Systems and methods for segmentation and reassembly of data frames in 802.11 wireless local area networks

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a method for fragmenting and reassembling data frames on a medium access control (MAC) layer in a wireless local area network. A datagram is received from an application running on a first network device, for transmission over a wireless communication link in the wireless local area network. A negotiation request is initiated with a second network device for determining whether both the first network device and the second network device have enhanced directional multi-gigabit capability (EDMG) for data segmentation and reassembly. When both devices have EDMG capability and the size of the datagram exceeds the maximum size defined by the wireless local area network transmission protocol, the datagram is segmented into a plurality of transmission data units on the MAC layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing data frames on a medium access control (MAC) layer in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:
 receiving, from an application running on a first network device, a datagram for transmission over a wireless communication link in the wireless local area network;   generating a segmented datagram by segmenting the datagram into a plurality of transmission data units on the MAC layer, wherein each of the transmission data units has a size smaller than a maximum size defined by a legacy transmission protocol of the wireless local area network;   determining a unique sequence number for the segmented datagram, with different sequence numbers from the unique sequence number belong to other datagrams;   for each transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, assigning identifying information to a sequence control field that is defined in the legacy transmission protocol, and wherein assigning the identifying information includes
 assigning, to a first portion of the sequence control field, a unique fragment number for a selected transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, where different unique fragment numbers from the unique fragment number are assigned to other transmission data units of the plurality of transmission data units, and wherein the unique fragment number represents a respective index for the selected transmission data unit in the plurality of transmission data units, and wherein the first portion includes one or more first bits of the sequence control field, 
 when the selected transmission data unit is not a last transmission data unit to be transmitted, assigning a first binary value to a second portion of the sequence control field that indicates that there are more transmission data units from the segmented datagram to be transmitted following the selected transmission data unit, wherein the second portion of the sequence control field includes a second bit of the sequence control field, and 
 assigning the unique sequence number for the segmented datagram to a set of remaining bits of the sequence control field; and 
   after assigning the identifying information, transmitting, via the wireless communication link in the wireless local area network, the plurality of transmission data units to a second network device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first portion includes the first three bits of the sequence control field;   the second portion includes a fourth bit of the sequence control field; and   the set of remaining bits includes a remaining 12 bits of the sequence control field.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of assigning the identifying information further comprises:
 when the selected transmission data unit is the last transmission data unit to be transmitted, assigning a second binary value to the second portion of the sequence control field that indicates that there are no more transmission data units from the segmented datagram to be transmitted following the selected transmission data unit.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 initiating, at the first network device, a negotiation request with the second network device for determining whether both the first network device and the second network device have enhanced directional multi-gigabit capability (EDMG) for data segmentation and reassembly; and   performing the segmenting, assigning, and transmitting steps when both the first network device and the second network device have the EDMG for data segmentation and reassembly.   
     
     
         5 . A method for processing data frames on a medium access control (MAC) layer in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a first network device, a plurality of transmission data units that were segmented, at a second network device, from a first datagram;   for each of the plurality of transmission data units received at the first network device, extracting identifying information by
 extracting, from a next selected transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, a sequence number from a first portion of a sequence control field defined in a legacy transmission protocol of the wireless local area network, 
 extracting, from the next selected transmission data unit, a first data bit from a second portion of the sequence control field, wherein the first data bit indicates whether or not there are more of the plurality of transmission data units that will follow the selected transmission data unit, and 
 extracting, from the selected transmission data unit, a unique fragment number from a third portion of the sequence control field, wherein the unique fragment number represents a respective index for the selected transmission data unit in the plurality of transmission data units; and 
   when the first data bit extracted from a last transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units indicates that there are no more of the plurality of transmission data units that will follow, reassembling the first datagram from all of the plurality of transmission data units that included the sequence number.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps, before receiving the plurality of first data units, of:
 receiving, from the second network device, a negotiation request for determining whether both the first network device and the second network device have enhanced directional multi-gigabit capability (EDMG) for data segmentation and reassembly; and   performing the receiving, extracting, and reassembling steps when both the first network device and the second network device have the EDMG for data segmentation and reassembly.   
     
     
         7 . A network device for processing data frames on a medium access control (MAC) layer in a wireless local area network, the device comprising:
 a buffer configured to receive, from an application run by a processing circuitry, a datagram for transmission over a wireless communication link in the wireless local area network;   the processing circuitry configured to:
 generate a segmented datagram by segmenting the datagram into a plurality of transmission data units on the MAC layer, wherein each of the transmission data units has a size smaller than a maximum size defined by a legacy transmission protocol of the wireless local area network; 
 determine a unique sequence number for the segmented datagram, with different sequence numbers from the unique sequence number belong to other datagrams; 
 for each transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, assign identifying information to a sequence control field that is defined in the legacy transmission protocol, and wherein assigning the identifying information includes
 assigning, to a first portion of the sequence control field, a unique fragment number for a selected transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, where different unique fragment numbers from the unique fragment number are assigned to other transmission data units of the plurality of transmission data units, and wherein the unique fragment number represents a respective index for the selected transmission data unit in the plurality of transmission data units, and wherein the first portion includes one or more first bits of the sequence control field, 
 when the selected transmission data unit is not a last transmission data unit to be transmitted, assigning a first binary value to a second portion of the sequence control field that indicates that there are more transmission data units from the segmented datagram to be transmitted following the selected transmission data unit, wherein the second portion of the sequence control field includes a second bit of the sequence control field, and 
 
 assigning the unique sequence number for the segmented datagram to a set of remaining bits of the sequence control field; and 
   a transceiver configured to:
 transmit, via the wireless communication link in the wireless local area network, the plurality of transmission data units to a second network device. 
   
     
     
         8 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 negotiate with the second network device to determine whether both the first network device and the second network device have enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) capability for data segmentation and reassembly.   
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first portion includes the first three bits of the sequence control field;   the second portion includes a fourth bit of the sequence control field; and   the set of remaining bits includes a remaining 12 bits of the sequence control field.   
     
     
         10 . A network device for processing data frames on a medium access control (MAC) layer in a wireless local area network, the device comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive, via a wireless communication link in the wireless local area network, a plurality of transmission data units that were segmented, at a second network device, from a first datagram;   processing circuitry configured to:   for each of the plurality of transmission data units, extract identifying information by
 extracting, from a next selected transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units, a sequence number from a first portion of a sequence control field defined in a legacy transmission protocol of the wireless local area network, 
 extracting, from the next selected transmission data unit, a first data bit from a second portion of the sequence control field, wherein the first data bit indicates whether or not there are more of the plurality of transmission data units that will follow the selected transmission data unit, and 
 extracting, from the selected transmission data unit, a unique fragment number from a third portion of the sequence control field, wherein the unique fragment number represents a respective index for the selected transmission data unit in the plurality of transmission data units; and 
 when the first data bit extracted from a last transmission data unit of the plurality of transmission data units indicates that there are no more of the plurality of transmission data units that will follow, reassemble the first datagram from all of the plurality of transmission data units that included the sequence number. 
   
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 negotiate with the second network device to determine whether both the first network device and the second network device have enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) capability for data segmentation and reassembly.   
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first portion includes the first three bits of the sequence control field;   the second portion includes a fourth bit of the sequence control field; and   the set of remaining bits includes a remaining 12 bits of the sequence control field.