Enhanced bandwidth negotiation

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for enhanced bandwidth negotiation. Some implementations more specifically relate to request-to-send (RTS) and clear-to-send (CTS) frame designs that support bandwidth negotiation over the range of achievable bandwidths for IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations according to IEEE 802.11 standards. In some implementations, a bandwidth negotiation frame, such as a CTS or RTS frame, can be configured to support bandwidths greater than 160 MHz. In some aspects, the bandwidth negotiation frame can follow a legacy control frame format. More specifically, one or more bits of a service field associated with the legacy control frame format can be repurposed to carry enhanced bandwidth information. In some aspects, a recipient of the bandwidth negotiation frame can interpret the one or more bits of the service field to carry enhanced bandwidth information when the frame is transmitted by a non-legacy transmitting device.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This Patent Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 064,323, filed August 11, 2020, entitled “ENHANCED BANDWIDTH NEGOTIATION,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 069,957, filed August 25, 2020, entitled “ENHANCED BANDWIDTH NEGOTIATION,” and U.S. Nonprovisional Application No. 17 / 396,091, filed August 6, 2021, entitled “ENHANCED BANDWIDTH NEGOTIATION,” all of which are assigned to the assignee hereof. The disclosures of all prior applications are considered part of the disclosure of this Patent Application and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to enhanced bandwidth negotiation techniques for wireless communication.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by a number of client devices, also referred to as stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN that adheres to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a basic service set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a basic service set identifier (BSSID) that is advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STAs within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0006] To prevent collisions in a BSS, only one wireless communication device (such as an AP or STA) can access a shared wireless communication medium at a time. In some BSSs, wireless communication devices may compete for access to the wireless medium. For example, these devices can use Carrier Sense Multiple Access Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) technology to "listen" to the wireless medium to determine when it is idle. When the wireless medium has been idle for a given duration, these devices can contend for medium access (e.g., by waiting a "backoff" period before attempting to transmit on the wireless medium). The winning device can be granted exclusive access to the wireless medium for a period of time, typically referred to as a Transmission Opportunity (TXOP). In some BSSs, two (or more) STAs may be within communication range of the AP but not within communication range of each other. In other words, one of these STAs may not be able to detect another STA transmitting on the wireless medium, leading to the "hidden node" problem.

[0007] To avoid hidden node issues, some BSSs may require each wireless communication device to explicitly declare its intention to access the wireless medium. For example, when a STA has uplink data to transmit, it can send a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the AP. The RTS frame indicates the desired bandwidth to be used for the uplink transmission. If some or all of the desired bandwidth is available to the requesting STA, the AP can send a Clear to Send (CTS) frame to the STA. The CTS frame indicates the available spectrum that the requesting STA can use for uplink transmission. In this way, the STA can transmit on the wireless medium only after being explicitly granted access by the AP, and can only use the available spectrum indicated by the CTS frame.

[0008] New WLAN communication protocols are being developed to implement enhanced WLAN communication features, such as, for example, increased communication bandwidth. Because the new WLAN communication protocols implement these enhanced features, new RTS and CTS frame designs are needed to support bandwidth negotiation over a wider bandwidth range.

[0009] Overview

[0010] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein each have several innovative aspects, and no single aspect is solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0011] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented as a method of wireless communication. The method can be performed by a wireless communication device and can include receiving a first physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operation of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU, and selectively transmitting a second PPDU based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0012] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information can include two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the two scrambler initialization bits can be located at sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be located at an eighth bit position of the service field. In some implementations, the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 1. In some implementations, each of the two scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 0.

[0013] In some implementations, the bandwidth information can indicate that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz. In some implementations, the service field can further include a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0014] In some implementations, the selectively transmitting the second PPDU can include transmitting the second PPDU in response to receiving the first PPDU, where the second PPDU has a bandwidth less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In some implementations, the first PPDU can be a request to send (RTS) frame and the second PPDU can be a clear to send (CTS) frame. In some other implementations, the first PPDU can be a CTS frame and the second PPDU can be a data frame.

[0015] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information can include three of the scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, a transmitter address (TA) field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and a receiver address (RA) field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

[0016] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a wireless communication device. In some implementations, the wireless communication device can include at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code. In some implementations, execution of the processor-readable code by the at least one processor causes the wireless communication device to perform operations including receiving a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a scrambler initialization bit sequence associated with synchronization operations of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU, and selectively transmitting a second PPDU based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0017] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a wireless communication device, and can include transmitting a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a scrambler initialization bit sequence associated with synchronization operations of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU, and receiving a second PPDU having a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0018] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information can include two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the two of the scrambler initialization bits can be located at sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be located at an eighth bit position of the service field. In some implementations, the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 1. In some implementations, each of the two of the scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 0.

[0019] In some implementations, the bandwidth information can indicate that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz. In some implementations, the service field can further include a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0020] In some implementations, the bandwidth of the second PPDU can be less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In some implementations, the first PPDU can be an RTS frame and the second PPDU can be a CTS frame. In some other implementations, the first PPDU can be a CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

[0021] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information can include three bits of the scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, a TA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1 and a RA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

[0022] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a wireless communication device. In some implementations, the wireless communication device can include at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code. In some implementations, execution of the processor-readable code by the at least one processor causes the wireless communication device to perform operations including transmitting a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operations of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU; and receiving a second PPDU having a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following drawings can not be drawn to scale.

[0025] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0026] Figure 2A An example protocol data unit (PDU) that can be used for communication between an access point (AP) and one or more wireless stations (STAs) is shown.

[0027] Figure 2B An example field in a PDU of Figure 2A is shown.

[0028] Figure 3An example physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) usable for communications between an AP and one or more STAs is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown.

[0030] Figure 5A A block diagram of an example AP is shown.

[0031] Figure 5B A block diagram of an example STA is shown.

[0032] Figure 6 An example PPDU format for a bandwidth negotiation frame usable between an AP and a STA according to some implementations is shown.

[0033] Figure 7A An example configuration for a service field for a bandwidth negotiation frame according to some implementations is shown.

[0034] Figure 7B Another example configuration for a service field for a bandwidth negotiation frame according to some implementations is shown.

[0035] Figure 7C Another example configuration for a service field for a bandwidth negotiation frame according to some implementations is shown.

[0036] Figure 8A An example configuration for a request to send (RTS) frame according to some implementations is shown.

[0037] Figure 8B Another example configuration for an RTS frame according to some implementations is shown.

[0038] Figure 9 A timing diagram illustrating an example bandwidth negotiation operation between an AP and a STA according to some implementations is shown.

[0039] Figure 10 A timing diagram illustrating another example bandwidth negotiation operation between an AP and a STA according to some implementations is shown.

[0040] Figure 11 A flow diagram illustrating an example process for wireless communications to support enhanced bandwidth negotiation according to some implementations is shown.

[0041] Figure 12 A flow diagram illustrating an example process for wireless communications to support enhanced bandwidth negotiation according to some implementations is shown.

[0042] Figure 13 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device according to some implementations is shown.

[0043] Figure 14 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device based on some implementations is shown.

[0044] Similar reference numerals and naming conventions in the various figures indicate similar elements.

[0045] Detailed description

[0046] The following description is directed to certain implementations in order to describe aspects of the innovation of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. The described implementations can be implemented according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, and as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The described implementation can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the following standards, or those published by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)). The described implementation can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Single User (SU) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), and Multi User (MU) MIMO. The described implementation can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs), or Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

[0047] Aspects generally relate to control frames in wireless communications, and more particularly to control frame designs that support bandwidth negotiation over the range of achievable bandwidths according to IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In some aspects, a bandwidth negotiation frame can carry enhanced bandwidth information that can be used for signal bandwidths greater than 160 MHz. As used herein, the term "bandwidth negotiation frame" can refer to any control frame that can be used for bandwidth negotiation between a requesting device and a responding device. Example suitable bandwidth negotiation frames include a request to send (RTS) frame and a clear to send (CTS) frame, among others. In some implementations, a bandwidth negotiation frame can be formatted according to a legacy control frame format. More specifically, one or more bits of a service field associated with the legacy control frame format can be repurposed to carry enhanced bandwidth information. As used herein, the term "legacy" can refer to frame formats and communication protocols that comply with IEEE 802.11ax amendment and earlier generations of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In contrast, the term "non-legacy" can refer to frame formats and communication protocols that comply with IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0048] Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. By repurposing one or more bits of a service field to carry enhanced bandwidth information, the bandwidth negotiation frames of the present disclosure support gains in achievable data throughput according to IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In other examples, the enhanced bandwidth information can be used to negotiate bandwidths of up to at least 320 MHz for transmission of subsequent data frames. By configuring the enhanced bandwidth information to comply with a legacy control frame format, the bandwidth negotiation frames of the present implementations can support enhanced communication features that can be used by non-legacy wireless communication devices while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy wireless communication devices. For example, IEEE 802.11ax amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard supports repurposing 2 bits of a service field bit of an RTS or CTS frame to provide bandwidth indications of up to 160 MHz. Aspects of the present disclosure can supplement these 2 service field bits with enhanced bandwidth information to extend the bandwidth indications up to at least 320 MHz.

[0049] Figure 1A block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 is shown. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as a Wi-Fi network) (and will be referred to as WLAN 100 hereafter). For example, the WLAN 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communications protocol standards, such as defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11 ah, 802.11 ad, 802.11 ay, 802.11 ax, 802.11 az, 802.11 ba, and 802.11 be. The WLAN 100 can include a number of wireless communication devices, such as an access point (AP) 102 and a number of stations (STAs) 104. While only one AP 102 is shown, the WLAN network 100 can also include multiple APs 102.

[0050] Each of the STAs 104 can also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile handset, wireless handset, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or subscriber unit, among other possibilities. A STA 104 can represent various devices, such as mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices (“remotes”), printers, kitchen or other home appliances, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), among other possibilities.

[0051] A single AP 102 and associated set of STAs 104 can be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102. Figure 1Additionally shown is an example coverage area 106 of the AP 102, which can represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. A BSS can be identified to users by a service set identifier (SSID) and to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which can be a media access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 periodically broadcasts beacon frames (“beacons”) that include the BSSID to enable any STAs 104 within wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish respective communication links 108 (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi links”) with the AP 102 or to maintain a communication link 108 with the AP 102. For example, the beacons can include an identification of a primary channel used by the respective AP 102 as well as timing synchronization functionality to establish or maintain timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 can provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the WLAN via the respective communication links 108.

[0052] The APs 102 and STAs 104 can function and communicate (via respective communication links 108) in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, such as defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11 ah, 802.11 ad, 802.11 ay, 802.11 ax, 802.11 az, 802.11 ba, and 802.11 be. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocol for the PHY and medium access control (MAC) layers. The APs 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications”) to and from each other in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs). The APs 102 and STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the 5 GHz frequency band, the 60 GHz frequency band, the 3.6 GHz frequency band, and the 700 MHz frequency band. Some implementations of the APs 102 and STAs 104 described herein can also communicate in other frequency bands that can support both licensed and unlicensed communications, such as the 6 GHz frequency band. The APs 102 and STAs 104 can also be configured to communicate over other frequency bands, such as shared licensed frequency bands, where multiple operators can have a license to operate in one or more same or overlapping frequency bands.

[0053] Figure 2AAn example protocol data unit (PDU) 200 usable for wireless communication between an AP 102 and one or more STAs 104 is shown. For example, the PDU 200 can be configured as a PPDU. As shown, the PDU 200 includes a PHY preamble 202 and a PHY payload 204. For example, the preamble 202 can include a legacy portion that itself includes a legacy short training field (L-STF) 206 that can consist of two BPSK symbols, a legacy long training field (L-LTF) 208 that can consist of two BPSK symbols, and a legacy signal field (L-SIG) 210 that can consist of two BPSK symbols. The legacy portion of the preamble 202 can be configured according to the IEEE 802.11a wireless communication protocol standard. In some implementations, the preamble 202 can also include a non-legacy portion that includes one or more non-legacy fields 212, e.g., that comply with an IEEE wireless communication protocol such as IEEE 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, or a later wireless communication protocol.

[0054] The L-STF 206 generally enables a receiving device to perform automatic gain control (AGC) and coarse timing and frequency estimation. The L-LTF 208 generally enables a receiving device to perform fine timing and frequency estimation and also to perform an initial estimation of the wireless channel. The L-SIG 210 generally enables a receiving device to determine a duration of the PDU and use the determined duration to refrain from transmitting above the PDU. For example, the L-STF 206, the L-LTF 208, and the L-SIG 210 can be modulated according to a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation scheme. The payload 204 can be modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme, a quadrature BPSK (Q-BPSK) modulation scheme, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme, or another suitable modulation scheme. The payload 204 can include a PSDU that includes a data field (DATA) 214, which in turn can carry higher layer data, e.g., in the form of a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU) or an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU).

[0055] Figure 2B An example PDU 300 is shown. Figure 2AThe L-SIG 210 includes a data rate field 222, a reserved bit 224, a length field 226, a parity bit 228, and a tail field 230. The data rate field 222 indicates a data rate (note that the data rate indicated in the data rate field 222 can not be the actual data rate of the data carried in the payload 204). The length field 226 indicates the length of the packet, e.g., in units of symbols or bytes. The parity bit 228 can be used to detect bit errors. The tail field 230 includes tail bits that can be used by a receiving device to terminate the operation of a decoder (e.g., a Viterbi decoder). The receiving device can determine the packet duration, e.g., in units of microseconds (ps) or other time units, using the data rate and length indicated in the data rate field 222 and the length field 226.

[0056] Figure 3 An example PPDU 300 that can be used for communications between the AP 102 and one or more STAs 104 is shown. As described above, each PPDU 300 includes a PHY preamble 302 and a PSDU 304. Each PSDU 304 can represent (or “carry”) one or more MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) 316. For example, each PSDU 304 can carry an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU) 306 that includes an aggregation of multiple A-MPDU subframes 308. Each A-MPDU subframe 306 can include an MPDU frame 310 that includes a MAC delimiter 312 and a MAC header 314 before the accompanying MPDU 316, which includes a data portion (“payload” or “frame body”) of the MPDU frame 310. Each MPDU frame 310 can also include a frame check sequence (FCS) field 318 for error detection (e.g., the FCS field can include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)) and padding bits 320. The MPDU 316 can carry one or more MAC service data units (MSDUs) 330. For example, the MPDU 316 can carry an aggregated MSDU (A-MSDU) 322 that includes an aggregation of multiple A-MSDU subframes 324. Each A-MSDU subframe 324 contains a corresponding MSDU 330 preceded by a subframe header 328 and, in some cases, followed by padding bits 332.

[0057] Referring back to the MPDU frame 310, the MAC delimiter 312 can serve as a marker of the beginning of the associated MPDU 316 and indicates the length of the associated MPDU 316. The MAC header 314 can include a number of fields that contain information defining or indicating characteristics or properties of the data encapsulated within the frame body 316. The MAC header 314 includes a duration field that indicates a duration that extends at least from the end of the PPDU to the end of an acknowledgement (ACK) or block ACK (BA) to be transmitted by a receiving wireless communication device for the PPDU. The use of the duration field serves to reserve the wireless medium for the indicated duration and enables the receiving device to establish its network allocation vector (NAV). The MAC header 314 also includes one or more fields that indicate addresses of the data encapsulated within the frame body 316. For example, the MAC header 314 can include a combination of source address, transmitter address, receiver address, or destination address. The MAC header 314 can further include a frame control field that contains control information. The frame control field can specify a frame type, such as a data frame, a control frame, or a management frame.

[0058] Figure 4 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 400 is shown. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 400 can be an example of a device for use in a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 described with reference to Figure 1 In some implementations, the wireless communication device 400 can be an example of a device for use in an AP, such as the AP 102 described with reference to Figure 1 The wireless communication device 400 is capable of transmitting (or outputting for transmission) and receiving wireless communications (for example, in the form of wireless packets). For example, the wireless communication device can be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) conforming to IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards, such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereof including, but not limited to, 802.11 ah, 802.11 ad, 802.11 ay, 802.11 ax, 802.11 az, 802.11 ba, and 802.11 be.

[0059] The wireless communication device 400 can be or include a chip, system on chip (SoC), chipset, package or device that includes one or more modems 402 (e.g., a Wi-Fi (compliant with IEEE 802.11) modem). In some implementations, the one or more modems 402 (collectively, “modem 402”) additionally include a WW AN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 400 also includes one or more radios 404 (collectively, “radio 404”). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 406 further includes one or more processors, processing blocks or processing elements 406 (collectively, “processor 406”) and one or more memory blocks or elements 408 (collectively, “memory 408”).

[0060] The modem 402 can include an intelligent hardware block or device such as, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or the like. The modem 402 is generally configured to implement the PHY layer. For example, the modem 402 is configured to modulate packets and output the modulated packets to the radio 404 for transmission on the wireless medium. Similarly, the modem 402 is configured to obtain modulated packets received by the radio 404 and demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets. In addition to modulators and demodulators, the modem 402 can further include digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry, automatic gain control (AGC), encoders, decoders, multiplexers and demultiplexers. For example, when in transmit mode, data obtained from the processor 406 is provided to a coder that encodes the data to provide encoded bits. The encoded bits are then mapped to points in a modulation constellation (using a selected MCS) to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols can then be mapped to a number N SS of spatial streams or a number N STS of space-time streams. The modulated symbols in the respective spatial or space-time streams can then be multiplexed, transformed via an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block, and then provided to the DSP circuitry for Tx windowing and filtering. The digital signals can then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signals can then be provided to an up-converter, and ultimately to the radio 404. In implementations involving beamforming, the modulated symbols in the respective spatial streams are precoded via a steering matrix before being provided to the IFFT block.

[0061] When in receive mode, the digital signal received from the radio 404 is provided to the DSP circuitry, which is configured to acquire the received signal, e.g., by detecting the presence of the signal and estimating the initial timing and frequency offset. The DSP circuitry is further configured to digitally condition the digital signal, e.g., using channel (narrowband) filtering, analog impairment conditioning such as correcting for I / Q imbalance, and applying digital gain to ultimately obtain a narrowband signal. Subsequently, the output of the DSP circuitry can be fed to an AGC, which is configured to use information extracted from the digital signal, e.g., in one or more received training fields, to determine an appropriate gain. The output of the DSP circuitry is also coupled with a demodulator, which is configured to extract modulated symbols from the signal and, e.g., compute the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for each bit position of each subcarrier in each spatial stream. The demodulator is coupled with a decoder, which can be configured to process the LLRs to provide decoded bits. Subsequently, the decoded bits from all spatial streams are fed to a demultiplexer for demultiplexing. The demultiplexed bits can then be descrambled and provided to the MAC layer (processor 406) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0062] The radio 404 generally includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or "transmitter chain") and at least one RF receiver (or "receiver chain"), which can be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, the RF transmitter and receiver can include various DSP circuitry, including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low noise amplifier (LNA), respectively. The RF transmitter and receiver can in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some implementations, the wireless communication device 400 can include or be coupled to multiple transmit antennas (each with a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each with a corresponding receive chain). The symbols output from the modem 402 are provided to the radio 404, which then transmits the symbols via the coupled antennas. Similarly, symbols received via the antennas are acquired by the radio 404, which then provides the symbols to the modem 402.

[0063] The processor 406 can include an intelligent hardware block or device, such as, for example, a processing core, processing block, central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD), such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor 406 processes information received through the radio 404 and the modem 402 and processes information to be output through the modem 402 and the radio 404 for transmission over a wireless medium. For example, the processor 406 can implement a control plane and a MAC layer configured to perform various operations related to the generation and transmission of MPDUs, frames, or packets. The MAC layer is configured to perform or facilitate coding and decoding of frames, spatial multiplexing, space-time block coding (STBC), beamforming, and OFDMA resource allocation, among other operations or techniques. In some implementations, the processor 406 can generally control the modem 402 to cause the modem to perform the various operations described above.

[0064] The memory 404 can include a tangible storage medium such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The memory 404 can also store non-transitory processor- or computer-executable software (SW) code containing instructions that, when executed by the processor 406, cause the processor to perform various operations described herein for wireless communication, including the generation, transmission, reception, and interpretation of MPDUs, frames, or packets. For example, the various functions of the components disclosed herein or the various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0065] Figure 5A A block diagram of an example AP 502 is shown. The AP 502 can be an example implementation of the AP 102 described with reference to Figure 1 The AP 502 includes a wireless communication device (WCD) 510 (although the AP 502 itself can also generally be referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 510 can be an example implementation of the AP 102 described with reference to Figure 4An example implementation of the described wireless communication device 400. The AP 502 also includes a plurality of antennas 520 coupled with the wireless communication device 510 to transmit and receive wireless communications. In some implementations, the AP 502 additionally includes an application processor 530 coupled with the wireless communication device 510, and a memory 540 coupled with the application processor 530. The AP 502 further includes at least one external network interface 550 that enables the AP 502 to communicate with a core network or backhaul network to obtain access to external networks including the Internet. For example, the external network interface 550 can include one or both of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) network interface and a wireless network interface (such as a WWAN interface). The components of the aforementioned components can communicate directly or indirectly with one another over at least one bus. The AP 502 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 510, the application processor 530, the memory 540, and encloses at least portions of the antennas 520 and the external network interface 550.

[0066] Figure 5B A block diagram of an example STA 504 is shown. The STA 504 can be an example implementation of the described STA 104, for example. The STA 504 includes a wireless communication device 515 (although the STA 504 itself can also be referred to as a wireless communication device generally, as used herein). The wireless communication device 515 can be an example implementation of the described wireless communication device 400, for example. Figure 1 Figure 4 A block diagram of an example STA 504 is shown. The STA 504 can be an example implementation of the described STA 104, for example. The STA 504 includes a wireless communication device 515 (although the STA 504 itself can also be referred to as a wireless communication device generally, as used herein). The wireless communication device 515 can be an example implementation of the described wireless communication device 400, for example. Figure 4 The STA 504 also includes one or more antennas 525 coupled with the wireless communication device 515 to transmit and receive wireless communications. The STA 504 additionally includes an application processor 535 coupled with the wireless communication device 515, and a memory 545 coupled with the application processor 535. In some implementations, the STA 504 further includes a user interface (UI) 555 (such as a touchscreen or keypad) and a display 565, which can be integrated with the UI 555 to form a touchscreen display. In some implementations, the STA 504 can further include one or more sensors 575 (such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors, for example). The components of the aforementioned components can communicate directly or indirectly with one another over at least one bus. The STA 504 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 515, the application processor 535, the memory 545, and encloses at least portions of the antennas 525, the UI 555, and the display 565.

[0067] As described above, some BSSs can require wireless communication devices to explicitly announce their intent to access the wireless medium. For example, when a STA has uplink data to transmit, the STA can transmit an RTS frame to an AP. The RTS frame can indicate a desired bandwidth to be used for the uplink transmission. If some or all of the desired bandwidth is available for use by the requesting STA, the AP can transmit a CTS frame granting medium access to the STA. The CTS frame can indicate the available spectrum that can be used by the requesting STA for the uplink transmission. In this way, STAs can only transmit on the wireless medium after being explicitly granted access by an AP and can only use the available spectrum indicated by the CTS frame. As new WLAN communication protocols implement enhanced features, new RTS and CTS frame designs are needed to support bandwidth negotiation over a larger range of bandwidths.

[0068] Aspects generally relate to control frames in wireless communications, and more specifically to control frame designs that support bandwidth negotiation over bandwidth ranges achievable by IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations of IEEE 802.11 standards. In some aspects, bandwidth negotiation frames can carry enhanced bandwidth information that can be used for signal bandwidths greater than 160 MHz. As used herein, the term “bandwidth negotiation frame” can refer to any control frame that can be used for bandwidth negotiation between a requesting device and a responding device. Example suitable bandwidth negotiation frames include RTS frames and CTS frames, among others. In some implementations, bandwidth negotiation frames can be formatted according to a legacy control frame format. More specifically, one or more bits of a service field associated with the legacy control frame format can be repurposed to carry enhanced bandwidth information. As used herein, the term “legacy” can refer to frame formats and communication protocols that comply with IEEE 802.11ax amendment and earlier generations of IEEE 802.11 standards. In contrast, the term “non-legacy” can refer to frame formats and communication protocols that comply with IEEE 802.11be amendment and future generations of IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0069] Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. By repurposing one or more bits of a service field to carry enhanced bandwidth information, bandwidth negotiation frames of the present disclosure support gains in achievable data throughput according to IEEE 802.11be amendment of IEEE 802.11 standards and future generations. In other examples, the enhanced bandwidth information can be used to negotiate bandwidths of up to at least 320 MHz for transmission of subsequent data frames. By configuring the enhanced bandwidth information to follow a legacy control frame format, bandwidth negotiation frames of the present implementations can support enhanced communication features that can be used by non-legacy wireless communication devices while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy wireless communication devices. For example, IEEE 802.11ax amendment of IEEE 802.11 amendments supports repurposing 2 bits of a service field of an RTS or CTS frame to provide bandwidth indications of up to 160 MHz. Aspects of the present disclosure can supplement the 2 service field bits with enhanced bandwidth information to extend bandwidth indications up to at least 320 MHz.

[0070] Figure 6 An example PPDU format of a bandwidth negotiation frame 600 that can be used for bandwidth negotiation between an AP and a STA is shown according to some implementations. In some implementations, the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can represent an RTS frame. In some other implementations, the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can represent a CTS frame. The bandwidth negotiation frame 600 includes a PHY preamble 601 followed by a PHY payload 606, e.g., in the form of a DATA field 626. The PHY preamble 601 includes an L-STF 608, an L-LTF 610, and an L-SIG 612. In some implementations, the L-STF 608, the L-LTF 610, and the L-SIG 612 can represent a legacy portion 602 of the PHY preamble 601. The legacy portion 602 of the preamble can be formatted as a non-high throughput (non-HT) WLAN preamble as defined by IEEE 802.11ax and earlier generations of IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0071] In some implementations, the PHY preamble 601 can further include a non-legacy portion 604 that includes a repeated legacy signal field (RL-SIG) 614 and a number of wireless communication protocol version related signal fields following the RL-SIG 614. The non-legacy portion 604 of the preamble can be formatted as a non-legacy or extremely high throughput (EHT) WLAN preamble according to the IEEE 802.1 lbe amendment to the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard, or can be formatted as a preamble of any later (post-HE) version that follows a new wireless communication protocol that follows a future IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol amendment or other standard. For example, the non-legacy portion 604 can include a universal signal field (U-SIG) 616, a non-legacy signal field (EHT-SIG) 618, a non-legacy short training field (EHT-STF) 622, and a number of non-legacy long training fields (EHT-LTFs) 624.

[0072] The IEEE 802.1 lbe amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard and future generations define a non-legacy (or EHT) PPDU format that includes new fields that can be used to carry signaling information. For example, at least some of the new fields and signaling information can be included in the U-SIG 616. In addition, new fields and signaling information can be included in the EHT-SIG 618 (or can overflow from the U-SIG 616 into the EHT-SIG 618). In some implementations, the U-SIG 616 can include signaling about the type or format of additional signal fields following the U-SIG 616, such as the EHT-SIG 618. The EHT-SIG 618 can be used by an AP to identify that the AP has scheduled UL or DL resources and to notify one or more STAs. The EHT-SIG 618 can be decoded by each compatible STA served by the AP. The EHT-SIG 618 can generally be used by a receiving device to interpret bits in the DATA (data) field 626.

[0073] The DATA field 626 includes a service field 632, a PSDU 634, a trailer 636, and zero or more padding bits 638. See Figure 3As an example, the PSDU 634 can be one example of the PSDU 304 of the PPDU 300. As such, the PSDU 634 carries the MAC layer information of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. The trailer 636 carries a known bit sequence that can be used to return a convolutional encoder used to encode the DATA field 626 to a zero state. Padding bits 638 can be added to achieve a desired length of the DATA field 626, depending on the number of bits required per OFDM symbol. The information in the DATA field 626 can be scrambled by a transmitting device, such as a device that transmits the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. Accordingly, the service field 632 carries a scrambler initialization sequence that can be used to synchronize a descrambler of a receiving device, such as a device that receives the bandwidth negotiation frame 600, for example, to descramble the information in the DATA field 626.

[0074] The service field 632 can also carry bandwidth (BW) information 640 that indicates a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. For example, the IEEE 802.11ax amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard (and earlier generations) defines a control frame format for RTS and CTS frames in which 2 bits of the scrambler initialization sequence (referred to herein as bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2) can be repurposed for bandwidth negotiation. The bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can have one of four possible values, each representing a respective 20, 40, 80, or 160 (80+80) MHz bandwidth. In an RTS frame, the bandwidth information 640 can indicate a desired bandwidth on which a requesting device wants to transmit a subsequent data frame. In a CTS frame, the bandwidth information 640 can indicate a bandwidth on which a requesting device can transmit a data frame.

[0075] Aspects of the disclosure recognize that the existing bandwidth information 640 can not support the full range of bandwidths that can be achieved under the IEEE 802.11be amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard. More specifically, the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can not be suitable for indicating bandwidths greater than 160 MHz. As such, in some implementations, the service field 632 of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can be further configured to carry enhanced bandwidth information 642. In some aspects, the enhanced bandwidth information 642 can supplement the existing bandwidth information 640 to extend the possible bandwidth indication up to at least 320 MHz. For example, the enhanced bandwidth information 642 can be used to indicate whether the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 is transmitted on a 320 MHz channel, while the existing bandwidth information 640 can be used to indicate bandwidths up to 160 MHz.

[0076] In some implementations, the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can be formatted according to a non-legacy or non-legacy PPDU format. For example, the PHY preamble 601 of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can include Figure 6The non-HT portion 604 of the PHY preamble 601. In such implementations, the receiving device can determine that the service field 632 includes the enhanced bandwidth information 642 based on detecting the non-HT portion 604 of the PHY preamble 601. However, aspects of the present disclosure also recognize that legacy RTS and CTS frames are formatted according to the non-HT PPDU format. In other words, legacy RTS and CTS frames do not include a non-HT portion 604 of the PHY preamble. In some implementations, in order to maintain backwards compatibility with legacy RTS and CTS frames, the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 can be formatted according to the non-HT PPDU format or the non-HT duplicate PPDU format. In such implementations, the PHY preamble 601 of the PPDU 600 can not include the non-HT portion 604.

[0077] Figure 7A An example configuration of a service field 700 for a bandwidth negotiation frame is shown in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the service field 700 can be one example of the service field 632 of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. More specifically, the service field 700 includes a sequence of scrambler initialization bits 702 and a number of remaining bits 704. As described above with reference to Figure 7A The length of the service field 700 is 2 octets (16 bits), however, the scrambler initialization sequence 702 represents only the first 7 bits of the service field 700 (consistent with bit positions B0-B6) as shown in Figure 6 The scrambler initialization sequence 702 can be used to synchronize a descrambler of a receiving device as described above with reference to

[0078] The last two bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 702 (consistent with bit positions B5 and B6 of the service field 700) are repurposed as bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2. For example, the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can carry bandwidth information according to the legacy RTS and CTS frame format defined by the IEEE 802.11ax amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard. As described above with reference to Figure 6 The values of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can represent bandwidths up to 160 MHz as described above with reference to. The fifth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence 702 (consistent with bit position B4 of the service field 700) can be repurposed as a dynamic bandwidth (DYN) bit. The DYN bit indicates whether the receiving device is required to respond to the bandwidth negotiation frame (such as by transmitting a CTS frame) in the event that one or more sub-channels of the bandwidth indicated by the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 are occupied or otherwise unavailable.

[0079] Aspects of the present disclosure recognize that the remaining bits 704 of the service field 700 are reserved in the non-HT PPDU format. More specifically, each of the remaining bits 704 is set to a value of “0” in legacy RTS and CTS frames. In some implementations, at least one of the remaining bits 704 can be repurposed as an enhanced (EHT) bandwidth (BW) bit. In Figure 7A In an example, the EHT BW bit immediately follows the scrambler initialization sequence 702 (consistent with bit position B7 of the service field 700). However, in practical implementations, any of the remaining bits 704 can be repurposed as one or more EHT BW bits. In some aspects, a receiving device can determine that the service field 700 carries enhanced bandwidth information upon detecting that one or more of the remaining bits 704 are set to a value of “1.”

[0080] The EHT BW bit can carry enhanced bandwidth information that can be used to indicate a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz. In some implementations, a value of the EHT BW bit can indicate whether the bandwidth is associated with a 320 MHz channel. For example, referring to Table 1 below, the EHT BW bit can be set to a value of “1” to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth, while bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can be used to indicate up to a 160 MHz bandwidth when the EHT BW bit is set to a value of “0.” In some other implementations, a combined value of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be used to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, referring to Table 2 below, each of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be set to a value of “1” to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth, while other bit combinations can be used to indicate various other bandwidths (to be determined).

[0081] Table 1

[0082]

[0083] Table 2

[0084]

[0085]

[0086] Aspects of the present disclosure recognize that because the remaining bits 704 are reserved in the HT PPDU format, existing versions of the IEEE 802.11 standard provide little, if any, protection for these remaining bits 704. In other words, a receiving device operating according to the IEEE 802.11ax amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard can be unable to detect errors in any of the remaining bits 704. As such, in some implementations, at least one of the remaining bits 704 can be repurposed as a parity bit. In Figure 7AIn the example shown, the parity bit is the last bit of the service field 700 (coinciding with bit position B 15). In some aspects, a receiving device can perform a parity check operation on the remaining bits 704 of the service field 700 based on the value of the parity bit.

[0087] Figure 7B Another example configuration of a service field 710 for a bandwidth negotiation frame is shown, in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the service field 710 can be one example of the service field 632 of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. More specifically, the service field 710 includes a sequence of scrambler initialization bits 712 and a number of remaining bits 714. As described above with reference to Figure 7B As shown in the example of FIG. 7, the service field 710 is 2 octets (16 bits) in length, however, the scrambler initialization sequence 712 represents only the first 7 bits of the service field 710 (coinciding with bit positions B0-B6). As described above with reference to Figure 6 The scrambler initialization sequence 712 can be used to synchronize a descrambler of a receiving device, as described above with reference to

[0088] The last two bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 712 (coinciding with bit positions B5 and B6 of the service field 710) are repurposed as bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2. For example, the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can carry bandwidth information according to the legacy RTS and CTS frame formats defined by the IEEE 802.11ax amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard. As described above with reference to Figure 6 The values of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can represent bandwidths up to 160 MHz, as described above with reference to FIG. 6. The fifth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence 712 (coinciding with bit position B4 of the service field 710) can be repurposed as a DYN bit. The DYN bit indicates whether a receiving device is required to respond to a bandwidth negotiation frame (such as by transmitting a CTS frame) in the event that one or more subchannels in the bandwidth indicated by the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 are occupied or otherwise unavailable.

[0089] In some implementations, the fourth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence 712 (coinciding with bit position B3 of the service field 710) can be repurposed as an EHT BW bit. The EHT BW bit can carry enhanced bandwidth information that can be used to indicate a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz. In some implementations, a combined value of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be used to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, referring to Table 2 above, each of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be set to a value of “1” to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth, while other bit combinations can be used to indicate various other bandwidths (to be determined). By repurposing bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 712 as EHT BW bits, the remaining bits 714 of the service field 700 can be used for other purposes (such as carrying additional signaling or information) or reserved for future generations of IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0090] Aspects of the present disclosure recognize that repurposing bits in the scrambler initialization sequence 712 as EHT BW bits also reduces the effective number of scrambler initialization bits that can be used to synchronize a descrambler in a receiving device. For example, as shown in Figure 7B Table 3, only the first three bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 712 can be used to synchronize a descrambler. On the other hand, aspects of the present disclosure also recognize that by extending the range of supported bandwidths to 320 MHz, a non-legacy wireless communication device can be more likely to request a CTS frame from a responding device even if one or more sub-channels of the desired bandwidth are occupied or unavailable. As such, in some implementations, a receiving device can be required to respond to a bandwidth negotiation frame carrying enhanced bandwidth information in the event that at least a portion of the desired bandwidth is available for use by the transmitting device. As a result, the DYN bit can be omitted from the service field of a bandwidth negotiation frame carrying enhanced bandwidth information.

[0091] Figure 7C Another example configuration of a service field 720 for a bandwidth negotiation frame is shown in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the service field 720 can be one example of the service field 632 of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. More specifically, the service field 720 includes a sequence of scrambler initialization bits 722 and a number of remaining bits 724. As shown in Figure 7C Table 4, the length of the service field 720 is 2 octets (16 bits), however, the scrambler initialization sequence 722 represents only the first 7 bits of the service field 720 (coinciding with bit positions B0-B6). As described above with reference to Figure 6 Table 3, the scrambler initialization sequence 722 can be used to synchronize a descrambler of a receiving device.

[0092] The last two bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 722 (coinciding with bit positions B5 and B6 of the service field 720) are repurposed as bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2. For example, the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can carry bandwidth information according to the legacy RTS and CTS frame formats defined by the IEEE 802.11ax amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard. As described above with reference to Figure 6 The values of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 can represent bandwidths up to 160 MHz. In contrast to the service field 710, illustrated in Figure 7B The service field 720 does not include a DYN bit. In some implementations, in the event that at least one subchannel within the bandwidth indicated by the service field 720 (such as the primary channel) is unoccupied or otherwise available for use by the transmitting device, the receiving device can be required to respond to the bandwidth negotiation frame (such as by transmitting a CTS frame).

[0093] In some implementations, the fifth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence 722 (coinciding with bit position B4 of the service field 720) can be repurposed as an EHT BW bit. The EHT BW bit can carry enhanced bandwidth information that can be used to indicate bandwidths greater than 160 MHz. In some implementations, the combined values of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be used to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, with reference to Table 3 below, each of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 and the EHT BW bit can be set to a value of “1” to indicate a 320 MHz bandwidth, while other bit combinations can be used to indicate various other bandwidths (to be determined). By repurposing the bits of the scrambler initialization sequence 722 as the EHT BW bit, the remaining bits 724 of the service field 700 can be used for other purposes (such as carrying additional signaling or information) or reserved for future generations of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0094] Table 3

[0095]

[0096] While the IEEE 802.11ax amendment to the IEEE 802.11 standard provides a mechanism for signaling the presence of bandwidth information in the scrambler initialization sequence (such as by setting the individual / group bit in the transmitter address (TA) field to a value of “1”), aspects of the present disclosure recognize that the value of the individual / group bit in the TA field cannot indicate whether the scrambler initialization sequence also includes enhanced bandwidth information. For example, with reference to Figure 7B A non-legacy receiving device can not be able to determine, based on the value of the individual / group bit in the TA field of an RTS frame, whether to interpret the fourth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence as an EHT BW bit or a scrambler initialization bit. For example, with reference toFigure 7C A non-legacy receiving device can not be able to determine whether to interpret the fifth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence as an EHT BW bit or a DYN bit based on the value of the individual / group bit in the TA field of the RTS frame.

[0097] In some implementations, the RTS frame can implicitly signal the availability of enhanced bandwidth information. For example, a receiving device can determine whether the RTS frame is transmitted by a non-legacy transmitting device based on the MAC address indicated in the TA field of the received RTS frame. If the receiving device determines that the MAC address is associated with a known non-legacy transmitting device, the receiving device can then interpret the scrambler initialization sequence to include enhanced bandwidth information. The receiving device can determine that the transmitting device is a non-legacy device based on information carried in management frames such as beacon frames, association request frames, or association response frames, or the A-Control field of other frames received from the transmitting device. In some other implementations, the RTS frame can explicitly signal the availability of enhanced bandwidth information. For example, the transmitting device can set the value of the individual / group bit in each of the TA and receiver address (RA) fields of the RTS frame to indicate that the scrambler initialization sequence of the RTS frame carries enhanced bandwidth information.

[0098] Figure 8A An example configuration for an RTS frame 800 is shown in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the RTS frame 800 can be one example of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 of Figure 6 More specifically, the RTS frame 800 can represent the MAC layer of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. The RTS frame 800 includes a MAC header 801 followed by a frame check sequence (FCS) 806. The MAC header 801 further includes a frame control field 802, a duration field 803, a RA field 804, and a TA field 805. The frame control field 802 carries information indicating the type of frame associated with the RTS frame 800, such as a control frame. The duration field 803 carries information indicating the duration for which the wireless medium is to be reserved for receiving the RTS frame 800. The RA field 804 carries the MAC address of the receiving device, such as the intended recipient of the RTS frame 800, and the TA field 806 carries the MAC address of the transmitting device, such as the transmitter of the RTS frame 800.

[0099] The individual / group bit in the TA field 805 can be set to a value of "1" to signal the presence of bandwidth information in the scrambler initialization sequence of the service field of the RTS frame 800. However, as described above, the value of the individual / group bit in the TA field 805 can not indicate whether the service field carries enhanced bandwidth information. In some implementations, upon detecting that the individual / group bit in the TA field 805 is set to a value of "1," the receiving device can determine whether the MAC address indicated in the RA field 804 belongs to a non-legacy transmitting device. For example, the receiving device can store MAC addresses of known non-legacy transmitting devices during a respective association procedure between the receiving device and the non-legacy transmitting device. As such, the receiving device can compare the MAC address indicated in the TA field 804 of the RTS frame 800 with the list of known MAC addresses belonging to non-legacy transmitting devices. Upon determining that the MAC address indicated in the TA field 804 belongs to a non-legacy transmitting device, the receiving device can interpret one or more bits of the scrambler initialization sequence to carry enhanced bandwidth information, such as described with reference to Figure 7B and 7C ).

[0100] Figure 8B Another example configuration for an RTS frame 810 is shown, in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the RTS frame 810 can be one example of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600 of Figure 6 . More specifically, the RTS frame 810 can represent the MAC layer of the bandwidth negotiation frame 600. The RTS frame 810 includes a MAC header 811, followed by a frame check sequence (FCS) 816. The MAC header 811 further includes a frame control field 812, a duration field 813, a RA field 814, and a TA field 815. The frame control field 812 carries information indicating the type of frame associated with the RTS frame 810, such as a control frame. The duration field 813 carries information indicating the duration for which the wireless medium is to be reserved for receiving the RTS frame 810. The RA field 814 carries the MAC address of the receiving device, such as the intended recipient of the RTS frame 810, and the TA field 816 carries the MAC address of the transmitting device, such as the transmitter of the RTS frame 810.

[0101] The individual / group bit in the TA field 815 can be set to a value of "1" to signal the presence of bandwidth information in the scrambler initialization sequence of the service field of the RTS frame 810. However, as described above, the value of the individual / group bit in the TA field 805 can not indicate whether the service field carries enhanced bandwidth information. In some implementations, the individual / group bit in the RA field 814 can also be set to a value of "1" to indicate that the scrambler initialization sequence carries enhanced bandwidth information. For example, a receiving device can determine that the RTS frame 810 is transmitted by a non-legacy transmitting device based on detecting that the value of the individual / group bit in each of the RA field 814 and the TA field 815 is set to "1." Upon determining that the value of the individual / group bits in the RA field 814 and the TA field 815 is set to "1," the receiving device can interpret one or more bits of the scrambler initialization sequence to carry enhanced bandwidth information (such as described with reference to Figure 7B and 7C .

[0102] Figure 9 A timing diagram 900 is shown that illustrates an example bandwidth negotiation operation between an AP and a STA, in accordance with some implementations. The AP can be one example of the AP 102 or 502 of Figure 1 and 5A , respectively. The STA can be one example of the STA 104 or 504 of Figure 1 and 5B , respectively. In the example of Figure 9 , the STA is described as a requesting device, and the AP is described as a responding device. However, in other implementations, the AP can be the requesting device, and the STA can be the responding device.

[0103] At time tO, the STA transmits an RTS frame copied on a 320 MHz channel to the AP. In some implementations, the RTS frame can carry enhanced bandwidth information indicating the 320 MHz channel. In some aspects, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by one or more remaining bits after the scrambler initialization sequence in the service field of the RTS frame (such as described with reference to Figure 7A . In some other aspects, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by the fourth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence in the service field of the RTS frame (such as described with reference to Figure 7B . Yet further, in some aspects, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by the fifth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence in the service field of the RTS frame (such as described with reference to Figure 7C .

[0104] The AP receives the RTS frame and determines that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA. In some implementations, the AP can determine that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA based on determining that the RTS frame is formatted according to a non-legacy PPDU format (such as described with reference to Figure 6 In some other implementations, the AP can determine that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA based on determining that one or more of the remaining bits of the service field are set to a value of "1" (such as described with reference to Figure 7A Yet further, in some implementations, the AP can determine that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA based on explicit or implicit signaling in the RTS frame (such as described with reference to Figure 8A and 8B

[0105] After determining that the RTS frame is transmitted by a non-legacy STA, the AP can interpret one or more bits in the service field to carry enhanced bandwidth information. The AP can determine, based on the enhanced bandwidth information, that the non-legacy STA is requesting to transmit a data PPDU on a 320 MHz channel. In Figure 9 In some implementations, the AP can determine that a response is required based on a value of the DYN bit (such as described with reference to Figure 7A and 7B In some other implementations, the AP can determine that a response is required based on determining that the RTS frame is transmitted by a non-legacy STA (such as described with reference to Figure 7C

[0106] Thus, at time tl, the AP transmits a CTS frame to the STA that is duplicated on the 160 MHz subchannel of the requested 320 MHz channel. Unlike the RTS frame transmitted by the STA, the CTS frame does not need to indicate that it carries enhanced bandwidth information. This is because the STA (the transmitter of the RTS frame) already knows that the AP is a non-legacy device. In other words, the EHT BW bit in the CTS frame from the AP is always set to indicate enhanced bandwidth information when responding to an RTS frame that contains enhanced bandwidth information (such as described with reference to Figures 7A-7C In some implementations, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by the same bit(s) in the CTS frame as in the RTS frame. In some other implementations, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by different bit(s) in the CTS frame than in the RTS frame.

[0107] In Figure 9 ​​In the example, the enhanced bandwidth information in the CTS frame can indicate that the AP does not support the 320MHz bandwidth requested by the STA. For example, the bit carrying the enhanced bandwidth information in the CTS frame can be set to a value of "0". The supported 160MHz bandwidth can be indicated by the values ​​of the bandwidth bits BW1 and BW2 in the service field of the CTS frame. The STA receives the CTS frame and continues to transmit data PPDUs to the AP on the 160MHz sub-channel at time t2. At time t3, the AP acknowledges the reception of the data PPDU by transmitting an acknowledgment (ACK) frame back to the STA. Figure 9 As shown, the ACK frame can also be copied on the 160MHz sub-channel.

[0108] Figure 10 The following is a timing diagram 1000 illustrating another example of bandwidth negotiation operation between an AP and a STA, based on some implementations. The APs can be respectively... Figure 1 and 5A An example of AP 102 or 502. STA can be respectively Figure 1 and 5B An example of STA 104 or 504. Figure 10 In the example, the STA is described as the requesting device, and the AP is described as the responding device. However, in other implementations, the AP can be the requesting device, and the STA can be the responding device.

[0109] At time t0, the STA transmits the RTS frame, which has been copied on the 320MHz channel, to the AP. In some implementations, the RTS frame may carry enhanced bandwidth information indicating the 320MHz channel. For example, the enhanced bandwidth information may be carried by one or more remaining bits after the scrambler initialization sequence in the service field of the RTS frame (such as reference). Figure 7A (As described). The AP receives an RTS frame and determines that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA. In some implementations, the AP may determine that the transmitting STA is a non-legacy STA based on one or more of the remaining bits in the determination service field being set to the value "1" (such as reference). Figure 7A (As described).

[0110] After determining that the RTS frame was transmitted by a non-legacy STA, the AP can interpret one or more bits in the service field to carry enhanced bandwidth information. Based on this enhanced bandwidth information, the AP can determine that the non-legacy STA is requesting a data PPDU to be transmitted on the 320MHz channel. Figure 10In the example of FIG. 10, the AP can determine that the requested 320 MHz channel is available for transmission by the requesting STA. Thus, at time tl, the AP transmits a CTS frame copied on the 320 MHz channel to the STA. In some implementations, the CTS frame can carry enhanced bandwidth information indicating that the AP can support the requested 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, the enhanced bandwidth information can be carried by the fourth bit of the scrambler initialization sequence in the service field of the RTS frame (such as described with reference to Figure 7B

[0111] The STA receives the CTS frame and proceeds to transmit a data PPDU to the AP on the 320 MHz channel at time t2. At time t3, the AP acknowledges the receipt of the data PPDU by transmitting an ACK frame back to the STA. As shown in Figure 10

[0112] Figure 11 A flow diagram illustrating an example process 1100 for wireless communications that supports enhanced bandwidth negotiation, in accordance with some implementations, is shown. In some implementations, the process 1100 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within an AP, such as one of the APs 102 or 502 of FIGS. 1 and 5, respectively. Figure 1 5A In some other implementations, the process 1100 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 or 504 of FIGS. 1 and 5, respectively. Figure 1 5B

[0113] In some implementations, the process 1100 begins, in block 1102, by receiving a first PPDU comprising a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operations of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In block 1104, the process 1100 continues by selectively transmitting a second PPDU based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0114] ​​​​​In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying bandwidth information can include two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit of the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the two scrambler initialization bits can be located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be located at the eighth bit position of the service field. In some implementations, the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to one. In some implementations, each of the two scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to zero.

[0115] In some implementations, the bandwidth information can indicate that a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz. In some implementations, the service field can further include a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0116] In some implementations, the second PPDU can be transmitted in response to receiving the first PPDU, where the second PPDU has a bandwidth less than or equal to a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In some implementations, the first PPDU can be an RTS frame and the second PPDU can be a CTS frame. In some other implementations, the first PPDU can be a CTS frame and the second PPDU can be a data frame.

[0117] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying bandwidth information can include three of the scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the TA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to one, and the RA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to one.

[0118] Figure 12 A flow diagram illustrating an example process 1200 for wireless communications that supports enhanced bandwidth negotiation, in accordance with some implementations, is shown. In some implementations, the process 1200 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within an AP, such as one of the APs 102 or 502, respectively, of FIGs. 1 or 2. Figure 1 and 5A In some other implementations, the process 1200 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 or 504, respectively, of FIGs. 1 or 2. Figure 1 and 5B In some other implementations, the process 1200 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 or 504, respectively, of FIGs. 1 or 2.

[0119] In some implementations, the process 1200 begins in block 1202 with transmitting a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a scrambler initialization bit sequence associated with synchronization operations of a descrambler of a wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In block 1204, the process 1200 continues with receiving a second PPDU having a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0120] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying bandwidth information can include two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the two scrambler initialization bits can be located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be located at the eighth bit position of the service field. In some implementations, the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 1. In some implementations, each of the two scrambler initialization bits can be set to a value equal to 0.

[0121] In some implementations, the bandwidth information can indicate that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz. In some implementations, the service field can further include a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0122] In some implementations, the bandwidth of the second PPDU can be less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In some implementations, the first PPDU can be an RTS frame and the second PPDU can be a CTS frame. In some other implementations, the first PPDU can be a CTS frame and the second PPDU can be a data frame.

[0123] In some aspects, the at least three bits carrying bandwidth information can include three of the scrambler initialization bits. In some implementations, the TA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the RA field of the first PPDU can include a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

[0124] Figure 13 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1300 is configured to perform the process 1100 described above with reference to Figure 11 In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1300 can be the wireless communication device 1300 described above with reference to Figure 4An example implementation of the wireless communication device 400 is described. For example, the wireless communication device 1300 can be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that includes at least one processor and at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem).

[0125] The wireless communication device 1300 includes a reception component 1310, a communication manager 1320, and a transmission component 1330. The communication manager 1320 can further include a receive (RX) bandwidth negotiation component 1322. Portions of the RX bandwidth negotiation component 1322 can be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some implementations, the RX bandwidth negotiation component 1322 is implemented at least in part as software stored in a memory, such as the memory 408. For example, portions of the RX bandwidth negotiation component 1322 can be implemented as non-transitory instructions or code executable by a processor, such as the processor 406, to perform the functions or operations of the respective component.

[0126] The reception component 1310 is configured to receive RX signals from one or more other wireless communication devices and the transmission component 1330 is configured to transmit TX signals to one or more other wireless communication devices. In some implementations, the reception component 1310 can receive a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operation of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. The communication manager 1320 is configured to manage communications with one or more other wireless communication devices. In some implementations, the RX bandwidth negotiation component 1322 can selectively transmit a second PPDU based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0127] Figure 14 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown, in accordance with some implementations. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1400 is configured to perform the process 1200 described above with reference to Figure 12 In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1400 can be an example implementation of the wireless communication device 400 described above with reference to Figure 4 An example implementation of the wireless communication device 400 is described. For example, the wireless communication device 1400 can be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that includes at least one processor and at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem).

[0128] The wireless communication device 1400 includes a reception component 1410, a communication manager 1420, and a transmission component 1430. The communication manager 1420 can further include a transmit (TX) bandwidth negotiation component 1422. Portions of the TX bandwidth negotiation component 1422 can be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some implementations, the TX bandwidth negotiation component 1422 is implemented at least in part as software stored in a memory, such as the memory 408. For example, portions of the TX bandwidth negotiation component 1422 can be implemented as non-transitory instructions or code executable by a processor, such as the processor 406, to perform the functions or operations of the respective component.

[0129] The reception component 1410 is configured to receive RX signals from one or more other wireless communication devices and the transmission component 1430 is configured to transmit TX signals to one or more other wireless communication devices. The communication manager 1420 is configured to manage communications with one or more other wireless communication devices. In some implementations, the TX bandwidth negotiation component 1422 can transmit a first PPDU including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, where the data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operation of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, and where at least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. In some implementations, the reception component 1410 can receive a second PPDU having a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0130] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0131] 1. A method for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, comprising:

[0132] receiving a first physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) including a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, the data field including a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operation of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, at least three bits in the service field carrying bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU; and

[0133] selectively transmitting a second PPDU based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0134] 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits.

[0135] 3. The method of any of clauses 1 or 2, wherein the two scrambler initialization bits are located at sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at an eighth bit position of the service field.

[0136] 4. The method of any of clauses 1-3, wherein the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a value equal to 1.

[0137] 5. The method of any of clauses 1-4, wherein each of the two scrambler initialization bits is set to a value equal to 0.

[0138] 6. The method of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the service field further includes a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0139] 7. The method of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

[0140] 8. The method of any of clauses 1-7, wherein the selectively transmitting the second PPDU comprises:

[0141] transmitting the second PPDU in response to receiving the first PPDU, the second PPDU having a bandwidth less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

[0142] 9. The method of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the first PPDU is a request to send (RTS) frame and the second PPDU is a clear to send (CTS) frame.

[0143] 10. The method of any of clauses 1-8, wherein the first PPDU is a CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

[0144] 11. The method of any of clauses 1 or 7-10, wherein the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include three of the scrambler initialization bits.

[0145] 12. The method of any of clauses 1 or 7-11, wherein a transmitter address (TA) field of the first PPDU includes a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and a receiver address (RA) field of the first PPDU includes a respective individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

[0146] 13. A wireless communication device, comprising:

[0147] at least one processor; and

[0148] at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to perform the method of any of clauses 1-12.

[0149] 14. A method for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, comprising:

[0150] transmitting a first physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) comprising a physical layer preamble followed by a data field, the data field comprising a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with synchronization operation of a descrambler of the wireless communication device, at least three bits in the service field carrying bandwidth information indicating a bandwidth associated with the first PPDU; and

[0151] receiving a second PPDU having a bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

[0152] 15. The method of clause 14, wherein the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information comprise two of the scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits.

[0153] 16. The method of any of clauses 14 or 15, wherein the two of the scrambler initialization bits are located at sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at an eighth bit position of the service field.

[0154] 17. The method of any of clauses 14-16, wherein the first bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a value equal to 1.

[0155] 18. The method of any of clauses 14-17, wherein each of the two of the scrambler initialization bits is set to a value equal to 0.

[0156] 19. The method of any of clauses 14-18, wherein the service field further comprises a second bit after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits carrying parity information associated with the service field.

[0157] 20. The method of any of clauses 14-19, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

[0158] 21. The method of any of Clauses 14-20, wherein the bandwidth of the second PPDU is less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

[0159] 22. The method of any of Clauses 14-21, wherein the first PPDU is a Request to Send (RTS) frame and the second PPDU is a Clear to Send (CTS) frame.

[0160] 23. The method of any of Clauses 14-21, wherein the first PPDU is a CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

[0161] 24. The method of any of Clauses 14 or 20-23, wherein the at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include three bits of the scrambler initialization bits.

[0162] 25. The method of any of Clauses 14 or 20-24, wherein the transmitter address (TA) field of the first PPDU includes a corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the receiver address (RA) field of the first PPDU includes a corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

[0163] 26. A wireless communication device, comprising:

[0164] At least one processor; and

[0165] At least one memory communicatively coupled to and storing processor-readable code, which, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to perform a method as described in any of Clauses 14-25.

[0166] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” or “one or more of” referring to a list of items means any combination of these items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover the following possibilities: only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0167] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of its functionality and is illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0168] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure can be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be given the full scope consistent with the disclosure, the principles and novel features disclosed herein, and their equivalents.

[0169] Additionally, various features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination. As such, although features can have been described above as acting in particular combinations and even initially claimed that way, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and the claimed combination can be directed to a subcombination or parts of the subcombination.

[0170] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such order, nor that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, the drawings can schematically depict one more example processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations that are not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any illustrated operation. In some circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, comprising: The device receives a first Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a Physical Layer preamble followed by a data field. The data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with the synchronization operation of the descrambler of the wireless communication device. At least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. The at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. The first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a first value equal to 1, and each bit of the two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a second value equal to 0. as well as The second PPDU is selectively transmitted based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two bits in the sequence of scrambler initialization bits are located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at the eighth bit position of the service field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service field further includes a second bit carrying parity information associated with the service field after the sequence of scrambler initialization bits.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively transmitting the second PPDU comprises: In response to receiving the first PPDU, a second PPDU is transmitted, the second PPDU having a second bandwidth less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PPDU is a request to send an RTS frame and the second PPDU is a clear to send a CTS frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PPDU is a clear transmission CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter address TA field of the first PPDU includes a first corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the receiver address RA field of the first PPDU includes a second corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

9. A wireless communication device, comprising: One or more processors; as well as One or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, wherein one or more processor-readable instructions stored in the one or more memories are executable by the one or more processors to enable the wireless communication device to: The device receives a first Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a Physical Layer preamble followed by a data field. The data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with the synchronization operation of the descrambler of the wireless communication device. At least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. The at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. The first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a first value equal to 1, and each bit of the two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a second value equal to 0. as well as The second PPDU is selectively transmitted based on the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

10. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The two bits in the sequence of scrambler initialization bits are located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at the eighth bit position of the service field.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the service field further includes a second bit carrying parity information associated with the service field, following the sequence of the scrambler initialization bits.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein, for selective transmission of the second PPDU, the one or more processor-readable instructions can be further executed by the one or more processors to cause the wireless communication device to: In response to receiving the first PPDU, a second PPDU is transmitted, the second PPDU having a second bandwidth less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the first PPDU is a request to send an RTS frame and the second PPDU is a clear to send a CTS frame.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the first PPDU is a clear transmission CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the transmitter address TA field of the first PPDU includes a first corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the receiver address RA field of the first PPDU includes a second corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

17. A method for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, comprising: The transmission includes a first Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a physical layer preamble followed by a data field. The data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with the synchronization operation of the descrambler of the wireless communication device. At least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. The at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. The first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a first value equal to 1, and each bit of the two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a second value equal to 0. as well as Receive a second PPDU having a second bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the two bits in the sequence of scrambler initialization bits are located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at the eighth bit position of the service field.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the service field further includes a second bit carrying parity information associated with the service field, following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the second bandwidth of the second PPDU is less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the first PPDU is a request to send an RTS frame and the second PPDU is a clear to send a CTS frame.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the first PPDU is a clear transmission CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitter address TA field of the first PPDU includes a first corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the receiver address RA field of the first PPDU includes a second corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

25. A wireless communication device, comprising: One or more processors; as well as One or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, wherein one or more processor-readable instructions stored in the one or more memories are executable by the one or more processors to enable the wireless communication device to: The transmission includes a first Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) comprising a physical layer preamble followed by a data field. The data field includes a service field carrying a sequence of scrambler initialization bits associated with the synchronization operation of the descrambler of the wireless communication device. At least three bits in the service field carry bandwidth information indicating the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU. The at least three bits carrying the bandwidth information include two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits and a first bit in the service field following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits. The first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a first value equal to 1, and each bit of the two bits from the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is set to a second value equal to 0. as well as Receive a second PPDU having a second bandwidth associated with the bandwidth information carried in the service field of the first PPDU.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the two bits in the sequence of scrambler initialization bits are located at the sixth and seventh bit positions of the service field, and the first bit following the sequence of scrambler initialization bits is located at the eighth bit position of the service field.

27. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the bandwidth information indicates that the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU is equal to 320 MHz.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the service field further includes a second bit carrying parity information associated with the service field, following the sequence of the scrambler initialization bits.

29. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the second bandwidth of the second PPDU is less than or equal to the bandwidth associated with the first PPDU.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the first PPDU is a request to send an RTS frame and the second PPDU is a clear to send a CTS frame.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the first PPDU is a clear transmission CTS frame and the second PPDU is a data frame.

32. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the transmitter address TA field of the first PPDU includes a first corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1, and the receiver address RA field of the first PPDU includes a second corresponding individual / group bit set to a value equal to 1.

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