Multi-user parallel channel access in WLAN systems

• US 9,860,908 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaofei, Lou, Hanqing, Ghosh, Monisha, Shah, Nirav B, Zhang, Guodong, Murias, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIVERS, ASHLEY L
• Application Number:
  US15/581,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/007 Unequal error protection for format H04L1/0078; for codes per se H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1664 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with payload signals; piggybacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/06 using polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are related to multi-user parallel channel access (MU-PCA). For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is provided that is one of a plurality of WTRUs operable to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP). The WTRU includes a receiver configured to receive, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels, a group request-to-send (G-RTS) message that includes a resource allocation that indicates at least one assigned channel for the WTRU; a transmitter configured to transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) message, to the AP, over the at least one assigned channel of the plurality of channels; and the receiver further configured to receive a data message, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) of a plurality of WTRUs operable to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP), the WTRU comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels, a group request-to-send (G-RTS) message that includes a resource allocation that indicates at least one assigned channel for the WTRU;

a transmitter configured to transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) message, to the AP, over the at least one assigned channel of the plurality of channels; and

the receiver configured to receive a data message, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels.

2. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the resource allocation indicates the at least one channel for receiving the data message.

3. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes the at least one channel for receiving the data message.

4. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the CTS message is a group CTS (G-CTS) message.

5. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes two or more of the plurality of channels.

6. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes all of the plurality of channels.

7. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the G-RTS message includes resource allocations for the plurality of WTRUs.

8. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the G-RTS is provided by the AP simultaneously over the plurality of channels to each of the plurality of WTRUs.

9. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the CTS message indicates that the WTRU is ready to receive on the at least one assigned channel.

10. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the data message is one of a group of multiple data messages transmitted simultaneously by the AP over the plurality of channels.

11. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a message to the AP over the at least one assigned channel, wherein the message includes an indication that the WTRU has uplink (UL) data to transmit to the AP.

12. The WTRU of claim 11, wherein, in response to the indication that the WTRU has UL data to transmit to the AP:

the receiver is further configured to receive, from the AP, another CTS message over the at least one assigned channel; and

transmit the UL data, to the AP, over the at least one channel.

13. The WTRU of claim 11, wherein the message is one of an acknowledgement (ACK) packet, a block ACK packet, or a group ACK packet.

14. A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) of a plurality of WTRUs operable to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP), the method comprising:

receiving, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels, a group request-to-send (G-RTS) message that includes a resource allocation that indicates at least one assigned channel for the WTRU;

transmitting a clear-to-send (CTS) message, to the AP, over the at least one assigned channel of the plurality of channels; and

receiving a data message, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the resource allocation indicates the at least one channel for receiving the data message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes the at least one channel for receiving the data message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes two or more of the plurality of channels.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one assigned channel includes all of the plurality of channels.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the data message is one of a group of multiple data messages transmitted simultaneously by the AP over the plurality of channels.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a message to the AP over the at least one assigned channel, wherein the message includes an indication that the WTRU has uplink (UL) data to transmit to the AP.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

in response to the indication that the WTRU has UL data to transmit to the AP;

receiving, from the AP, another CTS message over the at least one assigned channel; and

transmitting the UL data, to the AP, over the at least one channel.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the message is one of an acknowledgement (ACK) packet, a block ACK packet, or a group ACK packet.