Abstract: An electronic device that transmits a frame to a second electronic device is described. In particular, during operation, an interface circuit in the electronic device (such as an access point in a WLAN) may transmit the frame to the second electronic device using a Wi-Fi communication protocol. The frame may include information cancelling a previously specified NAV protected time in a preamble of the frame. For example, the information may include a CF-End indication. Moreover, the information may be included in a MAC header of the frame and, more generally, in a preamble of a high efficiency (HE) physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU). Furthermore, the electronic device may transmit the frame in response to a block acknowledgment (BA) from the second electronic device.

Abstract: Some embodiments enable improved aggregated throughput and average latency in a wireless communication channel. Wireless electronic devices may implement adaptive contention window (ACW) channel access that improves channel capacity and enables latency sensitive applications (e.g., video streaming), especially when all wireless electronic devices operating on the channel as well as those in proximity utilize ACW channel access. Some embodiments detect when wireless stations on the communication channel as well as wireless stations in proximity are utilizing ACW channel access to obtain a transmit opportunity (TXOP). Based on the detection, an access point (AP) can instruct an associated wireless station to: use ACW channel access to obtain a TXOP, use a different channel access method obtain a TXOP as needed, disassociate and associate with a different AP, or use a different channel access method to obtain a TXOP.

Abstract: During operation, an interface circuit in an electronic device may receive, from a second electronic device (such as an access point in a WLAN), an uplink trigger frame that may specify an access category. In response to the uplink trigger frame, the electronic device may first include data associated with the specified access category in one or more frames, and then may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device. Moreover, when all the data associated with the specified access category has been transmitted or when there is no data associated with the specified access category, and when there is leftover time in an allocation associated with the uplink trigger frame, the interface circuit may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device with additional data associated with another access category that is different from the specified access category.

Abstract: A dual-radio AP including both a high-power (e.g., Wi-Fi) radio and a low-power (e.g., BLE) radio may support an assisted wakeup service for a power-limited dual-radio mobile device (STA). The power-limited STA may register with the AP for the assisted wakeup service, and may then disable its Wi-Fi radio (or otherwise initiate a lower-power mode). The power-limited STA may receive a BLE communication indicating the AP has pending Wi-Fi transmissions or updates applicable to the power-limited STA. In response, the power-limited STA may turn on its Wi-Fi radio and receive the pending transmissions or updates from the AP. If an AP does not include a low-power radio, then a high-power/low-power dual-radio STA that is not power-limited may serve as an assisted wakeup service proxy. The proxy may scan and trace the Wi-Fi beacons from the AP, and generate the BLE communication to the power-limited STA on behalf of the AP.

Abstract: An access point may receive, from a set of electronic devices, one or more buffer status reports that indicate that at least a subset of the electronic devices have uplink data associated with one or more access categories. In response, the access point may create a group of uplink virtual queues for one or more electronic devices in the subset based on the one or more buffer status reports, where a given uplink virtual queue corresponds to a particular access category and a given electronic device. The access point may start one or more backoff counters with a one-to-one correspondence to uplink virtual queues in the group of uplink virtual queues. When a backoff counter for the given uplink virtual queue reaches zero, the access point may transmit a trigger frame to an electronic device in the subset that corresponds to the given uplink virtual queue.

Abstract: In one set of embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, i.e., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to reciprocating service between two or more wireless stations. The reciprocating service embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can participate in a same service instant.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to aspects of NAN communication, including service discovery proxy registration, publishing, and subscription of services via the proxy, maintenance of the proxy, and de-registration of the proxy.

Abstract: One or more wireless stations may operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., without utilizing an intermediate access point. Scheduling of NAN ranging procedures may include a first wireless station sending first information, including first scheduling preferences and a first ranging role, to a second wireless station. The first wireless station receives second information, including second scheduling preferences and a second ranging role, from the second wireless station. The first wireless station may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters. Alternatively, the second wireless station and may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a mechanism for peer devices to transmit availability schedules beyond 512 time units while continuing to minimize communication overhead. In some embodiments, a wireless station may discover a peer wireless station and transmit extended availability information. In some embodiments, the extended availability information may indicate one or more of an availability interval duration, a bitmap length, and/or a repeat interval of the availability information. In some embodiments, the extended availability information may indicate a maximum number of receivable spatial streams and/or a channel bandwidth.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a wireless station may be configured to transmit a request to one or more access points and receive from at least one access point of the one or more access points, a response. The request may be a GAS or probe request and the response may be a GAS or probe response. The request may include an indication of one or more services sought by the wireless station and the response may include information regarding at least one service of the one or more services sought. In addition, the response may be an indication that the at least one access point has determined a match between a provided service and at least one service sought. The wireless station may be further configured to determine, based, at least in part, on the information, to associate with the access point in order to consume the at least one service.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to grouping electronic devices into contention groups to reduce uplink Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) random access (OFDMA-RA) collisions. An access point may explicitly assign an electronic device to a contention group, or the electronic device may implicitly determine an assignment to the contention group. To explicitly assign a device to a contention group, the access point may randomly assign or assign based on a criteria of the electronic device. Examples of criteria include an association identifier (AID), a traffic type/quality of service (QoS) category, a power saving preference, and an association status. The electronic device may implicitly determine a contention group assignment based on the total number of contention groups. The electronic device may use the explicitly or implicitly assigned contention group number to determine whether the electronic device may contend for a given trigger frame random access (TF-R) frame.

Abstract: An interface circuit in an electronic device (such as an access point) may provide a wake-up-radio (WUR) discovery frame for a recipient electronic device, where the WUR discovery frame includes an operating class of a wireless local area network (WLAN) associated with the electronic device. The operating class may specify a regulatory domain and a channel set of the WLAN. Moreover, the WUR discovery frame may include an index of a channel in the channel set. Furthermore, the WUR discovery frame may include a compressed or a partial identifier associated with the electronic device or the WLAN. The amount of compression may be based at least in part on a communication environment of the electronic device, such as a number of electronic devices, or a number of neighboring WLANs. Thus, the WUR discovery frame may have a variable size or length.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for enabling a spatial reuse opportunity at a high efficiency (HE) station and a network allocation vector (NAV) reset capability at a legacy station using a Request to Send and/or Clear to Send (RTS and/or CTS) frame. For example, the method can include receiving a RTS frame with a redefined field that specifies spatial reuse information. The NAV can be set based on the RTS frame. The method can determine whether a second frame was received within a threshold time after a Short Interframe Space (SIFS). Finally, the method can reset the NAV based on whether the second frame was received within the threshold time.

Abstract: During operation, an interface circuit in an electronic device may receive, from a second electronic device (such as an access point in a WLAN), an uplink trigger frame that may specify an access category. In response to the uplink trigger frame, the electronic device may first include data associated with the specified access category in one or more frames, and then may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device. Moreover, when all the data associated with the specified access category has been transmitted or when there is no data associated with the specified access category, and when there is leftover time in an allocation associated with the uplink trigger frame, the interface circuit may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device with additional data associated with another access category that is different from the specified access category.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments relate to scheduling of NAN ranging procedures, including to a first wireless station sending first information, including first scheduling preferences and a first ranging role, to a second wireless station. The first wireless device receives second information, including second scheduling preferences and a second ranging role, from the second wireless device. The first wireless station may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters. Alternatively, the second wireless station and may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters.

Abstract: An interface circuit in an electronic device (such as an access point) may receive a setup request associated with the recipient electronic device. The setup request may specify a group address for which the recipient electronic device wants to receive associated frames and a proposed transmission interval. Based at least in part on the proposed transmission interval, the electronic device may determine a transmission schedule and/or may assign, based at least in part on the group address, the recipient electronic device to an aggregated group having a flexible multicast service identifier (FMSID). Then, the electronic device may provide a wake-up frame for the recipient electronic device, where the wake-up frame includes an identifier of the aggregated group for which a group-addressed frame will subsequently be transmitted by the electronic device. Moreover, the wake-up frame may be provided at a transmission time based at least in part on the transmission schedule.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a mechanism for a wireless station to discover a neighboring peer wireless station, e.g., via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, receive a synchronization beacon(s) from the neighboring peer wireless station, and synchronize timing with the neighboring peer wireless station based at least in part on the synchronization beacon(s). In addition, the wireless station may transmit, e.g., via Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communications, a data beacon to one or more neighboring wireless devices stations, wherein the one or more neighboring wireless stations are configured to synchronize timing with the wireless station based on the data beacon.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for selectively decoding a multicast subframe in a multi-user frame for a wireless communications protocol. Embodiments include transmitting a request frame including a multicast group address for a multicast group to an access point (AP). The AP can determine a multicast identifier for the multicast group based on the multicast group address in the request frame. The AP can also transmit a response frame including the determined multicast identifier to a station (STA). The STA can receive a multi-user frame containing a multicast subframe from the AP. The STA can determine whether the multicast subframe is destined for the STA based on the determined multicast identifier and a multicast identifier stored in a preamble of the multi-user frame. The STA can determine whether to decode the multicast subframe based on the determination of whether the multicast subframe is destined for the STA.

Abstract: An interface circuit in an electronic device may receive, from an access point associated with the electronic device, a frame with management information that enables the electronic device to use a spatial-reuse technique, where the electronic device, through the spatial-reuse technique, adjusts a transmit power and a channel-availability sensing threshold. Moreover, the management information may specify parameters for the spatial-reuse technique. Then, the electronic device may transmit, using the spatial-reuse technique, one or more frames to the access point based on the parameters. Furthermore, the electronic device may transmit, to the access point, feedback information that indicates communication performance during the communication between the electronic device and the access point. For example, the feedback information may include a retry rate and, more generally, communication-performance information. This feedback information may be used by the access point to modify the parameters.

Abstract: A basic bandwidth wireless local area network (WLAN) device or station (STA) is assigned to a secondary channel. The basic bandwidth STA may be a 20 MHz STA. On the secondary channel, the basic bandwidth STA operates in a wideband mode recovering received data transmitted from an access point (AP) as part of a high bandwidth physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The STA and the AP can be members of a basic service set (BSS). The high bandwidth PPDU may be, for example, a 40 MHz, 60 MHz, or 80 MHz PPDU. Once on the secondary channel, the STA relies on the AP to perform channel sensing and scheduling activities, thus reducing power consumption at the STA and increasing the efficiency of the BSS. Several signaling formats are provided for indicating the secondary channel that the STA is assigned to or requests to move to.