Distributed signal field for communications within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

• US 9,107,099 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Erceg, Vinko, Lauer, Joseph Paul, Fischer, Matthew James, Amini, Peiman, Kim, Joonsuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Eunsook
• Application Number:
  US14/089,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0669 using different channel coding between antennas space-time coding H04L1/0618
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0684 using different training sequences per antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0075 Transmission of coding parameters to receiver H04L1/0023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• 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 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Distributed signal field for communications within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. In accordance with wireless communications, a signal (SIG) field employed within such packets is distributed or partitioned into at least two separate signal fields (e.g., SIG A and SIG B) that are located in different portions of the packet. A first of the SIG fields includes information that may be processed and decoded by all wireless communication devices, and a second of the SIG fields includes information that is specific to one or more particular wireless communication devices (e.g., a specific wireless communication device or a specific subset of the wireless communication devices). The precise locations of the at least first and second SIG fields within a packet may be varied, including placing a second of the SIG fields (e.g., including user-specific information) adjacent to and preceding a data field in the packet.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, the processor and communication interface configured to;

generate a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields;

set a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or set the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet;

the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and

the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and

transmit the packet.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein when the packet is a MU packet, the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

generate the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and

generate the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

transmit the first SIG field of the packet using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet using beamforming transmission.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

transmit at least a portion of the packet using beamforming transmission to the first or second other wireless communication device when the packet is a SU packet.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

generate the packet as the MU packet;

generate another packet as a SU packet;

transmit the MU packet; and

transmit the SU packet.

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

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

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

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

9. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, the processor and communication interface configured to;

generate a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields, wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field;

set a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or set the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet;

the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and

the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and

transmit the packet such that the first SIG field of the packet is transmitted using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet is transmitted using beamforming transmission.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein when the packet is a MU packet, the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

generate the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and

generate the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

generate the packet as the MU packet;

generate another packet as a SU packet;

transmit the MU packet; and

transmit the SU packet.

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

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

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

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

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

generating a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields;

setting a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or setting the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet;

the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and

the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and

transmitting the packet via a communication interface of the wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the packet is a MU packet, further comprising:

generating the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and

generating the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting the first SIG field of the packet using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet using beamforming transmission.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting at least a portion of the packet using beamforming transmission to the first or second other wireless communication device when the packet is a SU packet.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating the packet as the MU packet;

generating another packet as a SU packet;

transmitting the MU packet; and

transmitting the SU packet.

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