Acknowledgment and/or receiver recovery mechanisms for scheduled responses within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

• US 20160337014A1
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Fischer, Matthew James
• Granted Patent: US 9,813,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0625 Transmitter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0631 Receiver arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• 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 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• 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 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling

Abstract

Acknowledgment and/or receiver recovery mechanisms for scheduled responses within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Explicit scheduling information is provided from a first wireless communication device (e.g., an access point (AP), a transmitting wireless communication device) to a number of other wireless communication devices (e.g., wireless stations (STAs), receiving wireless communication devices) directing those other wireless communication devices a manner by which responses (e.g., acknowledgments (ACKs), block acknowledgments (BACKs), training feedback frames, etc.) are to be provided to the first wireless communication device there from. Such direction may include the order, timing, cluster assignment, etc. by which each respective wireless communication device is to provide its respective response to the first wireless communication device. In the event of the first wireless communication device failing to receive at least one response from at least one of the other wireless communication devices, various communication medium recovery mechanisms may be performed.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

receive, via a plurality of sub-carriers, a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame from a first other wireless communication device, wherein the first OFDMA frame specifies a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and a second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by a second other wireless communication device and a time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a second OFDMA frame; and

transmit, during the time specified in the first OFDMA frame, first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits second data of the second OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to perform at least one of to:

receive the first OFDMA frame based on multiple-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) signaling;

or

transmit the first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device based on MU-MIMO signaling.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive, via the plurality of sub-carriers, a third OFDMA frame from the first other wireless communication device, wherein the third OFDMA frame specifies the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the second other wireless communication device and another time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a fourth OFDMA frame; and

transmit, during the another time specified in the third OFDMA frame, third data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits fourth data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication interface coupled to the processing circuitry; and

the processing circuitry configured to;

receive, via the plurality of sub-carriers, the first OFDMA frame from the first other wireless communication device via the communication interface; and

transmit, during the time specified in the first OFDMA frame, first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device and via the communication interface.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive, via the plurality of sub-carriers, another orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame from the first other wireless communication device before receiving the first OFDMA frame, via the plurality of sub-carriers, from the first other wireless communication device.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first data of the second OFDMA frame or the second first of the second OFDMA frame includes an acknowledgement (ACK), a block acknowledgement (BA), or a training feedback frame.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA) or another AP.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless station (STA), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes an access point (AP) or another STA.

9. A wireless communication device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

receive, via a plurality of sub-carriers based on multiple-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) signaling, a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame from a first other wireless communication device, wherein the first OFDMA frame specifies a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and a second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by a second other wireless communication device and a time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a second OFDMA frame; and

transmit, during the time specified in the first OFDMA frame, first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits second data of the second OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device, wherein at least one of the first data of the second OFDMA frame or the second first of the second OFDMA frame includes an acknowledgement (ACK), a block acknowledgement (BA), or a training feedback frame.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive, via the plurality of sub-carriers, a third OFDMA frame from the first other wireless communication device, wherein the third OFDMA frame specifies the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the second other wireless communication device and another time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a fourth OFDMA frame; and

transmit, during the another time specified in the third OFDMA frame, third data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits fourth data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

a communication interface coupled to the processing circuitry; and

the processing circuitry configured to;

receive, via the plurality of sub-carriers, the first OFDMA frame from the first other wireless communication device via the communication interface; and

transmit, during the time specified in the first OFDMA frame, first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device and via the communication interface.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA) or another AP.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

a wireless station (STA), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes an access point (AP) or another STA.

14. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receive, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device and a plurality of sub-carriers, a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame from a first other wireless communication device, wherein the first OFDMA frame specifies a first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and a second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by a second other wireless communication device and a time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a second OFDMA frame; and

transmit, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the time specified in the first OFDMA frame, first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits second data of the second OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising at least one of:

receiving the first OFDMA frame based on multiple-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) signaling;

or

transmitting the first data of the second OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device based on MU-MIMO signaling.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, via the plurality of sub-carriers, a third OFDMA frame from the first other wireless communication device, wherein the third OFDMA frame specifies the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the wireless communication device and the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or a fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers for use by the second other wireless communication device and another time during which the wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device to make simultaneous transmission to the first other wireless communication device within a fourth OFDMA frame; and

transmitting, during the another time specified in the third OFDMA frame, third data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the first subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the third subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device when the second other wireless communication device simultaneously transmits fourth data of the fourth OFDMA frame via the second subset of the plurality of sub-carriers or the fourth subset of the plurality of sub-carriers to the first other wireless communication device.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving, via the plurality of sub-carriers, another orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame from the first other wireless communication device before receiving the first OFDMA frame, via the plurality of sub-carriers, from the first other wireless communication device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first data of the second OFDMA frame or the second first of the second OFDMA frame includes an acknowledgement (ACK), a block acknowledgement (BA), or a training feedback frame.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device includes an access point (AP), and at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA) or another AP.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA), and at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device includes an access point (AP) or another STA.