Sony Group Corporation

Sony Corporation of America

Sony Corporation

Mohamed Abouelseoud

Liangxiao Xin

Kazuyuki Sakoda

Qing Xia

Li-Hsiang Sun

Ramy Abdallah

Hiromasa Uchiyama

Yusuke Tanaka

Kosuke Aio

Thomas Handte

Ken Tanaka

Dana Ciochina

Ryuichi Hirata

Ramy Medhat Abdallah

An IEEE 802.11 protocol in which the necessity and issues surrounding separately setting up SCS and reserving target wait time (R-TWT) are eliminated. In the present disclosure new data structures and processes are performed in which a station (STA) can request scheduling R-TWT for the traffic transmission of a stream classification service (SCS) during the setup procedure of that SCS. In using the teachings of the present disclosure, a STA can exchange a TWT setup frame on one link to schedule R-TWT on multiple links.

Stream classification service (SCS) with restricted target wait time (R-TWT) setup

A wireless communication protocol using CSMA/CA, EDCA and R-TWT to prioritize RTA traffic transmissions. During an R-TWT SP, the RTA traffic is prioritized for transmission and mechanisms are provided for assuring proper indications and termination of the R-TWT SP. During this process, member STAs communicate with the R-TWT scheduling AP when they have no more frames to send. The R-TWT scheduling AP can also terminate the R-TWT SP before its scheduled end time, allowing non-member STAs to immediately contend for the channel. In addition, the R-TWT scheduling AP can exchange frames with STAs, that have an R-TWT feature but are not R-TWT member STAs, after frame exchanges with the R-TWT member STAs during the R-TWT SP have been completed.

Restricted target wake time service period termination

Enhanced R-TWT scheduling is performed in which the R-TWT scheduling AP can perform scheduling quickly to react quickly to changes in the network environment and optimize R-TWT scheduling for efficiency and stability. The R-TWT scheduling AP transmits R-TWT trigger frames and is able to collect information from R-TWT scheduled STAs which may affect R-TWT scheduling. The scheduling can take into account that some member STAs may be dozing (asleep) for several beacon intervals and do not wake up for the beacon, then the R-TWT scheduling AP initiates the update of parameters when needed to check on those STAs to determine if any updates are needed. The R-TWT trigger frame can allocate resource units (RU) for R-TWT scheduled STAs to communicate back to the R-TWT scheduling AP.

Fast restricted target wait time update

A wireless communications protocol in which multiple-link operations provide enhanced efficiency in particular for non-simultaneous transmit receive (NSTR) communications between stations (STAs) of multiple-link devices (MLDs). When MLD1 is the TXOP holder of Link1 and the channel is accessed on Link2 by MLD2 for transmitting to MLD1; MLD2 immediately transmits over Link2 to MLD1, if MLD1 is receiving on Link1. MLD2 transmits a frame over Link2 to occupy the channel if MLD1 is transmitting on Link1, then when MLD1 is receiving on Link1 then MLD2 transmits another frame to MLD1.

Channel access on non-simultaneous transmit/receive link

A wireless local area network (WLAN) having stations (STAs) using Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) in which at least some stations support Full Duplex (FD) transmission. Mechanisms are described in which a STA can send a preemption request to a station performing ongoing transmissions. The preempted STA detects a preemption request of this preempting STA. The preempted STA interrupts its ongoing transmission; if it has determined to accept the preemption request. Thus, the preempting STA preempts the transmission of the preempted STA, to send a preemptive transmission, after receiving notification that the preempted STA has interrupted its ongoing transmission.

Preemption / interruption of an ongoing low priority PPDU

A wireless communication apparatus, system or method for operation on a network utilizing CSMA/CA, in which non-AP stations can share their TXOP. After obtaining a TXOP, a non-AP station informs the AP to share the TXOP within its BSS. The AP collects buffer status and the QoS requirements of the buffer from the stations and arranges transmissions during the shared TXOP to satisfy the QoS requirement of the buffer reported by the STAs. The non-AP station can also share its TXOP through the AP using trigger frames or other mechanisms. The AP station may be part of a multi-link device and the AP can arrange transmissions on multiple links of an MLD.

Request trigger frame and TXOP sharing launched by non-AP STA

An IEEE 802.11 wireless protocol which allows a non-Access Point Multi-Link Device (non-AP MLD) to access a soft AP MLD (e.g., an MLD which is not configured for Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STR)) over a conditional link (Link) when the primary/basic link (Link) is occupied by another STA/MLD. Additional frame exchanges are described between MLDs to facilitate the Non-AP MLD's ability to accessing the soft AP MLD. Utilizing the approach can increase overall network throughput in a single BSS or OBSS.

Secondary link access to a mobile soft access point multi-link device

A wireless IEEE 802.11 communication protocol under CSMA/CA for enhanced full duplex (FD) station (STA) operations. PPDU preambles are configured to incorporate STA identification and corresponding resource unit (RU) or multiple resource unit (MRU) information. An FD AP indicates STA identification and corresponding RU/MRU index of a transmission destination in the FD preamble of a downlink (DL) PPDU; while a FD non-AP STA indicates its own STA identification and corresponding RU/MRU index in the FD preamble of a uplink (UL) PPDU. The disclosed technology mitigates many issues in regard to fake collisions, partial RU fake collisions, and real collisions, toward improving communications and efficiency and reducing latencies.

Resolving fake collision issue in full duplex communication

Method and apparatus for supporting simultaneous MultiUser (MU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) operations utilizing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) with Uplink OFDMA Random Access (UORA). Access Points (APs) trigger and obtain short PPDUs from the stations to learn spatial filtering patterns that are utilized in adjusting antenna phase differences to obtain minimum/maximum energy from this BSR. The APs determine favored and unfavored directions of communication, which are conveyed to non-AP UORA stations as channel estimation signals. The UORA stations base broadcasting on strengths of channel estimation signals to determine eligible UORA resource units. The UORA procedure to secondary APs allows a primary AP to trigger a UL-MU MIMO transmission with the number of spatial streams exceeding the number of antennas at the primary AP.

Multiple access point uplink orthogonal frequency-division multiple access based random access

A wireless protocol CSMA/CA and scheduling SPs of a R-TWT for RTA frame exchange. In addition to link level scheduling, R-TWTs can be scheduled from an MLD level. An R-TWT scheduling MLD is configured to schedule a Multi-Link (ML) R-TWT with SP scheduled on multiple links. These ML R-TWTs can be one or more SL R-TWTs, and a ML R-TWT can be an independent R-TWT from the SL R-TWT. The R-TWT scheduling MLD can: (a) assign a unique ML level R-TWT ID to identify a ML R-TWT, and if a ML R-TWT consists of SL R-TWTs each SL R-TWT is assigned to a unique link level R-TWT ID to identify it on its link; and (b) complete ML R-TWT signaling on one link for the ML R-TWT management on multiple links.

Multi-link restricted TWT

A communication circuit and protocol for a wireless local area network (WLAN) using single EDCA and/or Multiple-User (MU) EDCA in which frames for Real Time Applications (RTA) can utilize shared Transmit Opportunities (TXOPs) to reduce transmission latencies. The protocol is configured in a number of ways to ensure communication fairness, such as by ensuring a minimum required channel resource is provided for transmitting frames from the primary AC during the TXOP. AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs are also supported and can exchange information on distinguishing traffic streams from other traffic streams having the same Traffic Identifier (TID), in determining which links to use for transmitting the traffic stream.

Sharing an EDCA TXOP with RTA traffic

Full-duplex (FD) enhancements for three scenarios with multiple APs/BSSs. (1) Multiple-AP joint transmissions on a WLAN. Toward eliminating self-interferences and other issues, certain pilot signals in the PPDU are transmitted only by the primary AP. One or more secondary APs participating in the joint transmission receive the pilots to correct their clock in the following symbols. (2) Communications are performed with extended OFDM symbols sent on a second channel which facilitate NAV decoding for stations transmitting on a first channel. (3) More than one AP can perform a joint Ack/BA to a UL PPDU. The secondary AP may utilize its full duplex capability to determine the difference of receiving status between itself and the primary AP, and forward data to the primary which it had not received.

Wireless local area network full-duplex enhancements for scenarios with multiple access-points / BSS

A preamble-based collision detection mechanism for use in wireless local area networks (WLANS), having one or more full-duplex (FD) stations. In addition, a new collision resolution estimation and scheduling mechanism is described for prioritized communication. These techniques can allow for more rapid collision detection and resolution, without the need of performing self-interference (SI) estimation. The techniques includes use of orthogonal preambles, in the time domain and/or frequency domain, into which FD stations embed priority information.

Collision detection and collision resolution for prioritized full duplex communication

Reduced signaling overhead is provided in an apparatus and method for communications within a mesh network. The communications involve using two different beacon signals. A peer beacon contains time synchronization and resource management information to maintain existing links among one or more neighboring peer stations, while a separate network discovery beacon contains mesh network profile information that identifies the mesh network to aid network discovery for wireless communication stations wanting to join the mesh network. Embodiments describe coordination between peer stations to determine which stations are to send the network discovery beacons, so that at any given period of time not all stations need to be transmitting the discovery beacons.

Beaconing in small wavelength wireless networks

A wireless protocol performing Restricted Target Wait Time (R-TWT) signaling and its parameters to reduce latency, such as for real-time application traffic. Further control of traffic flow is provided during the R-TWT Service Period (SP), including whether: R-TWT SP can be extended, multiple overlapped R-TWT SPs on different links can be started, spatial reuse is required during R-TWT SP, allowance of transmission outside R-TWT SP, or use of Quiet element to protect R-TWT SP, whereby R-TWT operation (mode) is described with enhanced operations. Protocol is applicable to Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), and is especially well suited for 802.11be 802.11ax, Real-Time Application (RTA) traffic such as on time sensitive networks, Wi-Fi and on Multi-Link Devices (MLDs).

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Mohamed Abouelseoud