Non-primary channel transmissions in wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022191929-A1
Application number	US-202017122964-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication date	Jun 16, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method and system for transmitting data by a transmit device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth including a set of adjacent frequency channels of uniform bandwidth that comprise a primary channel for the transmit device and a plurality of secondary channels, including: sending, when the primary channel is sensed by the transmit device to be busy, a request frame for a receive device on one or more of the secondary channels that are sensed by the transmit device to be idle; monitoring, by the transmit device, for a response frame on each of the one or more of the secondary channels; and sending, by the transmit device, a data transmission for the receive device using a data channel that comprises one or more of the secondary channels on which the transmit device received a response frame from the receive device.

First claim

1 . A method for transmitting data by a transmit device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth including a set of adjacent frequency channels of uniform bandwidth that comprise a primary channel for the transmit device and a plurality of secondary channels, the method comprising:
sending, when the primary channel is sensed by the transmit device to be busy, a request frame for a receive device on one or more of the secondary channels that are sensed by the transmit device to be idle; monitoring, by the transmit device, for a response frame on each of the one or more of the secondary channels; and sending, by the transmit device, a data transmission for the receive device using a data channel that comprises one or more of the secondary channels on which the transmit device received a response frame from the receive device.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein each of the primary channel and the secondary channels has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the request frame and the response frame each have respective frame formats configured for a 20 MHz channel.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the request frame and the response frame are a request-to-send (RTS) and clear-to-send (CTS) frame respectively, each comprising a Physical (PHY) Header and a Medium Access Control (MAC) Header,

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the PHY Header of one or both of the RTS frame and the CTS frame includes a temporary primary channel subfield for indicating if the secondary channel that the CTS frame is sent on is a temporary primary channel.

5 . The method of claim 4 comprising:
selecting, when the transmit device receives CTS frames from receive device on a plurality of the secondary channels, one of the primary channels as a temporary primary channel based on the temporary primary channel subfield of the CTS frames; and
performing, after receiving the CTS Frames and prior to sending the data transmission, sensing of the selected temporary primary channel to confirm that the selected temporary primary channel is idle.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the temporary primary channel subfield consists of a single bit in a service field of the PHY Header.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising, after receiving response frames on a plurality of the secondary channels, a set of the secondary channels to use for the data channel, and prior to sending the data transmission, sensing the secondary channels included in the data channel to confirm that the data channel is idle.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the request frame and the response frame are a transmit-on-secondary-request (ToSR) frame and a transmit-on-secondary granted (ToSG) frame respectively, each comprising a Physical (PHY) Header and a Medium Access Control (MAC) Header and a temporary primary bitmap field, the temporary primary bitmap field including respective bit locations mapping to respective secondary channels for indicating one of the secondary channels as a temporary primary secondary channel.

9 . The method of claim 8 comprising:
determining, by the transmit device, to apply either a first acknowledgement mode or a second acknowledgement mode, wherein in the first acknowledgement mode the transmit device will, after sending the data transmission, monitor for a duplicate acknowledgment frame on all of the secondary channels included in the data channel, and in the second acknowledgement mode the transmit device will, after sending the data transmission, monitor for an acknowledgment frame only on a secondary channel that is known by the transmit device as the temporary primary channel.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the ToSR frame and the ToSG frame each include an acknowledgement mode field for selectively indicating the first acknowledgement mode or the second acknowledgement mode.

11 . An access point station (AP) for transmitting data for a station (STA) in a communication channel bandwidth of wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless communication channel bandwidth including a set of adjacent frequency channels of uniform bandwidth that comprise a primary channel assigned to the AP and a plurality of secondary channels, the AP comprising:
a processing unit; a transmitter and receiver coupled to the processing unit for sending and receiving signals in the WLAN; and a non-transient storage storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to:
send, when the primary channel is sensed by the AP to be busy, a request frame for a STA on one or more of the secondary channels that are sensed by the AP to be idle;
monitor for a response frame on each of the one or more of the secondary channels; and
send a data transmission for the STA using a data channel that comprises one or more of the secondary channels on which the AP received a response frame from the STA.

12 . The AP of claim 11 wherein each of the primary channel and the secondary channels has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the request frame and the response frame each have respective frame formats configured for a 20 MHz channel.

13 . The AP of claim 12 wherein the request frame and the response frame are a request-to-send (RTS) and clear-to-send (CTS) frame respectively, each comprising a Physical (PHY) Header and a Medium Access Control (MAC) Header,

14 . The AP of claim 13 wherein the PHY Header of one or both of the RTS frame and the CTS frame includes a temporary primary channel subfield for indicating if the secondary channel that the CTS frame is sent on is a temporary primary channel.

15 . The AP of claim 14 wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to:
select, when the AP receives CTS frames from STA on a plurality of the secondary channels, one of the primary channels as a temporary primary channel based on the temporary primary channel subfield of the CTS frames; and
perform, after receiving the CTS Frames and prior to sending the data transmission, sensing of the selected temporary primary channel to confirm that the selected temporary primary channel is idle.

16 . The AP of claim 14 wherein the temporary primary channel subfield consists of a single bit in a service field of the PHY Header.

17 . The AP of claim 11 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to: after receiving response frames on a plurality of the secondary channels, a set of the secondary channels to use for the data channel, and prior to sending the data transmission, sense the secondary channels included in the data channel to confirm that the data channel is idle.

18 . The AP of claim 11 wherein the request frame and the response frame are a transmit-on-secondary-request (ToSR) frame and a transmit-on-secondary granted (ToSG) frame respectively, each comprising a Physical (PHY) Header and a Medium Access Control (MAC) Header and a temporary primary bitmap field, the temporary primary bitmap field including respective bit locations mapping to respective secondary channels for indicating one of the secondary channels as a temporary primary secondary channel.

19 . The AP of claim 18 wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to:
apply either a first acknowledgement mode or a second acknowledgement mode, wherein in the first acknowledgement mode the AP will, after sending the data transmission, monitor for a duplicate acknowledgment frame on all of the secondary chan

Assignees

• Aboul Magd Osama
• Xin Yan
• Suh Jung Hoon

Inventors

• Aboul-Magd Osama
• Xin Yan
• Suh Jung Hoon

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L5/0055

  Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK (for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861) · CPC title

• H04L27/0006

  Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio (for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14) · CPC title

• H04L5/0044

  Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH · CPC title

• H04W74/0816 Primary

  with collision avoidance · CPC title