Abstract: Some embodiments include utilizing a multilink media access control (MAC) address structure to support multilink devices (MLDs) that can operate concurrently in more than one link such as extremely high throughput (EHT) access points (APs) and EHT stations (STA), where the multilink MAC address structure is compatible with legacy devices. An EHT AP can utilize a multilink basic service set (BSS) identification (BSSID) MAC address to communicate with an EHT STA identified by a multilink MAC address. Values of the multilink BSSID and the multilink MAC address of the EHT STA are independent of which of the multiple links are used in the communication. In addition, to utilizing a multilink BSSID, the EHT AP can also support unique link-specific MAC addresses to concurrently support legacy and MLD stations. The EHT STA can also utilize unique link-specific MAC addresses that can be different than the EHT AP's link-specific MAC addresses.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods for conducting multilink communications between a user equipment device (UE) and a wireless access point (AP) over a wireless local area network (WLAN). The UE establishes a connection with an access point through a WLAN, wherein the connection utilizes a plurality of links. The UE transmits an indication to the access point through a first link of the plurality of links, where the indication specifies one or more available links of the plurality of links that are available for the UE to receive downlink (DL) communications from the access point. The UE receives one or more DL communications from the access point through at least one of the one or more available links.

Abstract: Some embodiments include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for Extremely High Throughput (EHT) medium reservation. Some embodiments include a first station configured to exchange EHT-Request to Send (RTS) and/or EHT-Clear to Send (CTS) capabilities with a second station, and determine CTS response mode (e.g., rules) for the first station based at least on the RTS and CTS capabilities of the first and the second stations. Some embodiments include transmitting RTS frames and receiving CTS frames in the presence of punctured channels, implementing a flexible channel reservation scheme, reserving punctured bandwidths, and receiving CTS frames even when a primary channel is busy. Some embodiments include an RTS or an CTS frame that includes an EHT bandwidth puncture (BnP) signaling address and/or a modified scrambler seed that enable channel reservations for an EHT bandwidth.

Abstract: Methods for performing robust discovery of a new access point (AP) in AP MLD, robust link addition to an AP MLD association, AP beaconing modes when the AP is added or deleted to/from an AP MLD, and robust BSS transition management (BTM) signaling to steer a non-AP MLD to a best AP MLD and to most suitable APs, as well as privacy improvements for associated non-AP MLD.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for high-bandwidth stations in a WiFi environment. In embodiments, a bandwidth of communications supported by the access point is divided into multiple frequency segments. In an embodiment, bandwidths up to 320 MHz are supported, which can be subdivided into four frequency segments of 80 MHz each. Different stations park on different frequency segments, whereas the access point has its primary channel located on the first frequency segment. With this configuration, uplink and downlink channel access can be provided to the different stations using a primary channel hopping pattern, which is provided to the stations from the AP. This pattern provides time windows for each frequency segment, during which the stations in that segment are able to freely communicate. Several other aspects of the disclosure further support this configuration and other high-bandwidth configurations.

Abstract: During operation, an electronic device may encrypt an A-control subfield. Then, the electronic device may provide the frame addressed to a second electronic device, where the frame includes a media access control (MAC) header and the MAC header includes the A-control subfield that is encrypted. Note that the encrypted A-control subfield may be jointly encrypted with data in a payload in the frame. Moreover, the encrypted A-control subfield may be separated from the payload in the frame by one or more additional subfields or may be adjacent to the payload in the frame. Furthermore, the MAC header may include an indicator that indicates whether the A-control subfield is encrypted. Additionally, the frame may include a preamble that indicates whether the A-control subfield is encrypted. The frame may be received by the second electronic device. After receiving the frame, the second electronic device may decrypt the A-control subfield.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods for conducting multilink communications between a user equipment device (UE) and a wireless access point (AP) over a wireless local area network (WLAN). The UE establishes a connection with an access point through a WLAN, wherein the connection utilizes a plurality of links. The UE transmits an indication to the access point through a first link of the plurality of links, where the indication specifies one or more available links of the plurality of links that are available for the UE to receive downlink (DL) communications from the access point. The UE receives one or more DL communications from the access point through at least one of the one or more available links.

Abstract: Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing a queuing latency aware buffer status report (BSR). For example, some embodiments relate to an electronic device including a transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more processors determine an amount of data queued in a buffer for transmission over the wireless network and determine latency information associated with the queued data. The one or more processors generate a queuing latency aware buffer status report (BSR) based at least on the determined latency information. The electronic device transmits the queuing latency aware BSR to an access point.

Abstract: During operation, an electronic device (e.g., an access point) may provide a multi-user (MU)-request-to-send (RTS) frame that communicates an RTS in a channel associated with the second electronic device and a second RTS in a second channel associated with a third electronic device. For example, the channel may include a primary channel and the second channel may include a secondary channel. Note that the third electronic device may include a SST station and the second electronic device may include a non-SST station. Then, the electronic device may receive an MU-clear-to-send (CTS) frame that includes a CTS in a third channel associated with the third electronic device. Moreover, the third channel may be equal to or a subset of the second channel, and/or the third channel may include a CTS reception channel associated with the electronic device.

Abstract: Some embodiments include utilizing a multilink media access control (MAC) address structure to support multilink devices (MLDs) that can operate concurrently in more than one link such as extremely high throughput (EHT) access points (APs) and EHT stations (STA), where the multilink MAC address structure is compatible with legacy devices. An EHT AP can utilize a multilink basic service set (BSS) identification (BSSID) MAC address to communicate with an EHT STA identified by a multilink MAC address. Values of the multilink BSSID and the multilink MAC address of the EHT STA are independent of which of the multiple links are used in the communication. In addition, to utilizing a multilink BSSID, the EHT AP can also support unique link-specific MAC addresses to concurrently support legacy and MLD stations. The EHT STA can also utilize unique link-specific MAC addresses that can be different than the EHT AP's link-specific MAC addresses.

Abstract: An electronic device may receive a frame associated with a second electronic device. This frame may include a MAC header with information specifying a request for a trigger or a trigger frame, and the information may include a suggested time interval during which the trigger or the trigger frame is to be provided and a requested resource allocation. For example, the MAC header may include an A-control field, and the A-control field may include the information or may include multiple A-MPDUs and one or more of the A-MPDUs (such as a last A-MPDU or all of the A-MPDUs) may include the information. Moreover, the time interval may begin at a previous transmission associated with the second electronic device, and the requested resource allocation may include a capacity. In response to the request, the electronic device may provide the trigger or the trigger frame addressed to the second electronic device.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing backup link establishment and operation for multi-link wireless communication networks such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). Some aspects relate to an electronic device including a transceiver configured to communicate over a wireless network and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor receives a message including information associated with a backup link from a second electronic device. The processor further receives data associated with data traffic from the second electronic device on a primary link of the wireless network. In response to a quality of the primary link being below a threshold, the processor receives a notification frame from the second electronic device on the backup link and receives additional data associated with the data traffic from the second electronic device on the backup link or on an other link informed by the notification frame.

Abstract: An electronic device may transmit beacons associated with multiple access points that are cohosted by the electronic device, and that provide concurrent links in different bands of frequencies. The electronic device may include an access-point multi-link device (AP MLD). Moreover, the beacons may include: a basic service set identifier (BSSID) associated with the access points in the AP MLD, a service set identifier (SSID) associated with the access points in the AP MLD, and a MLD media access control (MAC) address associated with the access points in the AP MLD. Furthermore, a given beacon may be associated with a given access point and may include: information specifying a channel of a given link, a reduced neighbor report (RNR) providing information about at least the access points in the AP MLD, and a field that indicates when the given access point is included in the AP MLD.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing a hibernation mode for multi-link wireless communication networks such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). For example, some aspects relate to a multi-link device (MLD) including a first station (STA) associated with a first link of a wireless network and configured to communicate with a second MLD over the first link. The MLD also includes a second STA associated with a second link of the wireless network. The second STA is in a hibernation mode. The MLD also includes one or more processors communicatively coupled to the first and second STAs and configured to control operations of the first and second STAs.

Abstract: Some embodiments include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for Extremely High Throughput (EHT) medium reservation. Some embodiments include a first station configured to exchange EHT-Request to Send (RTS) and/or EHT-Clear to Send (CTS) capabilities with a second station, and determine CTS response mode (e.g., rules) for the first station based at least on the RTS and CTS capabilities of the first and the second stations. Some embodiments include transmitting RTS frames and receiving CTS frames in the presence of punctured channels, implementing a flexible channel reservation scheme, reserving punctured bandwidths, and receiving CTS frames even when a primary channel is busy. Some embodiments include an RTS or an CTS frame that includes an EHT bandwidth puncture (BnP) signaling address and/or a modified scrambler seed that enable channel reservations for an EHT bandwidth.

Abstract: Some aspects of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing request to send (RTS) and clear to transmit (CTS) frames and transmission rules for the RTS and CTS frame. For example, some aspects relate to an electronic device including a transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more processors receive, using the transceiver, a request to send (RTS) frame from the second electronic device and determine, using the received RTS frame, a format for a clear to send (CTS) frame to use in response to the RTS frame. The one or more processors further transmit, using the transceiver, the CTS frame based on the determined format on at least one sub-channel on which the RTS frame was received and that the at least one sub-channel is idle.

Abstract: A multilink access point may communicate with a legacy device. The multilink access point identifies an attempt, by at least one legacy station, to connect to the access point, determines that the at least one legacy station does not support multilink communications, broadcasts a beacon identifying information for a basic communication link that can be used by the at least one legacy station and associates with the at least one legacy station based at least on information included in the beacon, wherein the at least one legacy station communicates exclusively on the basic communication link with the access point.

Abstract: A first multilink device (MLD) is configured to communicate with a second MLD using at least two communication links. The first MLD selects a first link of the at least two communication links for communications between the first MLD and the second MLD, detects that the first link is unavailable for communications, switches a radio of the first MLD to a second link of the at least two communication links, transmits an alert to the second MLD regarding the switching from the first one of the at least two communication links to the second one of the at least two communication links and communicates with the second MLD via the second link.

Abstract: An electronic device (such as an access point) that receives one or more block acknowledgments is described. This electronic device may transmit an extremely high-throughput (EHT) physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) to a recipient electronic device, where the EHT PPDU is transmitted in multiple non-contiguous sub-bands that are separated by a punctured sub-band. Moreover, the electronic may receive the one or more block acknowledgments from the recipient electronic device, where the one or more block acknowledgments exclude the punctured sub-band. Note that the EHT PPDU may exclude transmitted energy in the punctured sub-band. Moreover, the punctured sub-band may have a bandwidth of at least 20 MHz and may be different from a primary sub-band.

Abstract: An electronic device (such as an access point) that performs a remedial action is described. This electronic device may transmit, using a first radio in the electronic device, a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) to a recipient electronic device on a first link between the electronic device and the recipient electronic device, where the PPDU includes a PPDU preamble and a set of media access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs). Then, the electronic device may receive, using a second radio in the electronic device, feedback from the recipient electronic device on a second link between the electronic device and the recipient electronic device. Next, the electronic device may perform the remedial action based at least in part on the feedback. For example, the electronic device may abort the PPDU transmission and/or retransmit one or more of the set of MPDUs.