Wireless Frame Synchronization with Acknowledgment Timeout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IEEE 802.11 standard for WLANs faces inefficiencies in channel access and power management due to ambiguities in service interval synchronization between QAP and QSTA, leading to protocol failures and unnecessary power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a first frame bit to indicate the start of a service interval and a last frame bit to indicate its end, ensuring synchronized communication and proper power management by requiring acknowledgments within prescribed time periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the QSTA sets the reference for the minimum service interval based on the prescribed time in the poll without receiving acknowledgment, then the QSTA can proceed with its scheduled service period, but the synchronization between QAP and QSTA is broken leading to protocol failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an acknowledgment mechanism where the QAP sends a poll frame to the QSTA and waits for an acknowledgment frame in response. The QSTA must send an acknowledgment within a specified acknowledgment timeout period. This feedback loop ensures that both parties confirm receipt and understanding of the service interval parameters, thereby maintaining synchronization reliability while enabling efficient service period scheduling.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the QSTA enters power-save mode during the service interval based on maximum service duration, then power consumption is reduced, but the QAP may continue transmitting data to a QSTA that is already in power-save mode causing protocol failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes the acknowledgment timeout period as a preliminary action that must be completed before the QSTA can transition to power-save mode. The QSTA calculates when the service interval ends based on the poll frame parameters and sends an acknowledgment within the timeout period. Only after successful acknowledgment exchange does the QSTA enter power-save mode at the precisely calculated end time, ensuring that the QAP has already stopped transmitting and avoiding communication failures.
3Reliability
If the QAP retransmits the poll signal assuming it was not received, then the QAP ensures delivery of the poll, but the QSTA may be in power-save mode and will not receive the retransmitted poll causing synchronization breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent requires the QSTA to send an acknowledgment frame as a preliminary action within the acknowledgment timeout period after receiving the poll frame. This acknowledgment serves as confirmation that the QSTA has received and processed the poll parameters. The QAP waits for this acknowledgment before considering the poll successfully delivered, eliminating the need for retransmission and preventing synchronization breakdown.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless local area network (WLAN) includes a first device and a second device. The first device sends a first frame including a first transmission indicator, which indicates that a service interval is to begin at a certain time. The second device sends an acknowledgement from the second device to the first device indicating receipt of the first transmission indicator. The first device sends a second frame including another first transmission indicator if, after a prescribed time period, the acknowledgement is not received by the first device. The first device also sends a last transmission indicator, which indicates that the service period will end at a certain time. The WLAN and its method of use provide synchronicity between the first and second devices as to the beginning and the end of a service period.