IEEE 802.11 BlockAck Grouping for Lower Data Overhead
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The IEEE802.11be standard increases data amount and band consumption in acknowledgement processes, necessitating a more efficient method for acknowledging multiple data frames with reduced data usage.
Innovation Solution
A communication apparatus that generates an acknowledgement frame specifying data frame sets with consecutive sequence numbers, reducing data transmission by grouping frames into clusters for acknowledgement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of MPDUs for acknowledgement is extended to 512 or 1,024 as proposed in IEEE802.11be standard, then throughput and frequency use efficiency are improved, but data amount and band consumption are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large set of 512 or 1,024 MPDUs into multiple smaller groups, where each group is acknowledged separately using BlockAck frames. This segmentation reduces the data amount in each individual acknowledgement while maintaining the ability to acknowledge a large total number of frames, thus resolving the contradiction between high throughput and reduced data consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic BlockAck transmission at predetermined intervals instead of continuous or single large-scale acknowledgement. This periodic approach allows the system to maintain high productivity by acknowledging frames in regular cycles while reducing instantaneous band consumption and data amount in each transmission period.
2Productivity
If the number of MPDUs for acknowledgement is extended to 512 or 1,024 as proposed in IEEE802.11be standard, then frequency use efficiency is improved, but band consumption is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the large set of MPDUs into smaller groups for separate BlockAck transmission, the patent reduces the band consumption per transmission event while maintaining overall frequency use efficiency. Each segmented BlockAck frame consumes less bandwidth, but the cumulative effect across multiple frames maintains high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic transmission of BlockAck frames at predetermined intervals creates a rhythm of data transmission and acknowledgement that optimizes band usage. This periodic approach ensures efficient frequency utilization by preventing band congestion while maintaining continuous data flow, thus improving frequency use efficiency without excessive band consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a communication apparatus compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard series, comprising: reception unit configured to receive, from a communication partner apparatus, a plurality of data frames respectively assigned with sequence numbers; generation unit configured to generate an acknowledgement (Ack) frame for the plurality of data frames received by the reception unit; and transmission unit configured to transmit, to the communication partner apparatus, the Ack frame generated by the generation unit, wherein the generation unit sets, in the Ack frame, specification information that specifies at least one data frame set distinguished for every series of data frames having consecutive sequence numbers out of the plurality of received data frames.