Abstract: A first communication device transmits first bitmap length capability information for the first communication device regarding block acknowledgment procedures, and receives second bitmap length capability information for a second communication device regarding block acknowledgment procedures. The first communication device performs a block acknowledgment procedure, including setting a block acknowledgment transmission window size for the block acknowledgment procedure based on the second bitmap length capability information for the second communication device, and a determination of whether a block acknowledgement frame used in the block acknowledgment procedure is a compressed block acknowledgement (C-BA) frame or a multi-station (multi-STA) block acknowledgement frame.

Abstract: A first communication device selects respective sets of medium access control (MAC) layer data units for transmission via respective channel segments of a communication channel, where the first channel segment and the second channel segment are non-overlapping frequency segments of the communication channel. The first communication device generates respective aggregate MAC layer data units to include the respective sets of MAC layer data units, generates respective physical (PHY) layer data units to include the respective aggregate MAC layer data units, and transmits the respective PHY layer data units in the respective channel segments to one or more second communication devices, where transmissions of the respective aggregate MAC layer data units in the respective channel segment overlap in time.

Abstract: One example discloses a wireless Access Point (AP) device, configured to operate within a wireless local area network (WLAN), including: a controller configured to generate a reserve slot time trigger frame and a request to transmit trigger frame; wherein the controller is configured to be coupled to an antenna; wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the trigger frames over a physical media to a set of user station devices (STAs) and exchange traffic with the set of STAs over the physical media; wherein the reserve slot time trigger frame is configured to reserve a slot time on the physical media; and wherein the request to transmit trigger frame is configured to command a first STA from the set of STAs to transmit data buffered in the first STA to the AP device.

Abstract: One example discloses a wireless Access Point (AP) device, within a wireless local area network (WLAN), including: a controller configured to generate a reserve slot time trigger frame to a selected set of wireless devices; wherein the controller is configured to be coupled to an antenna; wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the reserve slot time trigger frame over a physical media to the selected set of user station devices (STAs) and exchange traffic with the selected set of STAs over the physical media; wherein the reserve slot time trigger frame is configured to reserve a slot time on the physical media; and wherein the controller is configured to transmit a burst of downlink (DL) traffic from the AP device during the slot time.

Abstract: A first wireless communication device receives a packet from a second wireless communication device, the packet having information indicating that the second wireless communication device is relinquishing control of a wireless communication medium. The first wireless communication device determines whether the packet was transmitted in a wireless network to which the first wireless communication device belongs, and determines whether a network allocation vector (NAV) timer of the first wireless communication device was most recently set in connection with a transmission from the wireless network to which the first wireless communication device belongs. When i) the packet was transmitted in the wireless network to which the first wireless communication device belongs, and ii) the NAV timer was most recently set in connection with a transmission from another wireless network to which the first wireless communication device does not belong, the NAV timer is not reset.

Abstract: In a wireless communication network that operates according to a communication protocol that defines one or more first transmission modes that provide extended range communications as compared to one or second transmission modes defined by the communication protocol, a communication device generates a communication frame that includes information indicating that the one or more first transmission modes should not be used when transmitting in the wireless communication network. The communication device transmits the communication frame to instruct one or more other communication devices in the wireless communication network to not use the one or more first transmission modes when transmitting in the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A first communication device generates and transmits a first communication frame corresponding to a request to participate in a block acknowledgment procedure. The first communication frame includes: a first field indicating a number of buffers requested to be allocated at a second communication device for buffering data units to be transmitted by the first communication device, and a second field indicating a first maximum bitmap length supported by the first communication device. The first communication device receives a second communication frame corresponding to a response to the first communication frame. The second communication frame includes: a third field indicating a number of buffers allocated at the second communication device for buffering the data units transmitted by the first communication device, and a fourth field indicating a second maximum bitmap length supported by the second communication device.

Abstract: A first communication device generates and transmits a first communication frame corresponding to a request to participate in a block acknowledgment procedure. The first communication frame includes: a first field indicating a number of buffers requested to be allocated at a second communication device for buffering data units to be transmitted by the first communication device, and a second field indicating a first maximum bitmap length supported by the first communication device. The first communication device receives a second communication frame corresponding to a response to the first communication frame. The second communication frame includes: a third field indicating a number of buffers allocated at the second communication device for buffering the data units transmitted by the first communication device, and a fourth field indicating a second maximum bitmap length supported by the second communication device.

Abstract: A first communication device receives a first data unit from a second communication device via one or more communication channels. The first data unit includes an indication of a first set of one or more sub-channels allocated to the first communication device, and the first data unit is configured to prompt the first communication device to transmit channel availability information as part of a subsequent orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission. The first communication device determines channel availability information for the one or more communication channels, and when the first communication device determines that at least one of the communication channels is idle, the first communication device transmits a second data unit to the second communication device in one or more sub-channels allocated to the first communication device as part of the OFDMA transmission, the second data unit including the channel availability information.

Abstract: A first communication device generates and transmits to a second communication device: first and second information elements that respectively indicate capabilities regarding physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) conforming to a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol. The first communication device generates and transmits a MAC data unit that includes a number corresponding to a maximum number spatial streams supported by the first communication device. The number in the MAC data unit, and one or more of i) the first information element, ii) the second information element, and iii) other information in the MAC data unit, indicate first and second maximum numbers of spatial streams supported by the first communication device with respect to PPDUs conforming to the first communication protocol, and PPDUs conforming to the second communication protocol, respectively.

Abstract: A first communication device generates and transmits a first communication frame corresponding to a request to participate in a block acknowledgment procedure. The first communication frame includes: a first field indicating a number of buffers requested to be allocated at a second communication device for buffering data units to be transmitted by the first communication device, and a second field indicating a first maximum bitmap length supported by the first communication device. The first communication device receives a second communication frame corresponding to a response to the first communication frame. The second communication frame includes: a third field indicating a number of buffers allocated at the second communication device for buffering the data units transmitted by the first communication device, and a fourth field indicating a second maximum bitmap length supported by the second communication device.

Abstract: A first communication device generates a packet associated with acknowledgment of frames corresponding to multiple second communication devices. Generating the packet includes generating a frame that includes a field having respective acknowledgment information for the multiple second communication devices in respective subfields. The subfields have a plurality of different formats. The subfields are arranged within the field in groups of adjacent subfields such that each group includes only subfields of a same format and/or includes only subfields corresponding to second communication devices that have communicated to the first communication device a same set of supported formats of the subfields. The first communication device transmits the packet to the multiple second communication devices.

Abstract: A first communication device determines one or more parameters related to a format of a media access control layer (MAC) data unit for an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission. The format of the MAC data unit for the UL MU transmission is different than a format of a MAC data unit for an UL single user (SU) transmission. The first communication device generates one or more data units that include the one or more parameters. The first communication device transmits the one or more data units to a plurality of second communication devices to inform the plurality of second communication devices of the format of the MAC data unit for UL MU transmissions by the plurality of second communication devices to the first communication device.

Abstract: A first communication device generates and transmits to a second communication device: first and second information elements that respectively indicate capabilities regarding physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) conforming to a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol. The first communication device generates and transmits a MAC data unit that includes a number corresponding to a maximum number spatial streams supported by the first communication device. The number in the MAC data unit, and one or more of i) the first information element, ii) the second information element, and iii) other information in the MAC data unit, indicate first and second maximum numbers of spatial streams supported by the first communication device with respect to PPDUs conforming to the first communication protocol, and PPDUs conforming to the second communication protocol, respectively.

Abstract: In a wireless communication network that operates according to a communication protocol that defines one or more first transmission modes that provide extended range communications as compared to one or second transmission modes defined by the communication protocol, a communication device generates a communication frame that includes information indicating that the one or more first transmission modes should not be used when transmitting in the wireless communication network. The communication device transmits the communication frame to instruct one or more other communication devices in the wireless communication network to not use the one or more first transmission modes when transmitting in the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A wireless network device including, in the wireless network device, a Bluetooth device and a wireless local area network device. The Bluetooth device is configured to establish a network of Bluetooth client stations and output a synchronization signal prior to a start of Bluetooth data transmission between the Bluetooth device and the Bluetooth client stations. The synchronization signal indicates the start of the Bluetooth data transmission. The wireless local area network device is configured to establish a network of wireless local area network client stations, receive the synchronization signal from the Bluetooth device, and transmit, a predetermined time subsequent to receiving the synchronization signal, a beacon to the wireless local area network client stations. The beacon instructs the wireless local area network client stations when to begin wireless local area network data transmission.

Abstract: A first communication device determines one or more parameters related to a format of a media access control layer (MAC) data unit for an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) transmission. The format of the MAC data unit for the UL MU transmission is different than a format of a MAC data unit for an UL single user (SU) transmission. The first communication device generates one or more data units that include the one or more parameters. The first communication device transmits the one or more data units to a plurality of second communication devices to inform the plurality of second communication devices of the format of the MAC data unit for UL MU transmissions by the plurality of second communication devices to the first communication device.

Abstract: A first communication device receives a first data unit from a second communication device via one or more communication channels. The first data unit includes an indication of a first set of one or more sub-channels allocated to the first communication device, and the first data unit is configured to prompt the first communication device to transmit channel availability information as part of a subsequent orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission. The first communication device determines channel availability information for the one or more communication channels, and when the first communication device determines that at least one of the communication channels is idle, the first communication device transmits a second data unit to the second communication device in one or more sub-channels allocated to the first communication device as part of the OFDMA transmission, the second data unit including the channel availability information.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a hybrid beamforming architecture are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a beamforming architecture including a baseband unit and a processor. The beamforming architecture is configured to determine a steering matrix based on at least the baseband unit and the processor; and wherein the beamforming architecture is configured to simultaneously support a plurality of beamformee client devices, each beamformee client device beamformed by a beamformer with at least one of a beamformer hardware mode and a beamformer software mode and with at least one of a beamformer explicit mode and a beamformer implicit mode.

Abstract: Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes generating a physical frame, the physical frame including (i) spatially steered length fields and (ii) spatially steered frames that respectively include aggregated medium access control data units (A-MPDUs) that encapsulate data, the steered length fields respectively indicating lengths of the A-MPDUs in number of four-octet units. Generating the physical frame can include including after an A-MPDU of the A-MPDUs in a steered frame of the steered frames, (i) a medium access control layer pad and (ii) a physical layer pad. A length of the medium access control layer pad and a length of the physical layer pad can be based on the physical frame.