Unified Link Layer API: A generic and open API to manage wireless media access

  • Authors:

  • Mahesh Sooriyabandara;Tim Farnham;Costas Efthymiou;Matthias Wellens;Janne Riihijärvi;Petri Mähönen;Alain Gefflaut;José Antonio Galache;Diego Melpignano;Arthur van Rooijen

  • Affiliations:

  • Telecommunications Research Laboratory, Toshiba Research Europe Limited, 32, Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4ND, UK;Telecommunications Research Laboratory, Toshiba Research Europe Limited, 32, Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4ND, UK;Telecommunications Research Laboratory, Toshiba Research Europe Limited, 32, Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4ND, UK;Department of Wireless Networks, RWTH Aachen University, Kackertstrasse 9, 52072 Aachen, Germany;Department of Wireless Networks, RWTH Aachen University, Kackertstrasse 9, 52072 Aachen, Germany;Department of Wireless Networks, RWTH Aachen University, Kackertstrasse 9, 52072 Aachen, Germany;European Microsoft Innovation Center (EMIC), Ritterstrasse 23, 52072 Aachen, Germany;Department of Communications Engineering, University of Cantabria Avda Castros s/n 39005 - Santander, Spain;Advanced System Technologies - ST Microelectronics Centro direzionale Colleoni, Building "la Dialettica" 20041 Agrate Brianza, Italy;MATERNA Information & Communications GmbH Vosskuhle 37, 44141 Dortmund, Germany

  • Venue:
  • Computer Communications
  • Year:
  • 2008

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Abstract

We present the Unified Link Layer API (ULLA) framework: an open and extensible API framework that incorporates a number of requirements related to a wide range of applications, including multi-mode and cross-layer optimisation scenarios. This work has been mainly motivated by the complexity and interoperability problems related to the large number of wireless APIs available today. ULLA provides database and object oriented service abstractions to applications through a generic query mechanism, a method to setup asynchronous notifications and a command interface. It encapsulates link level heterogeneity by defining a unified model for link technologies. We describe design details, various implementation options and discuss how the proposed ULLA design provides an extensible, scalable and platform independent framework, enabling seamless link access and control in various types of device platforms. Application programming using ULLA is illustrated using code examples. Numerous usage scenarios for ULLA are presented, highlighting unified access to heterogeneous link standards while encouraging application innovation.