Abstract: The invention relates to wireless network comprising an access point and non-AP stations. The station has traffic queues and associated a backoff counters which are decremented over time upon continuously sensing the medium as free during more than respective AIFS durations. To compensate additional opportunities provided by OFDMA RUs, a queue switches to an MU mode upon transmitting its data in an RU provided by the AP. To restore dynamicity of the backoff counters, frozen in the MU mode in the known techniques, embodiments provide the following at each expiry of one of the queue backoff counters: the current mode of the expiring traffic queue is determined; in case of legacy mode, the station accesses the channel to transmit data from the queue; whereas in case of MU mode, a new backoff value is drawn to reset the expiring backoff counter, without having data from the queue being transmitted.

Abstract: To avoid blocking node AC queues in the degraded MU EDCA mode due to regular OFDMA transmission of data from another AC queue in resource units provided by an AP, the present invention proposes to use a dedicated HEMUEDCATimer for each AC queue, in order for them to be able to exit the degraded MU EDCA mode independently of the other AC queues. In this respect, upon successfully transmitting data stored in two or more traffic queues, in each of one or more accessed resource units provided by the AP within one or more transmission opportunities, the node sets each traffic queue transmitting in the accessed resource unit in the degraded MU EDCA mode for a predetermined degrading duration counted down by a respective timer associated with the transmitting traffic queue. Next, upon expiry of any timer, the node switches back the associated traffic queue to the conventional EDCA mode.

Abstract: A wireless communication method in a wireless network comprising an access point and a plurality of stations. The method includes selecting a transmission mode among a first and a second transmission modes, wherein access to a communication channel in the first transmission mode uses a contention mechanism with stations of the network, while access to the communication channel in the second transmission mode uses a preemption mechanism; sending a trigger frame to the stations using the selected transmission mode, the trigger frame reserving a transmission opportunity on at least one communication channel of the wireless network and defining resource units forming the communication channel and including a plurality of resource units that the stations can access for sending data; and receiving data from stations over the defined resource units.

Abstract: The present invention provides according to one of its aspects a method of queueing a data frame in one of a plurality of traffic queues at a communication station for transmission over a communication channel in a communication network comprising a plurality stations and an access point (AP). The method comprising selecting a traffic queue based on at least one of 1) a transmission mode, direct link or uplink, of the data frame, and 2) a transmission mode of the traffic queue; and queueing the data frame in the selected traffic queue. The transmission mode of the traffic queue may be a Multi-User (MU) uplink (UL) mode if a data frame previously stored in the traffic queue has been transmitted, since a predetermined period of time, in a resource unit (RU) provided by the AP within a transmission opportunity granted to the AP on the communication channel. The transmission mode may also be a Single-User (SU) mode.

Abstract: In 802.11ax networks with access points, a trigger frame offers scheduled and random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access points. To make more effective the usage of the network, the access point may design the trigger frame to force the nodes to send some categories of data. Resource units may be defined in trigger frames to be dedicated to small packets or to some access category data. Adjusting the time length of the resource units helps restricting the type of data that can be conveyed by the resource units. Also, using various frequency widths for resource units in the same trigger frame helps reducing padding in the resource units when various traffic types coexist.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communication device and a method of sending data over a communication network. The communication device includes a controller for accessing the network using contention type access mechanism based on computation of back-off values, and includes a plurality of traffic queues for serving data traffic at different priorities. The controller includes a plurality of back-off engines, each associated with one traffic queue and configured to compute a back-off value in accordance with the priority of the associated traffic queue. One or more back-off engine may be adjusted to prevent the back-off value of such back-off engine to reach zero. When an access to the network is obtained for the device. a traffic queue may be selected based on its associated back-off value, and data may be transmitted from the selected traffic queue.

Abstract: In an 802.11ax network with an access point, a trigger frame offers random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access point. To dynamically adapt the contention mechanism used by the nodes to access the random resource units, the AP updates a correcting TBD parameter at each new TXOP and includes the updated adjusting parameter in the trigger frame for the next TXOP. The nodes use the TBD parameter to generate a local random RU backoff value from a contention window range, for contending for access to the random resource units. The TBD parameter may directly impact the contention window size CWO or boundaries values of a selection range from which CWO is selected.

Abstract: A physical Access Point (AP) manages a plurality of BSS groups through Virtual APs. The AP periodically sends beacon frames informing of the profile of each BSS of the plurality of BSSs. To improve channel utilization, the trigger frame identifies a plurality of BSS groups, stations of which are allowed to access the resources units to transmit data during the reserved TXOP. The AP receives, during the reserved TXOP, data from one station of a first group identified in the trigger frame and data from one station (separate from the first one) of a second and separate group identified in the trigger frame. First group and second group use the same joint set of random access parameters for the random access procedure, thus ensuring equivalent fairness in accessing the offered the resources units to transmit data during the reserved TXOP to several BSSs.

Abstract: A communication method in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, at least one node comprising a plurality of traffic queues for serving data traffic at different priorities, each traffic queue being associated with a respective queue backoff value computed from respective queue contention parameters having first and second values in, respectively, a first and a second contention modes, obtaining quality of service requirements of data stored in a traffic queue of the node; checking whether the quality of service requirements can be fulfilled when accessing the communication channel using the second contention mode; if the requirements cannot be fulfilled as the result of the checking, disabling access to resource units provided by the other node within one or more transmission opportunities granted to the other node on the communication channel; and transmitting data stored in the traffic queue using the first contention mode.

Abstract: In an 802.11ax network with an access point, a trigger frame offers scheduled and random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access point. To avoid the overall energy level seen by legacy nodes for a communication channel to drop below a detection threshold, the invention provides two tools. First, the scheduled and random resource units may be interleaved over communication channels. Second, unused resource units may be detected, and a node or the access point may send a padding signal on them to increase the overall energy level. The latter may be evaluated during a monitoring period before deciding to emit the signal. As the overall energy level seen by legacy nodes is increased, the risk that such legacy nodes do not detect activity on a 20 MHz channel having only a subpart of its RUs used is reduced. And risks of collisions are consequently reduced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for sending data over a channel of a communication medium comprising a plurality of channels and which can be accessed by a plurality of nodes. Each node using a medium access mechanism with collision avoidance based on a computation of backoff values corresponding to a number of time-slots a node waits before accessing the communication medium. The method comprising the following steps performed by a first node of the plurality of nodes upon the reception of a trigger frame: obtaining a backoff counter value computed by the first node; selecting a channel among the plurality of channels based on the obtained backoff counter; and sending data on the selected channel by the first node.

Abstract: 802.11ac networks define an operating band made of an ordered series of 20 MHz channels and authorize a restricted number of possible composite channel configurations to be used for data transmission. A method of transmitting data between a source and a receiver in such a wireless network may comprise, at the source: sending, to the receiver, RTS fames to request reservation of a composite channel, the RTS frames including a flag signalling the source supports transmission over un-authorized composite channels, for instance over sub-channels not contiguous within the operating band; receiving, from the receiver in response to the RTS frames, CTS frames acknowledging reservation of un-authorized composite channel configuration, for instance of non-contiguous sub-channels; and then transmitting, to the receiver, data frames on the reserved sub-channels of the un-authorized configuration, for instance on the reserved non-contiguous sub-channels within the operating band.

Abstract: A wireless communication method in a wireless network comprising an access point and a plurality of stations. The method includes selecting a transmission mode among a first and a second transmission modes, wherein access to a communication channel in the first transmission mode uses a contention mechanism with stations of the network, while access to the communication channel in the second transmission mode uses a preemption mechanism; sending a trigger frame to the stations using the selected transmission mode, the trigger frame reserving a transmission opportunity on at least one communication channel of the wireless network and defining resource units forming the communication channel and including a plurality of resource units that the stations can access for sending data; and receiving data from stations over the defined resource units.

Abstract: A method of communication in a wireless network comprising a plurality of wirelessly communicating stations, the method comprising by at least one emitting station having data to be directly transmitted to at least two different destination stations, generating a buffer status report to be transmitted to one of the destination stations, the buffer status report indicating an amount of data stored in at least an emission buffer of the emitting station, the emission buffers comprising all data to be transmitted to all the destination stations; transmitting the buffer status report to the destination station; wherein the amount of data is limited to the amount of data stored in at least an emission buffer of the emitting station to be transmitted to the destination station that will receive the buffer status report. Accordingly, scheduled traffic by a station is made with an accurate amount of data.

Abstract: A method of communication in a wireless network comprising a plurality of wirelessly communicating stations, one station playing the role of access point, the other stations being connected to the access point station, the method comprising by the access point station receiving at least one buffer status report from a station indicating a size of a quantity of data the station has to transmit to the access point station; storing received buffer status reports; generating a channel resource allocation for a multi-user transmission from the stations to the access point station based on stored buffer status reports; wherein the generation of a channel resource allocation further takes into account the size of any quantity of data received from the stations after the buffer status reports.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to communication networks and more specifically to methods and devices for data communication over a communication network. A method according to the invention comprises, at a transmitting node: obtaining a plurality of frames including first-type frames associated with an acknowledgment policy requiring acknowledgment and second-type frames associated with an acknowledgment policy requiring no acknowledgment; aggregating the frames of the obtained plurality of frames into an aggregated frame including at least one leading frame of second type and frames subsequent thereto, in an order depending on their associated acknowledgment policies; sending the aggregated frame to a receiving node; and sending an acknowledgment request frame to the receiving node to request it to acknowledge receipt of only subsequent frames of the aggregated frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a communication device and a method of sending data over a communication network. The communication device includes a controller for accessing the network using contention type access mechanism based on computation of back-off values, and includes a plurality of traffic queues for serving data traffic at different priorities. The controller includes a plurality of back-off engines, each associated with one traffic queue and configured to compute a back-off value in accordance with the priority of the associated traffic queue. One or more back-off engine may be adjusted to prevent the back-off value of such back-off engine to reach zero. When an access to the network is obtained for the device. a traffic queue may be selected based on its associated back-off value, and data may be transmitted from the selected traffic queue.

Abstract: A method is proposed for transmitting a multi-channel data stream comprising frames comprising a plurality of channels, the transmitting being done through a multi-transport tunnel from a first tunnel end-point to a second tunnel end-point, the multi-transport tunnel implementing a first carrier supporting a transport protocol with acknowledgement and a second carrier supporting a transport protocol without acknowledgement. The invention aims more specifically at averting or limiting the phenomena of interruptions in the rendering of a multi-channel stream in transit on a tunnel, and more particularly at providing a transport technique enabling regular and uninterrupted delivery of the multi-channel stream while at the same time reducing the memory resources needed at reception.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to communication networks and more specifically to methods and devices for data communication over a communication network. A method according to the invention comprises, at a transmitting node: obtaining a plurality of frames including first-type frames associated with an acknowledgment policy requiring acknowledgment and second-type frames associated with an acknowledgment policy requiring no acknowledgment; aggregating the frames of the obtained plurality of frames into an aggregated frame including at least one leading frame of second type and frames subsequent thereto, in an order depending on their associated acknowledgment policies; sending the aggregated frame to a receiving node; and sending an acknowledgment request frame to the receiving node to request it to acknowledge receipt of only subsequent frames of the aggregated frame.

Abstract: In order to parameterize, within a communication network, a bridge to be put in communication with at least one element to be connected to the bridge, the bridge comprising at least one created port, a parameter representing a predetermined waiting period and corresponding to a time for detection by the bridge, during a phase of listening to the data received by the at least one created port, of the presence of any communication loop within the network, is determined. A filtering of the at least one created port is activated, the filtering being adapted to prevent the sending and reception by the at least one created port of inter-bridge management messages. The bridge is configured with the parameter thus determined, a new port of the bridge is created with a view to setting up communication with the at least one element, and the filtering is deactivated.