Wireless network throughput enhancement through channel aware scheduling

Abstract

A channel aware scheduler (CAS) is disclosed that takes advantage of changing wireless channel conditions in order to maximize aggregated system throughput. The CAS is aware of the different channel conditions for one or more stations and adjusts its scheduling of packet transmissions in light of the same. A related CAS algorithm may take advantage of that knowledge in order to increase aggregated system throughput while concurrently addressing other potential fairness constraints.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for increasing wireless network throughput, the system comprising:
 a classifier configured to assign a packet to one of a plurality of transmission queues; and 
 a hierarchical scheduling module stored in a computer-readable storage medium and executable by a processing device, the hierarchical scheduling module configured to: 
 select a priority scheduled packet for transmission, wherein the selection is made in accordance with a weighted scheduling technique utilizing weighted round robin for determining a weight for each transmission queue, 
 assign queue weights to stations within each transmission queue, 
 determine from which of the plurality of transmission queue a failed packet originated, 
 requeue the failed packet for retransmission at the queue from which the failed packet is determined to have originated, and 
 penalize a credit register of the determined queue, wherein a transmission queue is activated at a different station when penalizing the credit register of the determined queue results in a predetermined level. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the failed packet is requeued at a head of the queue from which the failed packet is determined to have originated. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein retransmission of the failed packet is deferred. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the assigned queue weights are modified based on one or more current channel conditions associated with each transmission queue. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the modification to each of the queue weights is proportional to an associated channel capacity. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the modification is limited to a predetermined minimal value. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the modification to each of the queue weights is proportional to an estimation of throughput performance. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the estimation of throughput performance is based on at least one of a throughput model, packet encoding rule, and packet transmission time. 
     
     
       9. A method for increasing wireless network throughput, the method comprising:
 assigning a packet to one of a plurality of transmission queues; and 
 executing a hierarchical scheduling module stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein execution of the hierarchical scheduling module by a processing device:
 selects a priority scheduled packet for transmission, wherein the selection is made in accordance with a weighted scheduling technique utilizing weighted round robin for determining a weight for each transmission queue, 
 assigns queue weights to stations within each transmission queue, 
 determines from which of the plurality of transmission queues a failed packet originated, 
 requeues the failed packet for retransmission at the queue from which the failed packet is determined to have originated, and 
 penalizes a credit register of the determined queue, wherein a transmission queue is activated at a different station when penalizing the credit register of the determined queue results in a predetermined level. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the failed packet is requeued at a head of the queue from which the failed packet is determined to have originated. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising deferring retransmission of the failed packet. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising modifying the assigned queue weights based on one or more current channel conditions associated with each transmission queue. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the modification to each of the queue weights is proportional to an associated channel capacity. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising limiting the modification to a predetermined minimal value. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the modification to each of the queue weights is proportional to an estimation of throughput performance. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the estimation of throughput performance is based on at least one of a throughput model, packet encoding rule, and packet transmission time. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a process for increasing wireless network throughput, the process comprising:
 assigning a packet to one of a plurality of transmission queues; 
 selecting a priority scheduled packet for transmission, wherein the selection is made in accordance with a weighted scheduling technique utilizing weighted round robin for determining a weight for each transmission queue; 
 assigning queue weights to stations within each transmission queue; 
 determining from which of the plurality of transmission queue a failed packet originated; 
 requeuing the failed packet for retransmission at the queue from which the failed packet is determined to have originated; and 
 penalizing a credit register of the determined queue, wherein a transmission queue is activated at a different station when penalizing the credit register of the determined queue results in a predetermined level.