Abstract: Systems and methods for formatting frames in neighborhood aware networks are described herein. One aspect of the subject matter described in the disclosure provides a method of communicating in a wireless neighborhood aware network (NAN). The method includes determining at least one connection setup information element indicating one or more connection parameters of the NAN. The method further includes determining at least one service identifier of the NAN. The method further includes generating a public action discovery frame comprising the at least one connection setup information element and the at least one service identifier. The method further includes transmitting, at a wireless device, the public action discovery frame.

Abstract: Systems and methods for formatting frames in neighborhood aware networks are described herein. One aspect of the subject matter described in the disclosure provides a method of communicating in a wireless neighborhood aware network (NAN). The method includes determining a discovery period. The method further includes generating a discovery window information element indicating a start time of a discovery window. The method further includes generating a NAN beacon or other sync frame comprising the discovery period and the discovery window information element. The method further includes transmitting, at a wireless device, the NAN beacon or other sync frame during the discovery window.

Abstract: A method of providing rate adaptation in a multi-user wireless communication system including single-user beamforming (SU-BF) and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) is described. In this method, a master rate, which is a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the SU-BF, is determined. An MCS for each transmit mode is derived from the master rate using a rate mapping. Using the results from the mapping, the master rate, instead of the MCS for each transmit mode, is tracked. In one embodiment, a mapping calibration is periodically performed.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that reduce collisions on a wireless medium shared by devices associated with a wireless network, thereby improving throughput on the wireless medium. For some embodiments, a first device reserves access to the medium for a first interval, and then grants medium access to a second device for a remainder of the first interval. If the second device transmits data during the remainder of the first interval, medium access is maintained with the second device and then the second device is prevented from contending for medium access during a subsequent contention period. Otherwise, medium access is returned to the first device and the second device is allowed to contend for medium access during the contention period.

Abstract: A method of performing dynamic sounding in a wireless communication device includes determining whether to perform sounding based on an age of current channel state information (CSI). An achievable throughput can be recorded as a reference throughput after performing the sounding. A current achievable throughput can be compared with the reference throughput. A CSI timestamp can be reset when the current throughput is above the reference throughput by a first predetermined amount, thereby prolonging a lifespan of the current CSI. The CSI timestamp can be reduced when the current throughput is below the reference throughput by a second predetermined amount, thereby reducing the lifespan of the current CSI.

Abstract: The listen interval of a WLAN client is selected to have one of a plurality of values, including a start listen interval (SLI) and one or more longer listen intervals (e.g., transient listen interval (TLI), maximum listen interval (MLI)). The listen interval is set to SLI in response to (1) detecting that an applications processor of the WLAN client is in an awake state, (2) detecting transmit/receive activity on the wireless link, and (3) failing to detect an expected beacon signal on the wireless link. If the listen interval is set to MLI (or TLI) and the WLAN client fails to detect an expected beacon signal (beacon miss), the listen interval is temporarily set to SLI. If the WLAN client then detects an expected beacon signal before detecting a predetermined number of consecutive beacon misses, the listen interval is immediately returned to the original listen interval MLI (or TLI).

Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide high-throughput control fields that, among other functions, provide efficient TXOP handoffs in wireless networks. A handoff may be made by setting one or more bits in a field in a QoS frame, such as the HT control or other appropriate field. Various conditions may be placed on a handoff by a granting station. For example, conditions specifying where a station receiving a TXOP handoff may send data, what the receiving station may do with any remaining TXOP, or what types of data may be transmitted by the receiving station may be imposed. These various conditions may be combined or omitted in any logic combination.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the concurrency of a wireless device operating in multiple network contexts. By identifying opportunity instants that may exist within the normal exchange of information by a device having a single physical transceiver in a first network context, tasks for a second network context may be performed using the transceiver with minimal impact on performance related to the first network context and preferably in complete transparence to the first network context.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for operating a client device to communicate with a wireless access point to validate data within a frame by comparing channel quality metrics and duration metrics to thresholds. Information received within a validity window may be treated as correctly received even if the frame fails a subsequent verification process or if reception of the frame is terminated prior to the end of the frame.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for communicating a compressed beacon are described herein. In some aspects, a method of communicating in a wireless network. includes generating a compressed beacon. The compressed beacon includes a next full beacon time indication (NFBTI). The method further includes transmitting, at an access point, the compressed beacon.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for communicating a compressed beacon are described herein. In some aspects, a method of communicating in a wireless network. includes creating a shortened network identifier having a first length from a full network identifier having a second length. The first length is shorter than the second length. The method further includes generating a compressed beacon including the shortened network identifier. The method further includes transmitting, at an access point, the compressed beacon.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for communicating a compressed beacon are described herein. In some aspects, a method of communicating in a wireless network includes transmitting, at an access point, a full beacon at a first multiple of a beacon interval. The method further includes transmitting a compressed beacon at each beacon interval that is not the first multiple of the beacon interval. Another method of communicating in a wireless network includes receiving, at a wireless device, a full beacon at a first multiple of a beacon interval. The method further includes receiving a compressed beacon at a beacon interval that is not the first multiple of the beacon interval.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques operating a client device to communicate with a wireless access point. The client device may awake from a low power mode of operation receive a first portion of a beacon from the access point that includes a delivery traffic identification (DTIM) message. According to the techniques described herein, the client device may determine, based on the DTIM message, whether or not one or more packets of data are forthcoming from the access point. If one or more packets of data are forthcoming from the access point, the client device may remain in an active mode of operation to receive the forthcoming packets (and/or a second portion of the beacon). However, if no packets of data are forthcoming from the access point, the client device may return to the low power mode of operation, before receiving and/or processing the second portion of the beacon.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer readable medium for an RTS/CTS system that utilizes a plurality of channels for data transfer, includes sending, by a first device, an RTS frame over the plurality of channels; receiving, by a second device, the RTS frame and outputting a CTS frame to the first device based on receipt of the RTS frame, the CTS frame being output over at least one of the plurality of channels; setting, by each device within a network that receives the RTS frame, a network allocation vector (NAV) to a time duration that is based in part on information included in the RTS frame; and transmitting, by the first device, data to the second device within the time duration set by the NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels.

Abstract: A WLAN client receives a plurality of beacons that include timestamp values that indicate when the beacons were sent by an access point (AP). The WLAN client calculates a beacon drift value for each of the plurality of received beacons in response to the timestamp values and known physical layer characteristics associated with the WLAN client. The WLAN client selects one of the calculated beacon drift values that represents a minimum beacon drift, and uses this selected beacon drift value (i.e., golden reference target beacon transmission time (RTBTT) estimate) to control the wakeup timing of the WLAN client. The golden RTBTT estimate is updated if a subsequently received beacon exhibits a shorter beacon drift value. If the wakeup wait period of the WLAN client exceeds a predetermined threshold for each of a plurality of received beacons, the golden RTBTT is recalculated to account for the associated increased beacon drift.

Abstract: A method for transmitting data by a communication device is described. The method includes determining whether there are sufficient resources available to insert data into an aggregated packet. The method also includes inserting discardable data into the aggregated packet if there are not sufficient resources available to insert the data. The method further includes inserting the data into the aggregated packet if there are sufficient resources available to insert the data.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for signaling the bandwidth to be used for wireless communications using an RTS/CTS (Request to Send/Clear to Send) frame exchange, providing for bandwidths of at least 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or higher. This exchange of bandwidth information may be performed implicitly—by determining the channels in which the RTS/CTS frames are actually sent—or explicitly. In addition to this bandwidth information exchange, aspects of the present disclosure may also allow for Network Allocation Vector (NAV) protection in multiple channels. In this manner, the wireless medium may be reserved, and the transmission may be protected from hidden nodes.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for transmitting, receiving, and acknowledging MAC protocol data units (MPDUs), allowing single bits in a Block Acknowledgment (BA) bitmap to acknowledge receipt of multiple MPDUs. As a result, a greater number of MPDUs may be acknowledged than if each bit acknowledged only a single MPDU. By reducing the overhead associated with a re-transmission bitmap, a greater number of MPDUs may be aggregated, thereby increasing overall throughput.

Abstract: Variable-length information-containing frames (e.g., MPDUs) are aggregated into a bitstream using frame delimiters to distinguish the frames. Aggregation and frame extraction techniques are provided that support recovery from bit errors that may be present in a frame delimiter. One class of techniques involves providing redundant length information in the frame delimiters, e.g., by using multiple copies of a length field or error correction codes usable to correct errors in the length field. The receiver can use the redundant information to detect and correct errors in the length field. Another receiver-side technique iteratively attempts to locate the end of the corresponding frame when a corrupt frame delimiter is detected. Conventional synchronization fields may be eliminated.

Abstract: In a wireless network according to embodiments of the present invention, fast control messaging frames are used to signal control information. A fast control messaging (“FCM”) frame includes MAC layer control bits in a PLCP header, obviating the need for a PSDU. These frames can be used in 802.11n wireless networks as well as in other suitable 802.11x networks as well as non-802.11x networks to exchange control information while significantly reducing network overhead. In some embodiments, some information that might have been conveyed to a receiver's MAC layer in a PSDU is conveyed by including that information is a PLCP header and having logic within the receiver's PHY layer processing to process that information and convey that information up to the receiver's MAC layer in a simulated PSDU or other method. The indicator of an FCM frame can be a bit in a PLCP header, a modification of a CRC field of the PLCP header, or other indicator.