Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described herein for adapting clear channel assessment (CCA) thresholds with or without Transmit Power Control (TPC) are disclosed. An IEEE 802.11 station (STA) may dynamically calculate a STA specific transmit power control (TPC) value and a STA specific clear channel assessment (CCA) value based on a target TPC parameter and a target CCA parameter. The target TPC parameter and the target CCA parameter may be received from an IEEE 802.11 cluster head configured to control TPC and CCA for a plurality of STAs associated with the BSS. The target TPC parameter and the target CCA parameter also may be related. The STA may then determine whether a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) wireless medium of a wireless local area network (WLAN) basic service set (BSS) is occupied or idle based on the STA specific CCA value.

Abstract: A method for associating a new end-station (end-STA) with a relay access point (R-AP) in a relay transmission. An assignment of a new identifier is transmitted to the new end-STA, wherein traffic indication map indications for the new end-STA in a beacon from the R-AP follows the transmission of the new identifier assignment. A message is sent to a root access point (AP), the message including an indication of a number of information fields in the message and at least one information field, each of the at least one information fields including an identifier of one end-STA associated with the R-AP. An acknowledgement is received from the root AP on a condition that the root AP correctly receives the message and associates an identifier of the end-STA with an identifier of the R-AP.

Abstract: WTRUs, access points (APs) and methods thereon are disclosed. A method on a WTRU may include receiving a message from an AP that comprises a beamformee capability element; sending a second message to the AP that comprises a beamformer capability element; and receiving, from the AP, a third message in response to the second message that indicates a group to which the WTRU is assigned. The group may be based on the beamformer capability element and the group may indicate UL transmission information to be used by the WTRU. A method on an AP may include determining a group for multiple WTRUs based on a received beamformer capability element. A method on a WTRU may include sending to an AP a message with a low overhead preamble for UL MU-MIMO. The low overhead preamble may include LTFs that enable the AP to distinguish the WTRU from other WTRUs.

Abstract: To facilitate spatial sharing, signaling may be used. A first node may receive one or more frame exchanges between a second node and a third node, wherein the second node is associate with the third node. The first node may then detect a spatial sharing scenario (SSS) with an overlapping basic service set (BSS) based on the received one or more frame exchanges. Also, the first node may transmit a directional poll request to at least a fourth node associated with the first node based on the detected SSS, and thereby null directional transmissions associated with the second node, the third node or both. The first node may then receive a direction poll response from the fourth node. Further, the first node may transmit one or more directional, beamformed transmissions to the fourth node simultaneously with directional, beamformed transmissions by the second node to the third node.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are provided to determine a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) format. A determination may be made if a basic service set (BSS) includes a first-type legacy station, wherein the first-type legacy station is a pre-802.1 In device. A determination may be made if stations in the BSS support a short format preamble. A determination may be made if beamforming or precoding is to be used in association with an upcoming multi-user transmission.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus may be used for sounding for multi-user (MU) scheduling and for signaling and procedures for sub-channel selection. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may receive information from an access point (AP) indicating a plurality of sub-channels to use for uplink data transmission as part of uplink MU wireless communications using a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) wireless medium. The WTRU may transmit, using a plurality of sub-channels, a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) including a preamble portion and a data portion, and, using at least a subset of the plurality of sub-channels, sounding signals to the AP for scheduling MU communications. The AP may receive sounding information from more WTRUs that the plurality of WTRUS associated with the scheduling information for the uplink data transmission during a time interval, in addition to receiving uplink data from the plurality of WTRUs.

Abstract: Methods for WiFi beamforming, feedback, and sounding (WiBEAM) are described. Codebook based beamforming feedback signaling and sounding mechanisms for use in wireless communications are disclosed. The methods described herein improve the feedback efficiency by using Givens rotation based decompositions and quantizing the resulting angles of the Givens rotation based decompositions using a range from a subset of [0, 2?]. Feedback may also be divided into multiple components to improve feedback efficiency/accuracy. Time domain beamforming reports for taking advantage of channel reciprocity while still taking into account practical radio frequency (RF) channel impairments are also described. Beamforming feedback that prioritized the feedback bits in accordance with the significance of the bits is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are related to multi-user parallel channel access (MU-PCA). For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is provided that is one of a plurality of WTRUs operable to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP). The WTRU includes a receiver configured to receive, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels, a group request-to-send (G-RTS) message that includes a resource allocation that indicates at least one assigned channel for the WTRU; a transmitter configured to transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) message, to the AP, over the at least one assigned channel of the plurality of channels; and the receiver further configured to receive a data message, from the AP, over at least one channel of the plurality of channels.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are provided to implement a method of communicating a feedback in a wireless local area network (WLAN). A WLAN device may receive a data frame with a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data indicator in a frame header. The WLAN device may send an acknowledgement frame when the data frame is correctly received and decoded. The WLAN device may send a negative acknowledgement frame when the data frame is not correctly received and decoded.

Abstract: Method and apparatuses may provide multi-user parallel channel access (MU-PCA). For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is provided that belongs to a MU-PCA group of a plurality of WTRUs that are configured to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP). The WTRU may include a receiver configured to receive a data message, from the AP, over a channel associated with the WTRU of the plurality of channels, wherein the data message is one of a group of multiple data messages transmitted simultaneously by the AP over the plurality of channels; and a transmitter configured to transmit a message to the AP over the channel associated with the WTRU, wherein the message includes an indication bit for notifying the AP whether the WTRU has uplink (UL) data to transmit to the AP.

Abstract: Methods for WiFi beamforming, feedback, and sounding (WiBEAM) are described. Codebook based beamforming feedback signaling and sounding mechanisms for use in wireless communications are disclosed. The methods described herein improve the feedback efficiency by using Givens rotation based decompositions and quantizing the resulting angles of the Givens rotation based decompositions using a range from a subset of [0, 2?]. Feedback may also be divided into multiple components to improve feedback efficiency/accuracy. Time domain beamforming reports for taking advantage of channel reciprocity while still taking into account practical radio frequency (RF) channel impairments are also described. Beamforming feedback that prioritizes the feedback bits in accordance with the significance of the bits is also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are described to implement WLAN uplink multi-user multiple input multiple output (UL MU-MIMO) communication in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 based system, using an IEEE 802.11 station (STA). The STA may receive a downlink poll frame from an IEEE 802.11 access point (AP) including one or more of a request for reporting of a transmit power, a request for a timestamp of a response frame, or a request for an estimated carrier frequency offset (CFO) value. The STA may send an uplink response frame. The uplink response frame may include one or more of transmit power parameters, timestamp parameters, or an estimated CFO value to an AP. The STA may receive a schedule frame, wherein the schedule frame may include indication to adjust one or more of a transmit power, a timing correction value, or a CFO correction value.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for transmitting a delayed multi-user acknowledgement (ACK) frame in response to data packets received from multiple stations in wireless communication. A recipient may be include at least one processor, a receiver and a transmitter. The processor is configured to establish a group of stations. The receiver is configured to receive packets from the group of stations over a delay period, and the at least one processor configured to generate a delayed multi-user acknowledgement (ACK) frame based on successful receipt of the packets over the delay period. The transmitter is configured to transmit the delayed multi-user ACK frame to the group of stations following the delay period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for identifying different types of reception failures of a packet. A station (STA) may receive a packet from a transmitting STA and determine whether it is properly received by performing at least one check of a plurality of checks. The STA may determine that reception of the packet was not properly received due to a reception failure based on the at least one check and may generate a negative acknowledgement signal (NACK) signal including an indication of the reception failure cause to enable the transmitting STA to remediate the reception failure cause. The least one check includes determining whether a frame check sequence (FCS) passes, whether a CSMA wireless medium remains busy immediately after an expected packet transmission time, whether there is a power spike during reception of the signal, or whether there are Short training field (STF) and Long Training Field (LTF) correlations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting acknowledgements in response to data packets in wireless communication are disclosed. A recipient may receive a plurality of data packets from a plurality of stations and transmit acknowledgements for the data packets to the originating stations in a single transmission. The acknowledgements may be transmitted using multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO). Alternatively, the acknowledgements may be aggregated and transmitted in the single transmission. A short acknowledgement (ACK) frame may be sent in response to a received frame. The short ACK frame may include an ACK sequence corresponding to a sequence identity (ID) included in the received frame. The short ACK frame may include a short training field (STF) and the ACK sequence. The short ACK frame may be transmitted with a short ACK indication. The short ACK frame may be sent in response to an indication included in the received frame.

Abstract: A method for use in an IEEE 802.11 station (STA) for receiving data from an IEEE 802.11 access point (AP) via a coordinated orthogonal block resource allocation (COBRA) is described. The STA may receive a COBRA schedule from the AP and transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) to the AP in the COBRA TXOP. The STA may receive a first data packet in the COBRA TxOP based on the COBRA schedule. The STA may determine whether the first data packet is received successfully and on a condition that the first data packet is not received successfully, the STA may transmit a negative acknowledgement (NACK) to the AP in the COBRA TxOP.

Abstract: Method and apparatuses may provide multi-user parallel channel access (MU-PCA). For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is provided that belongs to a MU-PCA group of a plurality of WTRUs that are configured to simultaneously communicate via a plurality of channels managed by an access point (AP). The WTRU may include a receiver configured to receive a data message, from the AP, over a channel associated with the WTRU of the plurality of channels, wherein the data message is one of a group of multiple data messages transmitted simultaneously by the AP over the plurality of channels; and a transmitter configured to transmit a message to the AP over the channel associated with the WTRU, wherein the message includes an indication bit for notifying the AP whether the WTRU has uplink (UL) data to transmit to the AP.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described herein for adapting clear channel assessment (CCA) thresholds with or without Transmit Power Control (TPC) are disclosed. An IEEE 802.11 station (STA) may dynamically calculate a STA specific transmit power control (TPC) value and a STA specific clear channel assessment (CCA) value based on a target TPC parameter and a target CCA parameter. The target TPC parameter and the target CCA parameter may be received from an IEEE 802.11 cluster head configured to control TPC and CCA for a plurality of STAs associated with the BSS. The target TPC parameter and the target CCA parameter also may be related. The STA may then determine whether a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) wireless medium of a wireless local area network (WLAN) basic service set (BSS) is occupied or idle based on the STA specific CCA value.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for communicating in a multi-band cluster. A multi-band member access point (MMAP) may be capable of communicating with a multi-band control access point (MCAP) using a first frequency band, and capable of communicating with associated stations (STAs) using a second frequency band. The MMAP may transmit data in the second frequency band to the associated STA, may transmit a request for interference information in the second frequency band to at least one associated STA, may receive an interference report in the second frequency band from the at least one associated STA, may transmit information in the first frequency band to the MCAP, wherein the information is based on the interference report received from the at least one associated STA in the second frequency band, and may receive, from the MCAP in the first frequency band, information regarding radio resource management of the second frequency band.

Abstract: A method and apparatus may be used to support coordinated and cooperative sectorized transmissions. Power control and clear channel assessment for sectorized transmissions may be used, along with sectorized beacon and associated procedures. Transmissions in a network may be protected by a first access point (AP) sending an omni-directional transmission and a beamformed or sectorized transmission to a station (STA), an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) confirming a spatially orthogonal (SO) condition based on the omni-directional transmission, and a second AP monitoring the omni-directional transmission and confirming the SO condition. The STA may be configured to receive a request-to-send (RTS) frame indicating data is available for transmission, and transmit a cooperative sectorized (CS) clear-to-send (CTS) frame indicating an ability for multiple AP reception.