Transmitting a packet via a wireless local area network after a delay

Abstract

Methods of operating an electronic device are provided. A method of operating a first electronic device includes listening for a wireless transmission by a second electronic device on a wireless communications channel. The method includes determining whether a packet is a particular type of packet. The method includes assigning a randomized time delay value that defines a randomized delay period, in response to determining that the packet is the particular type of packet. The method includes beginning the randomized delay period in response to determining that the wireless communications channel is clear. Moreover, the method includes transmitting the packet via the wireless communications channel based on expiration of the randomized delay period. Related electronic devices and computer program products are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a first electronic device, the method comprising:
 listening for a wireless transmission by a second electronic device on a wireless communications channel;   determining whether a packet comprises a particular type of packet;   assigning a randomized time delay value that defines a randomized delay period, in response to based on determining that the packet is the particular type of packet comprises a control packet;   beginning the randomized delay period in response to based on determining that the wireless communications channel is clear; and   transmitting the packet via the wireless communications channel based on expiration of the randomized delay period.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a control packetfurther comprising: assigning a different randomized time delay value, based on determining that the packet comprises an acknowledgement packet or a data packet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a first uplink packet of the first electronic device, wherein the randomized delay period comprises a first randomized delay period, wherein the wireless transmission by the second electronic device comprises a first wireless transmission by the second electronic device on the wireless communications channel, and wherein the method further comprises: listening for a second wireless transmission by the second electronic device or by a third electronic device on the wireless communications channel; beginning a second randomized delay period in response tobased on listening for the second wireless transmission and determining that the wireless communications channel is clear; and transmitting a second uplink packet via the wireless communications channel based on expiration of the second randomized delay period. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first and second randomized delay periods comprise different first and second quantities of time, respectively, and   wherein transmitting the second uplink packet comprises transmitting the second uplink packet via the wireless communications channel based on the expiration of the second randomized delay period that comprises the second quantity of time that is different from the first quantity of time of the first randomized delay period.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a first uplink packet of the first electronic device, wherein the wireless transmission by the second electronic device comprises a first wireless transmission by the second electronic device on the wireless communications channel, and wherein the method further comprises: listening for a second wireless transmission by the second electronic device or by a third electronic device on the wireless communications channel; beginning a static delay period in response to based on listening for the second wireless transmission and determining that the wireless communications channel is clear; and transmitting a second uplink packet via the wireless communications channel after the static delay period. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein transmitting the packet comprises transmitting the packet to an access point of a wireless network via the wireless communications channel based on the expiration of the randomized delay period, and   wherein the method further comprises receiving signaling from the access point of the wireless network regarding uplink packet randomized time delays.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the signaling comprises receiving a command from the access point of the wireless network to enable or disable the uplink packet randomized time delays. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the signaling comprises receiving signaling from the access point of the wireless network providing one or more parameters regarding time delay values defining the uplink packet randomized time delays. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the first electronic device comprises one of a plurality of electronic devices connected to the wireless network,   wherein receiving the signaling comprises receiving signaling, from the access point of the wireless network, that is based on traffic from the plurality of electronic devices connected to the wireless network, and   wherein the method further comprises selecting a time delay value among a plurality of time delay values that define respective ones of the uplink packet randomized time delays, in response to based on receiving the signaling from the access point of the wireless network that is based on the traffic from the plurality of electronic devices connected to the wireless network.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the randomized delay period comprises a randomized Inter-Frame Spacing (IFS) delay period that is longer than a Short IFS (SIFS) delay period, and   wherein transmitting the packet comprises transmitting the packet via the wireless communications channel after the randomized IFS delay period.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining whether the packet comprises the particular type of packet comprises determining whether the packet is a delay-sensitive uplink packet, and   wherein assigning the randomized time delay value comprises assigning the randomized time delay value that defines the randomized delay period, in response to  based on determining that the packet is a delay-sensitive uplink packet.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a particular distribution among a plurality of different distributions of randomized values, wherein the randomized delay period is defined by one of the randomized values of the particular distribution. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the packet comprises transmitting the packet to an access point of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) via the wireless communications channel based on the expiration of the randomized delay period. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the packet comprises an unaggregated streaming video uplink data packet, and   wherein transmitting the packet comprises transmitting the unaggregated streaming video uplink data packet via the wireless communications channel based on the expiration of the randomized delay period.   
     
     
         15 . A first electronic device, comprising:
 a network interface connected to an antenna and configured to provide a wireless communications interface; and   a processor circuit configured to:
 control listening, via the network interface, for a wireless transmission by a second electronic device on a wireless communications channel; 
 determine whether a packet comprises a particular type of packet; 
 assign a randomized time delay value that defines a randomized delay period, in response to based on determining that the packet is the particular type of packet comprises a control packet; 
 begin a randomized delay period in response to based on determining that the wireless communications channel is clear; and 
 control transmission, via the network interface, of the packet via the wireless communications channel based on expiration of the randomized delay period. 
   
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the processor circuit is further configured to: assign a different randomized time delay value, based on determining that the packet comprises an acknowledgement packet,or a data packet, or a control packet. 
     
     
         17 . The first electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the packet comprises an unaggregated streaming video uplink data packet, and wherein the processor circuit is configured to transmit the packet by transmitting, via the network interface, the unaggregated streaming video uplink data packet via the wireless communications channel based on the expiration of the randomized delay period. 
     
     
         18 . A computer program product, comprising: a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code therein that when executed by a processor of a first electronic device causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 controlling listening, via a network interface configured to provide a wireless communications interface, for a wireless transmission by a second electronic device on a wireless communications channel;   determining whether a packet comprises a particular type of packet;   assigning a randomized time delay value that defines a randomized delay period, in response to based on determining that the packet is the particular type of packet comprises a control packet;   beginning a randomized delay period in response to based on determining that the wireless communications channel is clear; and
 controlling transmission, via the network interface, of the packet via the wireless communications channel based on expiration of the randomized delay period. 
   
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: assigning a different randomized time delay value that defines the randomized dealy period based on determining that the packet comprises an acknowledgement packet or a data packet.