Marvell International Limited

Marvellworld Trade Ltd.

Marvell Asia Pte., Ltd.

Sagar A Tamhane

Hongyuan Zhang

Hui-Ling Lou

Liwen Chu

Sarang Wagholikar

Christian Raimund Berger

Niranjan Grandhe

Sudhir Srinivasa

Kwok Shum Au

Paul Aerick Lambert

Binh Quoc Tran

Nayan D Gaywala

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with validating de-authentication requests to prevent spoofing are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a wireless controller configured to receive a de-authentication request and determine whether the de-authentication request is invalid based on the wireless controller's receipt of two or more responses to a timing request sent by the wireless controller. Only one response is expected. The two or more responses include the address of a first station.

Validating de-authentication requests

A first wireless communication device includes a timing module to provide a timing synchronization function (TSF) time. A fine timing measurement module is to transmit a first request to perform a fine timing measurement to determine a distance between the first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. The first request includes a first value of the TSF time at which to start a burst period of the fine timing measurement, and the first value is determined in accordance with the TSF time provided by the timing module. The fine timing measurement module is further to receive a first response as transmitted from the second wireless communication device in response to the first request and transmit a second request to start the burst period at a TSF time indicated by the first value. The first response includes the first value of the TSF time.

Method and apparatus for performing a fine timing measurement in a wireless network

During a service period (SP) for a ranging measurement signal exchange between a first communication device and one or more second communication devices, the first communication device receives respective first null data packets (NDPs) from the one or more second communication devices, and transmits respective second NDPs to the one or more second communication devices. The first communication device transmits, during the SP, respective first ranging measurement feedback packets to the one or more second communication devices to allow each of the one or more second communication devices to determine a time-of-flight between the first communication device and the second communication device and/or receives, during the SP, respective second ranging measurement feedback packets from the one or more second communication devices to allow the first communication device to determine respective times-of-flight between the first communication device and the one or more second communication devices.

Ranging measurements in wireless communication systems

Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus that includes a transceiver circuit and a processing circuit. The transceiver circuit is configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The processing circuit is configured to generate a request frame using an extended control frame format to indicate an enhanced fine timing measurement (EFTM) based range measurement to a second apparatus, cause the transceiver circuit to transmit, when a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is granted to the apparatus, wireless signals carrying the request frame to start the EFTM based range measurement that exchanges null data packets with the second apparatus, and determine a round trip time based on departure and arrival timing information of the null data packets.

Method and apparatus for ranging

A first communication device generates a range measurement packet (or a packet that includes a probe response frame, a TIM frame, etc.) associated with a range measurement signal exchange session between the first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device records a time value of a first timer corresponding to a time of transmission of the packet, and includes timing information corresponding to the recorded time value in the packet. The first communication device transmits the packet to the second communication device. The timing information in the packet is useable by a third communication device to adjust time values corresponding to a second timer, which the third communication device includes.

Methods and apparatus for clock drift mitigation with snoop-based ranging

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for enabling spontaneous location determination in a scheduled wireless communication environment. For example embodiments, a first wireless communication device includes a transceiver and a multiple recipient communication system. The transceiver is configured to receive from a second wireless communication device a request to participate in a location determination procedure (LDP) that is to occur at least partially during a communication period that is assigned to a third wireless communication device. The multiple recipient communication system is configured to generate a multiple recipient frame that encapsulates (i) data that is destined for the third wireless communication device and (ii) a response to the request to participate in the LDP. For other example embodiments, a multiple recipient communication system of the second wireless communication device is configured to extract the response to the request to participate in the LDP from the multiple recipient frame.

Methods and apparatus for enabling spontaneous location determination in a scheduled wireless communication environment

A first communication device generates a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit having a beginning portion and an ending portion, where the beginning portion includes a PHY protocol header having a PHY protocol preamble, and the ending portion includes a reference signal. The PHY protocol data unit prompts a second communication device to record a first time corresponding to reception of the reference signal by the second communication device. The first communication device transmits the PHY protocol data unit, records a second time corresponding to transmission of the reference signal by the first communication device. The first communication device calculates a time of flight of the PHY protocol data unit using the second time, and/or transmits the second time to the second communication device, a third communication device, or both, to facilitate calculation of the time of flight of the PHY protocol data unit using the second time.

Methods and apparatus for range measurement

Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus having a processing circuit and a transceiver. The processing circuit is configured to generate a frame to have an extended subtype under a control type, configure a media access control (MAC) header of the frame to indicate an extended control frame format, and configure a field of the frame to be an extended subtype field according to the extended control frame format to carry an identification for the extended subtype. The extended subtype is defined in addition to a plurality of subtypes that are identifiable using a subtype field in the frame according to a control frame format. The transceiver is configured to transmit signals to carry the frame.

Method and apparatus for control frame extension

A method for discovering devices in a peer to peer (P2P) wireless communication network is described. During a search state of a first communication device, a probe request is transmitted by the first communication device on a first channel included in a plurality of channels. During the search state, a probe response transmitted by a second communication device on the first channel is received by the first communication device. In response to the probe response, a ranging exchange with the second communication device is performed by the first communication device.

Peer to peer ranging exchange

A first communication device determines scheduling information for a plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, wherein the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions involve using at least one of i) different channel bandwidths, and ii) different physical layer data unit (PPDU) formats for the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions. The first communication device transmits a single packet that includes scheduling information so that a third communication device can use the scheduling information to observe one or more of the range measurement signal exchange sessions in the plurality of range measurement signal exchange sessions between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices, to determine range measurements.

A controller of a first communication device records a first time value of a first clock corresponding to transmission of a first communication frame associated with a timing measurement procedure. If an acknowledgment of the first communication frame was received by the first communication device, the controller records a second time value of the first clock. The controller receives a data unit corresponding to a second communication frame associated with the timing measurement procedure, wherein the data unit includes a time value of a second clock. If an acknowledgment of the first communication frame was not received, the controller compares the first time value of the first clock to the time value of the second clock, and uses i) the first time value of the first clock, and ii) the time value of the second clock to adjust time values corresponding to the first clock responsive to the comparison.

Methods and apparatus for clock drift mitigation

A first communication i) selects one or more respective preliminary identifiers (IDs) for one or more second communication devices, or ii) receives one or more respective preliminary IDs from one or more second communication devices, the one or more respective preliminary IDs having been respectively selected by the one or more second communication devices. The first communication device generates a trigger frame, the trigger frame indicating one or more first frequency resource and/or spatial stream allocations to one or more second communication devices using the one or more respective preliminary IDs. The first communication device transmits the trigger frame to initiate at least an uplink (UL) MU transmission by multiple second communication devices for a ranging procedure.

Multi-user ranging with unassociated stations

A first communication device receives a packet that includes scheduling information for a range measurement signal exchange session between a second communication device and a third communication device. The first communication device determines when the range measurement signal exchange session will occur using the scheduling information in the packet, and observes the range measurement signal exchange session. The first communication device performs an initial analysis of the range measurement packets by analyzing transmitter addresses in the range measurement packets to determine whether to further process the range measurement packets for range measurement purposes, and determines range measurements based on observing the one range measurement signal exchange session.

Methods and apparatus for frame filtering in snoop-based range measurements

While a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless network that includes both i) a first communication device and ii) a second communication device is not formed, and prior to the first communication device and the second communication device performing a group owner (GO) negotiation in connection with forming the P2P wireless network, the first communication device performs a ranging exchange with the second communication device. After performing the ranging exchange with the second communication device, the first communication device performs a GO negotiation with the second communication device.

Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with obtaining schedule information to support snoop ranging are described. According to one embodiment, a method is performed by a station device on a computer network and includes establishing a network association with a network device of the computer network. The method also includes receiving schedule information from the network device without having to previously transmit to the network device to initiate acquisition of the schedule information. The schedule information is negotiated between other network devices communicating in the computer network, or between the network device and at least one of the other network devices. The schedule information is communicated to the network device and specifies timing associated with a ranging exchange between the other network devices, or between the network device and at least one of the other network devices, and may be used by the station device for snooping.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Sagar A Tamhane