Abstract: A client station receives from an access point (AP) a downlink packet that includes a trigger frame that is configured to prompt the client station to transmit an uplink packet to the AP. The trigger frame includes an indication of whether the client station is required to perform a channel sensing procedure to determine if one or more subchannels are not idle prior to transmitting the uplink packet. In response to the trigger frame indicating that the client station is required to perform the channel sensing procedure: the client station does not transmit the uplink packet in response to determining that the one or more subchannels are not idle. In response to the trigger frame indicating that the client station is not required to perform the channel sensing procedure, the client station transmits the uplink packet without measuring the one or more energy levels in the one or more subchannels.

Abstract: A beamforming training packet is transmitted from a first communication device to multiple second communication devices. A trigger frame is generated at the first communication device to trigger an uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission of beamforming training feedback from at least some of the multiple second communication devices. After transmission of the beamforming training packet by the first communication device, the trigger frame is transmitted to the at least some of the multiple communication devices. The uplink OFDMA transmission is then received at the first communication device. The uplink OFDMA transmission includes respective beamforming training feedback packets generated based on the beamforming training packet by respective ones of the at least some of the multiple second communication devices. The respective beamforming training feedback packets are simultaneously transmitted by the at least some of the multiple second communication devices.

Abstract: A first format according to which a PHY data unit is to be generated is selected. The data unit is generated according to the first format, including generating a PHY preamble of the PHY data unit to include a first field and a second field. The PHY preamble is generated so that one or more OFDM symbols are rotated by 90 degrees with respect to other OFDM symbols in the PHY preamble to signal the first format. Or, the first field is generated to include a set of bits that according to an error detection scheme that does not conform to a second format; or the set of information bits indicates a mode not supported in connection with the second format. Or, a duplicate of at least one of the first field and the second field is included in the PHY preamble, to signal the first format.

Abstract: Accordingly, systems and methods for managing power when the number of training and data tones are increased in a wireless communications system are provided. An L-SIG field is generated that includes a set of data and pilot tones, wherein the pilot tones are inserted between the data tones in the set of data and pilot tones. A plurality of training tones is added to the L-SIG field before and after the set of data and pilot tones. A symbol is generated that includes the L-SIG field, an L-LTF field, and a data field, wherein the training tones of the L-SIG field provide channel estimates for the data field. Power of the L-LTF field is managed relative to power of the L-SIG field in the generated symbol in a time domain.

Abstract: A first communication device generates a physical layer (PHY) preamble of a PHY data unit. A signal field of the PHY preamble includes i) a common block of information bits having information for multiple second communication devices and ii) a plurality of user blocks of information bits, each user block having information for a respective one of the multiple second communication devices. The common block includes a frequency resource unit allocation field that defines a plurality of frequency resource units corresponding to a PHY payload of the PHY data unit. The user blocks respectively correspond to frequency resource units defined by the frequency resource unit allocation field. Each user block includes an indication of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used in the corresponding frequency resource unit. Each group of two user blocks is encoded as a respective second encoded block to allow the multiple second communication devices to efficiently decode the signal field.

Abstract: Systems and techniques relating to repeated signal detection are described. A described system includes a receiver to receive a frame including first and second portions, the first portion including first and second signal fields; a detector to determine a first decision metric component based on a hypothesis that the second signal field is a repeated version of the first signal field, determine a second decision metric component based on a hypothesis that the second signal field is not the repeated version, and make a determination, based on the first and second decision metric components, of whether the second signal field is the repeated version; and a decoder to process the second portion in accordance with a first format if the second signal field is not the repeated version, and to decode the second portion in accordance with a second format if the second signal field is the repeated version.

Abstract: Multiple trigger frames are generated at a first communication device to trigger an uplink orthogonal frequency multiple access (OFDMA) transmission by multiple second communication devices. The multiple trigger frames include a broadcast trigger frame that includes information to indicate transmission parameters for a first subset of the second communication devices, and one or more unicast trigger frames, each of the one or more unicast trigger frame including information to indicate transmission parameters for a particular second communication device in a second subset of the second communication devices. The broadcast trigger frame is transmitted, in a first frequency portion of a downlink OFDMA transmission, to the first subset of the second communication devices, and respective unicast trigger frames are transmitted, in respective second frequency portions of the downlink OFDMA transmission, to the second subset of the second communication devices.

Abstract: A first communication device allocates respective portions of a communication channel, that includes at least one primary component channel and one or more non-primary component channels, to a plurality of second communication devices, including a bandwidth-limited second communication device configured to operate with a maximum bandwidth that is less than a full bandwidth of the communication channel. The bandwidth-limited second communication device is operating in a particular component channel, and allocation of a frequency portion to the bandwidth-limited second communication device is restricted to the particular component channel.

Abstract: A first communication device receives an uplink orthogonal frequency multiple access (OFDMA) transmission. The uplink OFDMA transmission includes respective transmissions from multiple second communication devices, and the respective transmissions from the multiple second communication devices include indications of respective acknowledgment policies corresponding to the respective transmissions from the multiple second communication devices. The first communication device generates one or more acknowledgment physical layer (PHY) data units to acknowledge at least a portion of the uplink OFDMA transmission, where the one or more acknowledgment PHY data units do not comply with at least one of the acknowledgment policies corresponding to the uplink OFDMA transmission. The first communication device transmits the one or more acknowledgment PHY data units to acknowledge the at least the portion of the uplink OFDMA transmission.

Abstract: A communication device generates a first portion of a physical layer (PHY) preamble of a PHY data unit to include a first plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. Each OFDM symbol of the first plurality of OFDM symbols is generated with a first OFDM tone spacing. The communication device generate a second portion of the PHY preamble to include a second plurality of OFDM symbols. Each OFDM symbol of the second plurality of OFDM symbols is generated with a second OFDM tone spacing that is a fraction 1/N of the first OFDM tone spacing, where N is a positive integer greater than one. The communication device generates a PHY data portion of the PHY data unit to include one or more third OFDM symbols. Each third OFDM symbol is generated with the second OFDM tone spacing.

Abstract: An access point receives a first uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission from a plurality of client stations. The first uplink OFDMA transmission includes i) respective acknowledgment frames for the downlink OFDMA PHY data unit, and ii) respective frames that include indications of respective amounts of buffered data at the respective client stations that are to be transmitted to the access point. The access point uses the received indications of respective amounts of buffered data at the respective client stations to determine an allocation of frequency resources for a second uplink OFDMA transmission, and transmits a second downlink OFDMA PHY data unit to the plurality of client stations, which i) indicates the allocation of frequency resources to the plurality of client stations for the second uplink OFDMA transmission, and ii) is configured to prompt the plurality of client stations to begin transmitting the second uplink OFDMA transmission.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provides a system for detecting data received in a low power low rate (LPMR) data frame format. The system includes a receiver and control circuitry. The receiver is configured to receive a data frame comprising an LPLR preamble portion and an LPLR data portion following the LPLR preamble portion. The LPLR preamble portion and the LPLR data portion occupy a bandwidth that is less than an allowed bandwidth. The control circuitry is configured to determine a mode of the data frame based on whether the data frame has an additional portion, and detect data field in the LPLR preamble portion from the data frame based on the mode of the data frame.

Abstract: A first communication device receives, from a second communication device, a trigger frame. The first communication device generates a single-user (SU) physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit that includes a PHY protocol payload, wherein the PHY protocol payload include information other than information that acknowledges a previous transmission from the second communication device. In response to the trigger frame, the first communication device transmits the SU PHY protocol data unit to the second communication device, such that the SU PHY protocol data unit is transmitted prior to the first communication device transmitting any other PHY protocol data unit after receiving the trigger frame.

Abstract: A first communication device associated with a first communication network determines that a second communication device associated with a second communication network is located proximate to the first communication device. The first communication device generates a data unit that includes information indicating i) a color identifier of the second communication network, the color identifier usable to identify transmissions from the second communication network, and ii) that a dynamic clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure should not be used for transmissions from the second communication network. The first communication device transmits the data unit to at least one other communication device associated with the first communication network such that the at least one other communication device associated with the first communication network does not use the dynamic CCA procedure for transmissions identified as being from the second communication network.

Abstract: A plurality of different OFDM tone blocks for a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel are assigned to a plurality of devices. An OFDMA data unit is generated, the OFDMA unit including a preamble portion and a data portion, the preamble portion having at least i) a first legacy portion that corresponds to at least a first OFDM tone block, ii) a second legacy portion that corresponds to a second OFDM tone block, iii) a first non-legacy portion that corresponds to the first OFDM tone block, iv) a second non-legacy portion that corresponds to the second OFDM tone block, and v) a third non-legacy portion that corresponds to a third OFDM tone block. The first OFDM tone block and the second OFDM tone block are separated in frequency by at least the third OFDM tone block.

Abstract: A communication device determines a format for a physical layer (PHY) data unit. The communication device selects i) a length value to be included in a field in a legacy portion of a PHY preamble of the PHY data unit, and ii) a phase of modulation of an orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) symbol in a non-legacy portion of the PHY preamble. The length value and the phase of modulation are selected to correspond to the determined format. A first value of a remainder resulting from dividing the length value by three corresponds to a first subset of formats; a second value of the remainder resulting from dividing the length value by three corresponds to a second subset of one or more formats. When the determined format belongs to the first subset, the phase of modulation of the OFDM symbol in the non-legacy portion of the PHY preamble indicates whether the PHY data unit conforms to a multi-user format.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods described herein provide a method for padding a signal extension of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. A transceiver may obtain a plurality of data symbols for transmission, and determine that a number of information bits for a last symbol of the plurality of data symbols is not an integer value. A special padding rule may be applied to add padding bits to the last symbol. A number of coded bits for the last symbol may be determined when the number of information bits for the last symbol has changed, and the plurality of data symbols for data transmission may be encoded based on the determined number of coded bits for the last symbol.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed herein for aligning HE-LTFs corresponding to a plurality of users by determining a respective number of spatial streams corresponding to each user, determining a highest respective number of spatial streams of the spatial streams, and setting an alignment number of HE-LTF symbols to be equal to or larger than the highest respective number of spatial streams. For each respective user, a respective matrix of HE-LTF symbols corresponding to the respective number of spatial streams of the respective user is selected, and it is determined whether the respective matrix of HE-LTF symbols has fewer symbols than the alignment number. In response to determining that the respective matrix of HE-LTF symbols has fewer symbols than the alignment number, padding symbols may be added to the respective matrix to yield a number of HE-LTF symbols in the respective matrix that corresponds to the alignment number.

Abstract: Various methods and apparatus are disclosed for mitigating interference between communications between different radio access technologies in a communication device. Methods and apparatus include communicating between a first communication device and a second communication device according to a first communication protocol, and communicating between the first communication device and a third communication device according to a second communication protocol. The methods and apparatus further include determining a first time interval associated with when data is to be transmitted between the first communication device and the second communication device according to the first communications protocol. The methods and apparatus also include sending to the third communication device, an indication of a second time interval to prompt the third communication device not transmit to the first communication device during the second time interval, wherein the second time interval corresponds to the first time interval.

Abstract: One or more trigger frames are generated at a first communication device to trigger an uplink orthogonal frequency multiple access (OFDMA) transmission by multiple second communication devices. Each of the one or more trigger frames (i) includes an indication of a trigger type and (ii) is formatted according to the indicated trigger type. The first communication device transmits the one or more trigger frames to the multiple second communication devices. The first device then receives the triggered uplink OFDMA transmission that includes respective transmissions from the multiple second communication devices.