Apple Inc.

Veerendra Boodannavar

Kapil Chhabra

Yong Liu

Jarkko L Kneckt

Daniel R Borges

Su Khiong Yong

Oren Shani

Debashis Dash

Charles Francis Dominguez

Matthew L Semersky

Yoel Boger

Noam Ginsburg

Guoqing Li

Rajneesh Kumar

Artiom Shamis

Welly Kasten

Yang Yu

Zheng Zeng

Vijay Venkataraman

Anuj Batra

Ping Wang

Tianyu Wu

Paul V Flynn

Elliot S Briggs

Aniruddha Subhash Diwan

Nathan A Kralian

Udaykumar R Raval

Sidharth R Thakur

Sriram Lakshmanan

Sundar Sriram

Ahmet G Cepni

Ronald Keryuan Huang

Christiaan A Hartman

Sreevalsan Vallath

Ajoy K Singh

Venkateswara Rao Manepalli

Thanigaivelu Elangovan

Tashbeeb Haque

Faraz Faheem

Yann Ly-Gagnon

Bernd W Adler

Dongwoon Hahn

Saravanan Balasubramaniyan

Chaitanya Mannemala

Duy N Phan

Andreas Wolf

Tushar Ramanlal Shah

Sarin Shreyas Mehta

Rohit Sharma

Shehla S Rana

Ofer Levy

Saumin Shah

Karan Sawhney

Embodiments are disclosed for address changing schemes for a multi-link device in a wireless communications system. Some embodiments include a privacy enhanced (PE) access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) that includes one or more affiliated APs operating on different links. The PE AP MLD can generate a first randomized OTA MLD address based at least on the MLD address of the PE AP MLD for a first affiliated PE AP (PE AP). The PE AP MLD can transmit a first data transmission using the first OTA MLD address where the first data transmission includes an encrypted aggregated MAC service data unit (A-MSDU) subframe that includes the MLD address. The PE AP MLD can correlate the MLD address of the PE AP MPL with multiple addresses comprising: the first OTA MLD, a unique MLD address, and a Media Access Control (MAC) service access point (SAP) MLD address.

Address randomization schemes for multi-link devices

Embodiments are disclosed for address changing schemes in a wireless communications system. Some embodiments include an access point (AP) that can establish two or more address profiles with a station (STA), establish a schedule for switching from a first address profile to a second address profile, where the first and second address profiles are of the two or more address profiles, and transmit a first data transmission using the first address profile. Some embodiments include switching from the first address profile to the second address profile based on the schedule, and transmitting a second data transmission using the second address profile. The schedule can be based on a randomized time synchronization function (TSF). The AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA, and use the joint algorithm determine the first and the second address profiles as well as transition times for the schedule.

Address randomization schemes

An electronic device that performs a scan is described. During operation, the electronic device may perform, using a scanning radio, the scan of a band of frequencies, where the scanning radio only receives frames. Then, the electronic device may receive, using the scanning radio, a beacon associated with a second electronic device, where the beacon includes information associated with operation of a third electronic device in a second band of frequencies. Next, the electronic device may perform, using a data radio, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, where the data radio transmits and/or receives second frames, and where the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed. Note that the electronic device may not be associated with (or may not have a connection with) the second electronic device and/or the third electronic device.

Beacon and probe-response frame type information for out-of-band discovery

During operation, an electronic device may perform, using a scanning radio, a scan of a band of frequencies, where the scanning radio only receives frames. Then, the electronic device may receive, using the scanning radio, a beacon frame associated with a second electronic device, where the beacon frame includes information associated with operation of a third electronic device in a second band of frequencies. Next, the electronic device may perform, using a data radio, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, where the data radio transmits and/or receives second frames, and where the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed. Note that the electronic device may not be associated with (or may not have a connection with) the second electronic device and/or the third electronic device.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to reducing power consumption of an electronic device scanning for wireless communication signals while maintaining or even improving an efficiency of the scanning operations. To do so, the electronic device may include more than one scan core, such as a main core and a receiving core. The receiving core may have limited functionality compared to the main core. For example, the receiving core may only receive wireless signals (including scanning for wireless signals). That is, the receiving core may not support certain operations that consume relative high power that are supported by the main core, such as transmission of signals. In this way, operation of the receiving core, either in place of or in addition to the main core, may reduce power consumption of the electronic device by avoiding high power consuming operations, such as data transmission, while scanning for various signals.

Power management for signal scanning

Embodiments for performing a fast return to Wi-Fi following completion of a cellular voice call are provided. These embodiments include detecting that a device has switched from communicating over a Wi-Fi interface to communicating over a cellular interface; determining the earliest time that the device can switch back to Wi-Fi; and instituting the switch. In some embodiments, the process of performing a fast return to Wi-Fi is carried out by devices having small form factors, such as smartwatches and other wearables, which may be susceptible to coexistence and peak power problems. The fast return to Wi-Fi embodiments disclosed herein allow a device to perform a voice call over a cellular interface when Wi-Fi calling is not available, and switch over to a Wi-Fi interface immediately upon completion of the voice call in order to conserve battery life, achieve higher data speeds, and avoid high costs associated with cellular data transmissions.

Fast return to Wi-Fi

An interface circuit in a recipient electronic device (such as a cellular telephone) may provide preference-indication information for an electronic device (such as an access point). Notably, the recipient electronic device may compute preference-indication information associated with the recipient electronic device, where the preference-indication information indicates whether the recipient electronic device prefers that the electronic device use downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) MIMO transmissions when communicating with the recipient electronic device. Then, the recipient electronic device may provide the preference-indication information in a packet or a frame associated with the electronic device. In some embodiments, the recipient electronic device determines a trigger event (such as measuring a motion indication), and the computing may be selectively performed based at least in part on the trigger event. Moreover, the preference-indication information may include additional information that was used by the recipient electronic device to compute the preference indication of the recipient electronic device.

Multi-user MIMO preference-indication signaling

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for indicating a preference to receive a single-user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) or multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) transmission from an access point (AP). Embodiments include generating a standard action frame that contains an action field that species a preference to receive a SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO transmission from the AP. A station (STA) can transmit the generated action frame to the AP. The STA can receive an acknowledgement frame from the AP that indicates the AP is configured to use the requested transmission method. The STA can then receive data from the AP using the requested transmission method.

Dynamic switching between SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO transmission

An interface circuit in an electronic device (such as an access point) may provide a wake-up-radio (WUR) discovery frame for a recipient electronic device, where the WUR discovery frame includes an operating class of a wireless local area network (WLAN) associated with the electronic device. The operating class may specify a regulatory domain and a channel set of the WLAN. Moreover, the WUR discovery frame may include an index of a channel in the channel set. Furthermore, the WUR discovery frame may include a compressed or a partial identifier associated with the electronic device or the WLAN. The amount of compression may be based at least in part on a communication environment of the electronic device, such as a number of electronic devices, or a number of neighboring WLANs. Thus, the WUR discovery frame may have a variable size or length.

Wake-up-radio discovery frame

The present disclosure describes a method for adaptive WiFi roaming, where an electronic device and an access point advertise their networking capability. The networking capability may be, for example, the capability to support at least one enterprise feature. Based on the advertisements transmitted by the electronic device, the access point can determine that the electronic device can support the at least one enterprise feature and may selectively enable the at least one enterprise feature. Additionally, based on advertisements transmitted by the access point, the electronic device can determine that the access point can support the at least one enterprise feature. Based on this mutual determination, the access point and electronic device may continue an association process based on the at least one enterprise feature.

Adaptive Wifi roaming

Some embodiments enable low power mode for wireless local area network (WLAN) subsystem of an electronic device to improve power usage at the electronic device and increase response time of the WLAN subsystem to prioritized application(s). For example, a method includes enabling a sleep mode of the WLAN subsystem of the electronic device. The electronic device maintains a connection with an access point of a wireless network during the sleep mode. The method further includes receiving a request from an application to communicate with the wireless network. The application is included in a list of prioritized applications. In response to determining that a metric associated with the sleep mode does not exceed a power budget, the sleep mode of the WLAN subsystem is suspended and the communication between the application and the access point of the wireless network is enabled (after the suspension of the sleep mode).

Operating low-power associated sleep

A device implementing a system for coexistence of collocated radios may include a first radio circuit configured to receive, from a collocated second radio circuit, a start indication for cellular activity associated with a radio resource control connection. The first radio circuit may be configured to, responsive to receiving the start indication, stop a wireless transmission capability. The first radio circuit may be configured to receive, from the collocated cellular circuit, an end indication for the cellular activity prior to the radio resource control connection being released. The first radio circuit may be configured to resume the wireless transmission capability in accordance with a reduced power level response to receiving the end indication.

Coexistence of collocated radios

An apparatus and methods are provided for conducting wireless data communications, particularly real-time data communications, in a communication environment that includes a restricted channel (e.g., a channel subject to Dynamic Frequency Selection or DFS). Two or more mobile communication/computing devices (e.g., smart phones, tablet computers) participate in a peer-to-peer network and engage in data communications while one or more of them operate on the restricted channel (e.g., to maintain an infrastructure communication connection). Their channel sequences are configured to maximize the efficiency of the data communication while satisfying restrictions of the restricted channel or avoiding that channel, and only require them to monitor one beacon interval. One or more of the devices may strategically roam to the restricted channel or away from the restricted channel, depending on which action will provide greater communication throughput or efficiency.

Real-time peer-to-peer communications in an environment that includes a restricted channel

Apparatus and methods for configuring wireless circuitry of a wireless device to optimize power consumption based on operating states of the wireless device are disclosed. When associating with or while associated with a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capable wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP), the wireless device configures the wireless circuitry to use a MIMO mode that includes at least two spatial streams for communication with multiple radio frequency (RF) receive chains active, a single-input single-output (SISO) mode or a multiple-input single-output (MISO) mode that includes only one spatial stream and a single RF receive chain active, or a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) mode that includes only one spatial stream and multiple RF receive chains active, based on balancing application requirements for data throughput with power saving modes to conserve battery levels. MIMO modes can be used when an active application benefits from MIMO rates or when transferring large files.

Method and apparatus for MIMO WLAN power optimization

A method, station and computer readable storage medium used to perform opportunistic roaming procedures. A station joined to a basic service set (BSS) of an access point (AP) performs a method including determining a roam profile for the station, the roam profile indicating at least one of available operating bands or available APs for the station, determining a first value associated with a network parameter of the joined AP, determining at least one roam candidate AP having a second value associated with the network parameter corresponding to the roam candidate AP, wherein the first and second values are a received signal strength indicator, determining whether a predetermined criteria value is satisfied based upon the first and second values, wherein the predetermined criteria value is a minimum difference between the first value and second value and roaming to the roam candidate AP when the predetermined criteria value is satisfied.

Device and method for opportunistic roaming

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Veerendra Boodannavar