Uplink multi-user multiple input multiple output for wireless local area network

• US 10,727,912 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Chu, Liwen, Zhang, Hongyuan, Lou, Hui-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Bo Hui A
• Application Number:
  US14/955,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20160087700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• 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 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• 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 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A communication device of a client uplink group transmits an enhanced request to send (E-RTS) message to an access point of a wireless local area network, wherein the E-RTS message includes i) a length of a TXOP of the communication device and ii) an indication of a data unit size for an uplink MU-MIMO data unit to be transmitted by the communication device simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group. The communication device receives a communication frame from the access point, the communication frame including a prompt to transmit an uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size. The communication device generates the uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size, and transmits, in response to the communication frame, the uplink MU-MIMO data unit to the access point during the TXOP simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a communication device of a client uplink group, an enhanced request to send (E-RTS) message to an access point of a wireless local area network, wherein the E-RTS message includes i) a length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) of the communication device and ii) an indication of a data unit size for an uplink MU-MIMO data unit to be transmitted by the communication device simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group, wherein the TXOP defines a bounded time interval reserved by the communication device;

receiving a communication frame from the access point in response to the E-RTS message, wherein the communication frame includes a prompt to simultaneously transmit respective uplink MU-MIMO data units having the indicated data unit size by the communication device and the other members of the client uplink group;

generating the uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size; and

transmitting, by the communication device and in response to the communication frame, the uplink MU-MIMO data unit to the access point during the TXOP simultaneously with transmissions of the other members of the client uplink group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the uplink MU-MIMO data unit comprises generating the uplink MU-MIMO data unit to include an additional E-RTS message that includes i) a remainder of the TXOP length and ii) an indication of a data unit size for another uplink MU-MIMO data unit to be transmitted by the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a group acknowledgment frame from the access point during the TXOP, the group acknowledgment frame including respective acknowledgments for i) the uplink MU-MIMO data unit transmitted by the communication device and ii) another uplink MU-MIMO data unit transmitted by another communication device of the client uplink group;

generating an additional uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size after receipt of the group acknowledgment frame; and

transmitting, by the communication device and in response to the communication frame, the additional uplink MU-MIMO data unit to the access point during the TXOP simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the e-RTS message prompts the access point to transmit the communication frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein another communication device of the client uplink group is not permitted to transmit in the TXOP unless the communication device specifically permits the other communication device to transmit in the TXOP.

6. A communication device of a client uplink group, the communication device comprising:

a network interface device having one or more integrated circuits configured to;

transmit an enhanced request to send (E-RTS) message to an access point of a wireless local area network, wherein the E-RTS message includes i) a length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) of the communication device and ii) an indication of a data unit size for an uplink MU-MIMO data unit to be transmitted by the communication device simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group, wherein the TXOP defines a bounded time interval reserved by the communication device;

receive a communication frame from the access point in response to the E-RTS message, wherein the communication frame includes a prompt to simultaneously transmit respective uplink MU-MIMO data units having the indicated data unit size by the communication device and the other members of the client uplink group;

generate the uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size; and

transmit, in response to the communication frame, the uplink MU-MIMO data unit to the access point during the TXOP simultaneously with transmissions of the other members of the client uplink group.

7. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:

generate the uplink MU-MIMO data unit to include an additional E-RTS message that includes i) a remainder of the TXOP length and ii) an indication of a data unit size for another uplink MU-MIMO data unit to be transmitted by the communication device.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:

receive a group acknowledgment frame from the access point during the TXOP, the group acknowledgment frame including respective acknowledgments for i) the uplink MU-MIMO data unit transmitted by the communication device and ii) another uplink MU-MIMO data unit transmitted by another communication device of the client uplink group, wherein the TXOP defines a bounded time interval reserved by the communication device;

generate an additional uplink MU-MIMO data unit having the indicated data unit size after receipt of the group acknowledgment frame; and

transmit, in response to the communication frame, the additional uplink MU-MIMO data unit to the access point during the TXOP simultaneously with transmissions of other members of the client uplink group.

9. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by an access point, respective downlink MU-MIMO data units to a first communication device of a client uplink group and a second communication device of the client uplink group, each downlink MU-MIMO data unit including i) a respective first aggregate media access control protocol data unit, and ii) a respective communication signal to prompt transmission of an independent uplink MU-MIMO data unit, having a respective second aggregate media access control protocol data unit, by the corresponding communication device of the client uplink group, wherein the downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted simultaneously; and

receiving, in response to the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units, respective uplink MU-MIMO data units from the first communication device and the second communication device, each uplink MU-MIMO data unit including i) the respective second aggregate media access control protocol data unit, and ii) an acknowledgment of the corresponding first aggregate media access control protocol data unit, wherein the uplink MU-MIMO data units are received simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a clear to send to self (CTS-to-Self) frame that indicates a length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) of the access point, wherein:

the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted during the TXOP; and

the respective uplink MU-MIMO data units are received during the TXOP.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a request to send (RTS) message to the first communication device, the RTS message indicating a TXOP of the access point; and

receiving, from the first communication device and in response to the RTS message, a clear to send (CTS) frame that indicates a remaining length of the TXOP, wherein;

the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted during the TXOP after receipt of the CTS frame, and

the respective uplink MU-MIMO data units are received during the TXOP.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the respective second aggregate media access control protocol data units of the uplink MU-MIMO data units are responsive to the respective communication signals of the downlink MU-MIMO data units.

13. An access point of a wireless local area network, the access point comprising:

a network interface device having one or more integrated circuits configured to;

transmit respective downlink MU-MIMO data units to a first communication device of a client uplink group and a second communication device of the client uplink group, each downlink MU-MIMO data unit including i) a respective first aggregate media access control protocol data unit, and ii) a respective communication signal to prompt transmission of an independent uplink MU-MIMO data unit, having a respective second aggregate media access control protocol data unit, by the corresponding communication device of the client uplink group, wherein the downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted simultaneously; and

receive, in response to the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units, respective uplink MU-MIMO data units from the first communication device and the second communication device, each uplink MU-MIMO data unit including i) a respective second aggregate media access control protocol data unit, and ii) an acknowledgment of the corresponding first aggregate media access control protocol data unit, wherein the uplink MU-MIMO data units are received simultaneously.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:

transmit a clear to send to self (CTS-to-Self) frame that indicates a length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) of the access point, wherein;

the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted during the TXOP; and

the respective uplink MU-MIMO data units are received during the TXOP.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:

transmit a request to send (RTS) message to the first communication device, the RTS message indicating a TXOP of the access point; and

receive, from the first communication device and in response to the RTS message, a clear to send (CTS) frame that indicates a remaining length of the TXOP, wherein;

the respective downlink MU-MIMO data units are transmitted during the TXOP after receipt of the CTS frame, and

the respective uplink MU-MIMO data units are received during the TXOP.