Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for multi-link communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for multi-link communications involves announcing, by a non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD) to an access point (AP) MLD, a frame exchange restriction in an enhanced multi-link operation, receiving, by the AP MLD from the non-AP MLD, the frame exchange restriction, and transmitting, by the AP MLD to the non-AP MLD, an initial frame according to the frame exchange restriction.

Abstract: Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) parameters for transmission of respective HARQ data units are determined. Determining HARQ parameters includes determining initial HARQ parameters, including an initial number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols that will be occupied by the HARQ data unit and an initial pre-coding padding factor corresponding to a boundary within a last OFDM symbol. Based at least in part on the initial pre-coding padding factor, it is determined whether the HARQ data unit will be misaligned with both a beginning of a first OFDM symbol occupied by the HARQ data unit and an end of a last OFDM symbol occupied by the HARQ data unit. When it is determined that the HARQ data unit will be misaligned, the initial pre-coding padding factor is adjusted to account for a reduced data tone OFDM symbol segment to be occupied by the HARQ data unit.

Abstract: An access point (AP) device generates a probe response medium access control layer (MAC) frame for client stations that are not associated with the a wireless local area network (WLAN) managed by the AP device. The AP device generates one or more other MAC frames for one or more client stations that are associated with the WLAN. The AP device allocates a plurality of resource units (RUs) for a multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (MU PPDU), the plurality of RUs including i) a broadcast RU corresponding to a station identifier set to a value specifying unassociated stations, and ii) one or more other RUs. The AP device generates the MU PPDU to include i) the probe response MAC frame in the broadcast RU, and ii) the one or more other MAC frames in the one or more other RUs, and transmits the MU PPDU.

Abstract: A communication device generates a first packet for transmission in a first frequency segment, and generates a first physical layer (PHY) preamble of the first packet to include a first field that indicates a first overall bandwidth that the first packet spans. The communication device generates a second packet for transmission in a second frequency segment, and generates a second PHY preamble of the second packet to include a second field that indicates a second overall bandwidth that the second packet spans. The communication device transmits the first packet in the first frequency segment beginning at a first time, and simultaneously transmits the second packet in the second frequency segment beginning at a second time that is different than the first time.

Abstract: A method for securing a multi-band wireless communication system includes authenticating a first station (STA) multi-link device (MLD) with a second STA MLD comprising negotiating a group of keys in a key negotiation (KN) band, the group of keys comprising a Pair-Wise Transient Key and a Group Transient Key. The KN band is one of a plurality of frequency bands. The first STA MLD includes a plurality of first STA links. The second STA MLD includes a plurality of second STA links. Each of first STA links and each corresponding second STA link are configured to transceive over a respective one of the plurality of frequency bands. Authenticating the first STA MLD in the KN band authenticates the first STA MLD for each of the frequency bands.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method for transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) coded data by an access point, including: receiving by the access point buffered frame information from a plurality of stations; determining the HARQ coding information and resources for each of the plurality of stations; transmitting a first trigger frame including the HARQ coding information and resource information for each of the plurality of stations; receiving a first HARQ transmission from the plurality of stations; and decoding the received HARQ transmission from the plurality of stations.

Abstract: A communication device performs a backoff procedure to determine when a first channel in a first radio frequency (RF) band is idle in connection with reserving an aggregate communication channel, which includes a first frequency portion in the first RF band and a second frequency portion in a second RF band, for a frame exchange. In response to determining that the first channel is idle, the communication device transmits a first packet that reserves at least the first channel for a first particular time duration. In connection with determining that the first channel is idle, the communication device performs one or more energy level measurements in a second channel in the second RF band to determine whether the second channel is idle. The communication device transmits a second packet that reserves at least the second channel for a second particular time duration in connection with reserving the aggregate communication channel.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for wireless communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for wireless communications involves transmitting, by a first multi-link device (MLD) to a second MLD, a management frame on at least one of two links associated with the first MLD and the second MLD in a multi-link operation, receiving, by the second MLD from the first MLD, the management frame on at least one of the two links, and operating the second MLD according to the management frame received on at least one of the two links.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method of multi-link operation between two multi-link devices (MLDs) where at least one MLD is a non-simultaneous transmit receive (NSTR) MLD that supports enhanced multi-link radio operation, including: operating, by the NSTR MLD, in a first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode is one of multi-link radio mode or enhanced multi-link radio mode; switching, by the NSTR MLD, between the first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode is the multi-link radio mode when the first operating mode is the enhanced multi-link radio mode and the second operating mode is the enhanced multi-link radio mode when the first operating mode is the multi-link radio mode; announcing the operation capability by the NSTR MLD; and announcing the operating parameters by the NSTR MLD.

Abstract: In an 802.11be wireless system, a receiving station device signals a packet padding capability in a wireless area network in accordance with an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) communication protocol by constructing a MAC control management frame to include an EHT capability element indicating whether a packet extension value longer than 16 ?s is supported by the receiving station device, where one or more fields in the EHT capability element include (1) a common nominal packet padding field having a plurality of values to signal different packet extension values for use with all transmission constellations, spatial streams Nss, and resource unit (RU) allocations supported by the first STA device, including at least one packet extension value longer than 16 ?s; and/or (2) a PHY packet extension threshold (PPET) field comprising a plurality of PPET values to signal packet extension values including at least one packet extension value longer than 16 ?s.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for wireless communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for wireless communications involves connecting, by a first multi-link device (MLD) to a second MLD via at least two links, mapping, by the first MLD, a Traffic Identifier (TID) to at least one of the two links associated with the first MLD and the second MLD, transmitting, by the first MLD to the second MLD, frames that correspond to the TID on at least one of the two links according to the mapping by the first MLD, and receiving, by the first MLD from the second MLD, subsequent frames on at least one of the two links according to the mapping by the first MLD.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for wireless operations are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for wireless operations involves a first wireless device transmitting to a second wireless device, a management frame having a multi-link device (MLD) level Quality of Service Management Frame (QMF) Policy field that identifies an MLD level QMF Policy and a link level QMF Policy field that identifies a link level QMF Policy for a corresponding link, where the MLD level QMF Policy indicates an Access Category (AC) for each MLD level QMF management frame and each link level QMF Policy field indicates the AC for each link level QMF management frame, receiving, at the second wireless device, the management frame with the MLD level QMF Policy field and link level QMF Policy field for each corresponding link, and operating the second wireless device according to the AC indicated by the first wireless device.

Abstract: A first access point (AP), which is associated with one or more first client stations, receives an announcement frame from a second AP that is associated with one or more second client stations. The announcement frame announces a coordinated multi-user (MU) transmission involving at least the first AP and the second AP, includes an indicator of a frequency resource unit (RU) allocated to the first AP for the coordinated MU transmission. The first AP participates in the coordinated MU transmission using the frequency RU indicated by the announcement frame while the second AP also participates in the coordinated MU transmission.

Abstract: A first communication device determines an amount of data queued at the first communication device for transmission. When a control field is to be generated according to a first format, the first communication device determines a scaling value (SV) and an unscaled value (UV) corresponding to the determined amount of data queued for transmission such that a result of SV multiplied by BV indicates the determined amount of data queued for transmission, and generates the control field to include i) a scaling factor subfield set to indicate the SV, and ii) an unscaled queue size subfield set to indicate the BV. When the control field is to be generated according to a second format, the first communication generates the control field to include a queue size subfield set to indicate the determined amount of data queued for transmission and such that the control field does not include the scaling factor subfield.

Abstract: Techniques for signaling new versions of a communication protocol differentiated from legacy versions of the communication protocol that are interoperable with stations implementing legacy versions of the communication protocol, that are compatible with future new versions of the communication protocol, and that do not overly complicate the receiver state machine have been disclosed.

Abstract: A first communication device is configured to process packets that conform to a first physical layer (PHY) protocol for wireless vehicular communications and packets that conform to a second PHY protocol for wireless vehicular communications. The first communication device determines that multiple frames are to be transmitted to a second communication device during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP), and determines that one or more third communication devices neighboring the first communication device are not capable of processing packets that conform to the second PHY protocol. In response, the first communication device transmits a first packet that conforms to the first PHY protocol and that includes duration information for the TXOP, and transmits a second packet that conforms to the second PHY protocol to the second communication device during the TXOP.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for wireless communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for wireless communications involves encoding bits in a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) using a basic bandwidth that is smaller than a signal bandwidth, wherein the bits are duplicated within the PPDU, and transmitting the PPDU with duplicated bits in accordance with a power spectrum density (PSD) limit.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method and an apparatus for wireless communications are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for wireless communications involves generating a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that includes a resource unit (RU), wherein a size of the RU is less than a signal bandwidth and wherein data corresponding to the RU is distributed onto a disjoint set of subcarriers included in a frequency unit, and transmitting the PPDU using the disjoint set of subcarriers in accordance with a power spectrum density (PSD) limit.

Abstract: A communication device determines, in connection with a prior uplink multi-user (UL MU) communication in which the communication device participated, whether the communication device is to use one or more first channel access parameters, or one or more second channel access parameters for accessing a communication medium for a single user (SU) transmission by the communication device, where using the one or more first channel access parameters is associated with a greater probability of obtaining access to the communication medium as compared to using the one or more second channel access parameters. Depending on the determination made, the communication device uses the one or more first channel access parameters, or the one or more second channel access parameters to attempt to access the communication medium. In response to accessing the communication medium, the communication device transmits the SU transmission via the communication medium.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method for power save operation by a non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD), wherein a plurality of links are established between the non-AP MLD and an AP MLD, including: setting, by the non-AP MLD, a QoS capability for a first access category to a first state on all links of the plurality of links that the non-AP MLD operates; transmitting, by the non-AP MLD, a first management frame to the AP MLD, wherein the first management frame is used to request a multi-link setup with the AP MLD, and wherein the first management frame includes a first element that comprises the setting of the QoS capability for the first access category; receiving, by the non-AP MLD, a second management frame from the AP MLD, wherein the second management frame includes information for an association ID (AID) that corresponds to the non-AP MLD, wherein the AID is assigned to the non-AP MLD regardless of the number of links in the plurality of links; and receiving, by the non-AP MLD, a third m