Wireless Medium Sharing via Occupancy Expiration Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face inefficiencies in sharing unlicensed transmission media due to the limitations of Listen Before Talk (LBT) protocols, which result in restricted spectrum usage and delayed coordination among nodes, leading to reduced sharing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a first node shares medium occupancy information, including identification data and channel expiration time, with other nodes to enable spatial reuse and multiplexing, allowing nodes to determine when channel access is possible without violating fair utilization, thereby improving medium sharing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Listen Before Talk (LBT) protocol is used for medium sharing, then interference between nodes is prevented and fairness of medium utilization is ensured, but spectrum usage is restricted and sharing efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitting node performs preliminary actions by sending medium sharing information (including channel occupancy expiration time) before other nodes attempt to access the channel. This allows receiving nodes to proactively determine when channel access is possible without continuous listening, enabling them to prepare for transmission in advance and improve spectrum utilization while maintaining fair access through the original LBT protocol.
2Reliability
If nodes continuously monitor the channel for LBT protocol, then channel access fairness is maintained, but time is lost due to delayed coordination among nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces medium sharing information as an intermediary mechanism that carries channel occupancy expiration time from the transmitting node to receiving nodes. This intermediary allows nodes to coordinate channel access without continuous mutual monitoring, reducing coordination delay while maintaining fairness through the standardized LBT protocol. The intermediary information enables nodes to make informed transmission decisions based on predicted channel availability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If nodes wait for channel to be clear before transmitting, then interference is avoided, but transmission efficiency is reduced due to idle time
Solution Approach 1:
Receiving nodes perform preliminary determination of channel access timing by analyzing the medium sharing information and calculating when the channel will become available. This allows nodes to prepare transmission resources in advance and initiate transmission immediately when the channel expires, eliminating idle waiting time while ensuring interference avoidance through proper timing based on the transmitting node's channel occupancy duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of enabling sharing of a transmission medium by a first node of a wireless communications network and at least one further node of the network, comprising at the first node, acquiring occupancy of a channel of the transmission medium for a chosen Channel Occupancy Time which is less than or equal to a Maximum Channel Occupancy Time, generating first medium information comprising first node identification data, generating second medium sharing information comprising first node channel occupancy expiration time data, transmitting the first medium sharing information, transmitting the second medium sharing information, at the further node, receiving the first medium sharing information, using the information to identify the first node and using the identification of the first node to determine when sharing of the channel with the first node is allowed, receiving the second medium sharing information, using the information to determine the expiration time of the occupancy of the channel by the first node and using the expiration time to determine when transmission on the channel by the further node is possible.