Abstract: Disclosed herein are method, system, and computer program product embodiments for utilizing multiple traffic identifiers (TIDs) in a single user (SU) transmission. Some embodiments may operate by forming a SU multiple TID data unit that includes first data associated with a first access category and a first TID and second data associated with a second access category and a second TID. Some embodiments may further operate by transmitting the SU multiple TID data unit during a transmission opportunity based on configuration parameters associated with the transmission opportunity.

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: 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: Determining wireless local area network (WLAN) channel medium usage information by WLAN access points (APs) and WLAN stations (STAs) is disclosed. A new medium access control (MAC) duration field in a request to send (RTS) message provides a duration value to be conveyed in a subsequent clear to send (CTS) message. A channel or bandwidth can then be quickly used if an addressed STA does not respond to the RTS message. Also, a STA recognizes an unexpected silence and accesses the medium when a trigger frame is followed by a CTS timeout interval. In a third embodiment, an AP requests that STAs monitor particular channels to obtain network allocation vector (NAV) information. The STAs then respond (or informatively, do not respond) to RTS messages; thus, allowing the AP and other listening devices to determine channel medium information. The AP can then schedule data exchanges based on the determined information.

Abstract: An electronic device communicates frames with an access point (AP) by receiving, from the AP, a frame header that includes information specifying a first set of tones of an OFDMA communication, the first set of tones associated with first resource block subchannels having a first bandwidth used by the AP to transmit a frame payload. The electronic device obtains a second set of tones associated with second resource block subchannels having a second bandwidth that differs from the first bandwidth, and receives the frame payload using the OFDMA communication, the second resource block subchannels, and the second set of tones. Alternatively, an electronic device dynamically switches a channel-access mode when communicating a frame with the AP depending on whether the communication includes a primary 20 MHz channel. In a technique, an MU-PPDU is communicated using a frame via a non-primary 20 MHz channel without using the primary 20 MHz channel.

Abstract: A wireless local area network (WLAN) station (STA) reports, with a medium access control (MAC) frame, a buffer status of an urgent traffic identifier (TID) to a second STA. In some embodiments, the second STA is also an access point (AP). The delay in reporting is reduced by providing a buffer status report for the urgent TID in a data frame being transmitted to carry data for a current TID. The buffer status report, in some embodiments, provides the value of the urgent TID. In some embodiments, the buffer status report provides an indication of the amount of data in a buffer corresponding to the urgent TID. In some embodiments, the buffer status report is based on an aggregated measure of more than one buffer with data awaiting transmission. The transmission of the MAC frame, in some embodiments, is unsolicited.

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 device to perform multicast communications amongst a group of peer devices. Embodiments described herein provide mechanisms for initiation (or establishment) and scheduling of a multicast group as well as enrollment of a device into a multicast group, merging of multicast groups, and termination of multicast groups.

Abstract: An access point selects a channel access policy for an electronic device in a wireless local area network (WLAN). During operation, an interface circuit of the access point receives a channel access preference from the electronic device. The channel access preference includes: a multi-user trigger-based channel access technique, a single-user contention-based channel access technique, or both. The interface circuit selects the channel access policy for the electronic device based, at least in part, on the received channel access preference. The channel access policy can also be selected based at least in part on a communication performance metric associated with communication in the WLAN. The interface circuit communicates the selected channel access policy to the electronic device, which subsequently accesses a communication channel and communicates packets with the access point in accordance with the channel access policy.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring wireless 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 device to transmit, via a BTLE (or Bluetooth) interface, a first message indicating an operation associated with a Wi-Fi service (e.g., a service available via a Wi-Fi interface and/or Wi-Fi related interface parameters) to a peer device. The first message may include a service hash that indicates the operation. The service hash may be included in a first data structure. The first data structure may indicate availability of the Wi-Fi service. The device may receive a second message from the peer device indicating that the neighboring wireless station intends to subscribe to or provide the Wi-Fi service, e.g., via Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communications.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to providing reduced power consumption in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. Timing information regarding power save opportunities (PSOPs) may be provided in communication frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected frame exchange periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. Additional PSOP information may be included in beacon frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected multicast periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. This may operate to provide improvements in terms of power consumption.

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, 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: A wireless local area network station (STA) changes a receiver operating mode (ROM) and saves power by influencing when a ROM-conforming access point (AP) transmission takes place. The STA evaluates candidate delay regimes after a negotiation exchange with the STA. The STA then instructs the AP of a selected delay regime which the AP is permitted to use when transmitting data according to the changed ROM. The ROM can involve a change in the system bandwidth demodulated by the STA and/or the number of spatial streams demodulated by the STA. The delay regime can allow the AP to transmit with little or no delay based on the changed ROM, or the delay regime may require a fixed time delay before the AP transmits according to the changed ROM.

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 NAN devices to assist one another in receiving communications from an access point common to the peer NAN devices. In some embodiments, a wireless station may establish a communication link with a Wi-Fi access point and establish a peer-to-peer communication link with one or more neighboring wireless stations. In addition, the wireless station may receive transmissions intended for at least one neighboring wireless station of the one or more neighboring wireless stations from the Wi-Fi access point and relay the transmissions to the at least one wireless station on behalf of the Wi-Fi access point.

Abstract: In embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, i.e., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate a mechanism for coexistence of various radio access technologies during peer-to-peer communications. In some embodiments, a first communication may be scheduled in one or more time slots with a peer station according to a first radio access technology (RAT), an end time of the first communication during a first time slot of the one or more time slots may be determined, and a second communication according to a second RAT may be transmitted. At least a portion of the second communication may be performed during the first time slot. In some embodiments, the first and second communications may be transmitted on the same channel.

Abstract: In embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, i.e., direct communication between the mobile stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath scheduling and NAN pre-datapath operation setup and scheduling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. In particular, embodiments described herein provide a mechanism for NAN datapaths to support various levels of quality of service (QoS). Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, as well as pre-datapath operation triggering and scheduling. Scheduling may include determination of a type of datapath, including paging and synchronized datapaths. NAN data cluster base schedules may be scheduled as equal-sets or subsets of datapath schedules.

Abstract: Time, frequency and waveform division multiplex schemes are used to efficiently estimate multiple uplink channels in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and multi-user Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) approaches provide efficient uplink data transmission. An Access Point (AP) communicates with multiple Stations (STAs) in the WLAN. In some approaches, two or more STAs are addressed and the two or more STAs respond at the same time. The AP receives a composite signal and separates the responses to estimate the uplink channel from each STA. After the AP learns the uplink channels, the AP triggers data transmission from one or more of the WLAN STAs by sending a synchronizing trigger message. In some embodiments, the STAs respond simultaneously with data transmissions to the AP.

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: Embodiments described herein relate to providing reduced power consumption in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. Timing information regarding power save opportunities (PSOPs) may be provided in communication frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected frame exchange periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. Additional PSOP information may be included in beacon frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected multicast periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. This may operate to provide improvements in terms of power consumption.

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.