Beacon Interval Boundary Time Points for WLAN Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) face high and unpredictable latency due to network load, contention, and transmission duration, particularly affecting time-sensitive traffic applications like VoIP and video streaming, where devices struggle to access the medium efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Boundary Time Points (BTPs) within a beacon interval, which restrict transmission operations and force devices to stop or resume backoff, increasing opportunities for time-sensitive stations to access the medium, and the extension of Target-Wake Up Time (TWT) scheduling to prevent other devices from transmitting during negotiated service periods, thereby enhancing channel access chances for time-sensitive traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional WLAN scheduling is used, then network load handling is simple, but latency for time-sensitive traffic becomes high and unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon interval is segmented into multiple boundary time points (BTPs), creating distinct time slots that separate different types of transmissions. This segmentation allows time-sensitive traffic to be isolated from general traffic, reducing latency while maintaining manageable scheduling complexity through structured time division.
Solution Approach 2:
Boundary time points are pre-configured and announced in advance through beacon frames, allowing stations to prepare for time-sensitive transmissions ahead of time. This preliminary action enables deterministic latency performance while simplifying the actual transmission scheduling during operation.
2Productivity
If more devices access the medium simultaneously, then network throughput increases, but contention and collisions increase leading to higher latency
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission opportunity is segmented into different categories based on traffic type. Time-sensitive traffic gets dedicated access windows separated from best-effort traffic, allowing high throughput for TST while preventing contention-based delays. This segmentation enables multiple devices to transmit simultaneously without increasing latency for prioritized traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels of service are provided locally to different traffic types within the same network. Time-sensitive traffic receives guaranteed access parameters and dedicated time slots, while general traffic uses standard contention-based access. This local differentiation maintains high overall throughput while ensuring low latency for TST.
3Quantity of substance
If transmission duration is extended, then more data can be transmitted, but available time for time-sensitive traffic decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The total transmission time is segmented into dedicated time slots for time-sensitive traffic and general traffic. By pre-allocating specific time intervals for TST within the beacon interval, the system ensures minimum guaranteed access time regardless of overall transmission duration or network load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Time slots for time-sensitive traffic are predetermined and announced in advance through beacon frames containing BTP information. This preliminary time allocation ensures that TST stations know exactly when they will have access to the medium, guaranteeing available time independent of actual transmission volume or other network conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a beacon interval with boundary time points (BTPs) to improve latency for time sensitive traffic (TST) in Extremely High Throughout (EHT) WLANS are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a non-access point (AP) station (STA) is configured to decode a beacon frame received from an AP STA. The beacon frame may indicate one or more BTPs within a beacon interval (BI). The non-AP STA may obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for a transmission to the AP STA. The TXOP may be bounded by the one or more BTPs. The non-AP STA may encode a PPDU for transmission to the AP STA during the TXOP.