Enhanced channel contention schemes for high-efficiency WLAN

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104664-B2
Application number	US-201615181354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A unified channel contention scheme is proposed such that spatial reuse can be enabled by a wireless station (STA) when a basic service set (BSS) color of a received signal cannot be resolved. If the detected frame is an intra-BSS frame, then the STA should not contend the channel for the PPDU duration. If the detected frame is an inter-BSS frame, then the STA uses OBSS Packet Detection (OBSS-PD) level as the CCA level for channel contention. Furthermore, when BSS color cannot be resolved, channel contention schemes for WiFi signal and non-WiFi signal are differentiated. If the received signal is detected as WiFi signal, then the STA uses WiFi-SIG Detection (WD) level as the CCA level for channel contention. If the received signal is detected as non-WiFi signal, then the STA uses Non-WiFi-SIG Detection (NWD) level as the CCA level for channel contention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a radio signal over a wireless channel by a wireless station in a wireless local area network, wherein the radio signal carries a data packet;
determining whether the data packet has an intra-basic service set (BSS) packet type or an inter-BSS packet type by resolving a BSS color of the data packet;
detecting whether the radio signal has a WiFi radio signal type or a non-WiFi radio signal type if the BSS color cannot be resolved; and
performing a channel contention scheme to gain access to the wireless channel, wherein the channel contention scheme applies a clear channel assessment (CCA) level that is determined based on the decoded packet type and the detected radio signal type.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station does not contend for channel access if the data packet type is intra-BSS.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station applies a first CCA level if the data packet type is inter-BSS.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station applies a second CCA level if the radio signal is a WiFi signal but the BSS color cannot be resolved.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station applies a third CCA level if the radio signal is a non-WiFi signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BSS color is indicative of a BSS identifier (ID), and wherein the BSS color is a subfield contained in a signal field of the data packet.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station detects the radio signal type based on WiFi signal features.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless station performs auto-correlation of the radio signal with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated WiFi signal having a predefined OFDM symbol length and a predefined cyclic prefix (CP) length.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless station detects the radio signal type based on LTE signal features.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wireless station performs auto-correlation of the radio signal with a predefined primary synchronization signal (PSS).

11. A wireless station, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) receiver that receives a radio signal over a wireless channel in a wireless local area network, wherein the radio signal carries a data packet;
a decoder that decodes the data packet and determines whether the data packet has an intra-basic service set (BSS) packet type or an inter-BSS packet type by resolving a BSS color of the data packet;
a radio signal detecting circuit that detects whether the radio signal has a WiFi radio signal type or a non-WiFi radio signal type if the BSS color cannot be resolved; and
a channel access handling circuit that performs a channel contention scheme to gain access to the wireless channel, wherein the channel contention scheme applies a clear channel assessment (CCA) level that is determined based on the decoded packet type and the detected radio signal type.

12. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station does not contend for channel access if the data packet type is intra-BSS.

13. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station applies a first CCA level if the data packet type is inter-BSS.

14. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station applies a second CCA level if the radio signal is a WiFi signal but the BSS color cannot be resolved.

15. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station applies a third CCA level if the radio signal is a non-WiFi signal.

16. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the BSS color is indicative of a BSS identifier (ID), and wherein the BSS color is a subfield contained in a signal field of the data packet.

17. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station detects the radio signal type based on WiFi signal features.

18. The wireless station of claim 17 , wherein the wireless station performs auto-correlation of the radio signal with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated WiFi signal having a predefined OFDM symbol length and a predefined cyclic prefix (CP) length.

19. The wireless station of claim 11 , wherein the wireless station detects the radio signal type based on LTE signal features.

20. The wireless station of claim 19 , wherein the wireless station performs auto-correlation of the radio signal with a predefined primary synchronization signal (PSS).

Assignees

• Mediatek Inc

Inventors

• Liu Jianhan
• Huang Rongsheng
• Ma Li
• Wang Chao-Chun

Classifications

• H04W74/0808 Primary

  using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] · CPC title

• H04L27/0006

  Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio (for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14) · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04L27/2605

  Symbol extensions, e.g. Zero Tail, Unique Word [UW] · CPC title

• H04W16/14

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title