Specifying a transmission-time limit for uplink multi-user communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11812438-B2
Application number	US-202016804169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Mar 5, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device that selectively provides a trigger frame is described. During operation, the electronic device may receive a frame from a recipient electronic device, where the frame includes information that specifies a maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration of the recipient electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device may selectively provide the trigger frame to the recipient electronic device that specifies an uplink OFDMA frame or an uplink MIMO frame associated with the recipient electronic device. The trigger frame may be selectively provided when a transmit time corresponding to the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame is less than or equal to the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a connector or a pad configured to communicatively couple to an antenna; and
an interface circuit, communicatively coupled to the connector or the pad, configured to communicate with a second electronic device, wherein the interface circuit is configured to:
receive, at the connector or the pad, a frame from the second electronic device, wherein the frame comprises information that specifies a maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration of the second electronic device; and
selectively provide, to the connector or the pad, a trigger frame intended for the second electronic device that specifies scheduling of an uplink orthogonal division multiple access (OFDMA) frame or an uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frame associated with the second electronic device, wherein the trigger frame is selectively provided when a transmit time corresponding to the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame is less than or equal to the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration, and
wherein the electronic device comprises an access point and the second electronic device has a connection with the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in response to the trigger frame, the interface circuit is configured to receive, at the connector or the pad, the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame associated with the second electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration comprises a notification that constrains scheduling of the second electronic device by the electronic device for uplink OFDMA communication or uplink MIMO communication.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, prior to receiving the frame, the interface circuit is configured to provide, to the connector or the pad, a request intended for the second electronic device for the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration is negotiated between the electronic device and the second electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration comprises a suggestion from the second electronic device for the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a media access control (MAC) header that comprises the information.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the information is included in a control identifier or a command and status (CAS) control.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a management frame with an action type associated with the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration.

10. A second electronic device, comprising:
a connector or a pad configured to communicatively couple to an antenna; and
an interface circuit, communicatively coupled to the connector or the pad, configured to communicate with an electronic device, wherein the interface circuit is configured to:
provide, to the connector or the pad, a frame, intended for the electronic device, wherein the frame comprises information that specifies a maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration of the second electronic device; and
selectively receive, at the connector or the pad, a trigger frame from the electronic device that specifies scheduling of an uplink orthogonal division multiple access (OFDMA) frame or an uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frame associated with the second electronic device, wherein the trigger frame is selectively received when a transmit time corresponding to the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame is less than or equal to the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration, and
wherein the electronic device comprises an access point and the second electronic device has a connection with the electronic device.

11. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, in response to the trigger frame, the interface circuit is configured to provide, to the connector or the pad, the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame intended for the electronic device.

12. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration comprises a notification that constrains scheduling of the second electronic device for uplink OFDMA communication or uplink MIMO communication.

13. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, prior to providing the frame, the interface circuit is configured to receive, at the connector or the pad, a request associated with the electronic device for the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration.

14. The second electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration is negotiated between the electronic device and the second electronic device.

15. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration comprises a suggestion from the second electronic device for the electronic device.

16. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a media access control (MAC) header that comprises the information.

17. The second electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the information is included in a control identifier or a command and status (CAS) control.

18. The second electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a management frame with an action type associated with the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration.

19. A method for selectively receiving a trigger frame, comprising:
by a second electronic device:
providing a frame, intended for an electronic device, wherein the frame comprises information that specifies a maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration of the second electronic device; and
selectively receiving the trigger frame from the electronic device that specifies scheduling of an uplink orthogonal division multiple access (OFDMA) frame or an uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) frame associated with the second electronic device, wherein the trigger frame is selectively received when a transmit time corresponding to the uplink OFDMA frame or the uplink MIMO frame is less than or equal to the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration, and
wherein the electronic device comprises an access point and the second electronic device has a connection with the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the frame indicates that the maximum uplink multi-user transmit duration comprises a notification that constrains scheduling of the second electronic device for uplink OFDMA communication or uplink MIMO communication.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Li Guoqing
• Ramamurthi Vijay Kumar
• Dass Yaranama Venkata Ramana
• Li Ding

Classifications

• H04W72/23 Primary

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04B7/0452

  Multi-user MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04L5/0007

  the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT · CPC title

• H04L5/0023

  Time-frequency-space · CPC title

• H04L5/0037

  Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation · CPC title