Securing Transmit Openings in Wireless Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, particularly under standards like IEEE 802.11 and WiGig, there is a challenge in maintaining low latency for data responses during transmit opportunities, as stations may not have data ready to send, leading to potential loss of transmit openings due to other stations taking control of the wireless medium, resulting in increased latency and reduced protocol performance.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves securing transmit openings by using holding information such as NOP packets, spacing delimiters, and QoS NULL packets to extend the transmission opportunity until response data is ready, allowing stations to maintain access and ensure timely data transmission without relinquishing the channel prematurely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a station does not have data ready to send during a transmit opportunity, then the transmit opening is lost to other stations, but using holding information packets extends the transmission opportunity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by sending holding information packets (such as NOP packets, spacing delimiters, or QoS NULL packets) in advance to secure the transmit opening before the actual data is ready. This preliminary transmission maintains the station's access to the wireless medium and prevents other stations from taking control, ensuring that when the data becomes ready, the transmit opportunity is still available and latency is minimized.
2Reliability
If holding information packets are transmitted to maintain transmit opening, then access to wireless medium is maintained, but additional packets increase transmission overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cheap short-living objects by using simple, disposable holding information packets such as NOP (No Operation) packets, spacing delimiters, or QoS NULL packets. These packets are minimal in size and complexity, serving their sole purpose of maintaining the transmit opening, and are then discarded once the actual data transmission begins. This approach maintains protocol compliance without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for securing transmit opening helps enhance the operation of a station that employs the technique. The technique may facilitate low latency response to a protocol data requester, for instance. In one aspect, the technique provides a way for the protocol data responder to hold its transmit opening to transmit the protocol response data to the protocol data requester. The technique may allow the protocol data responder to hold the transmit opening until the protocol response data is ready and available for the protocol data responder to send.