Mixed mode operations within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

• US 9,906,278 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amini, Peiman, Fischer, Matthew James, Erceg, Vinko, Kim, Joonsuk, Lauer, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tadese, Berhanu
• Application Number:
  US15/140,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 375267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• 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 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Mixed mode operations within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Certain communication systems can include wireless communication devices of various capabilities therein (e.g., IEEE Task Group ac (TGac VHT), IEEE 802.11 amendment TGn, IEEE 802.11 amendment TGa, and/or other capabilities, etc.). In one manner of classification, wireless communication devices having legacy and newer/updated capabilities may inter-operate with one another, operate within a common region, and/or communicate via a common access point (AP). Coordination of such wireless communication devices (e.g., legacy and newer/updated) provides for their respective operation on a same set of clusters in accordance with various operational modes including: (1) time dividing medium access between the wireless communication devices of various capabilities, (2) assigning primary cluster(s) for a first capability set and assigning non-primary cluster(s) for a second capability set, etc., and/or (3) any combination of operational modes (1) and (2).

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing circuitry configured to;

generate an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame that includes information that specifies;

a first time period for simultaneous communication medium access by a first other wireless communication device and a second other wireless communication device that both have a first capability based on a first communication protocol and a second capability based on a second communication protocol, a first cluster that includes a first set of OFDMA tones for use by a first other wireless communication within the first time period, and a second cluster that includes a second set of OFDMA tones for use by a second other wireless communication within the first time period; and

a second time period for communication access based on carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) by a third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol;

transmit the OFDMA frame to the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, and the third other wireless communication device;

receive, during the first time period, first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and second data from the second other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones based on respective time intervals as specified in the OFDMA frame;

receive, during the second time period, third data from the third other wireless communication device, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a first time interval within the first time period for the first other wireless communication device to transmit the first data to the wireless communication device via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and a second time interval within the first time period for the second other wireless communication device to transmit the second data to the wireless communication device via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones; and

receive, during the first time interval within the first time period, the first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and to receive, during the second time interval within the first time period, the second data from the second other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a cellular telephone, two-way radio, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), laptop computer, or home entertainment equipment.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a time interval within the first time period for the first other wireless communication device to transmit the first data to the wireless communication device via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and for the second other wireless communication device to transmit simultaneously the second data to the wireless communication device via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to receive, during the time interval within the first time period, another OFDMA frame that includes both the first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and the second data from the second other wireless communication device that is simultaneously transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a second IEEE 802.11 communication protocol that is a legacy IEEE 802.11 communication protocol to the first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a single front-end communication interface, coupled to the processing circuitry, that is configured to support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system or a mobile communication system; and

the processing circuitry configured to at least one of transmit the OFDMA frame, receive the first data, receive the second data, or receive the third data via the single front-end communication interface.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first front-end communication interface and a second front-end communication interface, both coupled to the processing circuitry, that are configured to support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system or a mobile communication system; and

the processing circuitry configured to receive the first data via the first front-end communication interface and to receive the second data via the second front-end communication interface.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, or the third other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA).

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing circuitry configured to;

generate a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame that includes information that specifies;

a first time period for simultaneous communication medium access by a first other wireless communication device and a second other wireless communication device that both have a first capability based on a first communication protocol and a second capability based on a second communication protocol, a first cluster that includes a first set of OFDMA tones for use by a first other wireless communication within the first time period, and a second cluster that includes a second set of OFDMA tones for use by a second other wireless communication within the first time period; and

a second time period for communication access based on carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) by a third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol;

transmit the first OFDMA frame to the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, and the third other wireless communication device;

receive, during the first time period, a second OFDMA frame that includes both first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and second data from the second other wireless communication device that is simultaneously transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones; and

receive, during the second time period, third data from the third other wireless communication device, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a time interval within the first time period for the first other wireless communication device to transmit the first data to the wireless communication device via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and for the second other wireless communication device to transmit simultaneously the second data to the wireless communication device via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones within the second OFDMA frame; and

to receive, during the time interval within the first time period, the second OFDMA frame.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first communication protocol is a first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a second IEEE 802.11 communication protocol that is a legacy IEEE 802.11communication protocol to the first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8 further comprising:

a single front-end communication interface, coupled to the processing circuitry, that is configured to support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system or a mobile communication system; and

the processing circuitry configured to at least one of transmit the first OFDMA frame, receive the second OFDMA frame, or receive the third data via the single front-end communication interface.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, or the third other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA).

12. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

generating an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame that includes information that specifies;

a first time period for simultaneous communication medium access by a first other wireless communication device and a second other wireless communication device that both have a first capability based on a first communication protocol and a second capability based on a second communication protocol, a first cluster that includes a first set of OFDMA tones for use by a first other wireless communication within the first time period, and a second cluster that includes a second set of OFDMA tones for use by a second other wireless communication within the first time period; and

a second time period for communication access based on carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) by a third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol;

transmitting, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, the OFDMA frame to the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, and the third other wireless communication device;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the first time period, first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and second data from the second other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the second time period, third data from the third other wireless communication device, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a time interval within the first time period for the first other wireless communication device to transmit the first data to the wireless communication device via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and for the second other wireless communication device to transmit simultaneously the second data to the wireless communication device via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones; and

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the time interval within the first time period, another OFDMA frame that includes both the first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and the second data from the second other wireless communication device that is simultaneously transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a first time interval within the first time period for the first other wireless communication device to transmit the first data to the wireless communication device via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and a second time interval within the first time period for the second other wireless communication device to transmit the second data to the wireless communication device via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones;

and further comprising;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the first time interval within the first time period, the first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and to receive, during the second time interval within the first time period, the second data from the second other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication device includes a cellular telephone, two-way radio, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), laptop computer, or home entertainment equipment.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a first time interval within the second time period for the third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol to perform communication access based on CSMA/CA and a second time interval within the second time period for a fourth other wireless communication device to perform communication access based on CSMA/CA;

and further comprising;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the first time interval within the second time period, the third data from the third other wireless communication device; and

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and during the second time interval within the second time period, fourth data from the fourth other wireless communication device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first communication protocol is a first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol, and the second communication protocol is a second IEEE 802.11 communication protocol that is a legacy IEEE 802.11 communication protocol to the first IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

operating a single front-end communication interface of the wireless communication device to support communications within at least one of a wireless communication system or a mobile communication system; and

at least one of transmitting the OFDMA frame, receiving the first data, receiving the second data, or receiving the third data via the single front-end communication interface.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication device includes an access point (AP), and at least one of the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, or the third other wireless communication device includes a wireless station (STA).

19. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing circuitry configured to;

generate an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame that includes information that specifies;

a first time period for simultaneous communication medium access by a first other wireless communication device and a second other wireless communication device that both have a first capability based on a first communication protocol and a second capability based on a second communication protocol, a first cluster that includes a first set of OFDMA tones for use by a first other wireless communication within the first time period, and a second cluster that includes a second set of OFDMA tones for use by a second other wireless communication within the first time period; and

a second time period for communication access based on carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) by a third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol;

transmit the OFDMA frame to the first other wireless communication device, the second other wireless communication device, and the third other wireless communication device;

receive, during the first time period, first data from the first other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the first cluster that includes the first set of OFDMA tones and second data from the second other wireless communication device that is transmitted via the second cluster that includes the second set of OFDMA tones based on respective time intervals as specified in the OFDMA frame;

receive, during the second time period, third data from the third other wireless communication device, wherein the information of the OFDMA frame further specifies a first time interval within the second time period for the third other wireless communication device that has the second capability based on the second communication protocol to perform communication access based on CSMA/CA and a second time interval within the second time period for a fourth other wireless communication device to perform communication access based on CSMA/CA; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to receive, during the first time interval within the second time period, the third data from the third other wireless communication device and configured to receive, during the second time interval within the second time period, fourth data from the fourth other wireless communication device.