Methods and apparatus for acknowledgment of multi-user uplink wireless transmissions

• US 10,554,557 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Merlin, Simone, Barriac, Gwendolyn Denise, Sampath, Hemanth, Vermani, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mak, Peter K
• Application Number:
  US15/183,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2621 using frequency division multiple access [FDMA] H04B7/2615 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0008 by supplementing frame payload, e.g. with padding bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0031 Multiple signaling transmission H04L1/1664, F15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1621 Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 : Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 : at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• 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 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 : in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/008 : with additional processing of random access related information at receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• 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 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for acknowledgment of multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, a method of wireless communication includes receiving a first wireless message from a first station at least partially concurrently with receiving a second wireless message from a second station, generating a first acknowledgment message in response to receiving the first wireless message, generating a second acknowledgement message in response to receiving the second wireless message, and transmitting the first acknowledgment message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmitting the second acknowledgement message to the second station.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at a first wireless device, a clear to transmit message from a second wireless device, the clear to transmit message indicating a time when the first wireless device is to transmit a first wireless message;

transmitting, at the first wireless device, the first wireless message to the second wireless device at least partially simultaneously with a transmission by a third wireless device of a second wireless message to the second wireless device and with a transmission by a fourth wireless device of a third wireless message to the second wireless device;

receiving, at the second wireless device, at least a portion of a fourth wireless message sent to the second wireless device, the fourth wireless message indicating an acknowledgment policy for the fourth wireless device;

receiving, at the first wireless device, at least a portion of a first acknowledgment message in response to the first wireless message, at least partially simultaneously with receiving, at the third wireless device, at least a portion of a second acknowledgment message in response to the second wireless message;

receiving, at the second wireless device, at least a portion of a fifth wireless message from the fourth wireless device after receiving at least the portion of the fourth wireless message, the fifth wireless message requesting a block acknowledgment for the fourth wireless device; and

receiving, at the fourth wireless device, at least a portion of a third acknowledgment message in response to the fifth wireless message, wherein

the third acknowledgement message is received by the fourth wireless device after the first wireless device receives the first acknowledgement message and the third wireless device receives the second acknowledgment message, and wherein the third acknowledgement message is the block acknowledgment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding, at the first wireless device, the clear to transmit message to determine the time to transmit the first wireless message; and

wherein transmitting the first wireless message is at the determined time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, via the first wireless device, an acknowledgment policy message indicating delayed block acknowledgments are requested.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the first wireless device, the at least a portion of the first acknowledgment message in response to the first wireless message over a first spatial stream and receiving, at the third wireless device, the at least a portion of the second acknowledgment message in response to the second wireless message over a second spatial stream.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the first wireless device, the at least a portion of the first acknowledgment for the first acknowledgment message over a first frequency and receiving, at the third wireless device, the at least a portion of the second acknowledgment message over a second frequency.

6. A first wireless device, comprising:

a network interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

a processor in communication with the network interface and the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and capable of executing processor-executable program code stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, that causes the first wireless device to perform a method of wireless communication, comprising;

receiving a clear to transmit message from an access point, the clear to transmit message indicating a time when the first wireless device is to transmit a first wireless message;

transmitting the first wireless message to the access point at least partially simultaneously with a transmission by a third wireless device of a second wireless message to the access point and with a transmission by a fourth wireless device of a third wireless message to the access point;

receiving at least a portion of a first acknowledgement message in response to the first wireless message, at least partially simultaneously with receiving, at the third wireless device, at least a portion of a second acknowledgement message in response to the second wireless message;

wherein, the access point is configured to receive;

at least a portion of a fourth wireless message sent to the access point, the fourth wireless message indicating an acknowledgement policy for the fourth wireless device;

at least a portion of a fifth wireless message from the fourth wireless device after receiving at least a portion of the fourth wireless message, the fifth wireless message requesting a block acknowledgement for the fourth wireless device; and

wherein, the fourth wireless device is configured to receive;

at least a portion of a third acknowledgement message in response to the fifth wireless message, and wherein the third acknowledgement message is received by the fourth wireless device after the first wireless device receives the first acknowledgement message and the third wireless device receives the second acknowledgment message, and wherein the third acknowledgement message is the block acknowledgment.

7. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to generate a sixth wireless message, the sixth wireless message indicating an acknowledgment policy for acknowledging the first wireless message.

8. The first wireless device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the sixth wireless message to the second wireless device.

9. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the sixth wireless message to indicate an acknowledgment policy of immediate block acknowledgment or acknowledgment of a single frame.

10. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to decode the clear to transmit message to determine the time to transmit the first wireless message.

11. The first wireless device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the first wireless message at the determined time.

12. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an acknowledgment policy message indicating delayed block acknowledgments are requested.

13. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the acknowledgement for the first wireless message over a first spatial stream and receive the second acknowledgment message over a second spatial stream.

14. The first wireless device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the acknowledgment for the first acknowledgment message over a first frequency and receive the second acknowledgment message over a second frequency.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at a first wireless device, a clear to transmit message from a second wireless device, the clear to transmit message indicating a time when the first wireless device is to transmit a first wireless message;

transmitting, at the first wireless device, the first wireless message to the second wireless device at least partially concurrently with a transmission by a third wireless device of a second wireless message to the second wireless device and with a transmission by a fourth wireless device of a third wireless message to the second wireless device;

receiving, at the second wireless device, at least a portion of a fourth wireless message sent to the second wireless device, the fourth wireless message indicating an acknowledgment policy for the fourth wireless device;

receiving, at the first wireless device, at least a portion of a first acknowledgment message for the first wireless message, at least partially concurrently with receiving, at the third wireless device, at least a portion of a second acknowledgment message for the second wireless message;

receiving, at the second wireless device, at least a portion of a fifth wireless message from the fourth wireless device after receiving at least the portion of the fourth wireless message, the fifth wireless message requesting a block acknowledgment for the fourth wireless device; and

receiving, at the fourth wireless device, at least a portion of a third acknowledgment message for the fifth wireless message, wherein

the third acknowledgement message is received by the fourth wireless device after the first wireless device receives the first acknowledgement message and the third wireless device receives the second acknowledgment message, and wherein the third acknowledgement message is the block acknowledgment.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

decoding, at the first wireless device, the clear to transmit message to determine the time to transmit the first wireless message; and

wherein transmitting the first wireless message is at the determined time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising transmitting, via the first wireless device, an acknowledgment policy message indicating delayed block acknowledgments are requested.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving, at the first wireless device, the at least a portion of the first acknowledgment message in response to the first wireless message over a first spatial stream and receiving, at the third wireless device, the at least a portion of the second acknowledgment message in response to the second wireless message over a second spatial stream.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving, at the first wireless device, the at least a portion of the first acknowledgment message in response to the first wireless message over a first frequency and receiving, at the third wireless device, the at least a portion of the second acknowledgment message in response to the second wireless message over a second frequency.