Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to enhanced multi-user (MU) uplink (UL) protocols in wireless networks that allow non-UL transmissions to be performed simultaneously with triggered MU UL transmissions. A station may send a trigger frame triggering MU transmissions with an appropriate signaling to allow non-UL transmissions, i.e. transmission to another station, in a resource unit of the MU transmission. Examples of non-UL transmissions include Direct Link transmissions as well as downlink (DL) transmissions. The present disclosure regards how acknowledgment of or response to such transmissions can be efficiently performed. A response resource unit to be used within a MU transmission by the DiL/DL destination station to send a response to the (DiL/DL) data transmission may be signaled in the trigger frame triggering the DiL/DL transmissions in appropriate resource units.

Abstract: In an 802.11ax network with an access point, a trigger frame offers random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access point. To dynamically adapt the contention mechanism used by the nodes to access the random resource units, the AP updates a correcting TBD parameter at each new TXOP and includes the updated adjusting parameter in the trigger frame for the next TXOP. The nodes use the TBD parameter to generate a local random RU backoff value from a contention window range, for contending for access to the random resource units. The TBD parameter may directly impact the contention window size CWO or boundaries values of a selection range from which CWO is selected.

Abstract: In 802.11ax networks with access points, a trigger frame offers scheduled and random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access points. To make more effective the usage of the network, the access point may design the trigger frame to force the nodes to send some categories of data. Resource units may be defined in trigger frames to be dedicated to small packets or to some access category data. Adjusting the time length of the resource units helps restricting the type of data that can be conveyed by the resource units. Also, using various frequency widths for resource units in the same trigger frame helps reducing padding in the resource units when various traffic types coexist.

Abstract: The invention relates to wireless network comprising an access point and non-AP stations. The station has traffic queues and associated a backoff counters which are decremented over time upon continuously sensing the medium as free during more than respective AIFS durations. To compensate additional opportunities provided by OFDMA RUs, a queue switches to an MU mode upon transmitting its data in an RU provided by the AP. To restore dynamicity of the backoff counters, frozen in the MU mode in the known techniques, embodiments provide the following at each expiry of one of the queue backoff counters: the current mode of the expiring traffic queue is determined; in case of legacy mode, the station accesses the channel to transmit data from the queue; whereas in case of MU mode, a new backoff value is drawn to reset the expiring backoff counter, without having data from the queue being transmitted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a communication method in a wireless communication network comprising at least one network cell (BSS), each cell comprising at least one station (non-AP) managed by an access point (AP), the method comprising, at the access point: transmitting a Wake-Up radio (WUR) frame to at least one station of the network cell of the access point; transmitting a primary channel radio (PCR) frame including update information, the PCR frame being transmitted to said at least one station of the network cell of the access point.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to Direct Link (DiL) sessions in wireless networks, and more particularly to an efficient signaling of pairs of DiL-involved stations to control the latter. The present disclosure finds application in enhanced multi-user (MU) uplink (UL) protocols in wireless networks that allow non-UL transmissions to be performed simultaneously with triggered MU UL transmissions, as well as in station power saving management. As will be described in more detail herein, a station may send a trigger frame triggering MU transmissions with an appropriate signaling to allow non-UL transmissions, in particular DiL transmission to another triggered station, in a DiL resource unit of the MU transmission.

Abstract: A physical AP manages a plurality of BSSs through VAPs. The AP sends a trigger frame to reserve a TXOP including resource units the nodes access to transmit data during the reserved TXOP. To improve channel utilization, the trigger frame identifies a plurality of groups, nodes of which are allowed to access the resources units to transmit data during the reserved TXOP. Thus, the AP receives, during the reserved TXOP, data from one node of a first group identified in the trigger frame and data from one node (separate from the first one) of a second and separate group identified in the trigger frame. A single access by the AP to the medium is thus required, reducing the channel occupation due to control frames. In some embodiments, the number of trigger frames can be drastically reduce, while offering resource units to several BSSs.

Abstract: 802.11 ac networks define an operating band made of an ordered series of 20 MHz channels and authorize a restricted number of possible composite channel configurations to be used for data transmission. A method of transmitting data between a source and a receiver in such a wireless network may comprise, at the source: sending, to the receiver, RTS frames to request reservation of a composite channel, the RTS frames including a flag signalling the source supports transmission over un-authorized composite channels, for instance over sub-channels not contiguous within the operating band; receiving, from the receiver in response to the RTS frames, CTS frames acknowledging reservation of un-authorized composite channel configuration, for instance of non-contiguous sub-channels; and then transmitting, to the receiver, data frames on the reserved sub-channels of the un-authorized configuration, for instance on the reserved non-contiguous sub-channels within the operating band.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a wireless communication method in a wireless network comprising a plurality of access points (APs) sharing a communication channel, each AP is configured to manage stations of a basic service set (BSS), the method comprising at a coordinator AP: signaling to another AP, referred to as coordinated AP, that the coordinator AP has gained access to the communication channel; and sending to the coordinated AP a resource allocation allocating a chunk of the communication channel for stations managed by the coordinated AP.

Abstract: In an 802.11ax network with an access point, a trigger frame offers random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access point. To dynamically adapt the contention mechanism used by the nodes to access the random resource units, the AP updates a correcting TBD parameter at each new TXOP and includes the updated adjusting parameter in the trigger frame for the next TXOP. The nodes use the TBD parameter to generate a local random RU backoff value from a contention window range, for contending for access to the random resource units. The TBD parameter may directly impact the contention window size CWO or boundaries values of a selection range from which CWO is selected.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to enhanced multi-user (MU) uplink (UL) protocols in wireless networks that allow non-UL transmissions to be performed simultaneously with triggered MU UL transmissions. A station may send a trigger frame triggering MU transmissions with an appropriate signaling to allow non-UL transmissions, i.e. transmission to another station, in a resource unit of the MU transmission. Examples of non-UL transmissions include Direct Link transmissions as well as downlink (DL) transmissions. The present disclosure regards how the MAC/PHY interface at an AP and at non-AP stations can be modified to efficiently handle the DiL and DL transmissions. On one hand, a non-AP station recipient of DiL or DL transmissions can use an 802.11 ax TRIGVECTOR to efficiently configure its PHY. On the other hand, the AP can configure its PHY to filter out the DiL/DL RUs.

Abstract: The invention relates to wireless network comprising an access point and non-AP stations. The station has traffic queues and associated a backoff counters which are decremented over time upon continuously sensing the medium as free during more than respective AIFS durations. To compensate additional opportunities provided by OFDMA RUs, a queue switches to an MU mode upon transmitting its data in an RU provided by the AP. To restore dynamicity of the backoff counters, frozen in the MU mode in the known techniques, embodiments provide the following at each expiry of one of the queue backoff counters: the current mode of the expiring traffic queue is determined; in case of legacy mode, the station accesses the channel to transmit data from the queue; whereas in case of MU mode, a new backoff value is drawn to reset the expiring backoff counter, without having data from the queue being transmitted.

Abstract: In 802.11ax networks with access points, a trigger frame offers scheduled and random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access points. To make more effective the usage of the network, the access point may design the trigger frame to force the nodes to send some categories of data. Resource units may be defined in trigger frames to be dedicated to small packets or to some access category data. Adjusting the time length of the resource units helps restricting the type of data that can be conveyed by the resource units. Also, using various frequency widths for resource units in the same trigger frame helps reducing padding in the resource units when various traffic types coexist.

Abstract: In 802.11ax networks with access points, a trigger frame offers scheduled and random resource units to nodes for data uplink communication to the access points. To make more effective the usage of the network, the access point may design the trigger frame to force the nodes to send some categories of data. Resource units may be defined in trigger frames to be dedicated to small packets or to some access category data. Adjusting the time length of the resource units helps restricting the type of data that can be conveyed by the resource units. Also, using various frequency widths for resource units in the same trigger frame helps reducing padding in the resource units when various traffic types coexist.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wireless communication method in a wireless network comprising an access point and stations. The method comprises, at a station: receiving a trigger frame from the access point, the trigger frame reserving a transmission opportunity on at least one communication channel of the wireless network, the transmission opportunity including a random resource unit that the stations may access using a contention scheme; receiving parameters of the contention scheme in management frames from the access point, the parameters comprising a contention window range; contending access to the random resource unit of the transmission opportunity reserved by the received trigger frame, using a contention window value; and updating the contention window value based on the success or failure of the access to the random resource unit. The updated contention window value remains within the contention window range obtained from the most recently received contention scheme parameters.

Abstract: To avoid blocking node AC queues in the degraded MU EDCA mode due to regular OFDMA transmission of data from another AC queue in resource units provided by an AP, the present invention proposes to use a dedicated HEMUEDCATimer for each AC queue, in order for them to be able to exit the degraded MU EDCA mode independently of the other AC queues. In this respect, upon successfully transmitting data stored in two or more traffic queues, in each of one or more accessed resource units provided by the AP within one or more transmission opportunities, the node sets each traffic queue transmitting in the accessed resource unit in the degraded MU EDCA mode for a predetermined degrading duration counted down by a respective timer associated with the transmitting traffic queue. Next, upon expiry of any timer, the node switches back the associated traffic queue to the conventional EDCA mode.

Abstract: To avoid blocking node AC queues in the degraded MU EDCA mode due to regular OFDMA transmission of data from another AC queue in resource units provided by an AP, the present invention proposes to use a dedicated HEMUEDCATimer for each AC queue, in order for them to be able to exit the degraded MU EDCA mode independently of the other AC queues. In this respect, upon successfully transmitting data stored in two or more traffic queues, in each of one or more accessed resource units provided by the AP within one or more transmission opportunities, the node sets each traffic queue transmitting in the accessed resource unit in the degraded MU EDCA mode for a predetermined degrading duration counted down by a respective timer associated with the transmitting traffic queue. Next, upon expiry of any timer, the node switches back the associated traffic queue to the conventional EDCA mode.

Abstract: A physical Access Point (AP) manages a plurality of BSS groups through Virtual APs. The AP periodically sends beacon frames informing of the profile of each BSS of the plurality of BSSs. To improve channel utilization, the trigger frame identifies a plurality of BSS groups, stations of which are allowed to access the resources units to transmit data during the reserved TXOP. The AP receives, during the reserved TXOP, data from one station of a first group identified in the trigger frame and data from one station (separate from the first one) of a second and separate group identified in the trigger frame. First group and second group use the same joint set of random access parameters for the random access procedure, thus ensuring equivalent fairness in accessing the offered the resources units to transmit data during the reserved TXOP to several BSSs.

Abstract: A method of communication in a wireless network comprising an access point and stations, the method comprising by at least one emitting station having data to be directly transmitted to at least one destination station different from the access point: generating a status report to be transmitted to the access point, said status report indicating an amount of data of at least an emission buffer of the emitting station, said data been directed to one of the said at least one destination station; and transmitting said status report to the access point-; wherein said status report contains an identification element allowing the access point to reserve a wireless resource for the direct transmission between the emitting station and the destination station. Accordingly, scheduled traffic by a station is made with an accurate amount of data for the direct link.

Abstract: A communication method in a communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, at least one node comprising a plurality of traffic queues for serving data traffic at different priorities, each traffic queue being associated with a respective queue backoff value computed from respective queue contention parameters having first and second values in, respectively, a first and a second contention modes, obtaining quality of service requirements of data stored in a traffic queue of the node; checking whether the quality of service requirements can be fulfilled when accessing the communication channel using the second contention mode; if the requirements cannot be fulfilled as the result of the checking, disabling access to resource units provided by the other node within one or more transmission opportunities granted to the other node on the communication channel; and transmitting data stored in the traffic queue using the first contention mode.