Claims
- 1. A method of coordinating the operation of a network, comprising:
(a) forming a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic; (b) transmitting the polling frame from a sending node to a receiving node, the polling frame giving the receiving node an opportunity to transmit its own frames; (c) decoding the frame to recover said TID value; and (d) transmitting frames by said receiving node in response to the polling frame and corresponding to said TID value.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and (d) includes transmitting only those frames that have the same priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and (d) includes transmitting those frames that have the same or higher priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said TID value encodes one of at least three priority levels.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) includes forming said polling frame to include a request TID (RTID) value that dictates whether the receiving node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or that dictates that the receiving node can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said RTID value comprises a single bit.
- 7. A method of coordinating the operation of a transmitting node and a receiving node, comprising:
(a) forming a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic and including a request TID (RTID) value that specifies whether the receiving node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value; (b) transmitting the polling frame from a sending node to a receiving node, the polling frame giving the receiving node an opportunity to transmit its own frames; and (c) decoding the frame to recover said TID value and said RTID value; and
- 8. The method of claim 7 further including:
(d) transmitting a responsive frame by said receiving node to said transmitting node in response to said polling frame and corresponding to said TID value if said RTID value specifies that the receiving node is to transmit only responsive frames that correspond to the TID value in the polling frame.
- 9. The method of claim 7 further including:
(d) transmitting a responsive frame by said receiving node to said transmitting node in response to said polling frame, said responsive frame not corresponding to said TID value if said RTID value specifies that the receiving node can transmit a frame regardless of whether it corresponds to said TID value.
- 10. The method of claim 7 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the receiving node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, the method includes:
(d) transmitting a responsive frame by said receiving node, said responsive frame corresponding to a traffic category that has the same priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 11. The method of claim 7 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the receiving node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, the method includes:
(d) transmitting a responsive frame by said receiving node, said responsive frame corresponding to a traffic category that has the same or higher priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 12. A wireless network, comprising:
a plurality of wireless nodes; and an access point to which said plurality of wireless nodes wirelessly couple; wherein said access point forms a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic, transmits the polling frame to a node, the polling frame giving the node an opportunity to transmit its own frames to said access point; and wherein said node that receives the polling frame decodes the polling frame to recover said TID value; and transmits frames to said access point in response to the polling frame and corresponding to said TID value.
- 13. The network of claim 12 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said node transmits only those frames that have the same priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 14. The network of claim 12 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said node transmits those frames that have the same or higher priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 15. The network of claim 14 wherein said TID value encodes one of at least three priority levels.
- 16. The network of claim 12 wherein said access point forms said polling frame to include a request TID (RTID) value that dictates whether the node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or that dictates that the node can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value.
- 17. The network of claim 16 wherein said RTID value comprises a single bit.
- 18. A wireless network, comprising:
a plurality of wireless nodes; and an access point to which said plurality of wireless nodes wirelessly couple; wherein said access point forms a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic and to include a request TID (RTID) value that specifies whether a node that receives the polling frame is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value, transmits the polling frame to a node, the polling frame giving the node an opportunity to transmit its own frames to said access point; and wherein said node that receives the polling frame decodes the polling frame to recover said TID and RTID values.
- 19. The network of claim 18 wherein said node transmits a responsive frame to said access point in response to said polling frame and corresponding to said TID value if said RTID value specifies that the node is to transmit only responsive frames that correspond to the TID value in the polling frame.
- 20. The network of claim 18 wherein said node transmits a responsive frame to said access point in response to said polling frame, said responsive frame not corresponding to said TID value if said RTID value specifies that the node can transmit a frame regardless of whether it corresponds to said TID value.
- 21. The network of claim 18 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, the node transmits a responsive frame to said access point, said responsive frame corresponding to a traffic category that has the same priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 22. The network of claim 18 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, the node transmits a responsive frame to said access point, said responsive frame corresponding to a traffic category that has the same or higher priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 23. An access point capable of wirelessly communicating with a wireless node, comprising:
a host device; a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device; and a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said MAC sublayer forms a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic, and said physical layer transmits the polling frame to a wireless node, the polling frame giving the node an opportunity to transmit to said access point its own frames that correspond to said TID value.
- 24. The access point of claim 23 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said polling frame dictates that a node receiving said polling frame transmits only those frames that have the same priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 25. The access point of claim 23 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said polling frame dictates that a node receiving said polling frame transmits only those frames that have the same or higher priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 26. The access point of claim 25 wherein said TID value encodes one of at least three priority levels.
- 27. The access point of claim 23 wherein said access point forms said polling frame to include a request TID (RTID) value that dictates whether a wireless node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or that dictates that the wireless node can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value.
- 28. An access point capable of wirelessly communicating with a wireless node, comprising:
a host device; a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device; and a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said MAC sublayer forms a polling frame to include a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic and to include a request TID (RTID) value that specifies whether a node that receives the polling frame is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value or can transmit frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value; and wherein said physical layer transmits the polling frame to a node, the polling frame giving the node an opportunity to transmit its own frames to said access point.
- 29. The access point of claim 28 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, said polling frame dictates that a node receiving said polling frame transmits only those frame that have the same priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 30. The access point of claim 28 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and when said RTID value specifies that the node is to only transmit frames corresponding to said TID value, said polling frame dictates that a node receiving said polling frame transmits only those frame that have the same or higher priority level as the priority level associated with said TID value.
- 31. A wireless device capable of wirelessly communicating with an access point, comprising:
a host device; a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device; and a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said MAC sublayer receives a control frame via said physical layer from the access point, said control frame including a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic, and said wireless device responds to said control frame by forming and transmitting a data frame that correspond to said TID value.
- 32. The wireless device of claim 31 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said control frame dictates that the wireless device only transmit those data frames that have the same priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 33. The wireless device of claim 31 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said control frame dictates that the wireless device only transmit those data frames that have the same or higher priority level as that encoded in the TID value.
- 34. The wireless device of claim 31 wherein said control frame includes a request TID (RTID) value, and said wireless device only transmits frames that corresponding to said TID value in the control frame if said RTID comprises a first value.
- 35. The wireless device of claim 32 wherein said wireless device transmits frames regardless of whether such frames correspond to said TID value in the control frame.
- 36. The wireless device of claim 31 wherein said control frame is a polling frame.
- 37. A wireless device capable of wirelessly communicating with an access point, comprising:
a host device; a medium access control (MAC) sublayer coupled to said host device; and a physical layer coupled to said MAC sublayer; wherein said MAC sublayer receives a polling frame via said physical layer from the access point, said polling frame including a traffic identifier (TID) value corresponding to a stream or category of traffic and including a request TID (RTID) value; and wherein said wireless device responds to said polling frame by forming and transmitting a data frame that correspond to said TID value if said RTID value is a first value or by forming and transmitting a data frame regardless of the TID value if the RTID value is a second value.
- 38. The wireless device of claim 37 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said polling frame dictates that the wireless device only transmit those data frames that have the same priority level as that encoded in the TID value if said RTID value is the first value.
- 39. The wireless device of claim 37 wherein said TID value encodes a priority level and said polling frame dictates that the wireless device only transmit those data frames that have the same or higher priority level as that encoded in the TID value if said RTID value is the first value.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority to provisional U.S. application Serial No. 60/349,555, filed on Jan. 17, 2002, entitled “TID Field Usage in QoS CF-Poll,” the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60349555 |
Jan 2002 |
US |