ACK policy for uplink and downlink MU PPDU

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12218838-B2
Application number	US-202418432786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2024
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

A network device to function as an Access Point (AP) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is provided. The AP is configured to acknowledge a data frame transmitted by a station (STA) in an uplink multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (UL MU PPDU). The AP includes one or more memories, a physical layer (PHY) processor, and a media access controller (MAC) processor. Each processor is coupled to the one or more memories, and is configured to receive the UL MU PPDU, decode an acknowledge (ACK) policy field within a data field of the UL MU PPDU, and determine whether an acknowledgement (ACK) policy indicated in the data field signals an implicit block acknowledgement (BlockAck) request. Responsive to a determination that the ACK policy indication signals an implicit acknowledgement policy, the AP is configured to transmit an ACK or BlockAck frame to the STA in either a single user (SU) or a multi user (MU) manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network device to function as an Access Point (AP) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the AP configured to acknowledge a data frame transmitted by a station (STA) in an uplink multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (UL MU PPDU), comprising:
one or more memories; and
a physical layer (PHY) processor and a media access controller (MAC) processor, each coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
receive the UL MU PPDU;
decode an acknowledge (ACK) policy field within a data field of the UL MU PPDU; and
determine whether an acknowledgement (ACK) policy indicated in the data field signals an implicit block acknowledgement (BlockAck) request;
responsive to a determination that the ACK policy indication signals an implicit acknowledgement policy, the AP is configured to:
transmit an ACK or BlockAck frame to the STA in either a single user (SU) or a multi user (MU) manner; and wherein the implicit acknowledgement policy is signaled by a ‘0’ in bit 6 of a Quality of Service (QOS) control field and a ‘0’ in bit 5 of the QoS control field.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein one or more BlockAck frames are represented in the UL MU PPDU.

3. The network device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more BlockAck frames are non-multi user (non-MU).

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the PHY processor and the MAC processor transmits the BlockAck frame to the STA, wherein the BlockAck frame elicits an immediate acknowledgement.

5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the PHY processor comprises a transmitter signal processing unit and a receiver signal processing unit.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the MAC processor comprises an MU ACK module.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein a baseband processor comprises the PHY and MAC processors.

8. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a network device functioning as an access point (AP) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), an uplink multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (UL MU PPDU), the AP acknowledging a data frame transmitted by a station (STA) of the WLAN;
decoding, by the AP, an acknowledge (ACK) policy field within a data field of the UL MU PPDU; and
determining, by the AP, whether an acknowledgement (ACK) policy indicated in the data field signals an implicit block acknowledgement (BlockAck) request;
responsive to the AP determining that the ACK policy indication signals an implicit acknowledgement policy:
transmitting, by the AP, an ACK or BlockAck frame to the STA in either a single user (SU) or a multi user (MU) manner; and wherein the implicit acknowledgement policy is signaled by a ‘0’ in bit 6 of a Quality of Service (QOS) control field and a ‘0’ in bit 5 of the QoS control field.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more BlockAck frames are represented in the UL MU PPDU.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more BlockAck frames are non-multi user (MU).

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the PHY processor and the MAC processor transmits the BlockAck frame to the STA, wherein the BlockAck frame elicits an immediate acknowledgement.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the PHY processor comprises a transmitter signal processing unit and a receiver signal processing unit.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the MAC processor comprises an MU ACK module.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein a baseband processor comprises the PHY and MAC processors.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), cause the AP to perform:
receiving, by the AP, an uplink multi-user physical layer protocol data unit (UL MU PPDU), the AP acknowledging a data frame transmitted by a station (STA) of the WLAN;
decoding, by the AP, an acknowledge (ACK) policy field within a data field of the UL MU PPDU; and
determining, by the AP, whether an acknowledgement (ACK) policy indicated in the data field signals an implicit block acknowledgement (BlockAck) request;
responsive to the AP determining that the ACK policy indication signals an implicit acknowledgement policy:
transmitting, by the AP, an ACK or BlockAck frame to the STA in either a single user (SU) or a multi user (MU) manner; and wherein the implicit acknowledgement policy is signaled by a ‘0’ in bit 6 of a Quality of Service (QOS) control field and a ‘0’ in bit 5 of the QoS control field.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein one or more BlockAck frames are represented in the UL MU PPDU.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more BlockAck frames are non-multi user (MU).

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the PHY processor and the MAC processor transmits the BlockAck frame to the STA, wherein the BlockAck frame elicits an immediate acknowledgement.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the PHY processor comprises a transmitter signal processing unit and a receiver signal processing unit.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the MAC processor comprises an MU ACK module.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein a baseband processor comprises the PHY and MAC processors.

Assignees

• Atlas Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Seok Yongho

Classifications

• H04L1/1685 Primary

  the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal · CPC title

• H04L1/16

  in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04L45/74 Primary

  Address processing for routing · CPC title