Abstract: Techniques for reducing delay in scheduling traffic transmission in an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) environment by modifying backoff mechanisms are disclosed. In some examples, a device (e.g., station (STA) or access point (AP)) may decode at least a portion of a preamble of a received packet to determine whether the packet is sent by a member of an OBSS (e.g., STA or AP from a different BSS). Backoff operations are typically deferred as a result of the decoding. Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, and system to reduce delay in scheduling traffic transmissions by resuming the backoff operations prior to expiration of the period reserved for an OBSS packet by the network allocation vector (NAV). In other words, the device may not honor the NAV of the OBSS packet, and instead perform spatial reuse by transmitting another packet (or signal) on the same frequency channel during the NAV of the OBSS packet.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications and, more particularly, to bandwidth dependent carrier sensing for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). One example apparatus for wireless communications generally includes a first interface for obtaining at least a first frame with an indication of a time duration during which at least one bandwidth channel is occupied; a processing system configured to track, based at least in part on the indicated duration, availability of time and one or more resources on a plurality of bandwidth channels including the at least one bandwidth channel and to determine whether resources are available to transmit at least a second frame, based on the tracked availability; and a second interface for outputting the second frame for transmission if the determination indicates resources are available.

Abstract: A wireless communication method embeds service related information, including a version of a service associated with the service related information, within an initial wireless access message. The method may also include broadcasting the initial wireless access message including the embedded service related information. Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a wireless communication method that indentifies service related information embedded within an initial wireless access message. The method may also establish a connection with an access node of the wireless communication network to receive a service when a version of a service associated with the service related information satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication at a station. The station identifies a first set of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters for a first access category based at least in part on a first traffic type and a determination that a multiple user (MU) frame is to be transmitted, and contends to gain access for a transmission opportunity over a shared radio frequency spectrum band to communicate with a plurality of other stations in a MU mode. The contention is based at least in part on the first set of EDCA parameters.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and computer program products for traffic information signaling in a wireless communications network are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of wireless communication network is disclosed. The method includes selecting, from a variable number of control fields, one or more control fields for inclusion in a frame. The method further includes generating the frame comprising the selected number of control fields, each control field comprising an end of control field, the end of control field storing an indicator indicative of an end of the selected number of control fields or a presence of another control field in the frame. The method further includes transmitting the frame.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus is a first wireless device that may be configured to receive a data confirmation message from a second wireless device. The data confirmation message may indicate whether the second wireless device successfully received data transmitted to the second wireless device. The first wireless device may be configured to determine whether the second wireless device is associated with the first BSS or a second BSS different from the first BSS based on the received data confirmation message and on a MAC header of the received data confirmation message. The first wireless device may be configured to transmit in a time period to a third wireless device based on the determination of whether the second wireless device is associated with the first BSS or with the second BSS different from the first BSS.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for multiple users sharing common wireless resources are disclosed. A method includes receiving a frame from one or more wireless devices on one or more channels selected from a set of wireless channels. The frame includes a pre-association identifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communications. A network may employ additional contention based parameters to support MU transmissions and to communicate to other devices a duration that protects MU transmission. For example, a first device may transmit a first message to reserve a subband of shared spectrum. The first message may be addressed to multiple devices and may indicate a channel access deferral duration to other devices within transmission range. The non-addressed devices may refrain from accessing the channel for an indicated duration. The addressed devices that receive the first message may respond to the first message with a second message, which may also be used to reserve the channel. The second message may additionally be used to identify those devices that received the first message. The first device may generate a trigger message based on the received second messages.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that may provide for selective multi-user uplink (UL) of data for wireless devices. For example, a first wireless device may request permission to initiate a UL transmission to a second wireless device. The first wireless device may then receive, from the second wireless device, permission to initiate the UL transmission according to a multi-user (MU) UL protocol, determine a threshold duration for the UL transmission, and transmit UL data to the second wireless device according to the MU UL protocol and the threshold duration.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication at a receiving device. A receiving device may receive a first physical layer header of a first wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol data unit over a shared radio frequency spectrum band. The first physical layer header may include at least a first basic service set (BSS) identifier and a first device association identifier (AID). The receiving device may perform, based at least in part on the first BSS identifier and the first device AID, an intra-frame operation including a power saving operation and/or a receive filtering operation.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus is configured to determine a communication deferral policy within a BSS associated with the apparatus. The apparatus is configured to receive a message from a second wireless device. The apparatus is configured to determine a message type of the message. The apparatus is configured to determine whether the message is associated with an OBSS based on the determined message type. The apparatus is configured to determine whether to defer communications based on the communication deferral policy, the message type, and whether the message is associated with the OBSS.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, method for wireless communication includes receiving a message comprising a request for two or more stations to concurrently transmit an uplink transmission. The method further includes determining a status of a medium at a station based on a clear channel assessment (CCA) or a network allocation vector (NAV). The method further includes selectively transmitting the uplink transmission based on the indication of the status of the medium.

Abstract: Techniques are described for controlling power consumption in a peer-to-peer communication system. In accordance with various examples, the techniques include determining a power save mode of a first node, determining a power save mode of a second node, determining a category of data connection between the first node and the second node, and adjusting a power save parameter of the first node based at least in part on the power save mode of the first node, the power save mode of the second node, and the category of data connection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for allocating multi-user resources are provided. In one aspect, the disclosure provides for a method of wireless communication with a plurality of wireless stations. The method comprises transmitting, by an access point, a first communication to a first wireless station, the first communication comprising an indication of a group of wireless stations from among the plurality of wireless stations, the group of wireless stations comprising the first wireless station. The method further comprises receiving, by the access point, a second communication from the first wireless station. The method further comprises transmitting, by the access point, a third communication to the group of wireless stations, the third communication comprising data for the group of wireless stations. In certain aspects, the third communication comprises a block acknowledgment of at least a portion of the second communication.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to station backoff behavior in uplink (UL) multiple user (MU) operations. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an apparatus for wireless communications. The apparatus generally includes a processing system configured to generate an unsolicited single user (SU) frame for transmission to an access point (AP) while the apparatus is configured to communicate with the AP via MU transmissions and a transmit interface configured to output the unsolicited SU frame for transmission. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide another apparatus for wireless communications. The apparatus generally includes a processing system configured to contend for access to a medium by generating a first frame to trigger MU transmissions from a plurality of apparatuses and a transmit interface configured to output the first frame for transmission.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to including deferral information in postambles and midambles. An apparatus for wireless communications may generally include a processing system configured to generate a first frame having at least one of a midamble or a postamble that provides an indication of a request for a device to defer transmitting for a duration and an interface configured to output the first frame for transmission. Another apparatus for wireless communications may generally include a processing system configured to generate a frame having at least one of a midamble or a postamble designed to allow a device, after exiting a low-power state, to perform synchronization to the frame and an interface for outputting the frame for transmission. Including midambles and postambles in a frame allow for more reliable responses and may reduce throughput losses and interference.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for using a shortened block acknowledgement (BlockAck) frame capable of acknowledging fragments. Such a shortened BlockAck frame may include a bitmap field having a shorter length than that of a basic BlockAck frame in the IEEE 802.11 standard (i.e., <128 octets). One example method for wireless communications generally includes receiving a plurality of protocol data units (PDUs) (e.g., media access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs)); determining whether each of the PDUs was successfully received and whether each of the PDUs is associated with a non-fragmented service data unit (SDU) (e.g., MAC service data unit (MSDU)) or a fragmented SDU; and outputting for transmission a shortened BlockAck frame comprising a bitmap field indicating a receive status for the non-fragmented and fragmented SDUs based on the determination.