Apple Inc.

Marvell International Limited

Nxp Usa, Inc.

Marvellworld Trade Ltd.

Marvell Asia Pte., Ltd.

Jinjing Jiang

Hongyuan Zhang

Liwen Chu

Hui-Ling Lou

Lei Wang

Yakun Sun

Yong Liu

Su Khiong Yong

Tianyu Wu

Jarkko L Kneckt

Lochan Verma

Qi Wang

Qi S Wang

Guoqing Li

Yan Zhang

Mingguang Xu

Xiayu Zheng

Bo Yu

Jarkko Lauri Sakari Kneckt

Anuj Batra

Christiaan A Hartman

Yoel Boger

Manish Kumar

Ken Kinwah Ho

Charles Francis Dominguez

Yi-Ling Chao

Alexander Krebs

Gaurav Jain

Guoquing Li

Rui Cao

Hua Mu

Hui-Iing Lou

Some embodiments include utilizing a multilink media access control (MAC) address structure to support multilink devices (MLDs) that can operate concurrently in more than one link such as extremely high throughput (EHT) access points (APs) and EHT stations (STA), where the multilink MAC address structure is compatible with legacy devices. An EHT AP can utilize a multilink basic service set (BSS) identification (BSSID) MAC address to communicate with an EHT STA identified by a multilink MAC address. Values of the multilink BSSID and the multilink MAC address of the EHT STA are independent of which of the multiple links are used in the communication. In addition, to utilizing a multilink BSSID, the EHT AP can also support unique link-specific MAC addresses to concurrently support legacy and MLD stations. The EHT STA can also utilize unique link-specific MAC addresses that can be different than the EHT AP's link-specific MAC addresses.

System and method for multilink devices

Embodiments are disclosed for group cast with retries (GCR) in a multi-link wireless communications system. In some embodiments, an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) can exchange information with a non-AP MLD to establish a GCR-multi-link operation (MLO) agreement corresponding to a group address, wherein the information includes, but is not limited to: a GCR primary link or a GCR primary link set of the AP MLD, an association identifier (AID) that corresponds to the group address. In some embodiments, the AP MLD can transmit a GCR frame subject to the GCR-MLO agreement, where the GCR frame includes a sequence number assigned from sequence number space (SNS)_GCR_MLO defined at a MLD level, and generate a Group Temporal Key (GTK)_GCR_ML at the MLD level, where the GTK_GCR_ML enables encryption and decryption of the GCR frame.

Group cast with retries (GCR) for multi-link operation (MLO)

An electronic device (such as an access point) is described. This electronic device transmits an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame to a recipient electronic device (such as a client or a station). The OFDMA frame includes multiple predefined resource units (RUs) allocated to the recipient electronic device in a set of predefined RUs having associated frequency bandwidths. Moreover, the multiple predefined RUs include two or more first predefined RUs having a first number of tones less than a predefined amount, or two or more second predefined RUs having a second number of tones greater than or equal to the predefined amount. For example, the predefined amount may include 242 tones. Note that the multiple predefined RUs may have the same or different numbers of tones. Moreover, the electronic may receive an acknowledgment or a block acknowledgment from the recipient electronic device.

Multi-resource-unit aggregation

Methods, systems and apparatuses for negotiating mapping between traffic flows and different links by an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) and non-AP MLD are described. An AP MLD may transmit an initial request for a first limited mapping. A non-AP MLD may change to the first limited mapping. The non-AP MLD may register one or more high priority traffic flows and may change to a second mapping accommodating the high priority traffic flows on at least one additional link. The non-AP MLD and AP MLD may additionally exchange second and final mapping negotiation messages.

Link negotiation including priority traffic

A first communication device generates a first physical layer (PHY) data unit that includes information indicating a capability to use a channel bandwidth greater than a maximum channel bandwidth of the first communication device, and transmits the first PHY data unit to a second communication device during an association process with the second communication device. The first communication device generates a second PHY data unit that includes information indicating a capability to use at most the maximum channel bandwidth of the first communication device, and transmits the second PHY data unit to the second communication device when the first communication device is associated with the second communication device.

Reporting bandwidth capability of a bandwidth-limited communication device

Methods, systems and apparatuses for performing a channel switch by an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) and non-AP MLD are described. An AP MLD may transmit information about parameters of an AP that will be implemented following an upcoming channel switch. The non-AP MLD may use the information to implement the channel switch.

Channel switching

Methods, systems and apparatuses for performing a channel validation by an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) and non-AP MLD are described. An AP MLD may transmit information about multiple affiliated APs. A non-AP MLD and AP MLD may validate multiple links for communication.

Operating channel validation

Methods for performing robust discovery of a new access point (AP) in AP MLD, robust link addition to an AP MLD association, AP beaconing modes when the AP is added or deleted to/from an AP MLD, and robust BSS transition management (BTM) signaling to steer a non-AP MLD to a best AP MLD and to most suitable APs, as well as privacy improvements for associated non-AP MLD.

MLD privacy and operation enhancements

This disclosure relates to methods for conducting multilink communications between a user equipment device (UE) and a wireless access point (AP) over a wireless local area network (WLAN). The UE establishes a connection with an access point through a WLAN, wherein the connection utilizes a plurality of links. The UE transmits an indication to the access point through a first link of the plurality of links, where the indication specifies one or more available links of the plurality of links that are available for the UE to receive downlink (DL) communications from the access point. The UE receives one or more DL communications from the access point through at least one of the one or more available links.

Power savings for multi-link wireless local area network infrastructure

A method for communicating over a wireless network includes broadcasting, by a Multi-Link Device (MLD) device, service data indicative of one or more services for wireless communication with a client device; wherein the service data indicates that a service type is differentiated based on a type of the client device; establishing a security association with the client device; and in response to establishing a security association with the client device, granting access by the client device to a subset of the one or more services based on the type of the client device.

Systems and methods for multi-link device privacy protection

Embodiments may relate to group addressed frame delivery over multi-link systems. Systems and methods are configured for identifying, by an access point (AP) multilink device (MLD) in a wireless network, a first sequence number space (SNS) that is to be used by the AP MLD to transmit data to a non-AP MLD over a first communications link and a second communications link, wherein frames with identical data that are transmitted over the first and second communications links will have an identical first SN based on the first SNS; identifying, by the MLD in the wireless network, the first SN based on the first SNS; and transmitting, by the AP MLD in the wireless network, a frame that includes the data to the non-AP MLD based on the first SN.

Group addressed frame delivery over multi-link systems

A wireless device may use 2.5 MHz narrow band channel spacing. In some embodiments, clear channel assessment based listen before talk may be used to determine if a channel is idle or busy. In some embodiments, randomized channel access may be achieved using a pseudo random number generator on an allowed list of channels. In some embodiments, an avoid loitering mechanism may be employed to reduce interference with transmitters using the same frequency bands.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for narrowband channel allocation and access

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for high-bandwidth stations in a WiFi environment. In embodiments, a bandwidth of communications supported by the access point is divided into multiple frequency segments. In an embodiment, bandwidths up to 320 MHz are supported, which can be subdivided into four frequency segments of 80 MHz each. Different stations park on different frequency segments, whereas the access point has its primary channel located on the first frequency segment. With this configuration, uplink and downlink channel access can be provided to the different stations using a primary channel hopping pattern, which is provided to the stations from the AP. This pattern provides time windows for each frequency segment, during which the stations in that segment are able to freely communicate. Several other aspects of the disclosure further support this configuration and other high-bandwidth configurations.

System and method for supporting operating stations on an extreme high throughput link

A first communication device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) receives a communication frame from a second communication device. The communication frame includes one or more indications of one or more FDFD parameters for an FDFD operation that includes FDFD communications via a first frequency segment and a second frequency segment. The one or more indications includes an indication of a physical layer (PHY) transmission mode that the first communication device is to use for communication in the second frequency segment during the FDFD operation. The first communication device uses the indication of the PHY transmission mode to determine a PHY transmission mode that the first communication device is to use for communication in the second frequency segment during the FDFD operation, and transmits in the second frequency segment according to the PHY transmission mode.

Media access control for frequency division full duplex in WLAN

Some aspects of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing a hibernation mode for multi-link wireless communication networks such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). For example, some aspects relate to a multi-link device (MLD) including a first station (STA) associated with a first link of a wireless network and configured to communicate with a second MLD over the first link. The MLD also includes a second STA associated with a second link of the wireless network. The second STA is in a hibernation mode. The MLD also includes one or more processors communicatively coupled to the first and second STAs and configured to control operations of the first and second STAs.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Jinjing Jiang