Methods and systems for multi-user transmissions during a transmission opportunity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119810-A1
Application number	US-201514920695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing a wireless medium include, in one aspect, a method including generating a frame, the frame including a plurality of contiguous schedule blocks, each of the schedule blocks including a first indicator identifying a non-overlapping time interval during a transmission opportunity, and one or more second indicators of one or more devices to communicate within the identified time interval, wherein at least one of the schedule blocks is generated to identifying a plurality of devices to communicate on the medium during the corresponding identified time interval; and transmitting the frame from the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of managing usage of a wireless communication medium in a communication network including a transmitting device and a plurality of receiving devices, comprising:
generating, by a transmitting device, a frame comprising:
a plurality of schedule blocks, each of the schedule blocks comprising:
a first indicator identifying a non-overlapping time interval during a transmission opportunity, and
one or more second indicators of one or more receiving devices to communicate within the non-overlapping time interval, wherein at least one of the plurality of schedule blocks identifies a plurality of receiving devices to communicate within the non-overlapping time interval; and
transmitting the frame from the transmitting device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a last packet transmitted during the non-overlapping time interval to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices; and setting an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determining; and transmitting the last packet to the particular device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a last packet transmitted during the transmission opportunity to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices; setting an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determining; and transmitting the last packet to the particular device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a last packet transmitted during a plurality of transmission opportunities to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices; setting an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determining; and transmitting the last packet to the particular device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the frame to further indicate when one or more of the plurality of receiving devices indicated may enter a sleep state.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the frame to include a time reference for the non-overlapping time interval.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the frame to comprise power control information for each of the plurality of receiving devices.

8 . An apparatus for managing usage of a wireless medium in a communication network including a transmitting device and a plurality of receiving devices, comprising:
a processor configured to generate a frame comprising:
a plurality of schedule blocks, the schedule blocks comprising a contiguous portion of the frame, the schedule blocks further comprising:
a first indicator identifying a non-overlapping time interval during a transmission opportunity, and
one or more second indicators of one or more receiving devices to communicate within the non-overlapping time interval, wherein at least one of the plurality of schedule blocks is generated to identify a plurality of receiving devices to communicate during the non-overlapping time interval; and
a transmitter configured to transmit the frame from the apparatus.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a last packet transmitted during the transmission opportunity to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices,
set an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determination, and
wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the last packet to the particular device.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a last packet transmitted during the transmission opportunity to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices,
set an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determination, and
wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the last packet to the particular device.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a last packet transmitted during a plurality of transmission opportunities to a particular device of the plurality of receiving devices,
set an indication in the last packet to a particular value in response to the determination, and
transmit the last packet to the particular device.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the frame to indicate when one or more of the plurality of receiving devices may enter a sleep state.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the frame to include a time reference for the non-overlapping time interval.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the frame to include power control information for each receiving device.

15 . A method of communicating between a transmitting device and a receiving device on a wireless network, comprising:
receiving, by the receiving device, a frame from the transmitting device over the wireless network; decoding, by the receiving device, the frame to identify a plurality of contiguous schedule blocks; decoding, by the receiving device, each of the plurality of schedule blocks to determine a corresponding plurality of non-overlapping time intervals during a transmission opportunity (TXOP); decoding, by the receiving device, each of the plurality of schedule blocks to identify a non-overlapping time interval when the receiving device will perform a multi-user communication with the transmitting device; and communicating, by the receiving device, with the transmitting device during the identified at least one non-overlapping time interval.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
decoding the frame to determine sleep time information; and entering a sleep state based on the sleep time information.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a multi-user data message from the transmitting device during one of the non-overlapping time intervals; decoding the multi-user data message to determine whether the multi-user data message is a last data message for the receiving device during the one non-overlapping time interval; and entering a sleep state in response to determining the multi-user data message is the last data message for the receiving device.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising decoding a more data bit of the multi-user data message to determine whether the multi-user data message is the last multi-user data message for the receiving device.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
decoding the frame to determine a maximum duration of a transmission to the transmitting device during one of the plurality of non-overlapping time intervals; and transmitting data less than or equal to the maximum transmission duration to the transmitting device during the one non-overlapping time interval based on the decoding.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a second frame; decoding the second frame to determine a start time within one of the plurality of non-overlapping time intervals for a data transmission to the transmitting device; and transmitting data to the transmitting device at the determined start time.

21 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising decoding the frame to determine a start time within one of non-overlapping time intervals for a transmission of data in a multi-user co

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Merlin Simone
• Cherian George
• Barriac Gwendolyn Denise

Classifications

• H04W28/0231 Primary

  based on communication conditions (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54) · CPC title

• H04W52/0216

  using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame · CPC title

• H04W72/121 Primary

  for groups of terminals or users · CPC title

• H04L5/0037 Primary

  Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title