Abstract: A data unit (e.g., a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU)) is detected at a first wireless device of a basic service set (BSS). The data unit was sent on a channel from a second wireless device of an overlapping basic service set (OBSS). The data unit is wide-bandwidth, occupying both a primary channel and a secondary channel of the wireless network. The first and second wireless devices are within a same spatial reuse group (SRG). The first wireless device stores the channel bandwidth of the data unit and a receive duration time of the data unit. During the receive duration time of the data unit, a SRG OBSS power density threshold is applied on the secondary channels that are within the channel bandwidth of the data unit, instead of applying a non-SRG OBSS power density threshold on those secondary channels.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide apparatus and methods for performing HARQ operations using parallel HARQ threads, where each new transmission of a MPDU/A-MPDU/PSDU triggers the activation of a HARQ thread. Each HARQ thread contains one or more HARQ coding words or coding units. A HARQ thread index is setup by a transmission opportunity (TXOP) holder for a corresponding PSDU and is used to identify HARQ threads. Multiple HARQ threads can be aggregated into one PPDU for transmission (or retransmission). The maximum number of HARQ threads can be negotiated between AP and non-AP STAs based on buffer requirements, for example. A HARQ thread can end when all MPDUs associated with the HARQ thread have been decoded or other predetermined conditions are met.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for accessing multiple wireless links simultaneously during a transmission opportunity granted to a wireless STA to increase throughput of the wireless network while advantageously preventing or mitigating the IDC interference caused by simultaneous transmission and reception of data over multiple wireless bands. According to some embodiments, a wireless STA can be prevented from accessing a wireless medium to transmit data to a peer wireless STA when the peer wireless STA is already transmitting data, or may be transmitting data, or is scheduled to transmit data in the immediate future. According to some embodiments, access to a wireless medium for performing a multi-link operation can be prevented responsive to IDC interference.

Abstract: A method of data acknowledgement includes: transmitting data from a wireless station, transmitting a Block Acknowledgement Request (BAR) from the wireless station, and receiving a Block Acknowledgement (BA) by the wireless station. In one example, the step of transmitting BAR by the wireless station requests an acknowledgment for transmitted data with an access category that has the same priority as the a primary access category. In another example, the step of transmitting BAR by the wireless station requests an acknowledgment for transmitted data with an access category that has the same or higher priority than a primary access category. A wireless device includes at least one transceiver to exchange data with another wireless device, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to: transmit data, transmit a Block Acknowledgement Request (BAR), and receive a Block Acknowledgement (BA).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for a MAP wireless network that includes a collaborative channel sounding measurement phase to determine channel state information between devices (e.g., the channel state between an STA and a collaborative AP) for efficient configuration of the MAP wireless network and to improve the performance of the MAP wireless networks. The wireless AP and wireless STAs associated with the collaborative APs can simultaneously transmit by applying collaborative beamforming where the interferences between channels nullify each other (e.g., nulling), and the beamforming is performed based on a sounding phase performed by the collaborative APs. The sounding protocol can include a collaborative sounding measurement phase and a collaborative sounding feedback report phase, using Null Data Packets (NDPs), for example, as described herein according to embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and device for multi-AP beamforming (e.g., nulling) and spatial reuse to mitigate interference and improve the performance of MAP wireless networks. According to one embodiment, multiple APs agree to collaborate in multi-AP beamforming, transmissions of received PDDUs are measured to determine interference information, the APS generate interference maps, and the APs perform joint and Multi-AP beamforming in a first and second BSS to avoid/mitigate interference of the MAP wireless network. An RTS and CTS frame exchange sequence can be performed prior to Multi-AP beamforming between BSSs using a flag/indicator in the RTS frame to indicate coordinated transmission, or an UL trigger frame can be used to indicate a coordinated UL transmission.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for synchronous independent channel access in a wireless network. The synchronous independent channel access can be performed by a wireless station having multiple transceivers for simultaneous communication over multiple wireless bands. A wireless station can connect wirelessly to a wireless access point to access a first primary wireless band during a transmission opportunity, and can use early access on a second primary wireless band without receiving a transmission opportunity. The transmission and reception of data frames over the different primary channels are synchronized to prevent or mitigate inter-channel interference. According to some embodiments, the channels are synchronized using back-off procedures and/or padding to align the ending time of transmitted and received data frames, for example.

Abstract: A data unit (e.g., a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU)) is detected at a first wireless device of a basic service set (BSS). The data unit was sent on a channel from a second wireless device of an overlapping basic service set (OBSS). The data unit is wide-bandwidth, occupying both a primary channel and a secondary channel of the wireless network. The first and second wireless devices are within a same spatial reuse group (SRG). The first wireless device stores the channel bandwidth of the data unit and a receive duration time of the data unit. During the receive duration time of the data unit, a SRG OBSS power density threshold is applied on the secondary channels that are within the channel bandwidth of the data unit, instead of applying a non-SRG OBSS power density threshold on those secondary channels.

Abstract: System and method of using an AP to individually controlling RTS/CTS duration thresholds for multiple STAs in a WLAN. In response to a STA's association request, the AP determines a duration threshold specific to the STA and encloses this information in an association request response for transmission to the STA. By using a broadcast frame, the AP may instruct multiple STAs to uniformly update their stored duration thresholds. For example, if the duration threshold field in the beacon frame is set to 0, the multiple STAs preserve their current duration thresholds; if the field is set to a non-zero value less than 1023, the multiple STAs all update their duration thresholds to the non-zero value; if this field is set to 1023, the multiple STAs disable the RTS/CTS transmissions. Based on a current threshold and pertinent policies, an STA can decide whether to initiate an RTS/CTS transmission sequence.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for hybrid ARQ acknowledgement and retransmission requests for decoding failed MPDUs of an A-MPDU received by an STA. The source address and receiver address of a failed MPDU can be verified according to a MAC header CRC that can be included in an A-Control frame, for example. For verifying the source address and the receiver address in MAC header, according to some embodiments, the MAC header CRC is jointly calculated over the first two octets of the MPDU delimiter of an A-MPDU subframe. Moreover, a Hybrid ARQ frame is defined to include Block Ack Bitmap subfield representing the received status of a plurality of MPDUs according to starting sequence control number, for example.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for coordinated multi-AP channel access in a wireless network. A wireless AP that obtains a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (a “coordinator AP”) can grant one or more STAs or APs under control of the coordinator AP the use of some of the bandwidth granted by the TXOP. The STAs or APs that are granted the use of the bandwidth are referred to as “coordinated APs.” Thereafter, a coordinator AP or a coordinated AP can create a new basic service set (BSS) of devices for coordinating data transmissions. For example, the coordinated AP may serve as a relay, where the coordinated AP services devices in a new BSS by sending and receiving data with a coordinator AP in a different BSS.

Abstract: Presented systems and methods facilitate efficient and effective communication link adaptation. In one embodiment, a system comprises: a first communication device configured to forward link adaptation information, and a second communication component configured to receive the link adaptation information. The system is part of a wireless local area network (WLAN). The link adaptation information can include Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) Feed Back (MFB) related information in a communication frame. The communication frame can include a first field and a second field. The first field indicates the information is being forwarded as unsolicited MFB information or is associated with a solicitation request for the MFB information. The second first field indicates whether the information is MFB information or a request for MFB information.

Abstract: A method of determining a distance between mobile wireless devices can include determining a format and bandwidth supported by an initiating Station (STA) and a responding Station (STA) and exchanging one or more sets of Null Data Packet (NDP) frames between the initiating Station (STA) and the responding Station (STA) using the determined format and bandwidth. The distance between the initiating Station (STA) and the responding Station (STA) can then be determined based on timing measurements of the one or more sets of Null Data Packet (NDP) frames exchanged between the initiating Station (STA) and the responding Station (STA).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for simultaneous transmission and reception of data wirelessly using different wireless bands. The multi-link operations described herein can provide higher network throughput and improved network flexibility compared to traditional techniques to wireless communication. Link management operations such as enabling and disabling of a link may be performed by an AP or STA by sending a frame over a link that is currently active. Moreover, an AP may request a switch to a different link available on the AP side for MLO, for example, when a link is occupied by interference and is not available when AP needs to use the link, and the operating parameters of a target link can be updated.

Abstract: Mechanisms of CCA status reporting and NAV distribution for coordinated transmissions in a multi-AP WLAN. A coordinator AP may broadcast a RTS frame to a set of coordinated APs, which allow the coordinated APs with a CCA clear status to set a protected period in a CST frame to silence the associated non-AP STAs. The coordinator AP also polls the coordinated APs to have them individually report their CCA statuses as well as additional information used for transmission coordination. In some embodiments, a status report from a coordinated AP may integrate the protected period setting and the CCA clean status indication, and therefore the coordinator AP just needs to poll for such a report without using RTS/CTS exchange. A coordinated AP may set a protected period to end at the complete transmission of a coordination frame. The coordination frame may specify the remaining TXOP duration information.

Abstract: Power management operations are performed by devices communicating using multiple bands simultaneously where a first wireless band can be used to send and receive power management control frames for use on a second wireless band of a wireless network. In this way, a device that is in a sleep or dose power management state on a first band can be instructed to enter an awake power management state on the first band based on a communication received over a second band that is currently active and receiving data. Embodiments of the present invention enable power to be conserved when a band is not currently being used, or when there is no more data available (buffered) for a specific band.

Abstract: System and method of cooperative multi-band wireless STA communication that enables full duplex operations. Frames are configured to carry band information and are selected to be transmitted simultaneously in multiple bands based on various constraints to avoid out-of-order delivery. For frames under a block ACK agreement, a transmit STA can specify the transmission bands for the frames in an ADDBA request frame. While a first band is transmitting a first frame under a block ACK agreement, the second band can be used to transmit a frame under the same block ACK agreement as, and from the same traffic flow with, the first frame. Otherwise, the second band can only be used to transmit a frame with a different TID than the first frame.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for simultaneous transmission and reception of data wirelessly using different wireless bands. The multi-link operations described herein can provide higher network throughput and improved network flexibility compared to traditional techniques to wireless communication. Embodiments of the present invention support joint or independent transmission of data over different links, and a full duplex connection can be enabled by independent multi-band operation e.g., a frequency division duplex mode.

Abstract: A management device accepts a first communications device to join a wireless communications network managed by the management device. The management device registers a service provided by the first communications device. The service is available in accordance with a set of service parameters. The set of service parameters include a schedule of availability. The set of service parameters include at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a set of one or more starting times, a set of one or more service intervals, a set of one or more service periods, a set of one or more physical media, a set of one or more device identifiers, a set of one or more data sequence identifiers, and at least one medium access mode within the service interval.

Abstract: An encryption mechanism used on cooperative multi-band wireless STA architecture that enables full duplex operations. In encrypting a frame, an AAD can be constructed by using a selected MAC address, which may not be associated with a band to be used for transmitting the frame in an upcoming TXOP. An STA that supports simultaneous transmission in a multi-band operation uses the same MAC address to encrypt the frames to be transmitted on different bands. An AAD is constructed by using a same MAC address corresponding to one of the transceivers. A transmit STA may specify band information used for encryption in the MAC header, which serves to signal the receive STA to decrypt the frame by using the proper information.