Method and apparatus for medium access control for uniform multiple access points coverage in wireless local area networks

• US 10,305,550 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaofei, Zhang, Guodong, Oteri, Oghenekome, Xia, Pengfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pancholi, Rina C
• Application Number:
  US14/441,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1273 of downlink data flows
• 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 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus may be used in multi-AP and multi-wireless transmit/receive unit joint transmissions. The apparatus may be configured to transmit a joint transmission request on a first medium, and receive a joint transmission response on the first medium. In response, the apparatus my perform a joint transmission negotiation on a second medium and transmit data on the second medium based on the joint transmission negotiation. The apparatus may be configured to perform coordinated sectorized or beamformed transmissions through access point (AP)/PCP negotiations. The apparatus may provide an indication of support for joint transmission and coordinated sectorized or beamformed transmissions. The method and apparatus may also implement multi-AP/WTRU request-to-send (RTS)/clear-to-send (CTS) procedures. The apparatus may be configured to perform coordinated sectorized or beamforming grouping.

Claims

1. A method for use in an IEEE 802.11 wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for sectorized operation, the method comprising:

transmitting, to an access point (AP), a request frame that includes a first sectorized beamforming capability information element (IE) indicating that the IEEE 802.11 WTRU supports sectorized operation, wherein the sectorized operation includes transmission or reception within at least one sector of a coverage area of the AP associated with a single basic service set that is divided into a plurality of sectors, wherein each of the plurality of sectors is an angular portion of the coverage area of the AP and each of the plurality of sectors includes at least one WTRU;

receiving, from the AP, a response frame that includes a second sectorized beamforming capability IE indicating that the AP supports the sectorized operation;

receiving a sectorized beacon frame that includes a scheduling of sector transmission in the at least one sector; and

transmitting, to the AP, data packets based on the scheduling of sector transmission in the sectorized beacon frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of sector transmission comprises a sector identification (ID) and duration of the sectorized operation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting the data packet based on the sector ID and the duration of the sectorized operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request frame is an association request frame.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response frame is an association response frame.

6. An IEEE 802.11 wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) configured for sectorized operation, the WTRU comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, to an access point (AP), a request frame that includes a first sectorized beamforming capability information element (IE) indicating that the IEEE 802.11 WTRU supports sectorized operation, wherein the sectorized operation includes transmission or reception within at least one sector of a coverage area of the AP associated with a single basic service set that is divided into a plurality of sectors, wherein each of the plurality of sectors is an angular portion of the coverage area of the AP and each of the plurality of sectors includes at least one WTRU;

a receiver configured to receive, from the AP, a response frame that includes a second sectorized beamforming capability IE indicating that the AP supports the sectorized operation;

the receiver further configured to receive a sectorized beacon frame that includes a scheduling of sector transmission in the at least one sector; and

the transmitter further configured to transmit, to the AP, data packets based on a the scheduling of sector transmission in the sectorized beacon frame.

7. The IEEE 802.11 WTRU of claim 6, wherein the scheduling of sector transmission comprises a sector identification (ID) and duration of the sectorized operation.

8. The IEEE 802.11 WTRU of claim 7,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the data packet based on the sector ID and the duration of the sectorized operation.

9. The IEEE 802.11 WTRU of claim 6, wherein the request frame is an association request frame.

10. The IEEE 802.11 WTRU of claim 6, wherein the response frame is an association response frame.

11. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from an access point (AP), a management frame that includes a sectorized beamforming capability information element (IE) indicating that the AP supports sectorized operation of the WTRU, wherein the sectorized operation includes transmission or reception within at least one sector of a coverage area of the AP associated with a single basic service set that is divided into a plurality of sectors, wherein each of the plurality of sectors is an angular portion of the coverage area of the AP and each of the plurality of sectors includes a group of WTRUs;

the receiver further configured to receive a sectorized beacon frame that includes at least one sector identification (ID) associated with the at least one sectors; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, based on the at least one sector ID, a packet in a sectorized transmission to the AP.

12. The WTRU of claim 11,

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit, to the AP, a second management frame that includes a second sectorized beamforming capability IE indicating that the WTRU supports the sectorized operation.