Abstract: A method of operating a wireless communication apparatus, the method comprising: estimating a first channel using a sounding packet received from a base station to obtain an estimated first channel, the sounding packet including a plurality of first streams, generating a diagonal matrix and a beam steering matrix by performing singular value decomposition (SVD) on the estimated first channel, generating state information of a plurality of second channels respectively corresponding to a plurality of second streams generated by applying the beam steering matrix to the plurality of first streams using the diagonal matrix, and transmitting beamforming feedback based on the state information to the base station.

Abstract: An access point establishes target wakeup times (TWTs) with one or more associated electronic devices in a WLAN. The access point transitions to a power-saving mode outside of the one or more TWTs. The access point maintains synchronization with the one or more electronic devices, during at least a first TWT in the one or more TWTs, by transmitting, to the one or more electronic devices, a TWT beacon that includes, or in conjunction with, synchronization information. Alternatively or additionally, during at least the first TWT, the access point transmits a multi-user trigger frame that includes the synchronization information to the one or more electronic devices. In response to the multi-user trigger frame, the access point receives data frames from the one or more electronic devices, transmits one or more acknowledgments, and transitions into the power-saving mode during a remainder of at least the first TWT.

Abstract: Uplink resource assignment in a wireless local area network (WLAN) by an access point (AP) to wireless stations (STAs) is herein provided using opportunistic feedback from the STAs. The AP sends a message to a first STA; the message is also observed by a second STA. Each STA can determine if it wishes to opportunistically send information concerning the message to the AP. The second STA can perform power measurements on the message and send subcarrier signal to noise ratio (SNR) or ranking information to the AP. Thus, the AP can receive, possibly without expectation, encoded or compressed information describing radio channels of the first STA and/or the second STA. Based on the received channel information the AP improves operation of a dynamic resource allocation algorithm which determines uplink grants of resource units (RUs) to the STAs.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to grouping electronic devices into contention groups to reduce uplink Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) random access (OFDMA-RA) collisions. An access point may explicitly assign an electronic device to a contention group, or the electronic device may implicitly determine an assignment to the contention group. To explicitly assign a device to a contention group, the access point may randomly assign or assign based on a criteria of the electronic device. Examples of criteria include an association identifier (AID), a traffic type/quality of service (QoS) category, a power saving preference, and an association status. The electronic device may implicitly determine a contention group assignment based on the total number of contention groups. The electronic device may use the explicitly or implicitly assigned contention group number to determine whether the electronic device may contend for a given trigger frame random access (TF-R) frame.

Abstract: Passive and active scanning for extended range wireless networking. The choice between legacy and extended range signaling can depend on one or more factors. For passive scanning, an electronic device may transmit a combination of legacy beacons and extended range beacons for network discovery by receiving electronic devices. For active scanning, an electronic device may transmit extended range probe requests in addition to legacy probe requests to discover all of the access points within its transmission range. Responses to probe requests can use extended range, legacy, single user, and/or multi user protocols.

Abstract: A wireless access point transmits a protocol data unit (PDU) that includes data and signaling for a plurality of user devices. The PDU spans a channel in frequency and an interval in time, and includes a first signaling section, a second signaling section and a traffic action. For each of a plurality of subchannels of the channel: the first signaling section includes (within the subchannel) a corresponding redundant copy of common signaling information for the user devices associated with the access point; the second signaling section includes (within the subchannel) a corresponding set of user-specific signaling information for a corresponding group of one or more of the user devices; and the traffic section includes (within the subchannel) a corresponding set of traffic data for the corresponding group of one or more user devices. Subchannels sizes may be configurable. A signaling set CRC may be included per subchannel.

Abstract: An access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) uses a protocol to determine frequency/time resource allocations of resource units (RUs) in parallel with data transfer to and from WLAN stations (STAs). The AP generates a sounding table associating STAs with RUs for uplink (UL) and downlink (DL). The AP processes the sounding table to create a channel map table and then the AP allocates particular RUs to particular STAs. The STAs then receive and transmit data from and to the AP over the allocated RUs. This approach achieves good throughput while reducing the use of signaling and pilot overhead associated with channel sounding. To avoid interruption of ongoing transmissions, a newly arriving STA is grouped and sounded with other STAs. The protocol includes a joint sounding and data epoch followed by a determination of the channel map table.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication in wireless local area networks (WLANs). According to some embodiments, a downlink OFDMA frame may be transmitted. An uplink OFDMA frame including acknowledgements associated with the downlink OFDMA frame may be received. The uplink OFDMA frame may be processed, in some instances including determining which devices receiving the downlink OFDMA frame transmitted an acknowledgement associated with the downlink OFDMA frame in the uplink OFDMA frame.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing control information to wireless devices accessing a wireless network are provided. According to some embodiments, a method of wireless communication is provided. According to the method, a first wireless communication channel is assigned to a first wireless device. A second wireless communication channel is assigned to a second wireless device. A third wireless communication channel is designated for use as a control channel that is common to the first and second wireless devices and control information is transmitted to the first and second wireless devices via the third wireless communication channel.

Abstract: A station, a method performed by a station and a corresponding method performed by an access point (AP) of a network to allow the station to operate a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio in a sleep state until the WLAN radio is ready to receive a beacon from the AP. The station includes a low power (LP) radio configured to receive a wake up signal from an AP of a network to which the station is connected. The station further includes a WLAN radio configured to operate in a sleep state until the WLAN radio receives an indication from the LP radio that the wakeup signal has been received, wherein WLAN radio is further configured to operate in a fully awake state after receipt of the indication to receive a beacon from the AP indicating a data transmission is pending for the station.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for performing multiuser block acknowledgement in a wireless communication protocol. Embodiments include receiving a control frame from an access point (AP). A transmission mode can be determined based on a trigger information field in the control frame. Further, a data frame to acknowledge can be determined based on a block acknowledgement request (BAR) field in the control frame. A block acknowledgment (BA) frame can be generated based on the data frame to acknowledge. The BA frame can then be transmitted to the AP based on the transmission mode, e.g., at the same time another BA frame is transmitted to the AP by another station.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication in wireless local area networks (WLANs). According to some embodiments, a downlink OFDMA frame may be transmitted. An uplink OFDMA frame including acknowledgements associated with the downlink OFDMA frame may be received. The uplink OFDMA frame may be processed, in some instances including determining which devices receiving the downlink OFDMA frame transmitted an acknowledgement associated with the downlink OFDMA frame in the uplink OFDMA frame.

Abstract: An electronic device communicates frames with an access point (AP) by receiving, from the AP, a frame header that includes information specifying a first set of tones of an OFDMA communication, the first set of tones associated with first resource block subchannels having a first bandwidth used by the AP to transmit a frame payload. The electronic device obtains a second set of tones associated with second resource block subchannels having a second bandwidth that differs from the first bandwidth, and receives the frame payload using the OFDMA communication, the second resource block subchannels, and the second set of tones. Alternatively, an electronic device dynamically switches a channel-access mode when communicating a frame with the AP depending on whether the communication includes a primary 20 MHz channel. In a technique, an MU-PPDU is communicated using a frame via a non-primary 20 MHz channel without using the primary 20 MHz channel.

Abstract: Passive and active scanning for extended range wireless networking. The choice between legacy and extended range signaling can depend on one or more factors. For passive scanning, an electronic device may transmit a combination of legacy beacons and extended range beacons for network discovery by receiving electronic devices. For active scanning, an electronic device may transmit extended range probe requests in addition to legacy probe requests to discover all of the access points within its transmission range. Responses to probe requests can use extended range, legacy, single user, and/or multi user protocols.

Abstract: A method for receiving feedback on a quality of multicast transmissions in a Wireless Local Access Network (WLAN) including a source electronic device (e.g., an access point) and a plurality of electronic devices is disclosed, according to some embodiments. The method can include (i) transmitting a plurality of multicast packets addressed to a subset of the plurality of electronic devices by the source electronic device; (ii) concurrently polling the subset of the plurality of electronic devices by the source electronic device; and (iii) receiving a plurality of block acknowledgements (BAs) from at least the subset of the plurality of electronic devices by the source electronic device. Each BA may include information on a quality of reception of two or more multicast packets received at an electronic device.

Abstract: An electronic device that transmits a frame to a second electronic device is described. In particular, during operation, an interface circuit in the electronic device (such as an access point in a WLAN) may transmit the frame to the second electronic device using a Wi-Fi communication protocol. The frame may include information cancelling a previously specified NAV protected time in a preamble of the frame. For example, the information may include a CF-End indication. Moreover, the information may be included in a MAC header of the frame and, more generally, in a preamble of a high efficiency (HE) physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU). Furthermore, the electronic device may transmit the frame in response to a block acknowledgment (BA) from the second electronic device.

Abstract: During operation, an interface circuit in an electronic device may receive, from a second electronic device (such as an access point in a WLAN), an uplink trigger frame that may specify an access category. In response to the uplink trigger frame, the electronic device may first include data associated with the specified access category in one or more frames, and then may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device. Moreover, when all the data associated with the specified access category has been transmitted or when there is no data associated with the specified access category, and when there is leftover time in an allocation associated with the uplink trigger frame, the interface circuit may transmit the one or more frames to the second electronic device with additional data associated with another access category that is different from the specified access category.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to performing retransmissions in a wireless communication system by a wireless device. A wireless device may receive a first transmission of a data frame according to a wireless communication technology. The wireless device may attempt to decode the data frame. It may be determined that attempting to decode the data frame is unsuccessful. A retransmission of the data frame may be received at a retransmission interval after the first transmission of the data frame. The retransmission interval may be less than a minimum interframe interval for contending for medium access for new transmissions according to the wireless communication technology.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing an efficient way to assign resource blocks to user receiver devices in a wireless communications protocol. For example, the method can receive a frame for a wireless communications protocol. The method can also extract a unique value from a tone mapping field in a preamble of the frame. The method can also look up a resource block allocation for a portion of the tone space in a lookup table using the unique value. Further, the method can extract an assignment field from the preamble based on the determined resource block allocation. The method can also determine an assigned resource block number based on the assignment field. The method can also assign a resource block corresponding to the assigned resource block number to a user receiver device.

Abstract: In order to reduce power consumption of an electronic device during communication with another electronic device in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the electronic device analyzes fields in a given packet prior to a payload of the given packet to look for information that specifies a destination of the given packet. For example, the information may include: a full associated identification (AID) of the destination, a partial media-access-control (MAC) address of the destination; and/or a compressed (MAC) address of the destination. The information may be included in the preamble of the given packet. In particular, the information may replace length information in a high-throughput signal field in the given packet. Moreover, if the destination is other than the electronic device, the electronic device dumps the given packet and changes a power state of the electronic device, thereby reducing the power consumption.