Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for wireless communication. The method, apparatus, and computer program product may be configured to generate packets, wherein each of the packets comprises a packet header comprising a packet format field comprising a first indicator that indicates whether the packet header comprises a payload length field and whether the packet comprises a payload. The method, apparatus, and computer program product may be further configured to generate a second indicator based on a type of data in the payload, and attach the second indicator to the data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for power conservation in a wireless communications system through efficient transmissions and acknowledgements of information between an AP and a station. The time between a determination by a station to enter a power saving mode and entering network sleep mode by the station may be reduced through a transmission, by an AP, of an MPDU to the station successive to an SIFS after transmission of an acknowledgement to the station of a PS-Poll frame from the station. The time to enter a power saving mode by a station may also be reduced through transmission of A-MPDUs in which a last MPDU of the A-MPDU has an indicator bit cleared to indicate no additional data is to be transmitted. An AP may prevent a retransmission of an MPDU to the station in the absence of an acknowledgement from the station, to further enhance efficiency.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for power conservation in a wireless communications system through efficient transmissions and acknowledgements of information between an AP and a station. The time between a determination by a station to enter a power saving mode and entering network sleep mode by the station may be reduced through a transmission, by an AP, of an MPDU to the station successive to an SIFS after transmission of an acknowledgement to the station of a PS-Poll frame from the station. The time to enter a power saving mode by a station may also be reduced through transmission of A-MPDUs in which a last MPDU of the A-MPDU has an indicator bit cleared to indicate no additional data is to be transmitted. An AP may prevent a retransmission of an MPDU to the station in the absence of an acknowledgement from the station, to further enhance efficiency.

Abstract: A method of providing multicast rate control in a wireless communication device can include transmitting data frames to a plurality of stations in a multicast group with a first data rate. Acknowledgements (ACKs) can then be requested from a first subset of the plurality of stations. Frame losses can be determined using the ACKs from the first subset. A second data rate can be determined based on the frame losses with the first subset. A second subset of the plurality of stations can be selected based on the frame losses with the first subset. Data frames can be transmitted to the plurality of stations with the second data rate. Notably, ACKs only from the second subset of the plurality of stations are requested. Frame losses for the second subset can be determined using those ACKs. A current data rate can be adjusted based on the frame losses for the subset and at least one predetermined threshold. Data frames can be transmitted to the plurality of stations using the adjusted data rate.

Abstract: In an addressing scheme for wireless communication a communication channel may be defined based on a unique identifier associated with a destination node or a source node. In addition, a short identifier may be included in messages sent over the communication channel such that a node may uniquely identify the source node or destination node for the message. A node may use a short identifier as an index into a lookup table to determine one or more parameters to be used for communicating with another node.

Abstract: A method of providing feedback on channel observations to a transmitter includes observing a channel at a receiver based on received signals from the transmitter and determining whether a packet error rate (PER) is rising based on the observing. The receiver determines whether a rising PER is caused by channel noise or interference, and transmits a message to the transmitter indicating the cause of the rising PER. The cause may be encoded in reserved bits of a block acknowledgement (BA) frame or an Acknowledge (ACK) frame, or in a modulation coding scheme (MCS) used to transmit the message. The cause may be detected in response to SNR/RSSI level of received signals, or a number of receiver restarts. The transmitter may change the transmit rate adaptation algorithm to use a lower MCS if channel noise causes the rising PER, and a higher MCS if interference causes the rising PER.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for coordinating operation on multiple frequency bands between two or more multiple concurrent band (MCB) devices. The band switch protocols may include sending information on a second band after a communications link has been established on a first band. The receiving device may treat the transmission of the frame on the new band as a message to switch bands, such that the transmitting and receiving devices may conduct subsequent communications on the new band. Further, the band switch protocols allow for seamless operation over the band switch event. As a result, a frequency band having desired performance characteristics may be selected dynamically.

Abstract: A wake-up radio is configured to scan for transmissions while the radio receiver is in sleep mode. The wake-up radio detects incoming RF transmissions intended for the radio receiver by analyzing data frame characteristics in an incoming RF transmission. The data frame characteristics may contain a signature code that is unique to the radio receiver. The signature code may be based on the time duration of a sequence of orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols received in a clear to send to self (CTS2S) transmission or a time duration of short interframe spaces (SIFS) used to transmit the data frames.

Abstract: A wireless device is configured to switch data rates to account for temporary channel conditions or device configuration errors. Pre-selected data rates, more likely to achieve maximum goodput, are stored in a data rate table. The data rate table contains candidate data rates for each pre-selected data rate in the data rate table. When probe transmissions using the preselected data rates fail, dynamic rate probing is utilized to determine a possible cause and extent of the problem. The dynamic rate probing scheme transmits probe transmissions using the candidate data rates and tracks success or failure of these probe transmissions. An analysis of the probe transmissions is used to indicate a possible cause and/or extent of the problematic condition and to determine whether there is a need to reconfigure the data rates in the data rate table.

Abstract: One innovation includes an apparatus, for wirelessly communicating with a communication system via a first wireless channel and a second wireless channel, including a memory unit that is configured to store a first data packet and a second data packet, the first data packet and the second data packet have consecutive sequence numbers. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to retrieve the first data packet and the second data packet from the memory unit, a transceiver that is configured to transmit the first data packet to the communication system via the first channel, to receive a first acknowledgement from the communication system and to transmit the second data packet to the communication system via the second channel after the processor detects that the first acknowledgement comprises a positive acknowledgement of the first reception information.

Abstract: MAC layer frame aggregation and block acknowledgement are used in some WLAN technologies to improve efficiency of a communications channel by reducing PHY layer overhead. A frame aggregation window size defines how many MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) are included in an aggregated MPDU (AMPDU) frame. The frame aggregation window for a subsequent AMPDU frame is typically dependent upon the characteristics of the block acknowledgement—such as the number of non-acknowledged (NAK) MPDUs or the position of a hole in the previous AMPDU frame. A small frame aggregation window size may impact throughput especially at higher transmission rates. In this disclosure a transmission rate may be determined based, at least in part, on a projected frame aggregation window size resulting from a block acknowledgement. The frame aggregation feedback (e.g. block acknowledgement) may be used by a rate control module to determine a transmission rate that optimizes frame aggregation efficiency.

Abstract: Various aspects of the disclosure described herein provide for optimizing rate control during a selection of a communications profile from a set of communications profiles by taking into account effective frame aggregation size as a function of packet error rate (PER). An expected throughput may also be determined for each communications profile and updated after each transmission so that a communications profile having the highest expected throughput may be chosen for a particular frame transmission.

Abstract: Beacon-poll frames are transmitted from a station (STA) to a wireless AP in an opportunistic manner. In response to receiving a beacon-poll frame, the wireless AP transmits a unicast beacon frame to the STA, thereby eliminating the need for the STA to periodically wake up to receive broadcast beacon frames from the AP. The wireless AP may transmit the unicast beacon frame at a higher speed than a conventional broadcast beacon frame. As a result, the time that the STA must be awake to receive the unicast beacon frame is significantly less than the time that the STA must be awake to receive a conventional broadcast beacon frame, thereby resulting in significant power savings within the STA. The wireless AP may aggregate downlink (DL) data packets to be transmitted to the STA with the unicast beacon frame, resulting in further power savings within the STA.

Abstract: A method of performing dual-mode rate control for an access point in a wireless communication system includes a single-user mode of operation and a multi-user mode of operation. In the single-user mode, a basic rate for a station is determined based on channel conditions. In the multi-user mode, a rate for a plurality of stations is determined using tracking. The tracking includes performing a sounding for the plurality of stations. An initial multi-user current rate is then set equal to a function of a number of users and the basic rate. A transmission is sent to the plurality of stations using the current rate. A packet error rate (PER) is detected during transmission to the plurality of stations. The current rate is adjusted based on the PER. After rate adjustment, either sounding is triggered or the method returns to sending a transmission using the current rate.

Abstract: A method of providing aggregated MAC protocol data unit (AMPDU) duration control in a wireless communication device includes setting an AMPDU duration. Pass/fail statistics are collected for each MPDU of an AMPDU in a time window, W. A packet error rate (PER) difference is calculated between first and last sets of MPDUs for each AMPDU in the window. An average PER difference is calculated across all AMPDUs in the window. When the average PER difference is greater than a first threshold, then the AMPDU duration is decreased. When the difference is less than a second threshold, then the AMPDU duration is increased. When the difference is within the first and the second thresholds, then the method returns to the step of collecting for a next time window. The AMPDU duration can also be adjusted based on detected Doppler and line-of-sight transmissions.

Abstract: A method of performing transmission from an access point (AP) in a wireless communication system provides transmission setting adjustment after sounding. In this method, stations associated with the AP and having transmission data can be identified. Transmission to those stations can be performed using a predetermined transmission setting. For a first transmission after a sounding, the predetermined transmission setting can be boosted. For any transmission other than the first transmission after the sounding, a current or adjusted transmission setting can be used based on a detected PER during transmission. An adjusted transmission setting can be an MCS rate, a user-level (SU-BF, 2U-MIMO, or 3U-MIMO), or an aggregated MAC protocol data unit (AMPDU) aggregation level. A single transmission setting or a combination of settings can be used. The method can be used with any transmission setting(s), including those mapped from the Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR).

Abstract: A communications method comprising the steps of receiving a data packet; processing the data packet; and transmitting an ack packet approximately at an end of a first defined time interval if the processing of the data packet is completed within the first defined interval, or transmitting the ack packet approximately at an end of a second defined time interval if the processing of the data packet is not completed within the first defined interval and is completed within the second defined interval. Another communication method comprising the steps of transmitting a data packet; scanning a channel for an ack packet approximately at an end of a first defined time interval from the transmission of the data packet; and scanning the channel for the ack packet approximately at an end of a second defined time interval from the transmission of the data packet if the ack packet was not received within the first defined interval.

Abstract: A method of providing rate adaptation in a multi-user wireless communication system including single-user beamforming (SU-BF) and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) is described. In this method, a master rate, which is a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the SU-BF, is determined. An MCS for each transmit mode is derived from the master rate using a rate mapping. Using the results from the mapping, the master rate, instead of the MCS for each transmit mode, is tracked. In one embodiment, a mapping calibration is periodically performed.

Abstract: Various aspects of apparatus for accessing a network through a wireless access point and methods of power savings for such apparatus include operating in a sleep state, and scheduling one or more sleep state intervals for operating in the sleep state during a time period, wherein the scheduled one or more sleep state intervals are based on one or more wireless transmission parameters.

Abstract: Various aspects of apparatus for accessing a network through a wireless access point and methods of power savings for such apparatus include scheduling a sleep state interval, entering a sleep state at the beginning of the scheduled sleep interval, and buffering data during the sleep state for transmission following the sleep state.