Protection of Latency-Strict Stations on WLAN Systems Using CTS-to-STA Frames

Low-latency and highly reliable communication on wireless LAN (WLAN) is difficult due to interference from the surroundings. To overcome this problem, we have developed a scheme called Clear to Send-to-Station (CTS-STA) frame transmission control that enables stable latency communication in environments with strong interference from surrounding WLAN systems. This scheme uses the basic functions of WLAN standards and is effective for both the latest and legacy standard devices. It operates when latency-strict transmission is required for an STA and there is interference from surrounding WLAN devices while minimizing the control signal overhead. Experimental evaluations with prototype systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.