Scheduling network traffic for wireless communication devices

Abstract

To provide systems, methods, and devices that schedule network traffic for wireless communications devices.SOLUTION: A method comprises identifying devices operating as a plurality of stations included in a first network, and generating, using one or more processors of a first access point, a network traffic schedule to assign a plurality of service periods to the plurality of stations. The network traffic schedule identifies a plurality of sleep times and wake times for the plurality of stations. The method further comprises transmitting a query frame to at least one station of the plurality of stations during a designated service period, and receiving a data transmission from the station. The data transmission is generated by the station based on transmission parameters included in the query frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 007,791, filed under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) on April 9, 2020, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

[0002] Technical Field TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication devices, and more particularly to scheduling network traffic for wireless communication devices. [Background technology]

[0003] Wireless communication devices can communicate with each other via one or more communication modalities, such as a WiFi connection or a Bluetooth connection. Accordingly, such wireless communication may be implemented in a manner that conforms to a wireless communication protocol. Furthermore, such wireless communication devices may include various hardware components to facilitate such communication. For example, a wireless communication device may include a transmission medium that may include one or more antennas. Conventional techniques for establishing connections and scheduling network traffic between wireless communication devices remain limited because they cannot do so in a power-efficient manner that avoids network collisions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0004] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example system for wireless communication scheduling, arranged in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates another example system for wireless communication scheduling, arranged in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 illustrates yet another example system for wireless communication scheduling, arranged in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of another example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of yet another example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of an additional example of a method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a timing diagram for wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 9] 4 illustrates another timing diagram of wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates yet another timing diagram of wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the concepts presented. The concepts presented may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing operations have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts described. While some concepts will be described with reference to specific examples, it will be understood that these examples are not intended to be limiting.

[0006] As described in more detail below, wireless communication devices can communicate with each other via one or more communication modalities, and network traffic between such devices may be scheduled to reduce traffic collisions and other network transmission problems. In some networks, certain constraints or conditions may exist that impose limits on the ability to schedule network traffic. For example, a device may be an access point and a station in a mesh network, in which multiple devices are communicatively coupled in a dynamic, non-hierarchical manner. Thus, the network topology of such a mesh network may be dynamically organized. Furthermore, in a mesh network, when one device transmits data, all other devices must receive it.

[0007] Furthermore, in some situations, such networks may have stringent latency requirements. For example, the devices included in the network may be part of game consoles. More specifically, the access point may be a first game console capable of acting as a master in a game session, and the stations may be other game consoles participating in the game session. It will be appreciated that each of the game consoles may be communicatively coupled to a wireless controller. In such an example, which may involve the execution of a game application, stringent latency requirements preclude the use of techniques such as data retransmission and synchronization events. Thus, these devices often remain active longer than necessary, utilize power inefficiently, and may be unable to address various network contention issues.

[0008] Embodiments disclosed herein provide the ability to schedule network traffic to reduce the overall power consumption of devices included in a network, resolve network contention issues, and do so in a manner compatible with stringent latency requirements that may exist in some mesh network contexts. Thus, according to various embodiments, a network traffic schedule may be configured to implement triggered-based transmissions of data from stations within a network and to implement listening periods for devices in other networks. As described in more detail below, configuring access points and stations to generate network traffic schedules in this manner enables efficient use of power by stations and effective scheduling of traffic to eliminate or reduce network contention while also meeting latency requirements.

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for wireless communication scheduling, configured in accordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, various wireless communication devices can communicate with each other via one or more wireless communication media. For example, the wireless communication devices can communicate with each other via a WiFi connection or a Bluetooth connection. In various embodiments, the wireless communication devices can first establish a connection or communication link before data transfer occurs. As described in further detail below, the wireless communication devices disclosed herein, as well as systems implementing such wireless communication devices, such as system 100, are configured to schedule network traffic while adhering to a specific set of constraints. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein enable scheduling of network traffic among different devices in a network, such as a mesh network, in a manner that reduces overall power consumption, eliminates or reduces network contention, and meets latency constraints.

[0010] In various embodiments, the system 100 may include a first device 110, which may be a wireless communication device. As noted above, such a wireless communication device may be compatible with one or more wireless transmission protocols, such as the WiFi protocol or the Bluetooth protocol. In some embodiments, the first device 110 is a Bluetooth device. For example, the first device 110 may be compatible with the Bluetooth Low Energy specification and protocol, also referred to as Bluetooth Smart. As described in more detail below, the first device 110 may be a component of a gaming system. For example, the first device 110 may be a game console. In various embodiments, the first device 110 may be a smart device, such as found in wearable devices, or a monitoring device, such as found in smart buildings, environmental monitoring, and energy management. It will be appreciated that such a wireless communication device may be any suitable device, such as found in automobiles, other vehicles, or even medical implants.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, various wireless communication devices may communicate with each other via one or more wireless communication media. As shown in FIG. 1, first devices 110 may each include an antenna, such as antenna 104. First devices 110 may also include a processing device 108 and a transceiver 106. As described in more detail below, such processing devices, transceivers, and radios may be configured to establish communication connections with other devices and transmit data in the form of data packets over such communication connections. More specifically, different components of first devices 110, such as a baseband and a controller stack, may be configured to implement different portions of data transmission operations, which may be implemented according to scheduling techniques, described in more detail below.

[0012] In some embodiments, system 100 may further include second devices 120, which may be wireless communication devices. As noted above, second devices 120 may be compatible with one or more wireless transmission protocols, such as the WiFi protocol or the Bluetooth protocol. Furthermore, second devices 120 may be smart devices or other devices, such as those found in gaming systems, automobiles, other vehicles, and medical implants. In various embodiments, second devices 120 may be a different type of device than first devices 110. As noted above, each of second devices 120 may include an antenna, such as antenna 122, as well as a processing device 126 and a transceiver 124, which may be configured to establish communication connections with other devices and transmit data in the form of data packets over such communication connections. As noted above, second devices 120 may be configured to implement different portions of data transmission operations, which may be implemented according to scheduling techniques, which are described in more detail below.

[0013] 2 illustrates another example system for wireless communication scheduling, configured in accordance with some embodiments. In various embodiments, system 200 may include first device 110 and second device 120. System 200 further includes various access points, such as access point 208, configured to manage communications with first device 110 and second device 120, as well as with a communications network, such as network 230. In one example, access point 208 may be configured to host a game session and act as a master device in such a game session. In this example, first device 110 and second device 120 may act as stations associated with access point 208 in such a game session. Thus, many wireless communication devices may be communicating with each other over a widely implemented communications network, such as the Internet.

[0014] In various embodiments, system 200 further includes access point 202, third device 204, and fourth device 206. Similar to what was discussed above, access point 202 may be configured to manage communications with third device 204 and fourth device 206, as well as communications with a communications network, such as network 230. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, system 200 may include multiple access points coupled to multiple different groups of devices. In this manner, the various devices may communicate with each other over network 230, and such communications may be managed and scheduled by access points, such as access point 202 and access point 208. In some embodiments, these access points may pass communications and requests between each other to facilitate scheduling of network traffic across multiple different devices. For example, access point 202 may schedule requests from first device 110, second device 120, third device 204, and fourth device 206. Here, requests and traffic from first device 110 and second device 120 are passed through access point 208. Thus, system 200 may include various access points, such as access point 208 and access point 202, and may also include various stations communicatively coupled to such access points, first device 110, second device 120, third device 204, and fourth device 206, etc.

[0015] While FIG. 2 illustrates a network such as network 230, it will be understood that access point 208 and access point 202 may be configured to communicate directly with each other via a wireless connection. Furthermore, the type of communication link and associated transmission protocol may differ. For example, access point 208 may use a Bluetooth connection to communicate with first device 110 and second device 120. Furthermore, access point 202 may use a Bluetooth connection to communicate with third device 204 and fourth device 206. Furthermore, access point 208 and access point 202 may use a WiFi connection to communicate with each other. In this manner, access points may use one communication protocol to communicate with each other and another communication protocol to communicate with associated devices.

[0016] As noted above, access point 208 and access point 202 may be game consoles configured to run a game application and host a game session. For example, access point 208 is a first game console configured to run a game and host a first game session that may be played by multiple users using other game consoles, such as first device 110 and second device 120. As noted above, first device 110 and second device 120 may be coupled to access point 208 via a WiFi communication link. Furthermore, in various embodiments, access point 202 is a second game console configured to run a game and host a second game session. Accordingly, third device 204 and fourth device 206 may be coupled to access point 202 via a WiFi communication link. As noted above, access point 208 and access point 202 can communicate with each other and can support game session combining and cross-console gaming. Furthermore, although two access points are shown, any number may be implemented and supported by system 200. Thus, communication between game consoles may be dynamically scaled based on communication session parameters such as the number of available game consoles.

[0017] In various embodiments, system 200 is configured as one or more mesh networks. For example, access point 208 may be configured to implement a first mesh network with first device 110 and second device 120. Furthermore, access point 202 may be configured to implement a second mesh network with third device 204 and fourth device 206. In this manner, each game session may be implemented using a mesh network topology to ensure proper communication between devices, which may be game controllers, and access points, which may be consoles.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates yet another example system for wireless communication scheduling, configured in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates an example system, such as system 300, that may include a wireless communication device 301. It will be understood that the wireless communication device 301 may be any one of the first device 110, the second device 120, the third device 204, or the fourth device 206 described above. In various embodiments, the wireless communication device 301 includes a transceiver, such as transceiver 303, which may be a transceiver such as transceivers 106 and 124 described above. In one example, the system 300 includes the transceiver 303 configured to transmit and receive signals using a communication medium that may include an antenna 321. As noted above, the transceiver 303 may be included in a Bluetooth radio and may be compatible with a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol. In some embodiments, the transceiver 303 may be compatible with a WiFi protocol, such as an 802.11ax protocol. Thus, the transceiver 303 may include components such as a modulator and demodulator, as well as one or more buffers and filters, configured to generate and receive signals via the antenna 321.

[0019] In various embodiments, the system 300 further includes a processing device 324 that may include logic implemented using one or more processor cores. Accordingly, the processing device 324 is configured to implement logic configured to implement network traffic scheduling, as described in more detail below. In various embodiments, the processing device 324 includes one or more processing devices configured to implement connection establishment, disconnection, and data transmission operations, as described in more detail below. In various embodiments, the processing device 324 includes one or more components configured to implement a medium access control (MAC) layer configured to control hardware associated with a wireless transmission medium, such as that associated with a WiFi transmission medium. In one example, the processing device 324 may include a processor core block 310 that may be configured to implement drivers, such as Bluetooth and / or WiFi drivers. The processing device 324 may further include a digital signal processor (DSP) core block 312 that may be configured to include microcode.

[0020] In various embodiments, the processor core block 310 includes multiple processor cores, each configured to implement a specific portion of a wireless protocol interface. For example, the Bluetooth protocol may be implemented using a Bluetooth stack, in which software is implemented as a stack of layers, with such layers configured to partition specific functions utilized to implement the Bluetooth communication protocol. In various embodiments, the host stack includes layers for a Bluetooth network encapsulation protocol, radio frequency communications, a service discovery protocol, as well as various other high-level data layers. Furthermore, the controller stack includes a link management protocol, a host controller interface, a link layer, which may be a low energy link layer, as well as various other timing-critical layers.

[0021] System 300 further includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry 302 coupled to antenna 321. In various embodiments, RF circuitry 302 can include various components, such as an RF switch, a diplexer, and a filter. While FIG. 3 depicts system 300 as having a single antenna, it will be understood that system 300 can also have multiple antennas. Accordingly, RF circuitry 302 can be configured to select an antenna for transmission / reception and to provide coupling between the selected antenna, such as antenna 321, and other components of system 300 via a bus, such as bus 311. While one RF circuit is shown, it will be understood that wireless communication device 301 can include multiple RF circuits. Accordingly, each of the multiple antennas can have its own RF circuitry. Furthermore, each one can be associated with a particular wireless communication protocol, such as a first antenna and RF circuitry for WiFi and a second antenna and RF circuitry for Bluetooth.

[0022] System 300 includes a memory system 308 configured to store one or more data values ​​associated with connection management operations, which are described in more detail below. Memory system 308 therefore includes a storage device, which may be non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) configured to store such data values ​​and may also include a cache configured to provide a local cache. In various embodiments, system 300 further includes a host processor 313 configured to implement the processing operations implemented by system 300.

[0023] It will be understood that one or more of the above-described components may be implemented on a single chip or on different chips. For example, the transceiver 303 and the processing device 324 may be implemented on the same integrated circuit chip, such as the integrated circuit chip 320. In another example, the transceiver 303 and the processing device 324 may each be implemented on their own chip and thus may be disposed individually as a multi-chip module or on a common substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). It will also be understood that the components of the system 300 may be implemented in the context of a low-energy device, a smart device, or a vehicle, such as an automobile. Thus, some components, such as the integrated circuit chip 320, may be implemented in a first location, while other components, such as the antenna 321, may be implemented in a second location, and coupling between the two may be implemented via a coupler, such as the RF coupler 322.

[0024] 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, wireless communication devices are configured to schedule network traffic while adhering to a particular set of constraints. Thus, a method such as method 400 may be implemented to enable scheduling of network traffic among different devices in a network, such as a mesh network, in a manner that eliminates or reduces contention and reduces overall power consumption while adhering to latency constraints.

[0025] Thus, the method 400 may begin at operational step 402, in which a network traffic schedule may be generated. In various embodiments, the network traffic schedule is a medium access schedule, which is a schedule configured to determine when network traffic may be transmitted by a particular device. In some embodiments, the network traffic schedule is a target wake time (TWT) schedule, in which an entity, such as an access point, identifies wake times and sleep times for different downstream devices, such as stations. Thus, during operational step 402, the access point may generate a medium access schedule that identifies multiple wake times and multiple sleep times for various stations communicatively coupled to the access point.

[0026] The method 400 may proceed to operating step 404, where service periods may be assigned for all stations based at least in part on the network traffic schedule. Thus, as described above, the network access schedule may identify various wake times that may include service periods. In various embodiments, a service period is a time during which a device, such as a station, may transmit or receive data. Thus, when generating the network traffic schedule, the access point may assign specific service periods to specific stations. Furthermore, during operating step 404, the network traffic schedule may be transmitted from the access point to the stations, and each station may identify its assigned service period.

[0027] The method 400 may proceed to operation step 406, in which data transmission may be triggered within at least one service period. As described in more detail below, a station may be configured to transmit data during its designated service period. In various embodiments, an access point may transmit a query frame to trigger transmission of data from a station associated with at least one service period. Thus, according to various embodiments, the query frame may be a trigger frame. As described in more detail below, a station may be configured with some access point functionality and may be configured to decode information included in the query frame and use the decoded information for broadcasting data. Thus, during operation step 406, the station may receive the query frame and schedule transmission of data during its designated service period.

[0028] The method 400 may proceed to operation step 408, where data may be transmitted in at least one service period. Thus, stations may transmit data to other devices coupled to the network. In various embodiments, the data is broadcast to access points and other stations based at least in part on some of the information included in the query frame. In this manner, data transmissions may be scheduled for multiple stations in a manner that does not employ data retransmissions within the network.

[0029] 5 illustrates a flowchart of another example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, wireless communication devices are configured to schedule network traffic while adhering to a particular set of constraints. For example, network traffic may be scheduled in a mesh network under specified latency parameters that preclude the use of techniques such as data retransmission, as well as other constraints that preclude synchronization. Thus, a method such as method 500 may be implemented to enable scheduling of network traffic among different devices in a network, such as a mesh network, in a manner that meets strict latency parameters, eliminates or reduces network contention, and also reduces the overall power consumed by devices in the network.

[0030] Thus, the method 500 may begin at an operational step 502 in which a network traffic schedule may be generated. As noted above, the network traffic schedule is a medium access schedule, which is a schedule configured to determine when network traffic may be transmitted by a particular device. As also noted above, the network traffic schedule may be a target wake time (TWT) schedule in which an entity, such as an access point, identifies wake times and sleep or doze times for different downstream devices, such as stations. Thus, during operational step 502, the access point may generate a medium access schedule that identifies multiple wake times and multiple sleep times for various stations communicatively coupled to the access point.

[0031] The method 500 may proceed to operation step 504, where the network traffic schedule may be transmitted to multiple stations. Thus, the access point may broadcast the generated network traffic schedule to multiple downstream stations, where the network traffic schedule may be received. In various embodiments, the network traffic schedule may be included in a data structure, such as a frame, that is broadcast to all communicatively coupled stations.

[0032] The method 500 may proceed to operational step 506, where service periods may be assigned for all stations based at least in part on the network traffic schedule. As described above, the network access schedule identifies various wake times that may include service periods and identifies when to generate the network traffic schedule so that the access point can assign particular service periods to particular stations. Thus, during operational step 506, the network traffic schedule is received at stations communicatively coupled to the access point, and each station identifies its assigned service period.

[0033] The method 500 may proceed to operation step 508, where a query frame may be transmitted to initiate transmission of data from the station within a specified service period. In various embodiments, the query frame is a trigger frame transmitted by the access point and may be a data structure including data values ​​representing transmission parameters to be used for transmitting data within a specified service period. Thus, the query frame may include transmission parameters that describe the type of encoding to be applied to the data for transmission. In some embodiments, the transmission parameters included in a query frame, such as a trigger frame, may be a static, fixed set determined based on one or more requirements of a particular application, or may be dynamically selected based on communication link information available to the access point via communication channels from various stations communicatively coupled to the access point.

[0034] As described above, the access point is configured to determine transmission parameters for each station included in the network. More specifically, the access point may determine one or more of a modulation modality, a power level, and a communication channel for each station. In various embodiments, such parameters may be determined based on a network graph. Thus, the access point may generate a network graph of stations included in the network and determine transmission parameters for each station based on the position of each station within the network graph. Furthermore, the determination of such parameters may be specific to each station and may be determined based on one or more station aspects. For example, the access point may identify a particular station as having weak signal strength on a particular communication channel. The access point may determine a suitable different channel having greater signal strength and include the identified channel in the transmission parameters included in the query frame.

[0035] The method 500 may proceed to operation step 510, where data may be transmitted from the station within the specified service period. In various embodiments, a station associated with the query frame may receive the query frame and extract transmission parameters from the query frame. Thus, the station may be configured to include access point functionality and may further be configured with the ability to receive and extract information, such as the transmission parameters, from the query frame and generate or receive trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB-PPDU) frames based, at least in part, on the transmission parameters. The station may then use the transmission parameters to configure data transmissions to be performed during the specified service period. In this manner, the access point may coordinate with the station to schedule data transmissions or receptions within the station's specified service period, and the station may transmit data to other devices during that service period specified in the mesh topology without the use of retransmissions by the access point. As described in more detail below, this may be implemented individually for each station in the network.

[0036] The method 500 may proceed to operational step 512, where it may be determined whether another query frame should be transmitted for another station. Such a determination may be made based on whether the communication session has ended. For example, the communication session may end when an application, such as a gaming application, ends or when a signal is received to power off a device, such as a game console that may be configured as an access point. Thus, if the communication session continues, as may be determined by a network traffic schedule, it may be determined that another query frame should be transmitted for another station, and the method 500 may return to operational step 508. However, if it is determined that the communication session should be ended and that another query frame should not be transmitted for another station, the method 500 may end.

[0037] 6 illustrates a flowchart of yet another example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, wireless communication devices are configured to schedule network traffic while adhering to a particular set of constraints, which may include specified latency parameters as well as synchronization constraints. In various embodiments, methods such as method 600 may be implemented to further enable scheduling of network traffic between access points of different mesh networks. Furthermore, such scheduling may be implemented in a manner that meets stringent latency parameters, eliminates or reduces network contention, and also reduces the overall power consumed by devices in the network.

[0038] Thus, the method 600 may begin at operational step 602, in which a network traffic schedule may be generated. As noted above, the network traffic schedule is a medium access schedule, which is a schedule configured to determine when network traffic may be transmitted and / or received by particular devices. As also noted above, the network traffic schedule may be a target wake time (TWT) schedule, in which an entity, such as an access point, identifies wake times and sleep or doze times for different downstream devices, such as stations. Thus, during operational step 602, the access point may generate a medium access schedule that identifies multiple wake times and multiple sleep times for various stations communicatively coupled to the access point.

[0039] The method 600 may proceed to operating step 604, where service periods may be assigned for all stations based at least in part on the network traffic schedule. As described above, the network access schedule identifies various wake times that may include service periods, and when generating the network traffic schedule, the access point may assign specific service periods to specific stations. As described in more detail below, the wake times included in the network traffic schedule generated during operating step 602 may be used for listening for frames broadcast from other access points of other networks. Thus, during operating step 604, the network traffic schedule is received at stations communicatively coupled to the access point, and each station identifies its assigned service period.

[0040] The method 600 may proceed to operational step 606, where a listening period may be implemented. In various embodiments, a listening period may be a designated period during a service period during which a device, such as a station or access point, listens to frames received from one or more other devices. More specifically, other access points, which may be other game consoles, may broadcast data frames, which may be action frames such as "hello frames." Such data frames may thus be broadcast to identify the presence of other game consoles and also initiate communications. Furthermore, such data frames may include communication session-specific information. In one example, a hello frame may include a data value identifying an aspect of a game session, such as which game is being played. Furthermore, the above listening period represents a period implemented as a service period during which a device of a first network may listen to broadcast data frames of a device of a second network.

[0041] The method 600 may proceed to operational step 608 where it may be determined whether a frame has been received. Such a determination may be made by a station or an access point based on whether a frame has been received from another access point. If it is determined that a frame has not been received, the method 600 may proceed to operational step 612. However, if it is determined that a frame has been received, the method 600 may proceed to operational step 610.

[0042] Thus, during operation step 610, communication with another access point may be initiated. Thus, in response to receiving the data frame, an entity such as an access point may transmit an acknowledgment signal, and one or more additional transmission operations may be implemented to establish a communication session. For example, the additional transmission operations may be implemented to configure and initiate a game session with the second access point and its associated station, or between both access points and their associated stations.

[0043] The method 600 may proceed to operational step 612, where it may be determined whether the communication session has ended. As also noted above, such a determination may be made based on one or more aspects of the execution of an application, such as a gaming application. For example, the communication session may end when the application, such as a gaming application, ends or when a signal is received to power off a device, such as a game console, which may be configured as an access point. Thus, if it is determined that the communication session has not ended, the method 600 may return to operational step 606. If it is determined that the communication session has ended, the method 600 may end.

[0044] 7 illustrates a flowchart of an additional example method for wireless communication scheduling, implemented in accordance with some embodiments. As noted above, wireless communication devices are configured to schedule network traffic while adhering to a particular set of constraints. For example, network traffic may be scheduled in a mesh network under specified latency parameters that preclude the use of techniques such as data retransmission, as well as other constraints that preclude synchronization.

[0045] Thus, methods such as method 700 may be implemented to enable scheduling of network traffic among different devices of a network, such as a mesh network, in a manner that meets stringent latency parameters, eliminates or reduces network contention, and also reduces the overall power consumed by devices in the network. Furthermore, as described in more detail below, the method 700 may further enable scheduling of network traffic among access points of different mesh networks. Thus, the method 700 may enable scheduling of network traffic to meet network constraints and may also enable dynamic listening and connection to other network components, such as other access points.

[0046] Thus, the method 700 may begin at operational step 702, in which first and second network traffic schedules may be generated. As noted above, a network traffic schedule may be a medium access schedule configured to determine when network traffic may be transmitted and / or received by devices in a network. During operational step 702, a first network traffic schedule may be generated to enable query frame-based data transmission within the network. Thus, the first network traffic schedule may include a first type of service period during which a component, such as a station, may transmit data blocks based on a query frame, as described above with reference to FIG. 5. Additionally, during operational step 702, a second network traffic schedule may be generated to implement a listening period, as described above with reference to FIG. 6. Thus, the second network traffic schedule may include a second type of service period during which a component, such as an access point, may listen for data frames from other networks.

[0047] The method 700 may proceed to operational step 704, where a combined network traffic schedule may be generated. In various embodiments, the combined network traffic schedule is generated based on the first and second network traffic schedules. For example, the combined network traffic schedule may be generated by overlaying the second network traffic schedule onto the first network traffic schedule. Thus, the combined network traffic schedule may represent an overlay of both the first service period and the second service period.

[0048] The method 700 may proceed to operating step 706, where multiple service periods may be allocated for multiple stations based on the combined network traffic schedule. Similar to what was discussed above, the combined network traffic schedule identifies various wake times that may include service periods, and identifies when to generate the combined network traffic schedule, allowing the access point to allocate specific service periods to specific stations. Thus, during operating step 706, service periods may be allocated for trigger-based data transmissions and listening periods. Furthermore, as also discussed above, the combined network traffic schedule may be transmitted and received by stations communicatively coupled to the access point, and each station may identify its assigned service period.

[0049] The method 700 may proceed to operational step 708, where it may be determined whether a first service period exists. Such a determination may be made by a component, such as an access point, or may be made based on the passage of time based on a coupled network traffic schedule and which may be monitored by a system component, such as a clock. For example, the determination may be made during network operation, such as may occur during a communication session, such as a gaming session. Furthermore, the determination may be made based on the passage of a specified amount of time, as determined by the coupled network traffic schedule. Thus, if it is determined that the first service period has not arrived, the method 700 may proceed to operational step 712. However, if it is determined that the first service period has arrived, the method 700 may proceed to operational step 710.

[0050] Thus, during operational step 710, a listening period may be implemented. As noted above, a listening period may be a designated period during a service period during which a device, such as a station or access point, listens for frames received from one or more other devices. As also noted above, other access points, which may be other game consoles, may broadcast data frames broadcasting the presence of other game consoles. In this manner, different game consoles can identify each other's presence and initiate communications. Furthermore, the above listening period represents a period implemented as a service period during which a device of a first network may listen for broadcast data frames of a device of a second network. If such a data frame is detected, one or more communication operations, such as authentication and / or initiation of a new game session with the other access point and its associated station, may be implemented.

[0051] The method 700 may proceed to action step 712, where it may be determined whether a second service period exists. Similar to what was discussed above, such a determination may be made by a component such as an access point, or may be made based on the passage of time based on the combined network traffic schedule and which may be monitored by a system component such as a clock. Thus, the determination may be made based on the passage of a specified amount of time, as determined by the combined network traffic schedule. Thus, if it is determined that the second service period has not arrived, the method 700 may proceed to action step 718. However, if it is determined that the second service period has arrived, the method 700 may proceed to action step 714.

[0052] The method 700 may proceed to operation step 714, where a query frame may be transmitted. As discussed above, the query frame may be transmitted by the access point and may be a data structure including data values ​​representing transmission parameters to be used for transmitting data within a specified service period. Thus, the query frame may include transmission parameters that describe the type of encoding to be applied to the data for transmission. As also discussed above, the query frame may be specific to a particular station. Furthermore, the query frame may be a trigger frame. In some embodiments, the transmission parameters in the query frame may be a static, fixed set or may be dynamically determined based on communication link information received by the access point from its associated stations.

[0053] The method 700 may proceed to operation step 716, where data may be transmitted in response to receiving the query frame. As noted above, a station associated with the query frame may receive the query frame and extract transmission parameters from the query frame. Thus, the station may be configured to include access point functionality and further configured with the capability to receive and extract information from the query frame. Thus, the station may generate a TB-PPDU frame based, at least in part, on the transmission parameters. The station may then use the transmission parameters to configure data transmission or reception to be performed during a specified service period. In this manner, the station may transmit data to other devices during that service period specified in the mesh topology without the use of retransmissions by the access point.

[0054] The method 700 may proceed to operational step 718, where it may be determined whether the communication session has ended. In various embodiments, such a determination may be made based on one or more aspects of the execution of an application, such as a gaming application. For example, the communication session may end when the application, such as a gaming application, ends or when a signal is received to power off a device, such as a game console, which may be configured as an access point. Thus, if it is determined that the communication session has not ended, the method 700 may return to operational step 708. If it is determined that the communication session has ended, the method 700 may end.

[0055] 8 illustrates a timing diagram of wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 8, a network traffic schedule may be generated to schedule traffic transmitted and received from an access point and various stations. More specifically, the access point may transmit a beacon frame, such as beacon frame 802, and then transmit various query frames at designated times and in a designated order for various stations as determined by the network traffic schedule.

[0056] For example, an access point may transmit a first query frame 804, which may be received by a first station. As mentioned above, the first station may be configured with some access point capabilities and may extract transmission parameters from the first query frame 804. The first station may then use the transmission parameters to broadcast a first data block 806. Other stations in the network (other than the first station) may be configured with some access point capabilities and may extract the transmission parameters from the first query frame 804 and then use the transmission parameters to receive the broadcast frame transmitted from the first station.

[0057] The access point may then transmit a second query frame 808, which may be received by the second station. The second station may be configured with some access point capabilities and may extract transmission parameters from the second query frame 808. The second station may then use the transmission parameters to broadcast a second data block 810. As noted above, other stations in the network (other than the second station) may be configured with some access point capabilities and may extract the transmission parameters from the first trigger frame 804 and then use the transmission parameters to receive the broadcast frame transmitted from the second station. In this manner, the first network traffic schedule may be implemented for communicating in a mesh topology without using techniques such as retransmissions from the access point.

[0058] 9 illustrates another timing diagram of wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. Similar to what was discussed above, a network traffic schedule can be generated to schedule traffic transmitted and received from access points and various stations. More specifically, a first access point can transmit a beacon frame, such as beacon frame 902, followed by various query frames as discussed above.

[0059] In various embodiments, the second access point may periodically transmit various data frames, such as data frame 904, to broadcast its presence to other devices on the other network. Accordingly, a second network traffic schedule may be implemented to reserve designated service periods used to listen for such data frames. As shown in FIG. 9, a service period, such as service period 906, may be implemented such that all devices in the first network listen for data frames broadcast by another device, such as an access point of the second network. In this manner, communications may be established between the access points of the two networks without implementing synchronization events or other techniques to enable power savings at the stations, while still using service periods based on the network traffic schedule.

[0060] FIG. 10 illustrates yet another timing diagram of wireless communication scheduling implemented in accordance with some embodiments. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a combination of a first network traffic schedule and a second network traffic schedule may be implemented to reduce latency, eliminate or reduce network contention, enable transmission of data within a first network while reducing power consumption, and also enable connection with other access points of other networks without implementing a synchronization event. More specifically, a first service period, such as first service period 1002, may be used for trigger-based data transmission, as described above. Furthermore, a second service period, such as second service period 1004, may be used to implement a listening period for communicative connection with other networks. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the relative lengths and durations of such first and second service periods may be specified and configured such that both sets of conditions are met.

[0061] 10, a first service period is shown having a relatively short corresponding wake time interval, and a second service period is shown having a relatively long corresponding wake time interval. In a particular example, the first service period is 1.7 milliseconds and the corresponding wake time interval is 10 milliseconds. The second service period is 100 milliseconds and the corresponding wake time interval is 400 milliseconds. While this particular example illustrates, it will be understood that any suitable duration of the service period and wake time interval may be implemented subject to latency and network contention constraints.

[0062] Although the foregoing concepts have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing processes, systems, and devices. Accordingly, the present examples should be considered illustrative rather than limiting.

Claims

1. 1. A method comprising: identifying a plurality of stations included in a first network; generating, using one or more processors of a first access point, a network traffic schedule configured to allocate a plurality of service periods to the plurality of stations, the network traffic schedule identifying a plurality of sleep times and wake times for the plurality of stations; transmitting a query frame to at least one station of the plurality of stations during a designated service period; receiving a data transmission from the at least one station, the data transmission generated by the station based on transmission parameters included in the query frame; Including, the data transmission being broadcast to the first access point and other stations; method.

2. the plurality of service periods includes a plurality of first service periods and a plurality of second service periods, and the specified service period is included in the plurality of first service periods; The method of claim 1.

3. the method further comprising initiating a listening period during at least one of the plurality of second service periods; The method of claim 2.

4. The method further includes receiving an action frame from a second access point during at least one of the plurality of second service periods. The method of claim 3.

5. the second access point is included in a second network; The method of claim 4.

6. the first network and the second network are both mesh networks; The method of claim 5.

7. the network traffic schedule is generated based on a combination of a first network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of first service periods and a second network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of second service periods; The method of claim 2.

8. the data transmission is a trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TBPPDU); The method of claim 1.

9. the transmission parameters include one or more data values ​​representing an encoding scheme; 9. The method of claim 8.

10. 1. A system comprising at least one antenna, a processing device, and a transceiver, the processing device Identifying a plurality of stations included in a first network; generating a network traffic schedule configured to allocate a plurality of service periods to the plurality of stations, the network traffic schedule identifying a plurality of sleep times and wake times for the plurality of stations; The transceiver includes: transmitting a query frame via the at least one antenna to at least one station of the plurality of stations during a designated service period; configured to receive a data transmission from the at least one station via the at least one antenna, the data transmission being generated by the station based on transmission parameters included in the query frame; the data transmission being broadcast to the first access point and other stations; system.

11. the plurality of service periods includes a plurality of first service periods and a plurality of second service periods, and the specified service period is included in the plurality of first service periods; The system of claim 10.

12. the plurality of second service periods are used to initiate at least one listening period during at least one of the plurality of second service periods, and the processing device is further configured to receive an action frame from a second access point during at least one of the plurality of second service periods. The system of claim 11.

13. the second access point is included in a second network, and the first network and the second network are both mesh networks. The system of claim 12.

14. the network traffic schedule is generated based on a combination of a first network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of first service periods and a second network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of second service periods; The system of claim 11.

15. the data transmission is a trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TBPPDU), the transmission parameters include one or more data values ​​representing an encoding scheme, and the processing device is included in a game console. The system of claim 11.

16. 1. A device comprising one or more processors and a transceiver, The processor: Identifying a plurality of stations included in a first network; generating a network traffic schedule configured to allocate a plurality of service periods to the plurality of stations, the network traffic schedule identifying a plurality of sleep times and wake times for the plurality of stations; The transceiver includes: transmitting a query frame to at least one station of the plurality of stations during a designated service period; configured to receive a data transmission from the at least one station, the data transmission being generated by the station based on transmission parameters included in the query frame; the data transmission being broadcast to the first access point and other stations; device.

17. the plurality of service periods includes a plurality of first service periods and a plurality of second service periods, and the specified service period is included in the plurality of first service periods; 17. The device of claim 16.

18. the plurality of second service periods are used to initiate at least one listening period during at least one of the plurality of second service periods, and the one or more processors are further configured to receive an action frame from a second access point during at least one of the plurality of second service periods.

18. The device of claim 17.

19. the network traffic schedule is generated based on a combination of a first network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of first service periods and a second network traffic schedule associated with the plurality of second service periods; 18. The device of claim 17.

20. the data transmission is a trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TBPPDU), and the transmission parameters include one or more data values ​​representing an encoding scheme.

17. The device of claim 16.

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