HEW master station and method for communicating in accordance with a scheduled OFDMA technique on secondary channels

• US 9,853,784 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ax Wireless LLC (SY Ventures)
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Azizi, Shahrnaz, Kenney, Thomas J., Perahia, Eldad
• Primary Examiner(s): Smarth, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/341,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20150139091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• 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 high-efficiency WLAN (HEW) master station and method for communicating in accordance with a scheduled OFDMA technique on secondary channels are generally described herein. An access point is configured to operate as part of a basic-service set (BSS) that includes a plurality of high-efficiency WLAN (HEW) stations and a plurality of legacy stations. The BSS operates on a primary channel and one or more secondary channels. In accordance with some embodiments, the access point may communicate with one or more of the HEW stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a scheduled OFDMA communication technique when the primary channel is utilized for communication with one or more of the legacy devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus of an access point (AP) configured to operate as part of a basic-service set (BSS) that includes a plurality of high-efficiency (HE) stations and a plurality of legacy stations, the BSS operating on a primary channel and one or more secondary channels, the apparatus of the access point comprising:

memory; and

, hardware processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the hardware processing circuitry configured to;

communicate with one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a scheduled orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technique when the primary channel is utilized for communication with one or more of the legacy devices;

refrain from communicating with the legacy station on any of the secondary channels when concurrently communicating with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels and the legacy station on the primary channel; and

communicate with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with the scheduled OFDMA communication technique while concurrently communicating with the legacy station utilizing only the primary channel in accordance with a contention-based communication technique.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduled OFDMA communication technique is a non-contention based multiple-access communication technique used for communicating with the one or more HE stations, and wherein the contention-based communication technique includes a carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) technique, a carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD) technique, and an enhanced-CSMA/CA (e-CSMA/CA) technique.

3. The access point of claim 2, wherein when a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is obtained on the one or more of the secondary channels but not obtained on the primary channel, the access point is configured to:

transmit an HE control transmission on the one or more secondary channels at the beginning of an HE control period comprising the TXOP to schedule communications with at least some of the HE devices during the HE control period on one or more of the secondary channels; and

either transmit downlink data to the scheduled HE stations during the HE control period on the one or more secondary channels based on scheduling information provided to the scheduled HE stations in the HE control transmission, or receive uplink data from the scheduled HE stations during the HE control period on the one or more secondary channels based on the scheduling information provided to the scheduled HE stations in the HE control transmission, and concurrently transmit to the legacy station on the primary channel during the HE control period when transmit downlink data to the scheduled HE stations, or concurrently receive from the legacy station on the primary channel during the HE control period when receiving uplink data from the scheduled HE stations.

4. The access point of claim 3, wherein the HE control transmission includes at least a schedule indicating channel resources for communications with the HE devices during the HE control period in accordance with the scheduled OFDMA technique, wherein the channel resources comprise subspaces for HE channels having HEW channel bandwidths within the secondary channels, wherein the HE channel bandwidths comprise one or more of 10 MHz, 5 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 1.25 MHz, and 1 MHz sub-portions of a 20 MHz channel bandwidth to define respectively 10 MHz, 5 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 1.25 MHz, and 1 MHz HE channels, and wherein transmissions on the HE channels are configured to have symbol times aligned within a 20 MHz channel at least for a legacy portion of a preamble.

5. The access point of claim 2 wherein the primary channel comprises a 20 MHz channel and the secondary channels include one or more of 20 MHz channels.

6. The access point of claim 2 wherein the primary channel comprises a 40 MHz channel and the secondary channels include a 40 MHz channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access point is configurable to be in either a transmit mode or a receive mode, wherein during the transmit mode, the access point is configured to concurrently transmit:

HE downlink data to the one or more HE devices on the one or more of the secondary channels; and

legacy downlink data to the legacy device on the primary channel, wherein during the receive mode, the access point is configured to concurrently receive;

HE uplink data from the one or more HE devices on the one or more of the secondary channels; and

legacy uplink data from the legacy device on the primary channel.

8. The access point of claim 7, further configured to refrain from transmitting the HE downlink data to the one or more HE devices on the one or more secondary channels without a concurrent transmission of the legacy downlink data to the legacy device on the primary channel when an upcoming uplink packet is predicted to be received from a legacy station on the primary channel.

9. The access point of claim 8 further configured to:

contend for bandwidth that includes the primary channel and one or more of the secondary channels during a contention period;

when a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is obtained on the one or more of the secondary channels but not obtained on the primary channel, the access point is configured to;

refrain from communicating on the one or more of the secondary channels with the one or more HE devices at least when the access point expects to receive packets from legacy within the TXOP and unless the access point is concurrently transmitting to the legacy station.

10. The access point of claim 1, wherein when the primary channel is busy, the access point is further configured to:

contend for bandwidth on the one or more of the secondary channels during a contention period;

when a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is obtained on the one or more of the secondary channels, the access point is configured to;

communicate with at least some of the HE stations in accordance with a scheduled OFDMA technique on the one or more of the secondary channels during the TXOP.

11. A method performed by an access point that is part of a basic service set (BSS) that includes a plurality of HE stations and a plurality of legacy stations, the BSS operating on a primary channel and one or more secondary channels, the method comprising:

communicating with one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a scheduled orthogonal frequency division multiple-access (OFDMA) communication technique when the primary channel is utilized for communication with one or more of the legacy devices;

refraining from communicating with the legacy station on any of the secondary channels when concurrently communicating with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels and the legacy station on the primary channel; and

communicating with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a non-contention based multiple-access communication technique while concurrently communicating with the legacy station utilizing only the primary channel in accordance with a contention-based communication technique.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the access point is configurable to be in either a transmit mode or a receive mode, wherein during the transmit mode, the method comprises concurrently transmitting:

HE downlink data to the one or more HE devices on the one or more of the secondary channels; and

legacy downlink data to the legacy device on the primary channel, wherein during the receive mode, the method comprises concurrently receiving;

HE uplink data from the one or more HE devices on the one or more of the secondary channels; and

legacy uplink data from the legacy device on the primary channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising refraining from transmitting the HE downlink data to the one or more HE devices on the one or more secondary channels without a concurrent transmission of the legacy downlink data to the legacy device on the primary channel when an upcoming uplink packet is predicted to be received from a legacy station on the primary channel.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations to configure an access point that is part of a basic service set (BSS) that includes a plurality of HE stations and a plurality of legacy stations, the BSS operating on a primary channel and one or more secondary channels, the instructions to configure the access point to:

communicate with one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a scheduled OFDMA communication technique when the primary channel is utilized for communication with one or more of the legacy devices;

refrain from communicating with the legacy station on any of the secondary channels when concurrently communicating with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels and the legacy station on the primary channel;

communicate with the one or more of the HE stations on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a non-contention based multiple-access communication technique while concurrently communicating with the legacy station utilizing only the primary channel in accordance with a contention-based communication technique.

15. A high-efficiency (HE) station configured to operate as part of a basic-service set (BSS) that includes an access point and a plurality of legacy stations, the BSS operating on a primary channel and one or more secondary channels, the (HE) station comprising hardware processing circuitry that is configured to:

communicate with the access point on one or more of the secondary channels in accordance with a scheduled orthogonal frequency division multiple-access (OFDMA) communication technique when the primary channel is utilized for communication with one or more of the legacy devices;

receive an HE control transmission on the one or more secondary channels at the beginning of a HE control period, the HE control transmission including a schedule for communications with at least some of the HE devices during the HE control period on one or more of the secondary channels; and

either receive downlink data during the HE control period on the one or more secondary channels based on scheduling information provided in the HE control transmission, or transmit uplink data during the HE control period on the one or more secondary channels based on the scheduling information provided in the HE control transmission.