FIELD OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

The described embodiments relate generally to wireless communications. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to systems, methods and apparatuses for scheduling virtual preambles for data reporting of one or more data sources.

BACKGROUND

Current data networks are designed primarily for human users and the network and traffic characteristics that human users generate. The growth and proliferation of low-cost embedded wireless sensors and devices pose a new challenge of high volumes of low bandwidth devices vying for access to limited network resources. One of the primary challenges with these new traffic characteristics is the efficiency at which the shared network resources can be used. For common low bandwidth applications such a GPS tracking, the efficiency (useful/useless data ratio) can often be below 10%. This inefficiency is the result of large volumes of devices communicating in an uncoordinated environment. Addressing this problem is fundamental to the future commercial viability of large-scale sensor network deployments.

It is desirable to have methods, apparatuses, and systems for scheduling virtual preambles for data reporting of one or more data sources.

SUMMARY

An embodiment includes a method of data source reporting. The method includes receiving, by a base station, a preamble from a set of one or more data sources during a scheduled time slot, receiving, by the base station, a virtual preamble during the scheduled time slot, wherein the virtual preamble is associated with another set of one or more data sources, generating, by the base station, responses to the both preamble and the virtual preamble, wherein the responses include scheduled time and frequency allocations for uplink communication from the set of one or more data sources and the other set of one or more data sources, and transmitting, by the base station, the responses to the set of one or more data sources and the other set of one or more data sources.

Another embodiment includes a data reporting system. The system includes one or more data sources, a network server, and a base station. The base station operates to receive a preamble from a set of one or more data sources during a scheduled time slot, receive a virtual preamble during the scheduled time slot, wherein the virtual preamble is associated with another set of one or more data sources, generate responses to both the preamble and the virtual preamble, wherein the responses include scheduled time and frequency allocations for uplink communication from the set of one or more data sources and the other set of one or more data sources, transmits the responses to the one or more hubs and the one or more other hubs, and receive uplink wireless communication from the one or more other hubs according to the scheduled time and frequency allocations.

Other aspects and advantages of the described embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the described embodiments.

