Enhanced Block Acknowledgment Frame for Wireless Network Overhead Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional block acknowledgment protocols in MIMO wireless networks consume significant channel bandwidth and overhead, limiting data transmission capacity due to the need for frequent acknowledgments of frames with different traffic identifications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of enhanced block acknowledgment frames that differentiate acknowledgments by reserved bits or characteristics, allowing for combined acknowledgments of multiple data streams, and the elimination of block acknowledgment requests by sending acknowledgments after triggering events or incorporating them into data frames, thereby reducing channel bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional block acknowledgment protocols are used to acknowledge each data stream separately, then reliable data transmission is ensured, but channel bandwidth consumption and overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate block acknowledgment frames for different data streams into a single unified block acknowledgment frame. This is achieved by merging the acknowledgment information for multiple traffic identifiers (TIDs) into one frame structure, allowing the receiving station to acknowledge multiple data streams simultaneously. The unified frame includes a control field with a merge indicator bit set to '1' and contains acknowledgment information for multiple TIDs, thereby reducing channel bandwidth consumption while maintaining reliable acknowledgment of all data streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified block acknowledgment frame serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acknowledges data reception for multiple different data streams (different TIDs) in a single frame transmission. The frame structure is designed to be universal, capable of carrying acknowledgment information for any number of TIDs through its bitmap field, making it a multi-functional acknowledgment mechanism that replaces multiple specialized acknowledgment frames.
2Measurement precision
If separate block acknowledgment frames are sent for each data stream with different TIDs, then accurate acknowledgment tracking is achieved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the acknowledgment tracking for multiple TIDs into a single unified frame structure. The control field includes a merge indicator bit that signals the unified nature of the frame, and the bitmap field efficiently tracks acknowledgment status across multiple TIDs. This consolidation reduces the number of separate frames that need to be processed, transmitted, and managed, thereby reducing device complexity and processing overhead while maintaining accurate tracking of acknowledgments for each individual TID within the unified structure.
3Reliability
If frequent block acknowledgment requests are transmitted to ensure reliable reception, then data transmission reliability is maintained, but channel bandwidth available for data transmission decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified block acknowledgment frame consolidates acknowledgment requests and responses for multiple data streams into a single frame exchange. By setting the merge indicator bit to '1' and including acknowledgment information for multiple TIDs in one frame, the protocol reduces the total number of acknowledgment frame transmissions required. This reduction in acknowledgment overhead frees up channel bandwidth that can be reallocated to actual data transmission, thereby increasing overall data transmission capacity while maintaining reliable reception through comprehensive acknowledgment of all TIDs.
Data Source
AI summary
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that reduce overhead and channel bandwidth required for data reception acknowledgment. One such system uses an enhanced block acknowledgment that acknowledges frames received for different data streams. Another system sends an acknowledgment after the occurrence of a triggering event, such as the end of a duration, the reception of a number of frames, or the reception of a frame having a specific sequence number. Another removes the need for acknowledgment frames by including an acknowledgment field in a transmitted data frame. These block acknowledgments and acknowledgment fields may include an acknowledgement of frames received for each data stream having different traffic identifications, they may be for all received frames or for a specific class or groups of classes of traffic, for specific user priorities, or for other subgroups of received frames, and more that one acknowledgment may be included.