Communication station and method for communicating using minimum bandwidth units of various tone allocations for OFDMA HEW

• US 9,838,961 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ax Wireless LLC (SY Ventures)
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kenney, Thomas J., Perahia, Eldad, Azizi, Shahrnaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US15/023,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20160211944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 375260, 375340, 375262, 375265, 375267, 370208, 370210
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2615 using hybrid frequency-time division multiple access [FDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2603 Signal structure ensuring backward compatibility with legacy system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/261 Details of reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/3405 Modifications of the signal space to increase the efficiency of transmission, e.g. reduction of the bit error rate, bandwidth, or average power
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/3483 using a modulation of the constellation points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 : the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 : Hybrid access
• 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 74/0808 : using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 : adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of a communication station and method for communicating in a wireless network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the communication station may be configured to communicate orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols on channel resources in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique during a control period. The channel resources may comprise one or more minimum bandwidth units. Each minimum bandwidth unit may have a predetermined bandwidth and may be configured in accordance with one of a plurality of subcarrier allocations for one of a plurality of interleaver configurations.

Claims

1. A communication station comprising:

medium access control (MAC) layer circuitry to receive control of channel resources for a control period, wherein during the control period, the MAC layer circuitry is configured to obtain exclusive access to the channel resources for a period of time and communicate with a plurality of stations; and

physical layer (PHY) circuitry to communicate orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols on the channel resources in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique during the control period, the channel resources comprising one or more minimum bandwidth units, each minimum bandwidth unit having a predetermined bandwidth,

wherein the minimum bandwidth units are configured in accordance with one of a plurality of subcarrier allocations for one of a plurality of interleaver configurations, and wherein during the control period the PHY circuitry is configured to communicate with the stations on one or more of the minimum bandwidth units.

2. The communication station of claim 1 wherein each of a plurality of 20 MHz channels are configurable to include two or more minimum bandwidth units and are configurable for 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz and 160 MHz bandwidth operations, and

wherein the subcarrier allocations for the minimum bandwidth units comprise a predetermined number of subcarriers comprising a number of data subcarriers and a number of pilot subcarriers.

3. The communication station of claim 2 wherein the PHY circuitry includes a block interleaver having a depth of one OFDM symbol, the block interleaver being configurable to interleave a block of encoded data in accordance with the plurality of interleaver configurations, and

wherein the interleaver configurations comprise a number of columns and a number of rows.

4. The communication station of claim 3, wherein the PHY circuitry further comprises:

an encoder configured to encode input data prior to interleaving; and

a constellation mapper to map interleaved data after the interleaving,

wherein the encoder and mapper operate in accordance with one of a plurality of predetermined modulation and coding scheme (MCS) combinations for the subcarrier allocation,

wherein the plurality of predetermined MCS combinations for the subcarrier allocation are restricted to an integer number of coded bits per OFDM symbol (Ncbps) and an integer number of data bits per OFDM symbol (Ndbps).

5. The communication station of claim 4 wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having fourteen subcarriers, the subcarrier allocation comprises twelve data subcarriers and two pilot subcarriers and the interleaver configuration comprises six columns (NCol) and a number of rows (Nrow) equaling two times a number of coded bits per single subcarrier (NBPSCS).

6. The communication station of claim 4 wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having fourteen subcarriers, the subcarrier allocation comprises thirteen data subcarriers and one pilot subcarrier and the interleaver configuration comprises six columns (NCol) and a number of rows (Nrow) equaling two times a number of coded bits per single subcarrier (NBPSCS).

7. The communication station of claim 4 wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having twenty-eight subcarriers, the subcarrier allocation comprises twenty-four data subcarriers and four pilot subcarriers and the corresponding interleaver configuration comprises eight columns (NCol), and a number of rows (Nrow) equaling three times a number of coded bits per single subcarrier (NBPSCS).

8. The communication station of claim 4 wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having twenty-eight subcarriers, the subcarrier allocation comprises twenty-six data subcarriers and two pilot subcarriers and the corresponding interleaver configuration comprises thirteen columns (NCol) and a number of rows (Now) equaling two times a number of coded bits per single subcarrier (NBPSCS).

9. The communication station of claim 4 wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having fifty-six subcarriers:

the subcarrier allocation comprises one of;

fifty-two data subcarriers and four pilot subcarriers; and

forty-eight data subcarriers and eight pilot subcarriers.

10. The communication station of claim 4 wherein the interleaver is configured by processing circuitry to interleave the encoded input data on a per minimum bandwidth unit basis.

11. The communication station of claim 4 wherein the interleaver is configured by processing circuitry to interleave the encoded input data on a 2×

minimum bandwidth unit basis.

12. The communication station of claim 4, wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having twenty-eight subcarriers, the twenty-eight subcarriers are processed with 2×

FFT size.

13. The communication station of claim 4, wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having twenty-eight subcarriers, the twenty-eight subcarriers are processed with 4×

FFT size.

14. The communication station of claim 4, wherein for a minimum bandwidth unit having fifty-six subcarriers, the fifty-six subcarriers are processed with 4×

FFT size.

15. The communication station of claim 14 wherein when the subcarriers of a minimum bandwidth unit are processed with a 4×

FFT size, a spacing between the subcarriers is reduced by ¼

, and

wherein when the subcarriers of a minimum bandwidth unit are processed with a 2×

FFT size, a spacing between the subcarriers is reduced by ½

.

16. The communication station of claim 1 wherein the communication station is a high-efficiency WLAN (HEW) access point configured to operate as a master station and configured to:

contend for a wireless medium during a contention period to receive control of the medium for the control period; and

communicate the OFDM symbols with scheduled HEW devices during the control period, wherein during the control period, the master station has exclusive use of the wireless medium for communication with the scheduled HEW stations in accordance with the OFDMA technique.

17. The communication station of claim 1 wherein the communication station is a high-efficiency WLAN (HEW) device configured to communicate with an HEW master station during the control period.

18. A method for communicating in an IEEE 802.11 network by a communication station, the method comprising:

receiving control of channel resources for a control period and obtaining, during the control period, exclusive access to the channel resources for a period of time to communicate with a plurality of stations, the channel resources comprising one or more minimum bandwidth units, each minimum bandwidth unit having a predetermined bandwidth; and

communicating, with the stations, orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols on one or more of the minimum bandwidth units in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique during the control period,

wherein the minimum bandwidth units are configured in accordance with one of a plurality of subcarrier allocations for one of a plurality of interleaver configurations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein each of a plurality of 20 MHz channels are configurable to include two or more minimum bandwidth units and are configurable for 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz and 160 MHz bandwidth operations, and

wherein the subcarrier allocations for the minimum bandwidth units comprise a predetermined number of subcarriers comprising a number of data subcarriers and a number of pilot subcarriers, and

wherein the method further comprises configuring a block interleaver to interleave blocks of encoded input data in accordance with one of the interleaver configurations.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the interleaver configurations comprise a number of columns and a number of rows, and

wherein the method further comprises:

encoding input data prior to interleaving; and

mapping interleaved data after the interleaving,

wherein the encoding and mapping operate in accordance with one of a plurality of predetermined modulation and coding scheme (MCS) combinations for the subcarrier allocation,

wherein the plurality of predetermined MCS combinations for the subcarrier allocation are restricted to an integer number of coded bits per OFDM symbol (Ncbps) and an integer number of data bits per OFDM symbol (Ndbps).

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations to configure a communication station to:

receive control of channel resources for a control period, wherein during the control period, the communication station is configured to obtain exclusive access to the channel resources for a period of time and communicate with a plurality of stations; and

communicate orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols on the channel resources in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique during the control period, the channel resources comprising one or more minimum bandwidth units, each minimum bandwidth unit having a predetermined bandwidth,

wherein the minimum bandwidth units are configured in accordance with one of a plurality of subcarrier allocations for one of a plurality of interleaver configurations, and wherein during the control period the communication station is configured to communicate with the stations on one or more of the minimum bandwidth units.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21

wherein the subcarrier allocations for the minimum bandwidth units comprise a predetermined number of subcarriers comprising a number of data subcarriers and a number of pilot subcarriers, and

wherein a plurality of predetermined modulation and coding scheme (MCS) combinations for the subcarrier allocation are restricted to an integer number of coded bits per OFDM symbol (Ncbps) and an integer number of data bits per OFDM symbol (Ndps).