Methods and apparatus to provide fairness for wireless local area networks that use long network allocation vector (NAV) mechanisms

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to provide fairness for wireless local area networks (WLANs) that use long network allocation vector (NAV) mechanisms are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises receiving an indication from a station of a wireless network that a long NAV is to be terminated, and sending a contention-free end frame in response to the indication.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example wireless local area network (WLAN) with an access point and a plurality of wireless stations constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example manner of implementing an example access point and/or an example wireless station of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate example long network allocation vector (NAV) termination scenarios for the example WLAN of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate an example aggregate physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU).

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate example manners of implementing the example medium access controller of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts representative of example machine accessible instructions that may be executed to implement the example wireless stations of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are flowcharts representative of example machine accessible instructions that may be executed to implement the example access point of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving an indication from a station of a wireless network that a long network allocation vector (NAV) is to be terminated; andsending a long NAV termination response frame in response to the indication.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the long NAV termination response frame is a contention-free end frame.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the indication from the station comprises receiving a long NAV termination frame from the station.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the long NAV termination frame is a contention-free end frame.

5. (canceled)

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving the indication from the station comprises receiving a frame that includes the indication from the station.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the frame is at least one of an aggregate physical layer control protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit frame or a block acknowledge response frame.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the indication included in the frame comprises at least one of a bit of a header of the data frame or a null data unit of the data frame.

9-10. (canceled)

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising waiting a time duration that is at least as long as a short interframe spacing before sending the long NAV termination response frame.

12-14. (canceled)

15. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising: performing a backoff procedure; andcontending for a wireless medium.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein sending the long NAV termination response frame in response to the indication is conditional on at least one of a proximity or distance to the station.

17. A wireless network access point comprising: a wireless modem to receive an indication from a station of a wireless network that an ongoing transmit operation is to be terminated; anda medium access controller to form a long network allocation vector (NAV) termination response frame in response to the indication, wherein the wireless modem is configured to send the termination response frame.

18. A wireless network access point as defined in claim 17, wherein the long NAV termination response frame is a contention-free end frame.

19-21. (canceled)

22. A wireless network access point as defined in claim 17, wherein the indication comprises at least one of a contention-free end frame transmitted by the station or a portion of a frame transmitted by the station.

23. A wireless network access point as defined in claim 22, wherein the portion of the frame comprises at least one of a bit of a header of the frame or a null data unit of the frame.

24-25. (canceled)

26. A wireless network access point as defined in claim 17, wherein the wireless modem is configured to send the long NAV termination response frame such that all nodes of the wireless network can decode the long NAV termination response frame.

27-37. (canceled)

38. An article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to: receive an indication from a station of a wireless network that a long network allocation vector (NAV) is to be terminated; andsend a contention-free end frame in response to the indication.

39. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive the indication from the station by receiving a second contention-free end frame from the station.

40. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive the indication from the station by receiving a frame that includes the indication from the station.

41. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 40, wherein the indication included in the frame comprises at least one of a bit of a header of the data frame or a null data unit of the frame.

42-47. (canceled)

48. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to: determine a proximity to the station; andsend the contention-free end frame in response to the indication conditional on the proximity.

49-84. (canceled)