EDCA schemes for triggered TXOP sharing operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12376148-B2
Application number	US-202217730726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2022
Priority date	May 3, 2021
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A station (STA) associated with an access point (AP) receives, from the AP, an indication of an enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set. The STA then updates one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set with respect to a triggered transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing (TXS) operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising: receiving, from an access point (AP) by a station (STA) associated with the AP, an indication of an enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set; and updating, by the STA, one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set with respect to a triggered transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing (TXS) operation, wherein the EDCA parameter set comprises a plurality of access category (AC)-related parameter records, wherein each of the plurality of AC-related parameter records comprises a TXS EDCA timer, wherein the STA applies the plurality of parameters for a corresponding AC when the TXS EDCA timer is non-zero, and wherein an arbitration interframe spacing number (AIFSN) denotes a number of slots after a short interframe space (SIFS) that the STA defers before invoking a backoff procedure or starting a transmission, wherein the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set comprises starting the TXS EDCA timer at an end of an immediate acknowledgement in response to transmission of a frame by the STA or at an end of the transmission of the frame which does not require the immediate acknowledgement by the STA within an allocated time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of access category (AC)-related parameter records comprises:
a TXS AC_BE parameter record pertaining to a best-effort AC;
a TXS AC_BK parameter record pertaining to a background AC;
a TXS AC_VO parameter record pertaining to a voice AC; and
a TXS AC_VI parameter record pertaining to a video AC.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of AC-related parameter records further comprises a plurality of parameters comprising: a minimum contention window (CW) parameter; a maximum CW parameter; and a TXS EDCA timer; and an AIFSN.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the indication comprises receiving the indication in a beacon frame or a probe response frame.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing, by the STA during a TXS service period (SP), a TXS operation comprising:
receiving, from the AP by the STA, a multi-user (MU) request-to-send (RTS) TXS trigger frame indicating an allocated time for performing the TXS operation; and
transmitting, by the STA, a physical-layer protocol data unit (PPDU) after sending a clear-to-send (CTS) frame responsive to receiving the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, responsive to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame containing a user information field that is addressed to the STA, the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set comprises updating the one or more parameters corresponding to one or more access categories (ACs) from which at least one quality of service (QOS) data frame was transmitted successfully by the STA within an allocated time in response to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set further comprises applying the updated one or more parameters and starting an updated TXS EDCA timer at an end of the acknowledgement.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set further comprises applying the updated one or more parameters and starting an updated TXS EDCA timer at an end of the transmitting of the PPDU when the PPDU does not require an immediate response.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set further comprises applying the updated one or more parameters and starting an updated TXS EDCA timer at an end of a negotiated allocated time.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
indicating, by the STA, a required allocation time responsive to receiving the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame contains a value indicating the allocated time, and wherein the indicating comprises transmitting a clear-to-send (CTS) frame containing a duration field that indicates the required allocation time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a value of 0 or a predefined value in the duration field indicates the rejection of the allocated time.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the indicating comprises indicating, in the PPDU, a required allocation time, and wherein a value of the required allocation time indicates a time no later than an ending time of the PPDU carrying the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame plus the required allocation time in soliciting the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a value of the required allocation time is carried in a TXOP duration field of a signal A (SIG-A) field of the PPDU or in a duration field of a medium access control (MAC) header of the PPDU.

15. An apparatus, comprising: a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform operations comprising: receiving, via the transceiver, an indication of an enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set; updating one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set with respect to a triggered transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing (TXS) operation; performing, during a TXS service period (SP), a TXS operation comprising: receiving, via the transceiver, a multi-user (MU) request-to-send (RTS) TXS trigger frame indicating an allocated time for performing the TXS operation; and transmitting, via the transceiver, a physical-layer protocol data unit (PPDU) after sending a clear-to-send (CTS) frame responsive to receiving the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame, wherein the EDCA parameter set comprises a plurality of access category (AC)-related parameter records, wherein each of the plurality of AC-related parameter records comprises a TXS EDCA timer, wherein the STA applies the plurality of parameters for a corresponding AC when the TXS EDCA timer is non-zero, and wherein the an arbitration interframe spacing number (AIFSN) denotes a number of slots after a short interframe space (SIFS) that the STA defers before invoking a backoff procedure or starting a transmission, wherein the updating of the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set comprises starting the TXS EDCA timer at an end of an immediate acknowledgement in response to transmission of a frame by the STA or at an end of the transmission of the frame which does not require the immediate acknowledgement by the STA within an allocated time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of access category (AC)-related parameter records comprises:
a TXS AC_BE parameter record pertaining to a best-effort AC;
a TXS AC_BK parameter record pertaining to a background AC;
a TXS AC_VO parameter record pertaining to a voice AC; and
a TXS AC_VI parameter record pertaining to a video AC,
wherein each of the plurality of AC-related parameter records further comprises a plurality of parameters comprising:
a minimum contention window (CW) parameter;
a maximum CW parameter; and
an arbitration interframe spacing number (AIFSN).

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein, responsive to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame containing a user information field that is addressed to the STA, in updating the one or more parameters of the EDCA parameter set, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
updating the one or more parameters corresponding to one or more access categories (ACs) from which at least one quality of service (QOS) data frame was transmitted successfully by the STA to the AP within an allocated time in respo

Assignees

• Mediatek Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Kai Ying
• Yee James Chih-Shi
• Seok Yongho

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W74/08

  Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA (hybrid access H04W74/02) · CPC title

• H04W74/0808 Primary

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

• H04W74/006 Primary

  in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal · CPC title

• H04W74/002 Primary

  Transmission of channel access control information · CPC title