Null data packet (NDP) ranging with unassociated stations

• US 10,641,887 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Chu, Liwen, Zhang, Hongyuan, Lou, Hui-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US15/987,716
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An access point (AP) device of a wireless communication network determines that an unassociated client station requests to participate in a ranging measurement procedure with the AP device, and determines a preliminary network ID for uses by the unassociated client station during a ranging measurement session and while the unassociated client station remains unassociated with the wireless communication network. The AP device transmits a packet having the preliminary network ID, and after transmitting the packet having the preliminary network ID, participates in a multi-user (MU) null data packet (NDP) ranging measurement session with a plurality of client stations that includes the unassociated client station. Participating in the MU NDP ranging measurement session includes transmitting a trigger frame to prompt the plurality of client stations to simultaneously transmit respective NDPs as part of an uplink MU transmission corresponding to the MU NDP ranging measurement session, where the trigger frame includes the preliminary network ID.

Claims

1. A method for performing a ranging measurement procedure, the method comprising:

determining, at an access point (AP) device of a wireless communication network, that an unassociated client station requests to participate in a ranging measurement procedure with the AP device, wherein the unassociated client station is not currently associated with the wireless communication network and has not been assigned, by the AP device, a network identifier (ID) as a result of becoming associated with the wireless communication network;

determining, at the AP device, a preliminary network ID for the unassociated client station, the preliminary network ID to be used by the unassociated client station during a ranging measurement session while the unassociated client station remains not associated with the wireless communication network;

transmitting, by the AP device, a packet having the preliminary network ID, wherein the packet indicates that the AP device has assigned the preliminary network ID to the unassociated client station for use during the ranging measurement session; and

after transmitting the packet having the preliminary network ID, participating in, by the AP device, a multi-user (MU) null data packet (NDP) ranging measurement session with a plurality of client stations that includes the unassociated client station, wherein participating in the MU NDP ranging measurement session includes transmitting a trigger frame to prompt the plurality of client stations to simultaneously transmit respective NDPs as part of an uplink MU transmission corresponding to the MU NDP ranging measurement session, wherein the trigger frame includes the preliminary network ID to prompt the unassociated client station to transmit an NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the packet having the preliminary network ID comprises:

transmitting the packet as a single-use (SU) transmission to the unassociated client station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

determining that the unassociated client station requests to participate in the ranging measurement procedure with the AP device comprises receiving, at the AP device, a second packet from the unassociated station as an SU transmission, the second packet corresponding to a request to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the first packet is transmitted in response to receiving the second packet.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the packet includes an information element corresponding to assignment of preliminary network IDs to unassociated client stations in connection with a ranging measurement procedure; and

the preliminary network ID is included in the information element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining that the first unassociated client station requests to participate in the ranging measurement procedure with the AP device comprises receiving an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission from a plurality of unassociated client stations, the UL MU transmission including a plurality of packets corresponding to respective requests from the plurality of unassociated client stations to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the packet having the preliminary network ID is transmitted in response to receiving the UL MU transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the packet is a first unicast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a MAC address of the first unassociated client station;

the first unicast packet is transmitted within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission to the plurality of unassociated client stations;

the DL MU transmission includes a plurality of respective unicast packets corresponding to the plurality of unassociated client stations; and

each unicast packet includes a respective preliminary network ID for the respective unassociated client station to be used by the respective unassociated client station during the ranging measurement session while the respective unassociated client station remains not associated with the wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the packet is a broadcast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a broadcast MAC address;

the broadcast packet includes a plurality of respective preliminary network IDs corresponding to the plurality of unassociated client stations; and

the respective preliminary network IDs are to be used by the respective unassociated client stations during the ranging measurement session while the respective unassociated client stations remain not associated with the wireless communication network.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface device associated with an access point (AP) device of a wireless communication network, wherein the network interface device includes one or more integrated circuits (ICs), and wherein the network interface device is configured to;

determine that an unassociated client station requests to participate in a ranging measurement procedure with the AP device, wherein the unassociated client station is not currently associated with the wireless communication network and has not been assigned, by the AP device, a network identifier (ID) as a result of becoming associated with the wireless communication network,

determine a preliminary network ID for the unassociated client station, the preliminary network ID to be used by the unassociated client station during a ranging measurement session while the unassociated client station remains not associated with the wireless communication network,

transmit a packet having the preliminary network ID, wherein the packet indicates that the AP device has assigned the preliminary network ID to the unassociated client station for use during the ranging measurement session, and

after transmitting the packet having the preliminary network ID, participate in a multi-user (MU) null data packet (NDP) ranging measurement session with a plurality of client stations that includes the unassociated client station, wherein participating in the MU NDP ranging measurement session includes transmitting a trigger frame to prompt the plurality of client stations to simultaneously transmit respective NDPs as part of an uplink MU transmission corresponding to the MU NDP ranging measurement session, wherein the trigger frame includes the preliminary network ID to prompt the unassociated client station to transmit an NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the network interface device is configured to:

transmit the packet as a single-use (SU) transmission to the unassociated client station.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

the network interface device is configured to determine that the unassociated client station requests to participate in the ranging measurement procedure with the AP device comprises based on receiving a second packet from the unassociated station as an SU transmission, the second packet corresponding to a request to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the network interface device is configured to transmit the first packet in response to receiving the second packet.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the network interface device is configured to:

generate the packet to include an information element corresponding to assignment of preliminary network IDs to unassociated client stations in connection with a ranging measurement procedure; and

generate the information element to include the preliminary network ID.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the network interface device is configured to:

determine that the first unassociated client station requests to participate in the ranging measurement procedure with the AP device based on receiving an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission from a plurality of unassociated client stations, the UL MU transmission including a plurality of packets corresponding to respective requests from the plurality of unassociated client stations to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

transmit the packet having the preliminary network ID in response to receiving the UL MU transmission.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the packet is a first unicast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a MAC address of the first unassociated client station;

the network interface device is configured to transmit the first unicast packet within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission to the plurality of unassociated client stations;

the DL MU transmission includes a plurality of respective unicast packets corresponding to the plurality of unassociated client stations; and

the network interface device is configured to generate each unicast packet to includes a respective preliminary network ID for the respective unassociated client station to be used by the respective unassociated client station during the ranging measurement session while the respective unassociated client station remains not associated with the wireless communication network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the packet is a broadcast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a broadcast MAC address;

the network interface device is configured to generate the broadcast packet to include a plurality of respective preliminary network IDs corresponding to the plurality of unassociated client stations; and

the respective preliminary network IDs are to be used by the respective unassociated client stations during the ranging measurement session while the respective unassociated client stations remain not associated with the wireless communication network.

15. A method for performing a ranging measurement procedure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first communication device, a packet having a preliminary network identifier (ID), wherein the packet indicates that an access point (AP) device of a wireless communication network has assigned the preliminary network ID to the first communication device for use during a ranging measurement session, wherein the first communication device is not currently associated with the wireless communication network and has not been assigned, by the AP device, a network ID as a result of becoming associated with the wireless communication network;

after receiving the packet having the preliminary network ID, participating in, by the first communication device, a multi-user (MU) null data packet (NDP) ranging measurement session with the AP device, wherein participating in the MU NDP ranging measurement session includes;

receiving, at the communication device, a trigger frame configured to prompt a plurality of communication device, including the first communication device, to simultaneously transmit respective NDPs as part of an uplink MU transmission corresponding to the MU NDP ranging measurement session, wherein the trigger frame includes the preliminary network ID to prompt the first communication device to transmit a first NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission, and

in response to the trigger frame, transmitting, by the first communication device, the first NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the packet having the preliminary network ID comprises:

receiving the packet via a single-use (SU) transmission from the AP device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

the method further comprises;

transmitting, by the first communication device, a second packet to the AP device as an SU transmission, the second packet corresponding to a request to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the first packet is received in response to transmitting the second packet.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the packet includes an information element corresponding to assignment of preliminary network IDs to unassociated client stations in connection with a ranging measurement procedure; and

the preliminary network ID is included in the information element.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

the method further comprises;

transmitting, by the first communication device, a second packet to the AP device as part of an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission from a plurality of communication devices that includes the first communication device, the UL MU transmission including a plurality of packets corresponding to respective requests from the plurality of communication devices to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the first packet having the preliminary network ID is transmitted in response to the second packet in the UL MU transmission.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the packet is a first unicast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a MAC address of the first communication device;

the first unicast packet is received within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission from the AP device;

the DL MU transmission includes a plurality of respective unicast packets corresponding to the plurality of communication devices; and

each unicast packet includes a respective preliminary network ID for the respective communication device to be used by the respective communication device during the ranging measurement session while the respective communication device remains not associated with the wireless communication network.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the packet is a broadcast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a broadcast MAC address;

the broadcast packet includes a plurality of respective preliminary network IDs corresponding to the plurality of communication devices; and

the respective preliminary network IDs are to be used by the respective communication devices during the ranging measurement session while the respective communication devices remain not associated with the wireless communication network.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device includes one or more integrated circuits (ICs), and wherein the network interface device is configured to;

receive a packet having a preliminary network identifier (ID), wherein the packet indicates that an access point (AP) device of a wireless communication network has assigned the preliminary network ID to the first communication device for use during a ranging measurement session, wherein the first communication device is not currently associated with the wireless communication network and has not been assigned, by the AP device, a network ID as a result of becoming associated with the wireless communication network,

after receiving the packet having the preliminary network ID, participate in a multi-user (MU) null data packet (NDP) ranging measurement session with the AP device, wherein network interface device is configured to, as part of participating in the MU NDP ranging measurement session;

receive a trigger frame configured to prompt a plurality of communication device, including the first communication device, to simultaneously transmit respective NDPs as part of an uplink MU transmission corresponding to the MU NDP ranging measurement session, wherein the trigger frame includes the preliminary network ID to prompt the first communication device to transmit a first NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission, and

in response to the trigger frame, transmit the first NDP as part of the uplink MU transmission.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the network interface device is configured to:

receive the packet via a single-use (SU) transmission from the AP device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

the network interface device is configured to;

transmit a second packet to the AP device as an SU transmission, the second packet corresponding to a request to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the first packet is received in response to transmitting the second packet.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the packet includes an information element corresponding to assignment of preliminary network IDs to unassociated client stations in connection with a ranging measurement procedure; and

the preliminary network ID is included in the information element.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the packet is a first packet;

the network interface device is configured to;

transmit a second packet to the AP device as part of an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission from a plurality of communication devices that includes the first communication device, the UL MU transmission including a plurality of packets corresponding to respective requests from the plurality of communication devices to participate in a ranging measurement procedure; and

the first packet having the preliminary network ID is transmitted in response to the second packet in the UL MU transmission.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the packet is a first unicast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a MAC address of the first communication device;

the first unicast packet is received within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission from the AP device;

the DL MU transmission includes a plurality of respective unicast packets corresponding to the plurality of communication devices; and

each unicast packet includes a respective preliminary network ID for the respective communication device to be used by the respective communication device during the ranging measurement session while the respective communication device remains not associated with the wireless communication network.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the packet is a broadcast packet having a destination media access control (MAC) address set to a broadcast MAC address;

the broadcast packet includes a plurality of respective preliminary network IDs corresponding to the plurality of communication devices; and

the respective preliminary network IDs are to be used by the respective communication devices during the ranging measurement session while the respective communication devices remain not associated with the wireless communication network.