SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION OF PACKETS HAVING A PLURALITY OF FORMATS

• US 20130121243A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vermani, Sameer, Abraham, Santosh P., Taghavi Nasrabadi, Mohammad Hossein, Jones, Vincent K., Sampath, Hemanth
• Granted Patent: US 9,385,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0029 Reduction of the amount of signalling, e.g. retention of useful signalling or differential signalling power control H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0039 other detection of signalling, e.g. detection of TFCI explicit signalling H04L1/0046, H04L27/0012 and H04L25/0262 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating packets having a plurality of formats are described herein. In some aspects, a signal (SIG) field in the preamble of a packet may indicate whether an extension field, such as an extension SIG field or SIG-B field, is included in the packet. In another aspect, one or more detectors may be used to auto-detect packets formatted as one of at least two different formats based on a short training field (STF) of a received packet. In some aspects, along training field (LTF) in the preamble of a packet may indicate whether the payload is repetition coded.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a wireless communication comprising a physical layer preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the preamble includes an extension field; and

a processor configured to process the payload based on modulation coding parameters included in the first field when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field, and configured to process the payload based on coding parameters included in the extension field when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first field comprises a signal (SIG) field.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a bit in the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein two bits in the SIG field indicate whether the extension field is included.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a rotation of a modulation of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an indication on a quadrature phase during a symbol of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to decode the payload for single user (SU) data when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field, and to decode the payload for multi-user (MU) data when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extension field comprises an indication of one or more modulation coding schemes, an indication of one or more spatial streams, a group identifier, a cyclic redundancy check, a reserved sub-field, and a tail sub-field.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication comprises a first type, wherein the first field comprises a training field having a sequence, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive wireless communications having a second type, the wireless communications of the second type comprising a training field having the sequence, wherein the sequence is repeated a greater number of times in the training field of the second type than in the training field of the first type.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extension field comprises a training field.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the training field is precoded.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the extension field comprises a SIG-B field.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one SIG-B field is included for each user.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first field includes a sub-field indicating a length of the wireless communication, wherein the processor is configured to interpret the sub-field as a number of bytes when the first field indicates that the wireless communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit, and wherein the processor is configured to interpret the sub-field as a number of symbols when the first field does not indicate that the wireless communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the extension field is included and that the wireless communication comprises an MU-MIMO or transmit beamforming communication when a modulation of the first field is rotated, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the wireless communication comprises the MU-MIMO communication or the transmit beamforming communication based on an indicator in the extension field.

16. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a wireless communication comprising a physical layer preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the preamble includes an extension field;

processing the payload based on modulation coding parameters included in the first field when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field; and

processing the payload based on coding parameters included in the extension field when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first field comprises a signal (SIG) field.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a bit in the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein two bits in the SIG field indicate whether the extension field is included.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a rotation of a modulation of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein an indication on a quadrature phase during a symbol of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the processing comprises decoding the payload for single user (SU) data when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field, and wherein the processing comprises decoding the payload for multi-user (MU) data when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the extension field comprises an indication of one or more modulation coding schemes, an indication of one or more spatial streams, a group identifier, acyclic redundancy check, a reserved sub-field, and a tail sub-field.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless communication comprises a first type, wherein the first field comprises a training field having a sequence, wherein the method further comprises receiving a wireless communication having a second type, the wireless communication of the second type comprising a training field having the sequence, wherein the sequence is repeated a greater number of times in the training field of the second type than in the training field of the first type.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the extension field comprises a training field.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the training field is precoded.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the extension field comprises a SIG-B field.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein one SIG-B field is included for each user.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the first field includes a sub-field indicating a length of the wireless communication, wherein the processing comprises interpreting the sub-field as a number of bytes when the first field indicates that the wireless communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit, and wherein the processing comprises interpreting the sub-field as a number of symbols when the first field does not indicate that the wireless communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the extension field is included and that the wireless communication comprises an MU-MIMO or transmit beamforming communication based on a modulation of the first field is rotated, and determining whether the wireless communication comprises the MU-MIMO communication or the transmit beamforming communication based on an indicator in the extension field.

31. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a wireless communication comprising a physical layer preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the preamble includes an extension field;

means for processing the payload based on modulation coding parameters included in the first field when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field; and

means for processing the payload based on coding parameters included in the extension field when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

32. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause an apparatus to:

receive a wireless communication comprising a physical layer preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the preamble includes an extension field;

process the payload based on modulation coding parameters included in the first field when the first field indicates that the preamble does not include the extension field; and

process the payload based on coding parameters included in the extension field when the first field indicates that the preamble includes the extension field.

33. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a communication comprising a physical layer preamble and a payload and to determine whether to include an extension field in the preamble, wherein the preamble includes a first field indicating WHETHER the extension field is included, wherein the processor is configured to include modulation coding parameters for the payload in the first field when it is determined not to include the extension field, and wherein the processor is configured to include coding parameters for the payload in the extension field when it is determined to include the extension field; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the generated communication.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to determine to include the extension field when using multi-user multiple input multiple output.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein first field comprises a signal (SIG) field.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein a bit in the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein two bits in the SIG field indicate whether the extension field is included.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein a rotation of a modulation of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein an indication on a quadrature phase during a symbol of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the extension field comprises an indication of one or more modulation coding schemes, an indication of one or more spatial streams, a group identifier, a cyclic redundancy check, a reserved sub-field, and a tail sub-field.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to determine to transmit the communication as one of at least two types, wherein the first field of each of the types comprises a training field having a sequence, and wherein the sequence is repeated a greater number of times in the training field of the second type than in the training field of the first type.

42. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the extension field comprises a training field.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the training field is precoded.

44. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the extension field comprises a SIG-B field.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein one SIG-B field is included for each user.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first field includes a sub-field indicating a length of the communication, wherein the processor is configured to indicate the length as a number of bytes when the communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit, and wherein the processor is configured to indicate the length as a number of symbols when the communication is not for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit.

47. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to indicate that the extension field is included and that the communication comprises an MU-MIMO or transmit beamforming communication using a rotated modulation of the first field, and wherein the processor is further configured to signify whether the communication comprises the MU-MIMO communication or the transmit beamforming communication using an indicator in the extension field.

48. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

determining whether to include an extension field in a physical layer preamble of a communication;

generating the communication, wherein the communication comprises the preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the extension field is included, the generating comprising including modulation coding parameters for the payload in the first field when it is determined not to include the extension field, and comprising including coding parameters for the payload in the extension field when it is determined to include the extension field; and

wirelessly transmitting the generated communication.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the determining comprises determining to include the extension field when using multi-user multiple input multiple output.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the first field comprises a signal (SIG) field.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein a bit in the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein two bits in the SIG field indicate whether the extension field is included.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein a rotation of a modulation of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein an indication on a quadrature phase during a symbol of the SIG field indicates whether the extension field is included.

55. The method of claim 48, wherein the extension field comprises an indication of one or more modulation coding schemes, an indication of one or more spatial streams, a group identifier, acyclic redundancy check, a reserved sub-field, and a tail sub-field.

56. The method of claim 48, further comprising determining to transmit the communication as one of at least two types, wherein the first field of each of the types comprises a training field having a sequence, and wherein the sequence is repeated a greater number of times in the training field of the second type than in the training field of the first type.

57. The method of claim 48, wherein the extension field comprises a training field.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the training field is precoded.

59. The method of claim 48, wherein the extension field comprises a SIG-B field.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein one SIG-B field is included for each user.

61. The method of claim 48, wherein the first field includes a sub-field indicating a length of the wireless communication, wherein the generating comprises indicating the length as a number of bytes when the wireless communication is for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit, and indicating the length as a number of symbols when the wireless communication is not for a single user non-aggregated MAC protocol data unit.

62. The method of claim 48, wherein transmitting comprises indicate that the extension field is included and that the wireless communication comprises an MU-MIMO or transmit beamforming communication by using a rotated modulation of the first field, and generating comprises signifying whether the wireless communication comprises the MU-MIMO communication or the transmit beamforming communication using an indicator in the extension field.

63. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining whether to include an extension field in a physical layer preamble of a communication;

means for generating the communication, wherein the communication comprises the preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the extension field is included, the means for generating comprising means for including modulation coding parameters for the payload in the first field when it is determined not to include the extension field, and means for including coding parameters for the payload in the extension field when it is determined to include the extension field; and

means for wirelessly transmitting the generated communication.

64. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause an apparatus to:

determine whether to include an extension field in a physical layer preamble of a communication;

generate the communication, wherein the communication comprises the preamble and a payload, the preamble including a first field indicating whether the extension field is included, wherein the generation comprises including modulation coding parameters for the payload in the first field when it is determined not to include the extension field, and comprises including coding parameters for the payload in the extension field when it is determined to include the extension field; and

wirelessly transmit the generated communication.