Multi-User Transmit Opportunity Mechanism for Wireless Network Throughput
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless networks face inefficiencies in transmitting multiple downlink traffic streams to multiple receiver stations simultaneously, as they often rely on single-user transmission opportunities and lack effective mechanisms for sharing transmission opportunities among access categories, leading to suboptimal resource utilization and potential interference.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-user transmit opportunity (MU-TXOP) mechanism that allows multiple access categories to share a transmission opportunity period, enabling simultaneous transmission of data blocks to multiple receiver stations using spatial streams, with secondary access categories invoking backoff procedures based on specific conditions to optimize channel access and minimize interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If single-user transmission opportunities are used, then transmission simplicity is maintained, but network throughput and resource utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission opportunity into multiple access categories (ACs), each with its own data blocks and spatial streams. This allows different ACs to be transmitted simultaneously through different spatial streams, thereby increasing network throughput while maintaining manageable complexity through structured organization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces spatial dimension by using multiple spatial streams to transmit different access categories simultaneously. This dimensional transition from single-user to multi-user transmission enables higher throughput by utilizing spatial multiplexing without proportionally increasing protocol complexity
2Productivity
If multiple access categories transmit simultaneously, then resource utilization improves, but interference and contention increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different spatial streams to different access categories, creating localized transmission paths with distinct spatial characteristics. This spatial separation reduces interference between ACs by directing each AC's energy along specific spatial paths, allowing simultaneous transmission with minimized mutual interference
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a coordination mechanism that acts as an intermediary to manage simultaneous transmissions from multiple ACs. This coordinator allocates spatial streams and manages backoff procedures, enabling efficient resource utilization while controlling interference through centralized coordination
3Ease of operation
If secondary access categories always contend for medium access, then fairness is maintained, but transmission efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic backoff behavior for secondary ACs that adapts to current channel conditions and primary AC activity. When primary AC is transmitting, secondary AC selectively invokes backoff; when primary AC is idle, secondary AC can access the medium. This dynamic adjustment maintains fairness while improving overall transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the backoff parameter behavior of secondary ACs based on the transmission state of primary AC. By conditionally adjusting backoff invocation, the system transforms the static contention mechanism into a dynamic one that optimizes both fairness and efficiency through parameter adaptation
Data Source
AI summary
Wireless communication in a wireless system using a multiple user transmission opportunity is provided. The data blocks are organized in order of transmission priority based on access categories. Contention for access to the communication medium during a transmission opportunity period is based on a backoff timer of each access category and the transmission priority. Upon successful contention for a transmission opportunity period, during the transmission opportunity period, a data block of a primary access category is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless station to one or more primary destination wireless receivers. Simultaneously, a data block of a secondary access category is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless station to one or more secondary destination wireless receivers. Contending for the transmission opportunity period includes each access category contending for access to the wireless communication medium and a secondary access category selectively invoking communication medium access backoff based on one or more backoff events.