System and method for WLAN OFDMA design of subcarrier groups and frame format
First Claim
1. A method by a network component for provisioning subcarriers to users for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:
- allocating subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding users; and
signaling, to the users, a map of the subcarrier groups allocated to corresponding users for OFDMA communications;
wherein the subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions are organized, in accordance with a pre-defined grouping structure for the subcarriers, into the subcarrier groups; and
wherein the map is signaled in a physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating the map for OFDMA communications.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are provided for WLAN Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) design of subcarrier groups and corresponding frame format. An embodiment method includes grouping a plurality of subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions into a plurality of subcarrier groups in accordance with a pre-defined grouping structure for subcarriers. The method further includes allocating the subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding users, and signaling, to the users, a map of the subcarrier groups to the corresponding users. According to the pre-defined grouping structure, each one of the subcarrier groups includes a plurality of consecutive subcarriers, a plurality of non-consecutive subcarriers, or a combination of consecutive and non-consecutive subcarriers according to a deterministic structure. The map is signaled using an OFDMA PPDU comprising a legacy preamble portion configured to silence legacy users that do not use OFDMA communications, an OFDMA preamble portion indicating the map, and a data portion.
71 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method by a network component for provisioning subcarriers to users for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:
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allocating subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding users; and signaling, to the users, a map of the subcarrier groups allocated to corresponding users for OFDMA communications; wherein the subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions are organized, in accordance with a pre-defined grouping structure for the subcarriers, into the subcarrier groups; and wherein the map is signaled in a physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating the map for OFDMA communications. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method by a network component for allocating subcarriers to users for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:
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establishing a plurality of subcarrier groups for a plurality of stations (STAs) according to a defined and deterministic grouping structure for the subcarrier groups; allocating the subcarrier groups to the STAs; establishing a plurality of user groups, wherein each one of the user groups represents a sequence of the STAs; associating the allocated subcarrier groups with a user group of the user groups; and sending, to the STAs, a sequence of the allocated subcarrier groups associated with the user group for OFDMA communications, wherein the sequence of the STAs of the user group is mapped one to one to the sequence of the allocated subcarrier groups, and wherein the sequence of the allocated subcarrier groups is signaled in a physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating the sequence of the allocated subcarrier groups for OFDMA communications. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A network component for provisioning subcarriers to users for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the network component comprising:
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a processor; and a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to; allocate subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding users; and signal, to the users, a map of the subcarrier groups allocated to corresponding users for OFDMA communication; wherein the subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions are organized, in accordance with a pre-defined grouping structure for the subcarriers, into the subcarrier groups; and wherein the map is signaled using an OFDMA physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating the map for OFDMA communications. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method by a user device supporting Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the method comprising:
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receiving an indication of a plurality of subcarrier groups grouping a plurality of corresponding subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions, wherein each one of the subcarrier groups comprises one or more of the corresponding subcarriers; receiving a physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating a map of the subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding user devices for OFDMA communications, wherein the map includes an allocation of one of the subcarrier groups to the user device; and exchanging OFDMA transmissions on one or more subcarriers belonging to one of the subcarrier groups allocated to the user device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A user device supporting Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the user device comprising:
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a processor; and a computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to; receive an indication of a plurality of subcarrier groups grouping a plurality of corresponding subcarriers for OFDMA transmissions, wherein each one of the subcarrier groups comprises one or more of the corresponding subcarriers; receive a physical layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a first preamble portion configured to silence users that do not use OFDMA communications, and a second preamble portion indicating a map of the subcarrier groups to a plurality of corresponding user devices for OFDMA communications, wherein the map includes an allocation of one of the subcarrier groups to the user device; and exchange OFDMA transmissions on one or more subcarriers belonging to one of the subcarrier groups allocated to the user device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification