Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and devices for transmitting or receiving beacon frames and probe response frames that include MAC addresses of a multi-link device (MLD) operating on multiple links in a wireless network. For example, the beacon frames and probe response frames can include an MLD MAC address that uniquely identifies an AP MLD in a wireless network, and can optionally include one or more WM MAC addresses of STAs of the AP MLD. The MAC addresses can be used to by wireless devices (e.g., STA MLDs) to connect to and associate with the AP MLD, and can be used to generate a password element used during authentication between wireless devices.

Abstract: A plurality of different medium access control (MAC) addresses are assigned to a plurality of virtual access point (AP) multi-link devices (MLDs) that are implemented within a physical AP MLD such that each of the plurality of virtual AP MLDs is assigned a respective MAC address of the plurality of different MAC addresses. Wireless communications are then established with one or more stations (STAs) over a plurality of links.

Abstract: Multi-link operations can provide higher network throughput and improved network flexibility compared to traditional techniques for wireless communication. Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for simultaneously transmitting frames of an A-MSDU over multiple links in a multi-link operation between wireless devices (e.g., a wireless STA and a wireless AP). The A-MSDU can be aggregated to satisfy capability requirements of the transmitting device and/or the receiving device. Moreover, the A-MSDU can be fragmented, for example, to satisfy an MPDU length requirement of the transmitting device and/or the receiving device. Some embodiments disclosed herein use a virtual mac address of an LLC sublayer interface to define parameters values of an A-MSDU sub-frame header (e.g., SA and DA) for routing the respective frame to the LLC sublayer interface of the receiving device.

Abstract: An apparatus implemented in a master access point (AP) selects at least one basic service set (BSS) from one or more neighbor BSSs to form a spatial reuse group (SRG). The apparatus then performs coordinated spatial reuse (CSR) in the SRG with a set of overlapping basic service set (OBSS) power detection (PD) parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing Basis Service Set (BSS) load information pertinent to multi-user (MU) communications in WLAN systems. An access point (AP) can determine the counts of MU-capable user stations (STAs) active STAs in a BSS. Each MU-capable STA is configured for Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) communications and/or Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications. The AP can further determine ratios of PPDU time over an observation period of MU uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) communications, respectively. The AP can further determine an underutilization level of each available frequency subband, the underutilization level integrating the actual underutilization in terms of both spatial streams and frequency subbands. The DL and UL underutilization levels can be separately determined and reported. The MU BSS load information can be included in a beacon frame as a BSS load information element and distributed to user STAs periodically.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and methods for multi-link operations that include retransmission of data using different wireless links. The following discussion describes one such exemplary electronic system or computer system that can be used as a platform for implementing embodiments of the present invention. The multi-link device can be a multi-link wireless access point or a multi-link wireless station, for example. The multi-link device can operate multiple transceivers simultaneously to perform multi-link operations including retransmission using different wireless links. For example, the multi-link device can transmit an encrypted MPDU using a first wireless link, and retransmit the MPDU using a second wireless link by setting a MAC header of the MPDU according to a MAC address of the second wireless link, to advantageously enhance the performance, reliability, and efficiency of the wireless network.

Abstract: Radio management reporting techniques can allow a reporting station to send measurement parameters in one or more radio management frames. The receiving station can receive the radio management measurement parameters within a requested time period and/or can determine when the last requested radio management measurement parameter has been received.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for announcing the expected delay period between when a wireless AP stops transmitting on a first channel and begins transmitting on a second channel. After the last beacon frame is send on an old channel, a delay is experienced between transmitting the last frame on the old channel and transmitting the first frame on the new channel, where the delay varies based on the implementation of the AP and any CAC that must be performed on the new channel before broadcasting. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide an expected channel switch time element, for example, in a beacon frame or probe response frame.

Abstract: Radio management reporting techniques can allow a reporting station to send measurement parameters in one or more radio management frames. The receiving station can receive the radio management measurement parameters within a requested time period and/or can determine when the last requested radio management measurement parameter has been received.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for enrolling a wireless AP into a Multi-AP (MAP) wireless network. By enrolling multiple wireless AP in a MAP wireless network, the wireless APs can cooperate to efficiently service wireless STAs and advantageously mitigate signal interference and degradation do to walls, structures, objects, etc. To enroll a new wireless AP into an existing MAP wireless network, the new wireless AP is authenticated and configured into the MAP network using a wireless device with ‘controller’ functionality (a “controller device”) that can act as a ‘Device Provisioning Protocol (DPP) configurator.’ A DPP-capable smartphone can perform DPP authentication and configuration without using a proprietary smartphone application. In this way the burden on both the user and the equipment manufacturer is reduced because a propriety smartphone application is not needed to enroll the new wireless AP.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for verifying an access network using for example a trusted protocol such as Hotspot 2.0. In this regard, a method is provided that includes causing at least one available network to be detected. The method may further include determining a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the at least one detected available network. The method may further include causing a registry entry to be accessed in a registry that corresponds to the determined FQDN, wherein the registry entry comprises at least one certificate for at least one network entity. The method may further include verifying received configuration information from the connected network, wherein verification comprises determining whether the received configuration information is signed with a digital certificate that corresponds to the at least one certificate in the accessed registry entry.

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: 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.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for white space database discovery. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include sending, by a user equipment, a request to a server including a white space database, wherein the server is located at a first address; and receiving, at the user equipment, a response to the request, the response including at least one of an identity of the server or a second address for accessing at least one of the server or another server including another white space database. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

Abstract: A method of combined direction finding (DF) and fine timing measurement (FTM) positioning in a wireless location area network (WLAN) is proposed. A multiple antenna IEEE 802.11 transmitting device (AP) can transmit signal preamble containing multiple Long Training Field (LTF) symbols in a radio frame from multiple antennas, which allows a receiving device (STA) to resolve multiple DF sounding signals transmitted from the multiple antennas and thereby estimating angle of departure (AoD). On the other hand, the AP can estimate angle of arrival (AoA) from radio signals transmitted from the STA. When the radial resolution error of AoD or AoA positioning increases, DF positioning and fine-timing measurement (FTM) ranging can be jointly applied to reduce the radial resolution error and extends the AoD/AoA service area with positing accuracy.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus receiving or storing an indicator relating to an access point, the indicator indicating whether the first access point supports joint association and address provisioning. The apparatus is configured to transmit a request for joint association and address provisioning toward the access point, and to receive from the access point a response to the request for joint association and address provisioning.

Abstract: Systems and methods of WLAN communication including efficient spatial reuse mechanisms for relay transmissions between a repeater network and non-AP STAs in OFDMA. The non-AP STAs are grouped based on their connectivity with the individual repeaters and the radio coverage regions of the repeaters. Each group is either a non-overlapping group with the constituent non-AP STAs located in a non-overlapping coverage region of a particular repeater, or an overlapping group with the constituent non-AP STAs located in an overlapping coverage region of two or more repeaters. Based on the grouping, certain RUs (or subchannels) are reused for multiple groups without causing inter-group interference, thereby expanding the bandwidths used in the relay operations. RU allocation based on grouping can be used in combination with transmit power adjustment to achieve efficient spatial reuse in OFDMA.

Abstract: A method for a multiple BSSID environment in a wireless location area network (WLAN) is proposed. A first wireless device obtains basic service set (BSS)information of a plurality of BSSs. The first wireless device then sends a fine time measurement (FTM) frame containing the BSS information to a second wireless device. The second wireless device joins at least one of the BSS according to the BSS information.