Sounding and tone block allocation for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) in wireless local area networks
First Claim
1. A method for simultaneously communicating with multiple communication devices in a communication network, the method comprising:
- transmitting, by a first communication device, a null data packet (NDP) to a plurality of second communication devices, wherein the NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth, and wherein the NDP is transmitted via a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers that span the channel frequency bandwidth;
receiving, at the first communication device, a plurality of sounding feedback packets from the plurality of second communication devices,wherein each sounding feedback packet includes one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) indicators corresponding to one or more respective groups of OFDM subcarriers from among the plurality of OFDM subcarriers,wherein the SNR indicators correspond to reception of the NDP at the plurality of second communication devices,wherein each sounding feedback packet in the plurality of sounding feedback packets includes a respective indication of OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information, andwherein at least one sounding feedback packet from among the plurality of sounding feedback packets does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was transmitted;
allocating, at the first communication device, respective sets of OFDM subcarriers to second communication devices in a group of second communication devices for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication, wherein the first communication device uses the received SNR indicators to allocate the sets of OFDM subcarriers; and
at least one of;
transmitting, by the first communication device to the group of second communication devices, a downlink OFDMA transmission that includes respective data directed to the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group, andreceiving, at the first communication device, an uplink OFDMA transmission from the group of second communication devices, wherein the uplink OFDMA transmission includes respective data from the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first communication device transmits a null data packet (NDP) to multiple second communication devices. The NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth. The first communication device receives a plurality of sounding feedback packets from the second communication devices. Each sounding feedback packet includes one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) indicators corresponding to one or more respective groups of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, and the SNR indicators correspond to reception of the NDP at the plurality of second communication devices. Each sounding feedback packet in the plurality of sounding feedback packets includes a respective indication of OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information, and at least one sounding feedback packet from among the plurality of sounding feedback packets does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was transmitted.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for simultaneously communicating with multiple communication devices in a communication network, the method comprising:
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transmitting, by a first communication device, a null data packet (NDP) to a plurality of second communication devices, wherein the NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth, and wherein the NDP is transmitted via a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers that span the channel frequency bandwidth; receiving, at the first communication device, a plurality of sounding feedback packets from the plurality of second communication devices, wherein each sounding feedback packet includes one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) indicators corresponding to one or more respective groups of OFDM subcarriers from among the plurality of OFDM subcarriers, wherein the SNR indicators correspond to reception of the NDP at the plurality of second communication devices, wherein each sounding feedback packet in the plurality of sounding feedback packets includes a respective indication of OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information, and wherein at least one sounding feedback packet from among the plurality of sounding feedback packets does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was transmitted; allocating, at the first communication device, respective sets of OFDM subcarriers to second communication devices in a group of second communication devices for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication, wherein the first communication device uses the received SNR indicators to allocate the sets of OFDM subcarriers; and at least one of; transmitting, by the first communication device to the group of second communication devices, a downlink OFDMA transmission that includes respective data directed to the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group, and receiving, at the first communication device, an uplink OFDMA transmission from the group of second communication devices, wherein the uplink OFDMA transmission includes respective data from the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for use in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface device associated with a first communication device, the network interface device comprising one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to; transmit a null data packet (NDP) to a plurality of second communication devices, wherein the NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth, and wherein the NDP is transmitted via a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers that span the channel frequency bandwidth, receive a plurality of sounding feedback packets from the plurality of second communication devices, wherein each sounding feedback packet includes one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) indicators corresponding to one or more respective groups of OFDM subcarriers from among the plurality of OFDM subcarriers, wherein the SNR indicators correspond to reception of the NDP at the plurality of second communication devices, wherein each sounding feedback packet in the plurality of sounding feedback packets includes a respective indication of OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information, and wherein at least one sounding feedback packet from among the plurality of sounding feedback packets does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was transmitted; wherein the one or more ICs are further configured to;
allocate respective sets of OFDM subcarriers to second communication devices in a group of second communication devices for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication, wherein the first communication device uses the received SNR indicators to allocate the sets of OFDM subcarriers; andwherein the one or more ICs are further configured to, at least one of; transmit, to the group of second communication devices, a downlink OFDMA transmission that includes respective data directed to the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group, and receive an uplink OFDMA transmission from the group of second communication devices, wherein the uplink OFDMA transmission includes respective data from the second communication devices in the group, wherein the respective data are transmitted via respective sets of OFDM subcarriers that were allocated to the second communication devices in the group. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for communicating via orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), the method comprising:
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receiving, at a first communication device, a null data packet (NDP) from a second communication device, wherein the NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth, and wherein the NDP is received via a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers that span the channel frequency bandwidth; determine, at the first communication device, one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements corresponding to one or more respective groups of OFDM subcarriers from among the plurality of OFDM subcarriers, wherein the SNR measurements correspond to reception of the NDP at the first communication device; transmit, at the first communication device, a sounding feedback packet to the second communication device, wherein the sounding feedback packet includes one or more SNR indicators corresponding to the one or more SNR measurements, wherein the sounding feedback packet does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was received, and wherein the sounding feedback packet includes an indication of the OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information; receiving, at the first communication device, allocation information from the second communication device, wherein the allocation information indicates a set of OFDM subcarriers allocated to the first communication devices for an OFDMA communication, and wherein the allocation information is received from the second communication device in response to transmitting the sounding feedback packet to the second communication device; and at least one of; receiving, at the first communication device, a downlink OFDMA transmission from the second communication device, wherein the downlink OFDMA transmission includes respective data directed to the first communication devices and one or more third communication devices, wherein the data directed to the first communication device is transmitted via the set of OFDM subcarriers indicated by the allocation information, and transmitting, by the first communication device, an uplink transmission as part of an uplink OFDMA transmission from a group comprising the first communication device and the one or more third communication devices, wherein the uplink transmission by the first communication device is transmitted via the set of OFDM subcarriers indicated by the allocation information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for use in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:
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a network interface device associated with a first communication device, the network interface device comprising one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to; receive a null data packet (NDP) from a second communication device, wherein the NDP spans a channel frequency bandwidth, and wherein the NDP is received via a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers that span the channel frequency bandwidth, determine one or more signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements corresponding to one or more respective groups of OFDM subcarriers from among the plurality of OFDM subcarriers, wherein the SNR measurements correspond to reception of the NDP at the first communication device, and transmit a sounding feedback packet to the second communication device, wherein the sounding feedback packet includes one or more SNR indicators corresponding to the one or more SNR measurements, wherein the sounding feedback packet does not include SNR information for all OFDM subcarriers via which the NDP was received, and wherein the sounding feedback packet includes an indication of the OFDM subcarriers for which the sounding feedback packet includes SNR information; wherein the one or more ICs are further configured to;
receive allocation information from the second communication device, wherein the allocation information indicates a set of OFDM subcarriers allocated to the first communication devices for an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication, and wherein the allocation information is received from the second communication device in response to transmitting the sounding feedback packet to the second communication device; andwherein the one or more ICs are further configured to, at least one of; receive a downlink OFDMA transmission from the second communication device, wherein the downlink OFDMA transmission includes respective data directed to the first communication devices and one or more third communication devices, wherein the data directed to the first communication device is transmitted via the set of OFDM subcarriers indicated by the allocation information, and transmit an uplink transmission as part of an uplink OFDMA transmission from a group comprising the first communication device and the one or more third communication devices, wherein the uplink transmission by the first communication device is transmitted via the set of OFDM subcarriers indicated by the allocation information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification