Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink

• US 10,194,427 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Merlin, Simone, Asterjadhi, Alfred, Cherian, George, Tian, Bin, Bharadwaj, Arjun, Barriac, Gwendolyn Denise, Zhou, Yan
• Primary Examiner(s): Khirodhar, Maharishi V
• Application Number:
  US15/298,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26 Systems using multi-frequency codes H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, a method for wireless communication is provided. The method includes transmitting a clear to transmit (CTX) message to two or more stations, the CTX indicating an uplink transmission opportunity, the CTX message further comprising a request that the two or more stations concurrently transmit uplink data at a specific time. The method further includes receiving a plurality of uplink data from at least two stations at the specific time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:

an electronic hardware processor configured to generate a clear to transmit message comprising a first indication of an uplink transmission opportunity, the clear to transmit message further comprising a request for two or more stations to concurrently transmit uplink data at a specific time, the clear to transmit message further comprising a common information field including information common to all of the two or more stations, the clear to transmit message further comprising two or more individual information fields corresponding to each of the two or more stations respectively, the clear to transmit message further comprising a duration field indicating a length for a plurality of uplink data transmissions to be received from the two or more stations at the specific time, wherein the indicated length corresponds to a number of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbols;

a transmitter configured to transmit the clear to transmit message to the two or more stations; and

a receiver configured to receive the plurality of uplink data transmissions at the specific time from at least two stations of the two or more stations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the duration field comprises nine bits.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware processor is further configured to generate the clear to transmit message to comprise an indication of whether the two or more stations are to include packet extension symbols at an end of the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware processor is further configured to generate the clear to transmit message to comprise a second indication that the two or more stations are to consider a state of a wireless medium before transmitting, and wherein the clear to transmit message further comprises a third indication of a clear channel assessment threshold to be utilized by the two or more stations in considering the state of the wireless medium.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic hardware processor is further configured to determine one or more resource units for random access and include an indication of the one or more resource units in the clear to transmit message, and

the receiver is further configured to receive random access uplink data based on the one or more resource units.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware processor is further configured to generate the clear to transmit message to comprise a second indication of a packet type to be utilized by the two or more stations for the plurality of uplink data transmissions and a third indication of whether associated or unassociated stations may transmit during the uplink transmission opportunity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic hardware processor is further configured to generate the clear to transmit message to comprise a second indication of a transmit power of the clear to transmit message and a target receive power for the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

8. A method for wireless communication comprising:

generating, via an electronic hardware processor, a clear to transmit message indicating an uplink transmission opportunity and a request for two or more stations to concurrently transmit uplink data at a specific time, the clear to transmit message further comprising a common information field including information common to all of the two or more stations, the clear to transmit message further comprising two or more individual information fields corresponding to each of the two or more stations respectively, the clear to transmit message further comprising a duration field indicating a length for a plurality of uplink data transmissions to be received from the two or more stations at the specific time, wherein the indicated length corresponds to a number of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbols;

transmitting, via the electronic hardware processor, the clear to transmit message to the two or more stations; and

receiving, via the electronic hardware processor, the plurality of uplink data transmissions at the specific time from at least two stations of the two or more stations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the duration field comprises nine bits.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the clear to transmit message to further include an indication of whether the two or more stations are to include packet extension symbols at an end of the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the clear to transmit message to further include a second indication that the two or more stations are to consider a state of a wireless medium before transmitting, and a third indication of a clear channel assessment threshold to be utilized by the two or more stations in considering the state of the wireless medium.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining one or more resource units for random access;

transmitting an indication of the one or more resource units in the clear to transmit message; and

receiving random access uplink data based on the one or more resource units.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the clear to transmit message to further include an indication of a packet type to be utilized by the two or more stations for the plurality of uplink data transmissions, and wherein the clear to transmit message further comprises an indication of whether associated or unassociated stations may transmit during the uplink transmission opportunity.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the clear to transmit message to further include an indication of a transmit power of the clear to transmit message and a target receive power for the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising:

means for generating a clear to transmit message indicating an uplink transmission opportunity, the clear to transmit message further comprising a request for two or more stations to concurrently transmit uplink data at a specific time, the clear to transmit message further comprising a common information field including information common to all of the two or more stations, the clear to transmit message further comprising two or more individual information fields corresponding to each of the two or more stations respectively, the clear to transmit message further comprising a duration field indicating a length for a plurality of uplink data transmissions to be received from the two or more stations at the specific time, wherein the indicated length corresponds to a number of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbols;

means for transmitting the clear to transmit message to the two or more stations; and

means for receiving the plurality of uplink data transmissions at the specific time from at least two stations of the two or more stations.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the duration field comprises nine bits.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for generating is configured to generate the clear to transmit message to include an indication of whether the two or more stations are to include packet extension symbols at an end of the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for generating is configured to generate the clear to transmit message to include a second indication that the two or more stations are to consider a state of a wireless medium before transmitting, and is also configured to generate the clear to transmit message to include a third indication of a clear channel assessment threshold to be utilized by the two or more stations in considering the state of the wireless medium.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining one or more resource units for random access;

means for transmitting an indication of the one or more resource units in the clear to transmit message; and

means for receiving random access uplink data based on the one or more resource units.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for generating is configured to generate the clear to transmit message to include a second indication of a packet type to be utilized by the two or more stations for the plurality of uplink data transmissions, and wherein the means for generating is also configured to generate the clear to transmit message to further include a third indication of whether associated or unassociated stations may transmit during the uplink transmission opportunity.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for generating is configured to generate the clear to transmit message to include an indication of a transmit power of the clear to transmit message and a target receive power for the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a method of:

generating a clear to transmit message indicating an uplink transmission opportunity, the clear to transmit message further comprising a request for two or more stations to concurrently transmit uplink data at a specific time, the clear to transmit message further comprising a common information field including information common to all of the two or more stations, the clear to transmit message further comprising two or more individual information fields corresponding to each of the two or more stations respectively, the clear to transmit message further comprising a duration field indicating a length for a plurality of uplink data transmissions to be received from the two or more stations at the specific time, wherein the indicated length corresponds to a number of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing symbols;

transmitting the clear to transmit message to the two or more stations; and

receiving the plurality of uplink data transmissions at the specific time from at least two stations of the two or more stations.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the duration field comprises nine bits.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the clear to transmit message is further generated to comprise an indication of whether the two or more stations are to include packet extension symbols at an end of the plurality of uplink data transmissions.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the clear to transmit message is further generated to comprise a second indication that the two or more stations are to consider a state of a wireless medium before transmitting, and wherein the clear to transmit message further comprises a third indication of a clear channel assessment threshold to be utilized by the two or more stations in considering the state of the wireless medium.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, the method further comprising:

determining one or more resource units for random access;

transmitting an indication of the one or more resource units in the clear to transmit message; and

receiving random access uplink data based on the one or more resource units.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the clear to transmit message is further generated to comprise an indication of a packet type to be utilized by the two or more stations for the plurality of uplink data transmissions, and wherein the clear to transmit message further comprises an indication of whether associated or unassociated stations may transmit during the uplink transmission opportunity.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the clear to transmit message is further generated to comprise an indication of a transmit power of the clear to transmit message and a target receive power for the plurality of uplink data transmissions.