Method and device for allocating resource units using leftover tones in wireless LAN

• US 10,085,263 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Jinsoo, Cho, Hangyu, Lee, Wookbong
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US15/524,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 370349, 370389, 3703102, 370328, 370338, 370329, 370341, 370431, 370443
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a device for allocating resource units using leftover tones in a wireless LAN. The method for allocating resource units using leftover tones in a wireless LAN may comprise the steps of: an AP generating PPDUs to be transmitted to a plurality of STAs; and the AP transmitting the PPDUs to the plurality of STAs on all frequency bands, wherein the PPDUs are transmitted from each of a plurality of resource unit sets respectively allocated to each of the plurality of STAs, wherein each of the plurality of resource unit sets includes a first resource unit set and a second resource unit set, wherein the first resource unit set includes at least one resource unit, the second resource unit set includes one tone design resource unit, and wherein the tone design resource unit may include at least one other resource unit and at least one additional tone unit.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resource units in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the method comprising:

generating, by an access point (AP), a physical (PHY) layer protocol data unit (PPDU) for a plurality of stations (STAs); and

transmitting, by the AP, the PPDU to the plurality of STAs based on a plurality of resource unit groups for an entire frequency bandwidth,

wherein each of the plurality of resource unit groups is allocated to each of the plurality of STAs,

wherein each of the plurality of resource unit groups corresponds to at least one 26-tone resource unit or a tone design resource unit that includes at least one other 26-tone resource unit and at least one additional tone unit, and

wherein the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to leftover tones remaining after a plurality of frequency tones corresponding to the plurality of resource unit groups are divided in a 26-tone resource unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the at least one additional tone unit is linearly increased in accordance with an increase in a number of the at least one other 26-tone resource unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a number of the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to a fixed value being independent from the increase in the number of the at least one other 26-tone resource unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tone design resource unit is located to one of a predetermined plurality of allocatable frequency locations within the entire frequency bandwidth, and

wherein the predetermined plurality of allocatable frequency locations are determined based on a location of the at least one additional tone unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entire frequency bandwidth corresponds to 20 MHz,

wherein the plurality of frequency tones correspond to a 242-tone resource unit, and

wherein each of the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to a 4-tone leftover tone unit.

6. An access point (AP) allocating resource units in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the AP comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) unit transmitting and receiving radio signals; and

a processor being operatively connected to the RF unit,

wherein the processor is configured;

to generate a physical (PHY) layer protocol data unit (PPDU) for a plurality of stations (STAs), and

to transmit the PPDU to the plurality of STAs based on a plurality of resource unit groups for an entire frequency bandwidth,

wherein each of the plurality of resource unit groups is allocated to each of the plurality of STAs,

wherein each of the plurality of resource unit groups corresponds to at least one 26-tone resource unit or a tone design resource unit that includes at least one other 26-tone resource unit and at least one additional tone unit, and

wherein the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to leftover tones remaining after a plurality of frequency tones corresponding to the plurality of resource unit groups are divided in a 26-tone resource unit.

7. The AP of claim 6, wherein a number of the at least one additional tone unit is linearly increased in accordance with an increase in a number of the at least one other 26-tone resource unit.

8. The AP of claim 7, wherein a number of the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to a fixed value being independent from the increase in the number of the at least one other 26-tone resource unit.

9. The AP of claim 6, wherein the tone design resource unit is located to one of a predetermined plurality of allocatable frequency locations within the entire frequency bandwidth, and

wherein the predetermined plurality of allocatable frequency locations are determined based on a location of the at least one additional tone unit.

10. The AP of claim 6, wherein the entire frequency bandwidth corresponds to 20 MHz,

wherein the plurality of frequency tones correspond to a 242-tone resource unit, and

wherein each of the at least one additional tone unit corresponds to a 4-tone leftover tone unit.