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard, such as the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0074] The controller 732 can control the operation of the communication circuit 730. In some embodiments, the controller 732 can include circuitry (or instructions executable by the circuitry) for determining when to transmit and what data to include in the transmission. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 732 can include a processor portion 732-0 and a memory portion 732-1.

[0075] I / O circuitry 736 may enable control of device 702 via inputs external to device 702. I / O circuitry 736 may include circuitry that enables communication with device 702 according to any suitable method, including any of a variety of serial data communication standards / methods, including but not limited to: Serial Digital Interface (SDI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART), I2C, or I2S.

[0076] In some implementations, the device 702 may be an integrated circuit device, wherein various parts are included in one integrated circuit package or formed in the same integrated circuit substrate.

[0077] Figure 8 802 according to another embodiment. The device 802 may be an AP and equivalent as described in various embodiments herein. The device 802 may include a communication circuit 830, a controller 832, a radio portion 834, an I / O circuit 836, and an antenna connection 868. The communication circuit 830 may include a WLAN control circuit 830-0, a MAC layer circuit 830-1, and a physical layer (PHY) circuit 856.

[0078] The WLAN control circuit 830-0 may enable communications to occur that are compatible with one or more communication standards, including any of the IEEE 802.11 wireless standards. Figure 8 In an embodiment, the WLAN control circuit 830-0 may include a processor portion 852-0 and a memory system 852-1. The processor portion 852-0 may include one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in the memory system 852-1. The processor portion 852-0 may include one or more general-purpose processors and / or special-purpose processors. The memory system 852-1 may include various memory types, including non-volatile memory for storing the configuration block 838, memory for storing instructions that can be executed by the processor portion 852-0, and memory for use by the processor portion 852-0. In some embodiments, the memory system 852-1 may include random access volatile memory (e.g., dynamic and / or static RAM), and non-volatile read-only memory (e.g., flash memory).

[0079] The WLAN control circuit 830-0 may provide various functions, including a QoS allocation function 840. The QoS allocation function 840 may establish time allocation for the onboard STAs indicated by the onboard list 838 according to embodiments and equivalents herein.

[0080] The MAC layer circuit 830-1 may perform MAC layer operations including incorporating appropriate headers, error correction and length fields, and segmentation and reassembly of data frames. The MAC layer circuit 830-1 may receive data from and send data to the WLAN control circuit 830-0 via the backplane 854. The PHY layer circuit 856 may perform PHY layer operations including, but not limited to, converting MAC layer data into a format suitable for the wireless medium being used and controlling modulation of outgoing data frames and demodulation of incoming data frames.

[0081] The radio portion 834 may include a radio circuit 862, a power amplifier circuit 858, a low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit 860, a switching circuit 864, and a filter circuit 866. The radio circuit 862 may convert a data frame into a radio signal suitable for transmission, and receive a radio signal for demodulation into a data frame. The power amplifier circuit 858 may establish a transmission power for the data frame. The LNA circuit 860 may amplify the received signal for processing by the radio circuit 862. The switching circuit 864 may selectively switch the antenna connection 868 between the power amplifier circuit 858 and the LNA circuit 860. The filter circuit 866 may filter the received signal depending on the medium used. The antenna connection 868 may be configured to connect to an antenna assembly. Although Figure 8 One antenna connection is shown, but embodiments may include multiple antenna connections.

[0082] While an embodiment may include any of the methods described in conjunction with the above embodiments, additional methods will now be described.

[0083] Fig. 9 970 is a flow chart of a method 970 that may be performed by an AP such as described herein and equivalents. The method 970 may include determining whether a STA is associating with the AP 970-0. Such actions may include the AP monitoring one or more channels for predetermined signals defined by a standard or protocol. If the STA is associating with the AP (yes from 970-0), the method 970 may determine whether the STA is an "onboard" STA 970-2. Such actions may include receiving a unique station identifier from the STA and comparing it to a station identifier stored in a non-volatile memory of the AP.

[0084] If the associated STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (Yes from 970-2), the method 970 may automatically establish a time allocation 970-4 for the vehicle-mounted STA based on the QoS value for the STA stored in the AP. Such an action may include establishing one or more time periods in which data transmission between the AP and the vehicle-mounted STA may occur. This may be based on any of the embodiments described herein and equivalents, including scheduling a contention-free period (e.g., CFP or CAP) or a TWT. If the associated STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA (No from 970-2), the method 970 may establish a time allocation for the STA through a request process or a negotiation process (970-6). Such an action may include the STA transmitting a QoS requirement to the AP, and the AP determining whether there is sufficient bandwidth for the QoS of the STA. Such a bandwidth determination may be made when time is allocated to a vehicle-mounted STA having a priority that exceeds other (non-vehicle) STAs.

[0085] Fig.10 1072 is a flow chart of a method 1072 according to another embodiment. The method 1072 may be performed by an AP operating according to a standard that may schedule contention-free periods (CFP and / or CAP) and CPs, including but not limited to HCCA. The AP may have a configuration block that stores information about a set of onboard STAs in a non-volatile memory, including MAC addresses and QoS values.

[0086] The method 1072 may include determining whether the STA is associating with the AP 1072-0. If the STA is associating with the AP (yes from 1072-0), the AP may determine whether the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA 1072-2. Such an action may include matching the received MAC address with the vehicle-mounted list. If the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (yes from 1072-2), the AP may set (if the STA is the first vehicle-mounted STA) or adjust (if a vehicle-mounted STA is being added or removed) the CFP / CAP 1072-4 if the allocated time is to meet the QoS of all currently associated vehicle-mounted STAs. The vehicle-mounted STA may then be associated and scheduled for data transmission in the allocated CFP / CAP 1072-6. The method 1072 may then perform other superframe operations 1072-10, including but not limited to returning to or starting a contention period for data transmission for other STAs.

[0087] The method 1072 may also include determining whether the STA is disconnecting from the AP 1072-12. If the STA is disconnecting (Yes from 1072-12), the method 1072 may determine whether the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA 1072-14. If the disconnected STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA (No from 1072-14), the STA may disconnect 1072-20. If the disconnected STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (Yes from 1072-14), the method 1072 may determine whether the STA is the last vehicle-mounted STA associated with the AP 1072-16. If the disconnected STA is not the last vehicle-mounted STA (No from 1072-16), the method 1072 may therefore return to 1072-4 to adjust the CFP / CAP. If the disconnected STA is the last vehicle-mounted STA (Yes from 1072-16), the method 1072 may stop the CFP / CAP for the vehicle-mounted STA. The idle time generated in the interval can be given to other devices (eg, contention-based data transmission). The onboard device can then disconnect 1072-20.

[0088] If the associated STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA (No from 1072-2), the method 1072 can associate with the device in a conventional manner and schedule or allow data transmission for the STA at a lower priority than the vehicle-mounted STA 1072-22. If the associated STA has QoS requirements, the QoS requirements can be handled using conventional QoS procedures, such as EDCA as just one example.

[0089] Fig.11 1174 is a flowchart of a method 1174 according to another embodiment. The method 1174 may be performed by an AP for data transmission with a vehicle-mounted STA. The method 1174 may include determining whether a reserved time period for a vehicle-mounted STA has started. In the illustrated embodiment, this may include determining whether a CFP or CAP scheduled for a vehicle-mounted STA is about to start 1174-0. Such an action may include comparing a timer with a CFP / CAP schedule maintained by the AP when the vehicle-mounted STA is associated with the AP. If the vehicle-mounted STA CFP / CAP is scheduled (yes from 1174-0), data transmission 1174-2 may be started with the first scheduled vehicle-mounted STA. The CFP / CAP may include a TXOP 1174-4 for DL ​​data from the AP to the vehicle-mounted STA. The CFP / CAP may also include a TXOP 1174-6 for UL data from the vehicle-mounted STA to the AP (and polling if required by the protocol). UL data and DL data may continue to be transmitted for each associated vehicular STA (No from 1174 - 8 , 1174 - 10 , 1174 - 4 , 1174 - 6 ).

[0090] When the last onboard STA is served (yes from 1174-8), the method 1174 may cause the CFP / CAP to end 1174-12. Such an action may include the AP issuing a CF end transmission. Once the CFP / CAP ends, the method 1174 may switch to establishing QoS for the incoming STA through contention / admission processing (e.g., EDCF) 1174-14.

[0091] Fig.12 1276 according to another embodiment. The method 1276 may be performed by an AP that can schedule TWT, including but not limited to an AP compatible with the IEEE 802.11ax standard. Fig.10 In the case of , the AP may have a configuration block that stores information about the set of onboard STAs in a non-volatile memory, the information including MAC addresses, QoS values.

[0092] Method 1276 may include determining whether a STA is associating with an AP 1276-0 and whether the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA 1276-2. Such actions may be similar to Fig.10 The actions shown in 1072-0 / 1072-2 in 1276-2 are the same or similar. If the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (yes from 1276-2), the AP can reserve a TWT time slot with sufficient duration and frequency to meet the QoS 1276-4 of the vehicle-mounted STA.

[0093] The method 1276 may determine whether a separate TWT negotiation is being performed by the vehicle-mounted STA 1276-6. If a separate TWT negotiation is being performed by the vehicle-mounted STA (yes from 1276-6), the method 1276 may schedule a trigger for the TWT 1276-8. In the case of both separate TWT negotiation and AP broadcast, the method 1276 may set a broadcast scheduling value for the TWT 1276-10.

[0094] The method 1276 may then perform other superframe operations 1276-12.

[0095] The method 1276 may also include determining whether the STA is disconnecting from the AP 1276-14. If the STA is disconnecting (Yes from 1276-14), the method 1276 may determine whether the STA is a vehicle-mounted STA 1276-16. If the disconnected STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA (No from 1276-16), the STA may disconnect 1276-20. If the disconnected STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (Yes from 1276-16), the method 1276 may release the TWT of the disconnected vehicle-mounted STA 1276-18. The vehicle-mounted device may then disconnect 1276-20.

[0096] If the associated STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA, the method 1276 can associate with the device in a conventional manner and schedule or allow data transmission for the STA at a lower priority than the vehicle-mounted STA 1276-22. If the associated STA has QoS requirements, the conventional QoS process, such as EDCA as just one example, can be used to handle the QoS requirements.

[0097] Although embodiments may include systems with various interconnected components, embodiments may also include an integrated device and equivalents as described herein that can enable an AP to provide conditional QoS scheduling based on whether the associated device is a vehicle-mounted STA. In some embodiments, such an integrated device may advantageously be a compact single integrated circuit (i.e., chip). Fig.13 One particular example of a packaged single-chip wireless device 1302 is shown. Such a device 1302 may include circuits and equivalents for providing the AP functionality described herein.

[0098] However, it should be understood that devices according to embodiments may include any other suitable integrated circuit packaging types, as well as direct bonding of the device chip to a circuit board or substrate.

[0099] Although embodiments may relate to a wide variety of applications, some embodiments may include an automotive wireless system. Embodiments may include an automotive Wi-Fi system having an AP (including a soft AP) and multiple STAs installed as in-vehicle devices, or any other similar environment or site Wi-Fi system with in-vehicle devices. Unlike conventional systems, such embodiments may include a configuration parameter block with the MAC address of the in-vehicle Wi-Fi STA and the required bandwidth (to meet QoS). The system may automatically switch to any Wi-Fi BSS where the AP needs to provide services to both the "in-system" (e.g., in-vehicle) STA and the visiting (e.g., introduced) STA, or may automatically switch in any Wi-Fi BSS that experiences contention with an overlapping BSS. The "in-system" STA MAC address and the required bandwidth may be programmed into the parameter block of the AP. The AP may then monitor whether there are any "in-system" STAs associated with it. If there are one or more, the AP may start running HCCA to schedule CFP or TWT with reserved bandwidth for such STAs. Therefore, the data of the "in-system" STAs may receive the desired QoS treatment in an automatic manner.

[0100] Fig.14 1400 is shown including an automotive wireless system 1482, which can be configured to include a soft AP 1402. The soft AP 1402 can enable wireless transmissions between various devices with wireless communication capabilities deployed in the automobile. Such devices can be considered STAs of the system 1400. Although the in-vehicle STA can take any suitable form, Fig.14 A rear seat display console 1410-1, microphone 1410-2, speaker 1410-3, and sensor 1410-4 are shown. Any or all of such devices may be considered to be onboard STAs that may have QoS requirements, and therefore have their MAC addresses and QoS values ​​stored in the configuration block of the soft AP 1402. However, in some embodiments, devices with streaming data requirements may be considered to be onboard STAs. Thus, the console 1410-1, microphone 1410-2, and speaker 1410-3 may be onboard STAs, while other devices may not be (and therefore not be allocated bandwidth when associated).

[0101] In some embodiments, the system may anticipate having additional bandwidth even after all onboard devices have been assigned their time allocations for a given QoS. In such embodiments, one or more other (i.e., non-onboard) STAs may be allowed to be added to the onboard list and thus be given the same priority QoS as the onboard STAs. Figures 15 to 16BAn example of such an implementation is shown.

[0102] Fig.15 1590 is a flowchart of a method 1590 for adding an incoming device to a vehicle-mounted QoS priority list according to an embodiment. Method 1590 may include receiving a request 1590-0 from an incoming STA to be added to the vehicle-mounted list. In some embodiments, such an action may include a user providing data to an application (e.g., an infotainment interface) executed by the system. In addition, such an action may include the AP receiving an identifier (e.g., a MAC address) and QoS requirements for the incoming STA. The QoS requirements (e.g., bandwidth) for the requesting device may be compared to the available bandwidth 1590-2. It is understood that the available bandwidth may be the bandwidth remaining under the assumption that all vehicle-mounted STAs are connected and QoS for all STAs is provided. If there is enough bandwidth remaining for the requesting device (no from 1590-2), the information for the requesting STA may be written to the list of vehicle-mounted STAs. This may include programming a non-volatile memory with the MAC address and QoS data of the requesting device.

[0103] If there is insufficient bandwidth for the requesting device (yes from 1590-2), a message that the requesting STA cannot be added may be generated.

[0104] Fig.16A and Fig. 16B is a diagram showing one example of a priority QoS list for adding an incoming device to the in-vehicle device. Fig.16A and Fig. 16B The AP's system interface 1682 and non-volatile memory 1604 are shown. Fig.16A In the example, an interface that allows selection of an introduced STA may be used to identify the introduced STA. Fig. 16B It shows how selection of an incoming STA (Jack's laptop) can cause information about the incoming STA (i.e., MAC address and QoS requirements) to be added to the onboard list 1604. Such an action can include programming the data into the AP's non-volatile memory.

[0105] Alternative embodiments may include a method in which the AP may control STA admission to the network based on the requested QoS (e.g., HCCA), however, the AP may also cause already admitted non-vehicle STAs to exit in order to guarantee bandwidth for the vehicle-mounted STAs when such vehicle-mounted STAs subsequently associate with the AP.

[0106] Fig.17 is a flow chart of such an implementation. Fig.17A method 1792 that can be performed by an AP is shown. In some embodiments, the method 1792 can be implemented using HCCA. The method 1792 may include determining when the AP receives a request 1792-0 from a STA with QoS requirements to be admitted to the system. If the AP receives such a request (yes from 1792-0), the method 1792 may include the AP determining whether there is enough bandwidth to meet the STA's QoS 1792-2. If the bandwidth is available (yes from 1792-2), the method 1792 may add the STA 1792-10. If the bandwidth is not available (no from 1792-2), the method 1792 may determine whether the requesting STA is a vehicle-mounted STA 1792-4. Such actions may include any of the actions described herein or equivalents. If the requesting STA is not a vehicle-mounted STA (no from 1792-4), the requesting STA may be informed that the QoS cannot be met 1792-8. In some embodiments, such actions may include an HCCA process.

[0107] Conversely, if the requesting STA is a vehicle-mounted STA (yes from 1792-4), the AP may remove the incoming device 1792-6. The method 1792 may again determine (with the vehicle-mounted STA removed) whether sufficient bandwidth is available 1792-2. The incoming device 1792-6 may continue to be removed until the vehicle-mounted device 1792-10 may be added.

[0108] An embodiment may reserve bandwidth for a vehicle-mounted STA using parameters in the soft AP firmware, and allocate bandwidth to the vehicle-mounted STA once the vehicle-mounted STA is associated with the soft AP. In some embodiments, such a soft AP may use HCCA for QoS assurance without complex admission control in a general Wi-Fi BSS, or use TWT for energy-saving QoS assurance in an 802.11ax Wi-Fi BSS. Such an approach may provide significant improvements over conventional approaches such as HCCA for QoS assurance in a general Wi-Fi BSS, or TWT for energy-saving QoS assurance in an 802.11ax Wi-Fi BSS.

[0109] The embodiments described herein are in contrast to conventional systems where vehicle-mounted STAs and STA contention are introduced. By prioritizing vehicle-mounted STAs by allocating bandwidth when associating, data transmission for vehicle-mounted STA data can receive the desired QoS treatment, including a near-guaranteed bandwidth as specified in the configuration parameter block of the system AP.

[0110] It should be understood that references throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be understood that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in various parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be appropriately combined.

[0111] Similarly, it should be understood that in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various features of the present invention are sometimes combined together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of simplifying the present disclosure and helping to understand one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the method of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claims require more features than the features explicitly listed in each claim. More precisely, the inventive aspects are less than all the features of a single aforementioned disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims that conform to the specific embodiments are hereby expressly incorporated into the specific embodiments, wherein each claim independently serves as a separate embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising: In an access point (AP) configured to control data transmission for an associated station (STA) in a time interval, storing a unique identifier and a quality of service (QoS) requirement for each STA in the first set in a non-volatile memory of the AP; as well as In response to the STA associating with the AP, When the associated STA is in the first set, allocating to the STA a time in the time interval for satisfying the QoS requirement of the STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the STA, and When the associated STA is not in the first set, establishing QoS for the STA, the STA having a lower priority than any associated STA in the first set; wherein, Allocating time in the time interval for the STA includes the AP scheduling at least one contention-free period (CFP) and at least one contention period (CP) in the time interval, and The allocated time for any STA in the first set is within the at least one CFP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Within the at least one CFP, the AP transmits download data from the AP to any STA in the first set.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the at least one CFP, the AP device transmits a polling data frame to cause an upload data transmission from any STA of the first set to the AP.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Transmission to and from STAs not in the first set is allowed in the at least one CP, and transmission to and from STAs not in the first set is not allowed in the at least one CFP.

5. A method comprising: In an access point (AP) configured to control data transmission for an associated station (STA) in a time interval, storing a unique identifier and a quality of service (QoS) requirement for each STA in the first set in a non-volatile memory of the AP; as well as In response to the STA associating with the AP, When the associated STA is in the first set, allocating to the STA a time in the time interval for satisfying the QoS requirement of the STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the STA, and When the associated STA is not in the first set, establishing QoS for the STA, the STA having a lower priority than any associated STA in the first set; wherein, Allocating the time in the time interval to the STA comprises establishing, by the AP, a target wake-up time (TWT) for each STA in the first set, the TWT being sufficient to satisfy the QoS of the STA in the first set; and TWTs for STAs in the first set have priority over STAs that do not belong to the first set.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The AP operates according to the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The AP is a wireless controller of the car; and The STAs of the first set are devices built into the car or otherwise provided as part of the car.

8. An access point (AP) device for a wireless communication system, comprising: a non-volatile memory circuit configured to store a unique station (STA) identifier and a quality of service (QoS) value for each STA in the first set; A wireless communication circuit, the wireless communication circuit being configured to control data transmission for an associated STA in a time interval, and the wireless communication circuit comprising: A conditional allocation part, wherein the conditional allocation part is configured to: determining whether the associated STA is in the first set, For a STA in the first set, allocating a time in the time interval for satisfying the QoS requirement of the STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the STA, and For a STA that does not belong to the first set, a QoS for the STA is established, and the STA is at a lower priority than the associated STA in the first set; wherein, The conditional allocation portion is selected from the group consisting of: a first type conditional allocation part, the first type conditional allocation part being configured to schedule a contention-free period (CFP) and a contention period (CP) in the time interval and to allocate time in the CFP to the STAs in the first set, and A second type conditional allocation part, the second type conditional allocation part is configured to establish a target wake-up time (TWT) sufficient to meet the QoS of the STA in the first set for each STA in the first set, and the TWT for the STA in the first set has a priority over the STA that does not belong to the first set.

9. The AP device according to claim 8, wherein: The wireless communications circuitry includes medium access control (MAC) level circuitry; and The conditional dispatch portion includes instructions executable to control the MAC level circuitry.

10. The AP device according to claim 8, wherein: The conditional allocation section is configured to prevent data transmission for the STA that is not in the first set from occurring in the CFP.

11. The AP device according to claim 8, wherein: The AP device is configured to operate according to the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

12. The AP device according to claim 8, wherein: The AP device is a soft AP including at least one processor configured to provide some AP functions.

13. A system comprising: a plurality of first type stations (STAs) configured for wireless communication; as well as An access point (AP) configured to control data transmission for associated stations in a time interval, the AP comprising: a non-volatile memory circuit configured to store a unique station STA identifier and a quality of service (QoS) value for each first type STA; A wireless communication circuit, wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to: in response to the STA associating with the AP, When the associated STA belongs to the first type, allocating to the STA a time in the time interval for satisfying the QoS requirement of the first type STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the first type STA, and When the associated STA does not belong to the first type, establish QoS for the STA, the STA has a lower priority than any associated first type STA; wherein, The AP is configured to schedule at least one contention free period (CFP) and at least one contention period (CP) in the time interval; The first type of STA is configured to perform data transmission in the at least one CFP; and At least one STA that does not belong to the first type is configured to transmit and receive data in the at least one CP, and not to transmit and receive data in any CFP allocated to the STA of the first type.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein: The first type of STA is a device built into a car; and The AP is part of the wireless communication controller of the car.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The first type of STA is selected from: an audio device, a video device, a sensor device, a monitoring device, a game console device, and a human-machine interface device provided as a part of the automobile.

16. A system comprising: a plurality of first type stations (STAs) configured for wireless communication; as well as An access point (AP) configured to control data transmission for associated stations in a time interval, the AP comprising: a non-volatile memory circuit configured to store a unique station STA identifier and a quality of service (QoS) value for each first type STA; A wireless communication circuit, wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to: in response to the STA associating with the AP, When the associated STA belongs to the first type, allocating to the STA a time in the time interval for satisfying the QoS requirement of the first type STA without receiving QoS data transmitted from the first type STA, and When the associated STA does not belong to the first type, establish QoS for the STA, the STA has a lower priority than any associated first type STA; wherein, The AP is configured to establish a target wake-up time (TWT) having a service period sufficient to satisfy the QoS of the first type of STA for each of the first type of STAs; and At least one STA does not belong to the first type; wherein, TWTs for STAs of the first type have priority over STAs that do not belong to the first type.

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