Synchronized Framing Scheduler for OFDMA Wireless Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IEEE 802.11 standards, including OFDM and OFDMA-based structures, face inefficiencies in radio link utilization due to high overhead from backoff mechanisms and lack of continuous and synchronized communication, which limits their effectiveness in massive communication scenarios and fails to compete with 4G and 5G standards.
Innovation Solution
The proposed method involves synchronizing STAs within IEEE 802.11 OFDMA-based wireless networks using synchronization signals, allocating Framing Slots with fixed durations, and dividing these slots into downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) burst transmission periods. Each DL Data Unit Burst includes DL PHY headers with scheduling instructions, DL MAC and Data, a DL Trigger Frame for UL communication, and acknowledgments, while UL Data Unit Bursts contain UL PHY Headers, UL MAC Headers and Data, and acknowledgments for DL Data Units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If CSMA/CA scheduling mechanism is used in IEEE 802.11 OFDMA systems, then stations can access air resource with equal opportunity, but overhead increases significantly due to backoff mechanism in massive communication scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the air resource into dedicated time slots for different stations, eliminating the need for backoff mechanism. Each station is assigned a specific time slot in the synchronized framing structure, which divides the transmission opportunity into discrete, non-overlapping periods. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining equal access opportunity through structured time allocation while significantly reducing scheduling overhead compared to contention-based CSMA/CA.
2Ease of manufacture
If opportunistic non-synchronized scheduling is used, then implementation is simpler, but continuous DL and UL transmission cannot be achieved and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a pre-configured synchronized framing structure where DL and UL time slots are predetermined and allocated in advance. The AP broadcasts framing slot information to STAs before transmission begins, allowing all stations to be synchronized on the timing structure. This preliminary setup enables continuous transmission without interruptions while maintaining implementation simplicity through standardized framing protocols.
3Productivity
If TDMA-based scheduler is implemented on top of 802.11 PHY, then radio link utilization improves for massive communication, but system complexity increases compared to legacy 802.11 standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the TDMA scheduling structure with the 802.11 OFDMA physical layer by integrating synchronized framing into the existing MAC protocol. The framing structure combines time-division multiplexing with frequency-division resources, allowing multiple stations to transmit simultaneously on different frequency resources within assigned time slots. This merging approach improves radio link utilization for massive communication while managing system complexity through standardized integration with 802.11 protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided methods and systems for scheduling downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions in one or more Point-to-Multipoint (PTMP) IEEE 802.11 orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) based wireless communication networks, each network comprising one or more IEEE 802.11 OFDMA based Access Points (APs) wherein each AP of said one or more APs comprises associate one or more IEEE 802.11 OFDMA stations (STAs), the method comprising the steps of: synchronizing the one or more STAs within each network using one or more synchronization signals transmitted between the one or more APs and the one or more STAs; allocating one or more Framing Slots, wherein each Framing Slot having a fixed time duration; dividing each Framing Slot of said one or more Framing Slots into DL burst transmission and UL burst transmission periods wherein the DL burst transmission periods comprise one or more DL Data Units Bursts and continuously scheduling by said one or more IEEE 802.11 OFDMA based APs the one or more DL Data Units Bursts during said DL transmission period to said one or more STAs; and continuously sending said one or more UL Data Unit Bursts by said one or more STAs to said respective one or more APs.