Methods and apparatus for multi-user uplink

• US 9,699,086 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vermani, Sameer, Merlin, Simone, Barriac, Gwendolyn Denise, Sampath, Hemanth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Application Number:
  US14/469,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20150063291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 370203-210, 370338, 370349, 370329, 370468, 370390, 370389, 37039521
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2621 using frequency division multiple access [FDMA] H04B7/2615 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0008 by supplementing frame payload, e.g. with padding bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0031 Multiple signaling transmission H04L1/1664, F15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• 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 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/72 using reservation actions during connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• 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 28/24 : Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 : at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• 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 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 : in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/008 : with additional processing of random access related information at receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 : Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 : Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 : with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, a method for wireless communication includes generating a first wireless message granting permission for a first station to transmit during a transmission opportunity, generating a second wireless message granting permission for a second station to transmit during the transmission opportunity; and transmitting the first wireless message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmission of the second wireless message to the second station.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication by an apparatus, comprising:

generating, via a processor, a first wireless message granting permission for a first station to transmit during a transmission opportunity;

generating, via the processor, a second wireless message granting permission for a second station to transmit during the transmission opportunity;

transmitting, via a transmitter, the first wireless message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmission of the second wireless message to the second station, wherein transmission of the first and second wireless messages is initiated at the same time; and

receiving, via a receiver, a first data message from the first station at least partially concurrently with a second data message from the second station during the transmission opportunity,

wherein the first wireless message is transmitted over a first spatial stream and the second wireless message is transmitted over a second spatial stream or the first wireless message is transmitted over a first frequency and the second wireless message is transmitted over a second frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first and second wireless messages to indicate a start time and duration of the transmission opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a first spatial stream that the first station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity, and wherein the second wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a second spatial stream that the second station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a first frequency that the first station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity, and wherein the second wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a second frequency that the second station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising further generating the first wireless message to grant permission for a third station to transmit during the transmission opportunity, and transmitting the first wireless message to the third station at least partially concurrently with the transmission of the second wireless message to the second station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third wireless message directing the first station to initiate a transmission a predetermined elapsed time after receipt of the third wireless message;

generating a fourth wireless message directing the second station to initiate transmission after a predetermined elapsed time after the fourth wireless message; and

transmitting the third wireless message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmitting the fourth wireless message to the second station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first wireless message to indicate a first time within the transmission opportunity when the first wireless device should initiate transmission; and

generating the second wireless message to indicate a second time within the transmission opportunity when the second wireless device should initiate transmission, wherein the first and second times are different.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first message as an aggregated media protocol data unit (A-MPDU).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first message to comprise a data, control, or management message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the first wireless message to grant permission for a third station to transmit during a transmission opportunity, wherein the transmission of the first wireless message is also to the third station.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a first wireless message granting permission for a first station to transmit during a transmission opportunity and generate a second wireless message granting permission for a second station to transmit during the transmission opportunity;

a transmitter configured to transmit the first wireless message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmission of the second wireless message to the second station, the transmitter further configured to initiate transmission of the first and second wireless messages at the same time; and

a receiver configured to receive a first data message from the first station at least partially concurrently with a second data message from the second station during the transmission opportunity,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first wireless message over a first spatial stream and transmit the second wireless message over a second spatial stream or the transmitter is configured to transmit the first wireless message over a first frequency and transmit the second wireless message over a second frequency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a first spatial stream that the first station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity, and wherein the second wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a second spatial stream that the second station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a first frequency that the first station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity, and wherein the second wireless message comprises an indicator indicating a second spatial stream that the second station should use for transmissions during the transmission opportunity.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first and second wireless messages to indicate a start time and duration of the transmission opportunity.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first wireless message to grant permission for a third station to transmit during the transmission opportunity, and transmitting the first wireless message to the third station at least partially concurrently with the transmission of the second wireless message to the second station.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a third wireless message directing the first station to initiate a transmission a predetermined elapsed time after receipt of the third wireless message, generate a fourth wireless message directing the second station to initiate transmission a predetermined elapsed time after the fourth wireless message, and the transmitter is further configured to transmit the third wireless message to the first station at least partially concurrently with transmitting the fourth wireless message to the second station.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first wireless message to indicate a first time within the transmission opportunity when the first wireless device should initiate transmission, and generate the second wireless message to indicate a second time within the transmission opportunity when the second wireless device should initiate transmission, wherein the first and second times are different.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first message as an aggregated media protocol data unit (A-MPDU).

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first message to comprise a data, control, or management message.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first wireless message to grant permission for a third station to transmit during a transmission opportunity;

wherein the transmission of the first wireless message is also to the third station.

21. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, via a first device, a first wireless message granting permission for the first device to transmit a message during a transmission opportunity, the first wireless message transmitted to the first device at least partially concurrently with a transmission of at least a portion of a second wireless message addressed to a second device; and

transmitting, via the first device, a third message to a third device during the transmission opportunity at least partially concurrently with a transmission of a fourth message by a fourth device to the third device,

wherein the first wireless message is received over a first spatial stream and the second wireless message is transmitted over a second spatial stream or the first wireless message is received over a first frequency and the second wireless message is transmitted over a second frequency.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, via the first device, a fifth message; and

decoding the fifth message to determine whether the first device should initiate transmission during the transmission opportunity at a particular time, wherein the transmission of the third message is initiated at the particular time based on the fifth message.

23. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first message granting permission for a first device to transmit a message during a transmission opportunity, the first message transmitted to the first device at least partially concurrently with a transmission of at least a portion of a second message addressed to a second device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, via the first device, a third message to a third device during the transmission opportunity at least partially concurrently with a transmission of a fourth message by a fourth device to the third device,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive the first wireless message over a first spatial stream while the transmission of the second wireless message is over a second spatial stream or the receiver is configured to transmit the first wireless message over a first frequency while the second wireless message is transmitted over a second frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a fifth message;

and the processor is further configured to decode the fifth message to determine whether the first device should initiate transmission during the transmission opportunity at a particular time, wherein the transmitter is further configured to initiate the transmission of the third message at the particular time based on the fifth message.