AP controlled peer-to-peer multi-link operations signaling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12563547-B2
Application number	US-202318193337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2023
Priority date	Nov 11, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Techniques for improved peer-to-peer communication are provided. A wireless access point (AP) may initiate peer-to-peer communication between multilink peer-to-peer devices by sending a trigger frame addressed to the peer-to-peer devices to hand over a transmission opportunity (TXOP). The trigger frame is sent based on the AP's knowledge of the availability of the peer-to-peer devices for peer-to-peer communication. The trigger frame indicates a link to be used for the peer-to-peer communication. In response to receiving the trigger frame one or more of the peer-to-peer devices acknowledge the trigger frame, tune to the assigned link, and use the remaining portion of the TXOP for peer-to-peer communication.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method, comprising:
determining, at a wireless access point (AP), that a first peer-to-peer device is available to receive one or more data packets directly from a second peer-to-peer device; scheduling, by the AP, a peer-to-peer communication opportunity between the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device based on the determining, wherein at least one of the first and second peer-to-peer devices comprises an enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) device; and transmitting, by the wireless AP, a first trigger frame to the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device based on the scheduling, wherein:
the first trigger frame indicates a link for the peer-to-peer communication opportunity and a beginning of the peer-to-peer communication opportunity,
at least one of the first peer-to-peer device or the second peer-to-peer device transmit a confirmation frame to the wireless AP in response to the first trigger frame, and
the second peer-to-peer device transmits the one or more data packets directly to the first peer-to-peer device in response to the first trigger frame.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a first confirmation frame from the first peer-to-peer device; receiving a second confirmation frame from the second peer-to-peer device; and in response to receiving the first and second confirmation frames, transmitting a second trigger frame to the second peer-to-peer device, wherein the second peer-to-peer device transmits the one or more data packets to the first peer-to-peer device further in response to the second trigger frame.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second peer-to-peer device is associated to the wireless AP, the first peer-to-peer device is not associated to the wireless AP, and transmitting the first trigger frame to the first peer-to-peer device comprises using a temporary peer-to-peer association identifier.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the temporary peer-to-peer association identifier was transmitted, by the wireless AP, to the second peer-to-peer device, and the second peer-to-peer device forwarded the temporary peer-to-peer association identifier to the first peer-to-peer device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first trigger frame transmitted to the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device comprises:
an assignment of a first subchannel for the first peer-to-peer device, and an assignment of a second subchannel for the second peer-to-peer device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the first peer-to-peer device transmits a first confirmation frame to the wireless AP using the first subchannel, and the second peer-to-peer device transmits a second confirmation frame to the wireless AP using the second subchannel.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the second peer-to-peer device detects energy on the first subchannel when the first peer-to-peer device transmits the first confirmation frame, and the second peer-to-peer device transmits the one or more data packets to the first peer-to-peer device further in response to detecting the energy on the first subchannel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, at the wireless AP, that the first peer-to-peer device is available to receive one or more data packets directly from the second peer-to-peer device comprises at least one of:
(i) determining whether the first peer-to-peer device is participating in peer-to-peer communication with one or more other peer-to-peer devices; (ii) determining whether the first peer-to-peer device is participating in communication with the wireless AP; or determining whether a radio of the first peer-to-peer device is available for peer-to-peer communication.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising:
determining, at a wireless access point (AP), that a first multilink peer-to-peer device is available to receive one or more data packets directly from a second multilink peer-to-peer device; scheduling, by the AP, a peer-to-peer communication opportunity between the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device based on the determining; and transmitting, by the wireless AP, a first trigger frame to the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device based on the scheduling, wherein:
the first trigger frame indicates a link for the peer-to-peer communication opportunity and a beginning of the peer-to-peer communication opportunity,
at least one of the first peer-to-peer device or the second peer-to-peer device transmit a confirmation frame to the wireless AP in response to the first trigger frame, and
the second peer-to-peer device transmits the one or more data packets directly to the first peer-to-peer device in response to the first trigger frame.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the operation further comprising:
receiving a first confirmation frame from the first peer-to-peer device; receiving a second confirmation frame from the second peer-to-peer device; and in response to receiving the first and second confirmation frames, transmitting a second trigger frame to the second peer-to-peer device, wherein the second peer-to-peer device transmits the one or more data packets to the first peer-to-peer device further in response to the second trigger frame.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein:
the second peer-to-peer device is associated to the wireless AP, the first peer-to-peer device is not associated to the wireless AP, and transmitting the first trigger frame to the first peer-to-peer device comprises using a temporary peer-to-peer association identifier.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first trigger frame transmitted to the first peer-to-peer device and the second peer-to-peer device comprises:
an assignment of a first subchannel for the first peer-to-peer device, and an assignment of a second subchannel for the second peer-to-peer device.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein:
the first peer-to-peer device transmits a first confirmation frame to the wireless AP using the first subchannel, and the second peer-to-peer device transmits a second confirmation frame to the wireless AP using the second subchannel.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining, at the wireless AP, that the first peer-to-peer device is available to receive one or more data packets directly from the second peer-to-peer device comprises at least one of:
(i) determining whether the first peer-to-peer device is participating in peer-to-peer communication with one or more other peer-to-peer devices; (ii) determining whether the first peer-to-peer device is participating in communication with the wireless AP; or (iii) determining whether a radio of the first peer-to-peer device is available for peer-to-peer communication.

15 . A system, comprising:
one or more computer processors; and a memory containing a program which when executed by the one or more computer processors performs an operation, the operation comprising:
determining, at a wireless access point (AP), that a first multilink peer-to-peer device is available to receive one or more data packets from a second multilink peer-to-peer device;
scheduling, by the AP, a peer-to-peer communication opportunity between the first peer

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Monajemi Pooya
• Barton Robert E
• Zuniga Juan Carlos
• Smith Malcolm M
• Henry Jerome

Classifications

• H04W72/23

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

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W72/1263 Primary

  Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows · CPC title

• H04W72/40 Primary

  Resource management for direct mode communication, e.g. D2D or sidelink · CPC title