Apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable medium for communication in a wireless local area network

• US 10,057,884 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Communication Systems LLC
• Inventors: Atefi, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAGLO, EMMANUEL K
• Application Number:
  US15/322,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various aspects related to various apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable medium are described herein. Some aspects may enable an apparatus to protect downlink (DL) communication(s). Some aspects may enable an apparatus to perform DL communication(s). Some aspects may enable an apparatus to communicate regarding uplink (UL) communication(s). Some aspects may enable an apparatus to perform operation(s) related to an allocation vector. Some aspects may enable an apparatus to perform operation(s) related to random access. Some aspects may enable an apparatus to perform UL communication(s). The written description and appended drawings provide detailed descriptions regarding these and many other aspects.

Claims

1. A station (STA) configured for wireless communication, the STA comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

receive a downlink (DL) transmission comprising a packet destined to a plurality of STAs; and

one or more processors configured to;

use a field included in the packet to determine a total number of space-time streams (STSs) included in the packet and further use the field to select a subset of values from a set of values indicating a number of STSs destined to each of at least some of the plurality of STAs; and

determine a value of a user position (UP) assigned to the STA and select which of the plurality of STSs in the packet are destined to the STA by considering a number of STSs allocated to one or more other STAs each assigned a UP value that is different from the UP value assigned to the STA,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to;

receive, from an access point (AP), an uplink (UL) transmission request (ULTR) configured to trigger simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs within a period of time after receiving the ULTR,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to;

in response to receiving the ULTR, consider a network/navigation allocation vector (NAV) unless the NAV was set by a frame originating from an apparatus from which the ULTR was transmitted;

determine a number of the resource units (RUs) assigned by the ULTR for random access and reduce a back-off counter based on the determined number of RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access; and

depending on a value of the reduced back-off counter, randomly select one or more of the RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit an UL transmission using the randomly selected one or more RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access simultaneously with a transmission of one or more other STAs of the plurality of STAs.

2. The STA of claim 1, wherein the ULTR comprises information for identifying the plurality of STAs for the simultaneous UL transmissions.

3. The STA of claim 1, wherein the ULTR comprises a first portion including a field common to the plurality of STAs and indicating a duration of at least a portion of the simultaneous UL transmissions, and wherein the ULTR further comprises a second portion including a plurality of user-specific fields indicating a description of resource allocation for the simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs.

4. The STA of claim 1, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises considering the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

5. The STA of claim 1, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises subtracting at least some of the other values in the selected subset of values from the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

6. The STA of claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to;

receive a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP; and

the one or more processors is/are further configured to;

use the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refrain from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when a basic service set (BSS) identifier (BSSID) of a BSS with which the STA is associated corresponds to a BSSID of a BSS with which the second STA is associated.

7. The STA of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

in response to receiving the ULTR, if the UL transmission in response to the ULTR comprises an acknowledgement message having less than a threshold duration, transmit the UL transmission without considering the NAV.

8. The STA of claim 1, wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to;

receive a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP; and

the one or more processors is/are further configured to;

use the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refrain from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when the second STA is in a same basic service set (BSS) as the STA.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for a station (STA) or an apparatus of the STA, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code or instructions configured to cause the STA or the apparatus to:

receive a downlink (DL) transmission comprising a packet destined to a plurality of STAs;

use a field included in the packet to determine a total number of space-time streams (STSs) included in the packet and further use the field to select a subset of values from a set of values indicating a number of STSs destined to each of at least some of the plurality of STAs;

determine a value of a user position (UP) assigned to the STA and select which of the plurality of STSs in the packet are destined to the STA by considering a number of STSs allocated to one or more other STAs each assigned a UP value that is different from the UP value assigned to the STA;

receive, from an access point (AP), an uplink (UL) transmission request (ULTR) configured to trigger simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs within a period of time after receiving the ULTR;

in response to receiving the ULTR, consider a network/navigation allocation vector (NAV) unless the NAV was set by a frame originating from an apparatus from which the ULTR was transmitted;

determine a number of the resource units (RUs) assigned by the ULTR for random access and reduce a back-off counter based on the determined number of RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access;

depending on a value of the reduced back-off counter, randomly select one or more of the RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access; and

transmit an UL transmission using the randomly selected one or more RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access simultaneously with a transmission of one or more other STAs of the plurality of STAs.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the ULTR comprises information for identifying the plurality of STAs for the simultaneous UL transmissions.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the ULTR comprises a first portion including a field common to the plurality of STAs and indicating a duration of at least a portion of the simultaneous UL transmissions, and wherein the ULTR further comprises a second portion including a plurality of user-specific fields indicating a description of resource allocation for the simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises considering the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises subtracting at least some of the other values in the selected subset of values from the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the code or instructions is/are further configured to cause the STA or the apparatus to:

receive a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP;

use the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refrain from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when a basic service set (BSS) identifier (BSSID) of a BSS with which the STA is associated corresponds to a BSSID of a BSS with which the second STA is associated.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the code or instructions is/are further configured to cause the STA or the apparatus to:

in response to receiving the ULTR, if the UL transmission in response to the ULTR comprises an acknowledgement message having less than a threshold duration, transmit the UL transmission without considering the NAV.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the code or instructions is/are further configured to cause the STA or the apparatus to:

receive a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP;

use the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refrain from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when the second STA is in a same basic service set (BSS) as the STA.

10. A method of wireless communication by a station (STA) or an apparatus of the STA, the method comprising:

receiving a downlink (DL) transmission comprising a packet destined to a plurality of STAs;

using a field included in the packet to determine a total number of space-time streams (STSs) included in the packet and further using the field to select a subset of values from a set of values indicating a number of STSs destined to each of at least some of the plurality of STAs;

determining a value of a user position (UP) assigned to the STA and selecting which of the plurality of STSs in the packet are destined to the STA by considering a number of STSs allocated to one or more other STAs each assigned a UP value that is different from the UP value assigned to the STA;

receiving, from an access point (AP), an uplink (UL) transmission request (ULTR) configured to trigger simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs within a period of time after receiving the ULTR;

considering, in response to receiving the ULTR, a network/navigation allocation vector (NAV) unless the NAV was set by a frame originating from an apparatus from which the ULTR was transmitted;

determining a number of the resource units (RUs) assigned by the ULTR for random access and reducing a back-off counter based on the determined number of RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access;

depending on a value of the reduced back-off counter, randomly selecting one or more of the RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access; and

transmitting an UL transmission using the randomly selected one or more RUs assigned by the ULTR for random access simultaneously with a transmission of one or more other STAs of the plurality of STAs.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the ULTR comprises information for identifying the plurality of STAs for the simultaneous UL transmissions.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the ULTR comprises a first portion including a field common to the plurality of STAs and indicating a duration of at least a portion of the simultaneous UL transmissions, and wherein the ULTR further comprises a second portion including a plurality of user-specific fields indicating a description of resource allocation for the simultaneous UL transmissions by the plurality of STAs.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises considering the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the values in the selected subset of values is variable, and wherein a determination of an exact value for the variable comprises subtracting at least some of the other values in the selected subset of values from the determined total number of STSs included in the received packet.

22. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP;

using the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refraining from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when a basic service set (BSS) identifier (BSSID) of a BSS with which the STA is associated corresponds to a BSSID of a BSS with which the second STA is associated.

23. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to receiving the ULTR, if the UL transmission in response to the ULTR comprises an acknowledgement message having less than a threshold duration, transmitting the UL transmission without considering the NAV.

24. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a frame from a second STA different from the STA and the AP;

using the received frame to set a NAV of the STA; and

refraining from considering the NAV of the STA in response to receiving the ULTR when the second STA is in a same basic service set (BSS) as the STA.