C-TDMA Protocol TXOP Sharing Fair Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current C-TDMA protocols in multi-AP systems face challenges in efficient resource allocation and parameter sharing, leading to potential latency issues and increased protocol overhead.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves enhancing C-TDMA protocols with improved TXOP sharing modes and a mechanism for sharing PHY/MAC resource allocation parameters, utilizing the broadcast property of beacons to reduce overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a sharing AP employs a resource allocation algorithm to compute TXOP allocation times, then the sharing AP can prioritize its own low-latency traffic, but this greedy behavior leads to starvation at the shared APs and failure of C-TDMA in providing latency gain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of TXOP allocation from a greedy algorithm (prioritizing sharing AP's traffic) to a fair scheduling algorithm that considers both the sharing AP's latency requirements and the shared APs' resource needs. This is achieved by modifying the resource allocation algorithm to compute allocation times that balance low-latency traffic prioritization with fair distribution to shared APs, preventing starvation while maintaining latency gains.
2Loss of time
If the sharing AP shares only a relatively small portion of the TXOP with other APs, then the sharing AP can maintain low latency for its own traffic, but this leads to starvation at the shared APs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic TXOP allocation where the sharing AP adjusts the portion of TXOP shared with other APs based on real-time conditions. The fair scheduling algorithm dynamically determines allocation times and durations to balance the sharing AP's latency requirements with the throughput needs of shared APs, rather than using a fixed greedy allocation.
3Loss of time
If the sharing AP chooses not to share the TXOP at all, then the sharing AP can achieve optimal low latency performance, but C-TDMA fails to provide latency gain and shared APs are starved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial sharing of TXOP where the sharing AP shares a carefully calculated portion of the TXOP with shared APs. The fair scheduling algorithm determines the optimal sharing portion that maintains latency performance while enabling C-TDMA coordination benefits, avoiding both complete sharing and complete non-sharing extremes.
4Reliability
If other techniques exchange parameters between APs, then coordinated transmission can be achieved, but this yields overhead due to additional protocol signaling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential parameters needed for C-TDMA operation (TXOP allocation times and durations) from the full set of parameters exchanged in other coordination techniques. By selecting and exchanging only these critical parameters through the fair scheduling algorithm, the system achieves necessary coordination while minimizing protocol overhead and signaling energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Various schemes pertaining to coordinated time-division multiple-access (C-TDMA) protocols, transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing modes for time allocation, and exchange of parameters in multi-access point (multi-AP) systems are described. An apparatus (e.g., a sharing access point (AP)) acquires a TXOP. The apparatus also triggers one or more shared APs to participate in C-TDMA communications with respectively associated stations (STAs) within the TXOP.