High speed media access control with legacy system interoperability

摘要

Techniques for MAC processing for efficient use of high throughput systems that is backward compatible with various types of legacy systems are disclosed. In one aspect a first signal is transmitted according to a legacy transmission format to reserve a portion of a shared medium, and communication according to a second transmission format transpires during the reserved portion. In another aspect, a communication device may contend for access on a legacy system, and then communicate according to a new class communication protocol with one or more remote communication devices during the access period. In another aspect, a device may request access to a shared medium according to a legacy protocol, and, upon grant of access, the device may communicate with or facilitate communication between one or more remote stations according to a new protocol.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a transmitter for transmitting a signal over a transmission channel, according to a first transmission format, for reserving the transmission channel for a duration, and for transmitting over the transmission channel according to a second transmission format during the reserved duration, wherein the reserved duration corresponds to an interval according to the first transmission format, and includes at least one interval according to the second transmission format; and a receiver for receiving over the transmission channel according to the second transmission format during the reserved duration; and wherein the first transmission format is a legacy transmission format of the second transmission format, and wherein the second transmission format is an IEEE 802.11(e) format and the first transmission format is one of an IEEE 802.11(a), (b), and (g) format.