Transmit Announcement Indication

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmission announcement indication are disclosed. A transmission announcement indication is provided for use inside a communications frame addressed to a destination as an indication that another transmission for that same destination will follow.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an open system interconnection (OSI) layered model for data transmission.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a communication system comprising two stations using the OSI model of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system of transmission announcement indication with RTS and CTS frames using the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system of transmission announcement indication with QoS-null and ACK frames using the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system of transmission announcement indication with CTS frames using the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system of transmission announcement indication with QoS-null and NoACK using the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a control word for use in an exemplary embodiment of a system of transmission announcement indication using the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method embodiment comprising transmission announcement indication of the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method embodiment comprising transmission announcement indication of the communication system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method embodiment comprising transmission announcement indication of the communication system of FIG. 2.

Claims

1. A method comprising: transmitting a first communication frame from a first station to a second station; andproviding a transmit announcement indication in the first communication frame, the transmit announcement indication indicating whether a second communication frame to the second station will follow the first communication frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication frame follows after a short inter frame space (SIFS) after the first communication frame with the transmit announcement indication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication frame follows after a short inter frame space (SIFS) after a response to the first communication frame with the transmit announcement indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the transmit announcement indication comprises providing the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, by the first station, a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the transmit announcement indication comprises providing the transmit announcement indication in a quality of service null (QoS-null) frame.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, by the first station, an acknowledgement (ACK) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the QoS-null frame.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the transmit announcement indication comprises providing the transmit announcement indication with a clear to send (CTS) frame.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising: logic configured to transmit a first communication frame from a first station to a second station; andlogic configured to provide a transmit announcement indication in the first communication frame, the transmit announcement indication indicating whether a second communication frame to the second station will follow the first communication frame.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the logic configured to provide the transmit announcement indication comprises logic configured to provide the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising logic configured to receive, by the first station, a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising logic configured to transmit the second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

18. A system comprising: a transmitter configured to: transmit a first communication frame from a first station to a second station; andprovide a transmit announcement indication in the first communication frame, the transmit announcement indication indicating whether a second communication frame to the second station will follow the first communication frame.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the transmit announcement indication comprises a zero-length frame.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is further configured to provide the transmit announcement indication with a request to send (RTS) frame.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a receiver configured to receive, by the first station, a clear to send (CTS) frame from the second station after the first station has transmitted the transmit announcement indication with the RTS frame.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit frame second communication frame associated with the transmit announcement indication.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the first station comprises one of a wireless radio, desktop computer, portable computer, laptop computer, multi-media players, personal digital assistant (PDA), printer, fax machine, scanner, hub, switch, router, set-top box, and television with communication capability.