Back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservation

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems for back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservation. Some aspects more specifically relate to flow-specific transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing and / or orthogonal channel reservation in combination with flow-specific time slot sequences. In particular implementations that employ flow-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a flow-specific time slot sequence, one or more wireless communication devices may determine whether a shared TXOP replaces the time slot sequence according to whether the shared TXOP is associated with the same flow as the flow-specific time slot sequence. In particular implementations employing orthogonal channel reservation in conjunction with a stream-specific slot sequence, each wireless communication device of a multi-hop relay path may receive an indication of or otherwise be configured with a frequency channel over which to transmit.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 344,011, filed June 29, 2023, entitled “BACK-TO-BACKTRANSMISSIONS VIA A MULTI-HOP RELAY PATH USING FLOW-SPECIFIC RESOURCERESERVATION,” which has been assigned to the assignee of this application and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations. Background Technology

[0004] A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices (also known as wireless stations (STAs)). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard family is the Basic Service Set (BSS) managed by the AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within the AP's wireless range to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein each have some innovative aspects, and no single aspect is solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device may include one or more memories storing processor-executable code and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors may be configured individually or collectively to, upon executing the code, cause the first wireless communication device to: receive information associated with a time slot sequence, wherein the time slot sequence corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path; transmit data associated with the traffic flow during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device; and transmit a frame indicating that a second wireless communication device sharing a transmission opportunity with the multi-hop relay path, and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow based on the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the time slot sequence.

[0007] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device. The method can include receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, transmitting data associated with the traffic flow during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device, and transmitting a frame indicating that a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path shares the transmission opportunity and an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device can include means for receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, means for transmitting data associated with the traffic flow during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device, and means for transmitting a frame indicating that a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path shares the transmission opportunity and an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

[0009] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless communication device. The code can include instructions executable by one or more processors to receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, transmit data associated with the traffic flow during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device, and transmit a frame indicating that a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path shares the transmission opportunity and an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

[0010] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, where the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path can have a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and where the sharing the transmission opportunity replaces the channel access priority mapping according to the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic flow.

[0011] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for transmitting, to the second wireless communication device, a frame indicating that data associated with the traffic stream is to be relayed according to the multi-hop relay path during the transmission opportunity.

[0012] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for transmitting a frame to indicate to a second wireless communication device that data associated with a traffic stream is to be relayed according to a multi-hop relay path during a transmission opportunity.

[0013] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device can include one or more memories storing processor-executable code and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories. The one or more processors can be individually or collectively configured, upon execution of the code, to cause the first wireless communication device to: receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; receive a frame indicating a transmission opportunity shared with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream; and communicate data associated with the traffic stream during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0014] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device. The method can include receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; receiving a frame indicating a transmission opportunity shared with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream; and communicating data associated with the traffic stream during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0015] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device can include means for receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; means for receiving a frame indicating a transmission opportunity shared with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream; and means for communicating data associated with the traffic stream during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0016] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless communication device. The code can include instructions executable by one or more processors to receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path, receive a frame indicating a shared transmission opportunity with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream, and communicate, during the transmission opportunity, data associated with the traffic stream in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0017] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots, where the channel access priority map indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path can have a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and where the shared transmission opportunity replaces the channel access priority map in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0018] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving, from a second wireless communication device, a frame in accordance with the multi-hop relay path, where the first wireless communication device can be scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device can be scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately precedes the first slot in accordance with a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots.

[0019] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device can include one or more memories storing processor-executable code and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories. The one or more processors can be individually or collectively configured, upon execution of the code, to cause the first wireless communication device to receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel map associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels, and transmit, during a first slot of the sequence of slots, data associated with the traffic stream via a first frequency channel in accordance with the frequency channel map.

[0020] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device. The method can include receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels, and transmitting data associated with the traffic flow via a first frequency channel during a first slot of the sequence of slots according to the frequency channel mapping.

[0021] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device can include means for receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels, and means for transmitting data associated with the traffic flow via a first frequency channel during a first slot of the sequence of slots according to the frequency channel mapping.

[0022] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a first wireless communication device. The code can include instructions executable by one or more processors to receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels, and transmit data associated with the traffic flow via a first frequency channel during a first slot of the sequence of slots according to the frequency channel mapping.

[0023] Some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein can further include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, where the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path can have a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots.

[0024] In some implementations of the method, the first wireless communication device, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, the channel access priority mapping indicates a relatively highest channel access priority for the first wireless communication device for the first slot and indicates a relatively highest channel access priority for the second wireless communication device for a second slot of the sequence of slots, and the frequency channel mapping indicates a first frequency channel for the first wireless communication device and a second frequency channel for the second wireless communication device.

[0025] The 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A diagram illustrates an example wireless communication network.

[0027] Figure 2 A signaling diagram that supports back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is illustrated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figures 3 to 5 An example communication timeline that supports back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is illustrated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6 An example channel reservation scheme that supports back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is illustrated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is illustrated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figures 8 to 10 A flow diagram illustrating an example process that supports back-to-back transmission via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is illustrated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0032] The same reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate the same elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description relates to certain specific examples and is not meant to limit the disclosure. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the teachings herein, will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied to a wide range of other devices, systems, and methods. Some or all of the examples described can be implemented in any device, system, or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, the IEEE 802.15 standards, the Bluetooth® standards, as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), among others. The examples described can be implemented in any device, system, or network that is 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), Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA), Rate ® Division Multiple Access (RSMA), Multi-User Shared Access (MUSA), Single-User (SU) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU) MIMO. The examples described can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or an Internet of Things (IOT) network.

[0034] Various aspects generally relate to back-to-back transmissions via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservations. Some aspects more specifically relate to flow-specific transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing and / or orthogonal channel reservations in conjunction with a flow-specific sequence of time slots, which can equivalently be understood or referred to as a flow-specific TDMA series. In implementations in which one or more wireless communication devices employ flow-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a flow-specific sequence of time slots, a first wireless communication device can include an identifier corresponding to a traffic flow in a TXOP sharing (TXS) frame. As such, a second wireless communication device receiving the TXS frame can determine whether to communicate via the shared TXOP (instead of or in addition to communicating via the flow-specific sequence of time slots) depending on whether the traffic flow to which the sequence of time slots corresponds is the same as or different from the traffic flow indicated by the TXS frame. If the shared TXOP and the sequence of time slots are associated with delivery of the same traffic flow, the second wireless communication device can access the channel and transmit data during the shared TXOP (as the shared TXOP can supersede any channel access rules associated with the sequence of time slots). In implementations in which one or more wireless communication devices employ orthogonal channel reservations in conjunction with a flow-specific sequence of time slots, each wireless communication device of a multi-hop relay path can receive an indication of or otherwise be configured with a frequency channel via which to transmit in conjunction with the sequence of time slots. In some implementations, wireless communication devices that are (at least) two hops apart from one another can use different frequency channels. As such, in cases in which any two wireless communication devices of a multi-hop relay path are hidden nodes of one another, the two wireless communication devices can avoid causing interference with one another by using different frequency channels.

[0035] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some implementations, by applying stream-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of slots, various wireless communication devices along a multi-hop relay path can more efficiently accommodate low-latency traffic streams that are deterministically slightly less than the configured sequence of slots, which can improve reliability of low-latency traffic and improve end-user experience. For example, by applying stream-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of slots, various wireless communication devices along a multi-hop relay path can more efficiently handle dynamic, aperiodic, and / or bursty traffic streams. Moreover, by applying orthogonal channel reservation in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of slots and reducing potential interference among wireless communication devices of the same multi-hop relay path, the wireless communication devices of the multi-hop relay path can more reliably transmit and receive data, which can improve overall system reliability while also enabling denser transmission packing within the same time duration. As a result of this higher reliability, lower interference, and denser transmission packing, the described techniques can be implemented to further realize higher spectral efficiency, higher data rates, greater system capacity, and greater power savings (at least by reducing the number of potential retransmissions), among other benefits.

[0036] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating 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 hereafter as WLAN 100). For example, the WLAN 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, such as defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or revisions thereof, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn. The WLAN 100 can include a number of wireless communication devices, such as one wireless AP 102 and multiple wireless STAs 104. While a single AP 102 is shown in the example of FIG. 1, the WLAN network 100 can include multiple APs 102. Figure 1 While a single AP 102 is shown in the example of FIG. 1, the WLAN network 100 can include multiple APs 102. Figure 1 The illustrated AP 102 can represent various different types of APs, including but not limited to enterprise-level APs, single-band APs, dual-band APs, standalone APs, software-enabled APs (softAPs), and multi-link APs. The coverage area and capacity of a cellular network, such as LTE, 5G NR, and the like, can be further improved by small cells supported by the AP 102 acting as a microcell. In addition, a private cellular network can also be established over a wireless area network using small cells.

[0037] Each of the STAs 104 can also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 104 can represent various devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, slate computers, extended reality (XR) headsets, wearable devices, display devices such as TVs (including smart TVs), computer monitors, navigation systems, among other examples. Music or other audio or stereo equipment, remote control devices (“remotes”), printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators), or other home appliances, key fobs such as for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, vehicles, among other examples. The various STAs 104 in the network are able to communicate with one another via the AP 102.

[0038] 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 1 An example coverage area 108 of an AP 102 is additionally shown, which can represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. The BSS can be identified or indicated to users by a service set identifier (SSID), and can be identified to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which can be a medium access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 can periodically broadcast beacon frames (“beacons”) that include the BSSID, to enable any STAs 104 that are within wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish or maintain respective communication links 106 (also referred to hereinafter as “Wi-Fi links”) with the AP 102. The beacons, for example, can include an identification or indication 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 the various STAs 104 in the WLAN with access to external networks via the respective communication links 106.

[0039] To establish a communication link 106 with an AP 102, each of the STAs 104 is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations ("scanning") on a frequency channel in one or more frequency bands, such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands. To perform passive scanning, a STA 104 listens for beacons transmitted by respective APs 102 at periodic time intervals, known as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs), measured in time units (TUs), where one TU can equal 1024 microseconds (µs). To perform active scanning, a STA 104 generates and transmits probe requests in sequence on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from APs 102. Each STA 104 can identify, determine, discover, or select an AP 102 with which to associate according to scanning information obtained through passive or active scanning, and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operations, which the AP 102 uses to track the STA 104.

[0040] As wireless networks become more ubiquitous, a STA 104 can have the opportunity to select among many BSSs within range of the STA 104 or among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS), including multiple connected BSSs. An extended network station associated with the WLAN 100 can be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that can allow multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. Thus, a STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can associate with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. In addition, after associating with an AP 102, a STA 104 can also periodically scan its surroundings for a more appropriate AP 102 with which to associate. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 can perform "roaming" scans to find another AP 102 with more desirable network characteristics, such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reduced traffic load.

[0041] In some implementations, STAs 104 can form networks that do not have an AP 102 or other central coordinating device other than the STAs 104 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network can alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some implementations, an ad hoc network can be implemented within a larger wireless network, such as the WLAN 100. In such examples, while the STAs 104 can be capable of communicating with each other through the AP 102 using the communication links 106, the STAs 104 can also communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication links 110. Additionally, two STAs 104 can communicate via a direct communication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104 can assume the role filled by the AP 102 in a BSS. Such a STA 104 can be referred to as a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established through the use of Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) links, and other P2P group connections.

[0042] The APs 102 and the STAs 104 can operate and communicate in accordance with one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocol for the PHY and MAC layers. The APs 102 and the STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications” or “wireless packets”) to and from each other in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs). The APs 102 and the STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of the 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 900 MHz frequency band. Some examples of the APs 102 and the STAs 104 described herein can also communicate in other frequency bands that can support both licensed and unlicensed communications, such as the 5.9 GHz frequency band and the 6 GHz frequency band. The APs 102 and the STAs 104 can also communicate over other frequency bands, such as shared licensed frequency bands, where multiple operators can have a license to operate in one or more of the same or overlapping frequency bands.

[0043] Each of the frequency bands can include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs conforming to IEEE 802.11η, 802.1 lac, 802.1 lax, and 802.1 lbe standard revisions can be transmitted over a 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency band, where each frequency band is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are transmitted over physical channels having a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but can form larger channels through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs can be transmitted over physical channels having 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz bandwidths by bonding together multiple 20 MHz channels.

[0044] Each PPDU is a composite structure including a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY Service Data Unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble can be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances where a PPDU is transmitted over a bonded channel, the preamble fields can be duplicated and transmitted in each of the multiple component channels. The PHY preamble can include both a legacy portion (or “legacy preamble”) and a non-legacy portion (or “non-legacy preamble”). The legacy preamble can be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation, among other uses. The legacy preamble can also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, coding, and information provided in the non-legacy portion of the preamble are associated with the particular IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0045] In some wireless communication environments, an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) system or other system conforming to future generations of IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards can provide additional capabilities over other previous systems, such as a High Efficiency (HE) system or other legacy systems. EHT and newer wireless communication protocols can support flexible operating bandwidth enhancements at the AP 102 and STAs 104, such as a widened operating bandwidth relative to a legacy operating bandwidth or a finer operation relative to a legacy operation. For example, an EHT system can allow for communications across operating bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 240 MHz, and 320 MHz. The EHT system can support multiple bandwidth modes, such as a contiguous 240 MHz bandwidth mode, a contiguous 320 MHz bandwidth mode, a non-contiguous 160+160 MHz bandwidth mode, or a non-contiguous 80+80+80+80 (or “4x80”) MHz bandwidth mode.

[0046] In some examples in which a wireless communication device operates in a contiguous 320 MHz bandwidth mode or a 160+160 MHz bandwidth mode, the signal for transmission can be generated by two different transmit chains of the device, each having a bandwidth of 160 MHz (and each coupled to or with a different power amplifier). In some other examples, the signal for transmission can be generated by four or more different transmit chains of the device, each having a bandwidth of 80 MHz.

[0047] In some other examples, a wireless communication device can operate in a contiguous 240 MHz bandwidth mode or a non-contiguous 160+80 MHz bandwidth mode. In some examples, the signal for transmission can be generated by three different transmit chains of the device, each having a bandwidth of 80 MHz. In some other examples, the 240 MHz / 160+80 MHz bandwidth mode can also be formed by puncturing the 320 / 160+160 MHz bandwidth mode with one or more 80 MHz sub-channels. For example, the signal for transmission can be generated by two different transmit chains of the device, each having a bandwidth of 160 MHz, one of the transmit chains outputting a signal having an 80 MHz sub-channel punctured therein.

[0048] The operating bandwidths can also accommodate concurrent operation on other unlicensed bands, such as the 6 GHz band, and portions of the spectrum that include bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology. In non-contiguous examples, the operating bandwidth can span one or more entirely different sets of sub-channels. For example, a 320 MHz bandwidth can be contiguous and located in the same 6 GHz band, or can be non-contiguous and located in different bands, such as partially in the 5 GHz band and partially in the 6 GHz band.

[0049] In some implementations, operational enhancements associated with the EHT and newer generations of IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol family, and in particular operation at increased bandwidths, can include refinements to carrier sensing and signal reporting mechanisms. Such techniques can include modifications to existing rules, structures, or signaling implemented for legacy system implementations.

[0050] Access to a shared wireless medium is generally governed by a distributed coordination function (DCF). With DCF, there is generally no centralized master device that allocates time and frequency resources of the shared wireless medium. Instead, a wireless communication device, such as an AP 102 or a STA 104, can wait for a certain time and then contend for access to the wireless medium before it is granted to transmit data. DCF is implemented by using time intervals, including a slot time (or "slot interval") and an interframe space (IFS). The IFS provides priority access for control frames for proper network operation. Transmission can start at the boundary of a slot. There are different variants of IFS, including a short IFS (SIFS), a distributed IFS (DIFS), an extended IFS (EIFS), and an arbitration IFS (AIFS). Values for the slot time and IFS can be provided by a suitable standard specification, such as one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.

[0051] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can implement DCF by using a carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) with collision avoidance (CA) (CSMA / CA) technique. According to such a technique, a wireless communication device can perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) and can determine (such as identify, detect, ascertain, calculate, or compute) that a relevant wireless channel is clear before transmitting data. A CCA includes both physical (PHY-level) carrier sensing and virtual (MAC-level) carrier sensing. Physical carrier sensing is done via a measurement of the received signal strength of a valid frame, which is then compared to a threshold to determine (such as identify, detect, ascertain, calculate, or compute) whether the channel is busy. For example, if the received signal strength of a detected preamble is above a threshold, the medium is considered busy. Physical carrier sensing also includes energy detection. Energy detection involves measuring the total energy received by a wireless communication device, regardless of whether the received signal represents a valid frame. If the detected total energy is above a threshold, the medium is considered busy.

[0052] Virtual carrier sensing is achieved via the use of a network allocation vector (NAV) that effectively serves as the time duration that elapses before a wireless communication device can contend for access even in the absence of a detected symbol or even if the detected energy is below a relevant threshold. The NAV is reset each time a valid frame is received that is not addressed to the wireless communication device. When the NAV reaches 0, the wireless communication device performs physical carrier sensing. If the channel remains idle for the appropriate IFS, the wireless communication device initiates a backoff timer, which represents the time duration that the device senses the medium to be idle before the device is permitted to transmit. If the channel remains idle until the backoff timer expires, the wireless communication device becomes the owner (or "owner") of a transmit opportunity (TXOP) and can begin transmitting. A TXOP is the time duration that a wireless communication device can transmit frames on the channel after it has "won" contention for the wireless medium. The TXOP duration can be indicated in the U-SIG field of a PPDU. If, on the other hand, one or more of the carrier sensing mechanisms indicate that the channel is busy, the MAC controller within the wireless communication device will not permit transmission.

[0053] Each time a wireless communication device generates a new PPDU for transmission in a new TXOP, the wireless communication device randomly selects a new backoff timer duration. The available distribution of numbers that can be randomly selected for the backoff timer is referred to as the contention window (CW). There are different CWs and TXOP durations for each of the following four access categories (ACs): voice (AC_VO), video (AC_VI), background (AC_BK), and best effort (AC_BE). This enables prioritization of certain types of traffic in the network.

[0054] Some APs 102 and STAs 104 can implement spatial reuse techniques that involve participating coordinated communication schemes. According to such techniques, an AP 102 can contend for access to the wireless medium to gain control of the medium for a TXOP. The AP 102 that wins contention (hereinafter also referred to as a “sharing AP”) can select one or more other APs 102 (hereinafter also referred to as “shared APs”) to share resources of the TXOP. The sharing and shared APs 102 can be located near each other such that at least some of their wireless coverage areas overlap, at least partially. Some examples can specifically involve coordinated AP TDMA or OFDMA techniques for sharing time or frequency resources of a TXOP. To share their time or frequency resources, the sharing AP 102 can divide the TXOP into multiple time or frequency segments, each including respective time or frequency resources representing a portion of the TXOP. The sharing AP 102 can allocate the time or frequency segments to itself or to one or more of the shared APs 102. For example, each shared AP 102 can utilize the portion of the TXOP assigned by the sharing AP 102 for uplink or downlink communications with its associated STAs 104.

[0055] In some examples of such TDMA techniques, each of the multiple portions of the TXOP includes a set of time resources that do not overlap with any time resources of any other portion of the multiple portions. In such examples, the scheduling information can include an indication of the time resources of the multiple time resources of the TXOP that are associated with each portion of the TXOP. For example, the scheduling information can include an indication of the time segments of the TXOP, such as an indication of one or more slots or sets of symbol periods associated with each portion of the TXOP, such as for multi-user TDMA.

[0056] In some other examples of OFDMA techniques, each of the multiple portions of the TXOP includes a set of frequency resources that do not overlap with any frequency resources of any other portion of the multiple portions. In such implementations, the scheduling information can include an indication of the frequency resources of the multiple frequency resources of the TXOP that are associated with each portion of the TXOP. For example, the scheduling information can include an indication of a bandwidth portion of the wireless channel, such as an indication of one or more sub-channels or resource units (RUs) associated with each portion of the TXOP, such as for multi-user OFDMA.

[0057] In this manner, the shared APs' acquisition of the TXOP enables communication between one or more additional shared APs 102 and their respective BSSs with proper power control and link adaptation. For example, the shared APs 102 can limit the transmit power of the selected shared APs 102 such that interference from the selected APs 102 does not prevent the STAs 104 associated with the TXOP owner from successfully decoding packets transmitted by the shared APs 102. Such techniques can be used to reduce latency as other APs 102 can be able to transmit and receive data according to regular CSMA / CA or EDCA techniques without needing to wait to win contention for a TXOP. Additionally, by enabling a group of APs 102 associated with different BSSs to participate in a coordinated AP transmit session during which the group of APs 102 can share at least a portion of a single TXOP acquired by any of the participating APs 102, such techniques can increase throughput across the BSSs associated with the participating APs 102 and can also enable improvements in throughput fairness. Furthermore, by proper selection of the shared APs 102 and scheduling of their respective time or frequency resources, medium utilization can be maximized or otherwise increased while packet loss due to OBSS interference is minimized or otherwise reduced. Various implementations can achieve these and other advantages without requiring the shared APs 102 or the shared APs 102 to know the STAs 104 associated with other BSSs, without requiring a pre-assigned or dedicated master AP 102 or group of pre-assigned APs 102, and without requiring backhaul coordination between the APs 102 participating in the TXOP.

[0058] In some examples in which the signal strength or interference level associated with the selected AP 102 is relatively low, such as less than a given value, or when the decoding error rate of the selected AP 102 is relatively low, such as less than a threshold, the start times of the communications between different BSSs can be synchronized. Conversely, when the signal strength or interference level associated with the selected AP 102 is relatively high, such as greater than a given value, or when the decoding error rate of the selected AP 102 is relatively high, such as greater than a threshold, the start times can be offset from each other by a time period associated with decoding the preamble of a wireless packet and determining from the decoded preamble whether the wireless packet is an intra-BSS packet or an OBSS packet. For example, the time period between the transmission of an intra-BSS packet and the transmission of an OBSS packet can allow the respective AP 102 (or its associated STA 104) to decode the preamble of the wireless packet and obtain the BSS color value carried in the wireless packet to determine whether the wireless packet is an intra-BSS packet or an OBSS packet. In this way, each of the participating APs 102 and their associated STAs 104 can be able to receive and decode intra-BSS packets in the presence of OBSS interference.

[0059] In some examples, a sharing AP 102 can perform a poll of a set of unmanaged or non-co-managed APs 102 that support coordinated reuse to identify candidates for future spatial reuse opportunities. For example, the sharing AP 102 can transmit one or more spatial reuse poll frames as part of determining one or more spatial reuse criteria and selecting one or more other APs 102 to be part of the sharing AP 102. From the poll, the sharing AP 102 can receive a response from one or more of the polled APs 102. In some particular examples, the sharing AP 102 can transmit a coordinated AP TXOP indication (CTI) frame to the other APs 102 indicating the time and frequency of resources of a TXOP that can be shared. The sharing AP 102 can select one or more candidate APs 102 upon receiving a coordinated AP TXOP request (CTR) frame from a respective candidate AP 102 indicating that the respective AP 102 desires to participate in the TXOP. The poll response or CTR frame can include a power indication, e.g., a RX power or RSSI measured by the respective AP 102. In some other examples, the sharing AP 102 can directly measure potential interference of services supported at one or more APs 102, such as UL transmissions, and select the sharing AP 102 based on the measured potential interference. The sharing AP 102 generally selects APs 102 to participate in the coordinated spatial reuse such that it still protects its own transmissions to and from STAs 104 in its BSS, which can be referred to as primary transmissions. Then, as described above, resources can be allocated to the selected APs 102 during the TXOP.

[0060] In some systems, delivery of bursts of latency-sensitive traffic in an end-to-end multi-hop mesh can be associated with independent contention for a channel and acquisition of the expectation of a TXOP for each "hop" (such as each wireless communication device along a multi-hop path), which can result in uncontrolled delay (as the time a wireless communication device can attempt to acquire a TXOP can be unbounded, which can be a relatively long duration in a congested network). Multi-hop meshes, which can be referred to as multi-hop (relay) paths, can be an example deployment scenario in which a STA 104 communicates indirectly with a root AP (R-AP) 102 via one or more intermediate or relay devices, which can be referred to as satellite APs (S-APs) 102. An R-AP 102 can be understood as an AP 102 that is directly connected to the Internet, and an S-AP 102 can be understood as an AP 102 that accesses the Internet via an R-AP 102. In some scenarios, a STA 104 can function as an S-AP 102. For a STA 104, functioning as an S-AP 102 can be associated with functioning as a soft-AP (such as in relation to functioning as a soft-AP). An S-AP 102 can be an example of any wireless communication device that is capable of forwarding, relaying, and / or repeating information and transmissions from one wireless communication device to another.

[0061] In some implementations, various wireless communication devices (such as any combination of one or more R-APs 102, one or more S-APs 102, or one or more STAs 104) can support one or more mechanisms according to which at least one wireless communication device can use flow-specific TXOP sharing and / or orthogonal channel reservation in conjunction with a flow-specific TDMA series. In implementations that share a TXOP for a flow for which an overlapping TDMA series is also set, channel access rules associated with the TDMA series can be superseded (such as ignored by devices sharing the TXOP thereof, while other devices can still adhere to the channel access rules) for the time duration in which the shared TXOP overlaps the TDMA series. Additionally or alternatively, in implementations that use orthogonal channel reservation in conjunction with a flow-specific TDMA series, wireless communication devices that are at least two hops apart from one another can use different frequency channels when transmitting and / or receiving data associated with the corresponding flow. As such, various wireless communication devices can enable back-to-back transmission of one or more specific flows via multiple hops.

[0062] Figure 2An example signaling diagram 200 that supports back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservations is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The signaling diagram 200 can implement or be implemented to achieve aspects of the WLAN 100. For example, the signaling diagram 200 illustrates communications between a R-AP 102-a, a S-AP 102-b, a S-AP 102-c, and a STA 104, each of which can be an example of the corresponding devices described herein. Further, each of the R-AP 102-a, the S-AP 102-b, the S-AP 102-c, and the STA 104 can be an example of, or can be referred to as, a wireless communication device. In some implementations, Figure 2 One or more of the wireless communication devices of the wireless communication device 100 can support one or more signaling-based mechanisms or configuration-based mechanisms to enable back-to-back transmission of a specific flow via multiple hops of a multi-hop relay path.

[0063] As exemplified by the example of the signaling diagram 200, the R-AP 102-a can communicate with the S-AP 102-b via a communication link 202-a, the S-AP 102-b can communicate with the S-AP 102-c via a communication link 202-b, and the S-AP 102-c can communicate with the STA 104 via a communication link 202-c. Further, although referred to as “satellite” APs 102 herein, the S-AP 102-b and the S-AP 102-c can be examples of any wireless communication device that is capable of forwarding, relaying, and / or repeating information and transmissions from one wireless communication device to another wireless communication device. As such, although referred to as the S-AP 102-b and the S-AP 102-c herein, the S-AP 102-b and the S-AP 102-c can equivalently be referred to or understood as wireless repeaters.

[0064] In some aspects, one or more of the wireless communication devices of the signaling diagram 200 can combine two or more communication mechanisms to enable such back-to-back transmission of a specific flow via multiple hops. For example, one or more of the wireless communication devices can combine two or more of: flow-specific TDMA time slot reservations (separated by a random backoff (RBO)), flow-specific TXOP sharing on a flow-specific TDMA time slot basis, and orthogonal channel reservation for hidden terminal hops on a flow-specific TDMA time slot basis.

[0065] Using or otherwise according to flow-specific TDMA slot reservations, a wireless communication device can communicate via a flow-specific TDMA series, which can be equivalently referred to or understood as a (TDMA) slot sequence or TDMA slot series. In terms of architecture, a wireless communication device can be configured (or configured with) a periodic TDMA series, and each TDMA slot in the TDMA series can be used to deliver a payload of one or more specified flows on a particular hop. In other words, a wireless communication device can receive, obtain, identify, or otherwise determine information related to a sequence of slots associated with (such as to be used exclusively for) one or more flows, and the wireless communication device can transmit a data frame associated with any of the one or more flows during a slot in the sequence of slots corresponding to the wireless communication device (as different slots in the sequence of slots can correspond to different wireless communication devices of a multi-hop relay path, such as used by different wireless communication devices of a multi-hop relay path). In some deployment scenarios, a flow-specific TDMA series can remove or mitigate latency caused by contention according to each TDMA slot in the TDMA series corresponding to a particular hop. For example, as each TDMA slot can correspond to a particular wireless communication device (such as a particular hop) by configuration (such as by design and / or signaling), a wireless communication device can avoid contending for medium access during a TDMA slot corresponding to other wireless communication devices (or can contend for medium access using deprioritized or relatively lower priority channel access parameters).

[0066] In some aspects, each TDMA slot in a TDMA series can have a respective fixed duration. Thus, each TDMA slot in a TDMA series can have the same duration, or some TDMA slots in a TDMA series can have different durations. In some aspects, TDMA slots in a periodic TDMA series can have a common (such as shared or universal) periodic interval. In such aspects, each TMDA slot in a periodic TDMA series can occur or repeat according to the same periodicity. As described herein, a set of repeating TDMA slots can be understood as a recurring time-domain resource during which a particular wireless communication device can transmit. For example, if a periodic TDMA series is configured with a first periodicity associated with a first period, S-AP 102-b can transmit during a set of repeating TDMA slots including a first slot and a second slot that is a first period after the first slot.

[0067] One or more wireless communication devices can set up (such as establish or configure) a TDMA series according to one or more protocols. In some aspects, one or more wireless communication devices can use a mesh-based protocol (such as an EasyMesh-based protocol) to establish a TDMA series. In some examples of setting up a TDMA series according to a mesh-based protocol, a STA 104 (client device) can indicate intent by sending a stream classification service (SCS) request to an S-AP 102-c (serving AP). In such examples, the S-AP 102-c (serving AP) can forward the SCS request from the STA 104 to a controller (such as a WLAN controller). The S-AP 102-c can send the SCS request of the STA 104 to the controller via a management plane (such as an EasyMesh management plane). In some other examples of setting up a TDMA series according to a mesh-based protocol, a TDMA series can be configured (by an operator) directly on the R-AP 102-a or the controller.

[0068] The controller can configure (such as set up, establish, or decide) a periodic TDMA series (according to the SCS request forwarded to the controller or direct configuration of the controller). In some implementations, the periodic TDMA series can include a first TDMA schedule for the R-AP 102-a, a second TDMA schedule for the S-AP 102-b, and a third TDMA schedule for the S-AP 102-c. Each TDMA schedule can include or otherwise be associated with (such as defined by) a traffic class (TCLAS), a start time, a duration, and a periodicity. According to configuring the periodic TDMA series, the controller can send information to the APs 102 indicating the TDMA schedule for that AP 102 as a reserved TDMA schedule. For example, the controller can send first information to the R-AP 102-a indicating the first TDMA schedule as a reserved TDMA schedule for the R-AP 102-a. Similarly, the controller can send second information to the S-AP 102-b indicating the second TDMA schedule as a reserved TDMA schedule for the S-AP 102-b, and can send third information to the S-AP 102-c indicating the third TDMA schedule as a reserved TDMA schedule for the S-AP 102-c.

[0069] Additionally, in some examples, the controller can transmit information indicating the TDMA schedule for the AP 102 as a restricted TDMA schedule to a set of (such as all) other in-network APs 102. For example, the controller can transmit information indicating the second TDMA schedule and the third TDMA schedule as restricted TDMA schedules to the R-AP 102-a. Similarly, the controller can transmit information indicating the first TDMA schedule and the third TDMA schedule as restricted TDMA schedules to the S-AP 102-b. Likewise, the controller can transmit information indicating the first TDMA schedule and the second TDMA schedule as restricted TDMA schedules to the S-AP 102-c. In some implementations, the controller can transmit the information indicating the TDMA schedule (as a reserved or restricted TDMA schedule) to the APs 102 via a management plane (such as an EasyMesh management plane). In some aspects, the APs 102 of the TDMA schedule can create a protected communication schedule for the AP’s reserved TDMA schedule for one or more neighboring APs 102, such as a coordinated restricted target wake time (C-R-TWT) schedule (to suppress channel access contention from the one or more neighboring APs 102).

[0070] Additionally or alternatively, one or more wireless communication devices can set up (such as establish or configure) a TDMA series according to (such as using) one or more per-hop SCS requests. In such examples where the one or more wireless communication devices use the per-hop SCS requests to set up the TDMA series, the STA 104 (client device) can indicate the intent by sending an SCS request to the S-AP 102-c (the STA 104’s serving AP 102). A backhaul STA (bSTA) associated with (such as co-located with) the S-AP 102-c can create an SCS request for the same flow and send the SCS request to the S-AP 102-b (an upstream AP 102 of the S-AP 102-c). The S-AP 102-b can further send the SCS request to the R-AP 102-a (according to using the per-hop SCS request). In some aspects, the start time, duration, and periodicity of the SCS request sent by the S-AP 102-c to the S-AP 102-b can cause the TDMA slots to be adjacent to the TDMA slots of the downstream hop. One or more protocol elements can be included in the (802.11be) SCS request to indicate (such as specify) the TDMA interval. Additionally, one or more protocol elements can be included in the (802.11be) SCS request sent by the S-AP 102-b to the R-AP 102-a to avoid overlapping with the TDMA interval between the S-AP 102-c and the STA 104.

[0071] According to the per-hop SCS request, the TDMA-scheduled AP 102 can create a protected communication schedule, such as a C-R-TWT schedule, for the AP's reserved TDMA schedule for one or more neighboring APs 102 (to suppress channel access contention from the one or more neighboring APs 102). In some aspects, the AP 102 creating the protected communication schedule can signal, such as broadcast, an indication of the protected communication schedule of the AP 102 to one or more APs 102 that are two hops away from the AP 102, such as two hops away from the C-R-TWT owner. In some aspects, the AP 102 can signal an indication of the protected communication schedule of the AP 102 to one or more APs 102 that are at least two hops away from the AP 102.

[0072] As described herein, a flow-specific TDMA series can be associated with a channel access priority mapping for each wireless communication device along the multi-hop relay path for which the TDMA series corresponds. For example, according to the channel access priority mapping, a first wireless communication device can have a relatively higher channel access priority than a second wireless communication device during a first time slot, and the second wireless communication device can have a relatively higher channel access priority than the first wireless communication device during a second time slot. Such relative channel access priorities can be controlled by, or otherwise associated with, an R-TWT schedule, a differentiated EDCA parameter, or any other schedule, parameter, or configuration that can give one wireless communication device a relatively higher channel access likelihood than another wireless communication device.

[0073] In some implementations, regardless of how the wireless communication devices of the signaling diagram 200 establish a flow-specific TDMA series, such as a flow-specific sequence of time slots, the wireless communication devices can further employ one or more mechanisms according to which at least one wireless communication device can use flow-specific TXOP sharing and / or orthogonal channel reservation in conjunction with the flow-specific TDMA series. In implementations in which a TXOP is shared for a flow for which an overlapping TDMA series is also set, the channel access rules associated with the TDMA series can be superseded, such as ignored, for the time duration in which the TXOP overlaps with the TDMA series. As such, the wireless communication devices can utilize TXOP sharing to accommodate dynamic, aperiodic, or bursty data traffic associated with a flow for which a TDMA series is also set, such as to provide resources for the data traffic on a timely basis. In some aspects, flow-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a flow-specific TDMA series can be understood as or result in a correlation between the flow context of the TDMA time slot assignment and the TXOP sharing allocation request and trigger frame.

[0074] For example, R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, S-AP 102-c, and STA 104 can communicate according to a multi-hop relay path between R-AP 102-a and STA 104, and can utilize flow-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a flow-specific TDMA schedule. Traffic flows via the multi-hop relay path can include downlink traffic or uplink traffic or both. As exemplified by the example downlink communication sequence of signaling diagram 200, R-AP 102-a can transmit data frame 204-a to S-AP 102-b, S-AP 102-c can transmit data frame 204-b (which can be a relayed version of data frame 204-a) to S-AP 102-c, and S-AP 102-c can transmit data frame 204-c (which can be a relayed version of data frame 204-b) to STA 104. Each of R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, S-AP 102-c, and STA 104 (if not all) can be associated with (such as configured with) a respective TDMA schedule according to which each respective device can access the medium to transmit data frames. However, if R-AP 102-a obtains TXOP 208 for a particular flow and shares the TXOP with at least S-AP 102-b, S-AP 102-b can transmit data frame 204-b during the shared TXOP 208 regardless of any time slot TDMA schedule related time slot boundaries. As such, according to flow-specific TXOP sharing, S-AP 102-b can transmit data frame 204-b before a time slot during which S-AP 102-b can otherwise be scheduled to transmit data frame 204-b (such as before a time slot of the TDMA schedule for S-AP 102-b).

[0075] In the example uplink communication sequence of signaling diagram 200, STA 104 can transmit data frame 206-a to S-AP 102-c, S-AP 102-c can transmit data frame 206-b (which can be a relayed version of data frame 206-a) to S-AP 102-b, and S-AP 102-b can transmit data frame 206-c (which can be a relayed version of data frame 206-b) to R-AP 102-a. Similar to the downlink communication sequence, each of STA 104, S-AP 102-c, S-AP 102-b, and R-AP 102-a can be associated with a respective TDMA schedule. However, if STA 104 obtains TXOP 210 for a particular flow and shares that TXOP with at least S-AP 102-c, S-AP 102-c can transmit data frame 206-b prior to a time slot in which S-AP 102-c can otherwise be scheduled to transmit data frame 206-b (such as prior to a time slot of the TDMA schedule for S-AP 102-c).

[0076] Furthermore, in implementations that use orthogonal channel reservations in conjunction with flow-specific TDMA series, wireless communication devices that are at least two hops apart from one another can use different frequency channels when transmitting and / or receiving data associated with a corresponding flow. As such, wireless communication devices along a relay path can pack transmissions more densely within a configured TDMA series, and thus, can achieve greater throughput in addition to a lower likelihood of interference between different devices along a multi-hop relay path. For example, in the example downlink communication sequence of signaling diagram 200, R-AP 102-a can transmit data frame 204-a using a first frequency channel, and S-AP 102-c can transmit data frame 204-c using a second frequency channel that is different (such as orthogonal) from the first frequency channel. Similarly, in the example uplink communication sequence of signaling diagram 200, STA 104 can transmit data frame 206-a using a first frequency channel, and S-AP 102-b can transmit data frame 206-c using a second frequency channel that is different (such as orthogonal) from the first frequency channel.

[0077] Figure 3 An example communication timeline 300 that supports back-to-back transmissions via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservations is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The communication timeline 300 illustrates communications between R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, S-AP 102-c, and STA 104, which can be as exemplified and referenced with respect to Figure 2 Figure 2 ​The described examples of corresponding devices, each of which can be an example of a wireless communication device. In some implementations, the wireless communication devices of the communication timeline 300 can employ stream-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of slots, such as a stream-specific TDMA sequence.

[0078] For example, at least each of the R-AP 102-a, the S-AP 102-b, and the S-AP 102-c can be associated with a respective schedule of slots, such as a respective TDMA schedule, and can collectively relay data traffic between the R-AP 102-a and the STAs 104 according to a stream-specific sequence of slots associated with the time epoch 302-a, the time epoch 302-b, the time epoch 302-c, and the time epoch 302-d. In some aspects, the time epoch 302-a can define or indicate a starting point of a first slot corresponding to the R-AP 102-a, the time epoch 302-b can define or indicate a starting point of a second slot corresponding to the S-AP 102-b, and the time epoch 302-c can define or indicate a starting point of a third slot corresponding to the S-AP 102-c. The stream-specific sequence of slots can be associated with one or more channel access rules, such as rules related to allowed contention, use of prioritized EDCA parameters, and / or TXOP termination, and in some examples, such channel access rules can be applied at each of the time epochs associated with the stream-specific sequence of slots. Such channel access rules can be equivalently referred to or understood as one or more rules associated with a channel access priority map.

[0079] According to employing stream-specific TXOP sharing on a per stream-specific sequence of slots basis, such channel access rules can not apply (for devices sharing a TXOP with) for the duration of a shared TXOP (as long as the shared TXOP is for the same stream as the sequence of slots). For example, if R-AP 102-a shares a TXOP with S-AP 102-b and S-AP 102-c, S-AP 102-b and S-AP 102-c can respectively access the medium and perform transmissions prior to time epoch 302-b and time epoch 302-c. In other words, a TXOP shared by APs 102 to serve a specified stream (such as the same stream for which an overlapping TDMA sequence is specified) can not be subject to C-R-TWT boundaries and / or TDMA owner rules. More generally, an AP 102 of an earlier delivery order position (per stream-specific sequence of slots) of a categorized stream can use a trigger or other TXOP sharing frame to share its TXOP with a direct successor AP 102 in delivery order (per stream-specific sequence of slots). Such TXOP sharing (unconstrained by TDMA slot boundaries) over potentially multiple hops can reduce latency for relatively less deterministic traffic (e.g., dynamic, aperiodic, or bursty traffic).

[0080] In some implementations, a controller can be configured for a delivery order of back-to-back TDMA slots for a stream (such that R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, and S-AP 102-c can have back-to-back transmission opportunities), and can create (such as generate, compute, select, identify, indicate, configure, or otherwise determine) a stream identifier for a stream-specific back-to-back TDMA slot. In other words, a stream identifier can be created for a stream-specific sequence of slots. A TXOP owner can signal (such as include) the stream identifier in an allocation request frame and / or a trigger frame associated with a TXOP sharing sequence used within a stream-specific back-to-back TDMA slot. Such a stream identifier can be included in a dedicated information element of an allocation request frame and / or a trigger frame, or can be included in another information element, such as a vendor-specific information element in an allocation request frame. Further, a stream identifier can correspond to a single stream, or can correspond to a particular group of streams.

[0081] According to the example TXOP sharing sequence, R-AP 102-a can transmit an announcement frame 304 to indicate information associated with an intent to deliver data and / or share a TXOP to one or more other wireless communication devices. R-AP 102-a can receive a BA frame 306 in response to the announcement frame 304. In some implementations, R-AP 102-a can receive the BA frame 306 from S-AP 102-b. S-AP 102-b can transmit an announcement frame 308, and can receive a BA frame 310 in response to the announcement frame 308. In some implementations, S-AP 102-b can receive the BA frame 310 from S-AP 102-c. In some implementations, S-AP 102-b can transmit the announcement frame 308 (and receive any response signaling) during a TXOP shared by R-AP 102-a via the announcement frame 304. In such examples, R-AP 102-a can receive a return frame 312. R-AP 102-a can receive the return frame 312 from S-AP 102-b, and the return frame 312 can indicate to R-AP 102-a that S-AP 102-b has completed its use of the shared TXOP, and indicate a return of the shared TXOP to R-AP 102-a.

[0082] According to the frame exchange associated with the announcement frame 304 and the announcement frame 308, R-AP 102-a can transmit one or more data frames 314. In some implementations, R-AP 102-a can transmit data via one or more data frames 314 associated with a particular stream, such as a particular stream between R-AP 102-a and STA 104. To facilitate timely relay of data to STA 104, R-AP 102-a can transmit, for example, an RTS frame 316 associated with sharing the TXOP of R-AP 102-a with S-AP 102-b. Although described in the example of RTS frame 316, R-AP 102-a can additionally or alternatively use any other frame transmission to share the TXOP of R-AP 102-a with S-AP 102-b. R-AP 102-a can receive a CTS frame 318 in response to the RTS frame 316. In some implementations, S-AP 102-b can transmit the CTS frame 318 to acknowledge the RTS frame 316 and confirm that S-AP 102-b will use the shared TXOP. As exemplified by the example of communication timeline 300, the shared TXOP can include a time duration 342.

[0083] In some implementations, the RTS frame 316 (or any other frame used by the R-AP 102-a to share the TXOP with the S-AP 102-b) can include an identifier corresponding to a particular flow between the R-AP 102-a and the STA 104. As such, the S-AP 102-b can determine whether to use the shared TXOP on an overlapping flow-specific slot sequence basis. In some implementations, the S-AP 102-b can determine to use the shared TXOP on an overlapping flow-specific slot sequence basis if both the shared TXOP and the slot sequence are used to deliver data associated with the same flow. Otherwise, the S-AP 102-b can refrain from using the shared TXOP (or can prioritize one of the shared TXOP or the slot sequence).

[0084] According to obtaining channel access during the shared TXOP, the S-AP 102-b can transmit one or more data frames 320. In some implementations, the one or more data frames 320 can be an example of a relayed version of the one or more data frames 314. The one or more data frames 320 can include data associated with a particular flow between the R-AP 102-a and the STA 104. In implementations in which the S-AP 102-b uses the flow-specific TXOP share in conjunction with the flow-specific slot sequence, the S-AP 102-b can ignore any channel access rules associated with the flow-specific slot sequence to transmit the one or more data frames 320. For example, the S-AP 102-b can transmit the one or more data frames 320 prior to the time instant 302-b. As exemplified by the example of the communication timeline 300, the S-AP 102-b can ignore the channel access rules associated with the flow-specific slot sequence for a time duration 344.

[0085] According to transmitting the one or more data frames 320, the S-AP 102-b can transmit an RTS frame 322 (or any other frame capable of indicating TXOP sharing) to further share the TXOP with the S-AP 102-c. The S-AP 102-b can receive a CTS frame 324 in response to the RTS frame 322. For example, the S-AP 102-c can transmit the CTS frame 324 to acknowledge the RTS frame 322 and confirm that the S-AP 102-c will use the shared TXOP.

[0086] In some implementations, the RTS frame 322 (or any other frame used by the S-AP 102-b to share the TXOP with the S-AP 102-c) can include an identifier corresponding to a particular stream between the R-AP 102-a and the STA 104. As such, the S-AP 102-c can determine whether to use the shared TXOP on an overlapping stream-specific slot sequence basis. In some implementations, the S-AP 102-c can determine to use the shared TXOP on an overlapping stream-specific slot sequence basis if both the shared TXOP and the slot sequence are used to deliver data associated with the same stream. Otherwise, the S-AP 102-c can refrain from using the shared TXOP (or can prioritize one of the shared TXOP or the slot sequence).

[0087] According to obtaining channel access during the shared TXOP, the S-AP 102-c can transmit one or more data frames 326. In some implementations, the one or more data frames 326 can be an example of a relayed version of the one or more data frames 320. The one or more data frames 326 can include data associated with a particular stream between the R-AP 102-a and the STA 104. In implementations in which the S-AP 102-c uses the stream-specific TXOP share in conjunction with the stream-specific slot sequence, the S-AP 102-c can ignore any channel access rules associated with the stream-specific slot sequence to transmit the one or more data frames 326. For example, the S-AP 102-c can transmit the one or more data frames 326 prior to the time epoch 302-c. As exemplified by the example of the communication timeline 300, the S-AP 102-c can ignore the channel access rules associated with the stream-specific slot sequence for a time duration 346.

[0088] According to transmitting the one or more data frames 326, the S-AP 102-c can transmit a return frame 328 to indicate to the S-AP 102-b that the S-AP 102-c has completed its use of the shared TXOP (such as has completed delivery of the one or more data frames 326 to the STA 104). The S-AP 102-b can transmit an RTS frame 330 and receive a CTS frame 332 in response to the RTS frame 330 (such as from the S-AP 102-c).

[0089] In some aspects, the S-AP 102-c can further transmit one or more data frames 334 and can perform an RTS / CTS frame exchange with the STA 104. For example, the S-AP 102-c can transmit an RTS frame 336 and can receive a CTS frame 338 in response to the RTS frame 336, such as from the STA 104. In some implementations, the RTS / CTS frame exchange with the STA 104 can share a TXOP, such as a TXOP of the S-AP 102-c or an original shared TXOP of the R-AP 102-a, with the STA 104.

[0090] The STA 104 can transmit one or more data frames 340 to the S-AP 102-c, the serving AP 102 of the STA 104, and in some implementations, each of the STA 104, the S-AP 102-c, and the S-AP 102-b can transmit one or more return frames in turn to release the shared TXOP back upstream. For example, in accordance with receiving the one or more data frames 340, such as after receiving the one or more data frames, the S-AP 102-c can receive a return frame from the STA 104. In accordance with receiving the return frame, the S-AP 102-c can transmit a return frame to the S-AP 102-b, and the S-AP 102-b can in turn transmit a return frame to the R-AP 102-a. As such, the downstream wireless communication devices can return the shared TXOP to the R-AP 102-a to complete the flow-specific TXOP sharing sequence.

[0091] Figure 4 An example communication timeline 400 that supports back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservations is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The communication timeline 400 illustrates communications between the R-AP 102-a, the S-AP 102-b, and the S-AP 102-c, which can be as illustrated and referenced by Figure 2 Figure 2 ​Examples of corresponding devices are described, each of which can be an example of a wireless communication device. S-AP 102-b can be associated with (such as have components associated with) bSTA functionality 402 (or bSTA1 functionality) and AP functionality 404 (or API functionality), and S-AP 102-c can be associated with (such as have components associated with) bSTA functionality 406 (or bSTA2 functionality) and AP functionality 408 (or AP2 functionality). In some implementations, the wireless communication devices of communication timeline 400 can employ stream-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of time slots, such as a stream-specific TDMA sequence, and can apply a coordinated TDMA (C-TDMA) transmission sequence via a downlink signaling path.

[0092] According to example implementations of the disclosure, one or more wireless communication devices can perform or participate in a signaling mechanism associated with shared TXOP initiation, according to which any AP 102 on a relay path, such as a mesh end-to-end path, can initiate TXOP sharing, such as stream-specific TXOP sharing on a stream-specific sequence of time slots. Such a TXOP sharing AP 102 can be R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, or S-AP 102-c (any AP 102), as a result of using C-TDMA (rather than, for example, peer-to-peer).

[0093] According to a downlink C-TDMA transmission sequence illustrated by communication timeline 400, R-AP 102-a can transmit RTS frame 410, and can receive CTS frame 412 from bSTA functionality 402 of S-AP 102-b. According to receiving CTS frame 412, R-AP 102-a can transmit one or more data frames 414, including downlink data associated with a particular stream, such as a stream between R-AP 102-a and STA 104. bSTA functionality 402 of S-AP 102-b can transmit BA frame 416, which can provide feedback associated with receipt of one or more data frames 414 at S-AP 102-b. R-AP 102-a can transmit TXS+ frame 418, which can be any frame via which R-AP 102-a (or any other wireless communication device) can indicate TXOP sharing to an upstream or downstream wireless communication device.

[0094] In some implementations, R-AP 102-a can transmit TXS+ frame 418 in accordance with ending its downlink data transmission sequence, such as within a time duration 428. In other words, and more generally, an upstream AP 102 can perform a downlink data transmission sequence and can trigger a downstream AP 102 sharing the remaining TXOP duration for the same flow, the (current or next) TDMA time slot being assigned to the downstream AP.

[0095] AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b can transmit CTS frame 420 in response to (such as acknowledging) TXS+ frame 418. In accordance with obtaining channel access during the shared TXOP, S-AP 102-b can transmit, via AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b, one or more data frames 422 including downlink data associated with a particular flow. One or more data frames 422 can be a relayed version of one or more data frames 414. S-AP 102-c can receive one or more data frames 422 via bSTA functionality 406 of S-AP 102-c and can transmit BA frame 424 associated with one or more data frames 422. In accordance with receiving BA frame 424, S-AP 102-b, such as AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b, can transmit return frame 426 to return the shared TXOP to R-AP 102-a. As such, and as exemplified by communication timeline 400, S-AP 102-b can complete (such as end) its downlink data transmission sequence within a time duration 430 and can subsequently return any remaining TXOP duration to R-AP 102-a (TXOP owner in the example downlink C-TDMA series of communication timeline 400).

[0096] Figure 5 An example communication timeline 500 that supports back-to-back transmissions via a multi-hop relay path using flow-specific resource reservations is shown, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Communication timeline 500 exemplifies communications between R-AP 102-a, S-AP 102-b, and S-AP 102-c, which can be as exemplified and referenced by Figure 2 Figure 2 ​The described examples of corresponding devices, each of which can be an example of a wireless communication device. S-AP 102-b can be associated with (such as have components associated with) bSTA functionality 402 (or bSTAl functionality) and AP functionality 404 (or API functionality), and S-AP 102-c can be associated with (such as have components associated with) bSTA functionality 406 (or bSTA2 functionality) and AP functionality 408 (or AP2 functionality). In some implementations, the wireless communication devices of communication timeline 500 can employ stream-specific TXOP sharing in conjunction with a stream-specific sequence of time slots, such as a stream-specific TDMA series, and can apply a C-TDMA transmission sequence via an uplink signaling path.

[0097] According to the uplink C-TDMA transmission sequence illustrated by communication timeline 500, AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b can transmit RTS frame 502, and bSTA functionality 406 of S-AP 102-c can respond by transmitting CTS frame 504 to AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b. According to this RTS / CTS frame exchange between S-AP 102-b and S-AP 102-c, AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b can transmit trigger frame 506 to solicit uplink data from S-AP 102-c, such as from bSTA functionality 406 of S-AP 102-c. BSTA functionality 406 of S-AP 102-c can transmit one or more data frames 508 that include the solicited uplink data. Such one or more data frames 508 can include one or more uplink trigger-based (TB) PPDUs.

[0098] AP functionality 404 of S-AP 102-b can transmit BA frame 510 associated with (such as providing feedback for) one or more data frames 508, and in some implementations, can transmit TXS+ frame 512 to share the TXOP of S-AP 102-b with R-AP 102-a. In other words, and more generally, a downstream AP 102 can end an uplink TB PPDU transmission sequence, and the downstream AP 102 can trigger sharing of the remaining TXOP duration with an upstream AP 102 of a stream, a (current or next) TDMA slot being designated to the upstream AP. As illustrated by the example of communication timeline 500, S-AP 102-b can complete its TB uplink sequence with S-AP 102-c for a time duration 526.

[0099] The R-AP 102-a can transmit a CTS frame 514 to acknowledge and confirm the TXS+ frame 512, and can transmit a trigger frame 516 to solicit uplink data from the S-AP 102-b. In accordance with receiving the trigger frame 516, the S-AP 102-b, such as via the bSTA functionality 402 of the S-AP 102-b, can transmit one or more data frames 518 that include the solicited uplink data. In some aspects, the one or more data frames 518 can be a relayed version of the one or more data frames 508, and can include data associated with a particular stream.

[0100] The R-AP 102-a can receive the one or more data frames 518, and can transmit a BA frame 522 associated with the one or more data frames 518, such as providing feedback for the one or more data frames. In accordance with receiving the solicited uplink data via the one or more data frames 518, the R-AP 102-a can transmit a return frame 524 that indicates a return of the shared TXOP to the S-AP 102-b (the original TXOP owner). For example, the R-AP 102-a can transmit the return frame 524 after completing an uplink data transmission sequence with the S-AP 102-b, which the R-AP 102-a and the S-AP 102-b can complete within a time duration 528.

[0101] Figure 6 An example channel reservation scheme 600 that supports back-to-back transmissions via a multi-hop relay path using stream-specific resource reservations is shown in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The channel reservation scheme 600 can facilitate orthogonal channel reservations for hidden terminal hops in conjunction with a stream-specific TDMA slot sequence. For example, the channel reservation scheme 600 illustrates channel usage for communications between the R-AP 102-a, the S-AP 102-b, the S-AP 102-c, and the STA 104, which can be as illustrated and referenced by Figures 2 to 5 the example corresponding devices described, each of which can be an example of a wireless communication device. Figures 2 to 5 the example corresponding devices described, each of which can be an example of a wireless communication device.

[0102] In some deployment scenarios, APs 102 that are hidden terminals of each other can not be aware of TDMA slot assignments from, for example, a C-R-TWT announcement. As such, two or more APs 102 that are hidden terminals of each other can access the channel during each other’s TDMA slots without knowing that such channel access can cause interference. Further, in some systems, an AP 102 that does not own a TDMA slot and is aware of power interference to hidden terminal nodes can access the channel using a relaxed EDCA, which can still result in data transmission failures.

[0103] Therefore, in some implementations, one or more wireless communication devices may support a mechanism that assigns a frequency channel to the TDMA slots of AP 102 on a specific hop of a relay path (such as an end-to-end mesh path) for a specific flow (or multiple specific flows) to prevent hidden terminal transmissions from disrupting reception of the specific flow (which may be a low-latency flow or otherwise latency-sensitive flow). In other words, each hop of a multi-hop relay path may be associated with a specific frequency channel along with TDMA scheduling, such that AP 102 corresponding to that hop uses the specific frequency channel when transmitting both during and outside its TDMA scheduling (e.g., communicating via that specific frequency channel). In some aspects, such operation may be referred to as or understood as multi-master channel operation combined with a flow-specific TDMA series. In some implementations, different multi-master channels may be assigned (by the system controller or according to inter-AP coordination) for different hops of an end-to-end mesh path with reserved TDMA slots for a specific flow (or multiple specific flows). In some implementations, transmissions that are (at least) two hops apart can use different channels.

[0104] For example, such as Figure 6 As illustrated in the example, channel reservation scheme 600 can be applied to a time slot sequence 602 including a first time slot 602-a, a second time slot 602-b, and a third time slot 602-c, and R-AP 102-a and S-AP 102-c (devices two hops apart) can use different channels. For example, during the first time slot 602-a, R-AP 102-a can use a first frequency channel to perform transmission 604, and S-AP 102-c can use a second frequency channel different from (e.g., orthogonal to) the first frequency channel to perform transmission 606. In other words, S-AP 102-c can use a different channel than R-AP 102-a in the first time slot 602-c to prevent any hidden terminal impact on R-AP 102-a.

[0105] S-AP 102-b can perform a transmission 608 during time slot 602-b. In some aspects, transmission 608 can be a relayed version of transmission 606 according to the (flow-specific) sequence of time slots 602. In some aspects, S-AP 102-b can use the same channel as S-AP 102-c, and a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocol can resolve channel access contention between S-AP 102-b and S-AP 102-c. During time slot 602-c, R-AP 102-a can perform a transmission 610 using a first frequency channel, and S-AP 102-c can perform a transmission 612 using a second frequency channel. In other words, S-AP 102-c can use a different channel than R-AP 102-a in time slot 602-c to prevent any hidden terminal effects from R-AP 102-a.

[0106] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example wireless communication device 700 that supports back-to-back transmissions via multi-hop relay paths using flow-specific resource reservations is shown. In various examples, wireless communication device 700 can be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or a device that can include one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem, such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem), one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively “at least one processor”), one or more radio parts (collectively “at least one radio”), and one or more memories or memory blocks (collectively “at least one memory”). In some implementations, the at least one processor can include multiple processors, and the at least one memory can include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors can be coupled with one or more of the multiple memories, which can be individually or collectively configured to perform the various functions described herein as part of a processing system.

[0107] In some implementations, wireless communication device 700 can be a device for use in an AP or a STA, such as the APs or STAs described with reference to FIGs. 1-6. In some implementations, wireless communication device 700 can be a device for use in a relay, such as the relays described with reference to FIGs. 1-6. Figures 1 to 6devices described herein. In some other implementations, the wireless communication device 700 can be an AP or a STA that includes such a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device, as well as multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 700 can be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, e.g., in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device can be configured or capable of operating to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (PDUs) that conform to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 700 also includes or can be coupled with at least one application processor, which can be further coupled with at least one memory. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 700 also includes at least one external network interface that enables communication with a core network or a backhaul network to obtain access to external networks, including the Internet.

[0108] The wireless communication device 700 includes a TDMA series component 702, a data communication component 704, and a TXOP sharing component 706. Portions of one or more of the TDMA series component 702, the data communication component 704, and the TXOP sharing component 706 can be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. For example, one or more of the TDMA series component 702, the data communication component 704, and the TXOP sharing component 706 can be implemented at least in part by at least one modem. In some implementations, at least some of the TDMA series component 702, the data communication component 704, and the TXOP sharing component 706 are implemented at least in part by at least one processor and as software stored in at least one memory. For example, portions of one or more of the TDMA series component 702, the data communication component 704, and the TXOP sharing component 706 can be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or “code”) executable by at least one processor to perform the functions or operations of the respective module.

[0109] In some implementations, the at least one processor can be a component of a processing system. A processing system can generally refer to a system or series of machines or components that receive inputs and process those inputs to produce a set of outputs (which can be passed to other systems or components of, for example, the wireless communication device 700). For example, a processing system of the wireless communication device 700 can refer to a system that includes various other components or subcomponents of the wireless communication device 700, such as the at least one processor, or the at least one transceiver, or the at least one communication manager, or a combination of other components or components of the wireless communication device 700. The processing system of the wireless communication device 700 can interface with other components of the wireless communication device 700 and can process information received from other components (such as inputs or signals) or output information to other components. For example, a chip or modem of the wireless communication device 700 can include a processing system, a first interface to output information, and a second interface to obtain information. In some implementations, the first interface can refer to an interface between the processing system and a transmitter of the chip or modem, such that the wireless communication device 700 can transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some implementations, the second interface can refer to an interface between the processing system and a receiver of the chip or modem, such that the wireless communication device 700 can obtain information or signal inputs, and the information can be passed to the processing system. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the first interface can also obtain information or signal inputs, and the second interface can also output information or signal outputs.

[0110] The wireless communication device 700 can support wireless communication at a first wireless communication device in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. The TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving information associated with a sequence of time slots, where the sequence of time slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path. The data communication component 704 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for transmitting data associated with the traffic stream during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device. The TXOP sharing component 706 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for transmitting a frame indicating a sharing of the transmission opportunity with a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path, and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream according to the sequence of time slots at least partially overlapping the transmission opportunity.

[0111] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for receiving a channel access priority map associated with a sequence of slots, where the channel access priority map indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and where a shared transmit opportunity replaces the channel access priority map according to an indication of an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0112] In some implementations, the TXOP sharing component 706 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for transmitting, to a second wireless communication device, a frame according to the multi-hop relay path, where the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately follows the first slot according to a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots.

[0113] In some implementations, the TXOP sharing component 706 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for transmitting the frame to indicate, to the second wireless communication device, that data associated with the traffic stream is to be relayed according to the multi-hop relay path during the transmit opportunity.

[0114] In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for receiving, from the second wireless communication device during the transmit opportunity, a trigger frame soliciting data associated with the traffic stream, transmitting the data in association with receiving the trigger frame.

[0115] In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for transmitting, to a third wireless communication device, a second trigger frame soliciting data associated with the traffic stream. In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for receiving, from the third wireless communication device in association with transmitting the second trigger frame, the data associated with the traffic stream, where transmitting the frame indicating that the transmit opportunity is shared with the second wireless communication device is associated with receiving the data from the third wireless communication device.

[0116] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 can perform, be configured to perform, or be operable to support means for receiving, from a controller of the multi-hop relay path, information associated with a sequence of slots.

[0117] In some implementations, one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmission opportunity shared by the first wireless communication device in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream and the sequence of slots also corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0118] In some implementations, the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels.

[0119] In some implementations, the frame is an allocation request frame or a trigger frame.

[0120] In some implementations, the frame indicates the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream via an information element.

[0121] In some implementations, the sequence of slots is associated with a sequence of stream-specific back-to-back time domain multiple access slot reservations.

[0122] Additionally or alternatively, the wireless communication device 700 can support wireless communication at a first wireless communication device in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path. In some implementations, the TXOP sharing component 706 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving a frame indicating that a transmission opportunity is shared by the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream. In some implementations, the data communication component 704 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for communicating data associated with the traffic stream during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0123] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, where the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and where the transmission opportunity is shared in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream, the channel access priority mapping being superseded by the transmission opportunity.

[0124] In some implementations, the TXOP sharing component 706 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for receiving, from a second wireless communication device, a frame in accordance with a multi-hop relay path, where the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of a sequence of slots in accordance with a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately precedes the first slot.

[0125] In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for receiving, from a second wireless communication device, data associated with a traffic stream. In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for transmitting, during a transmission opportunity, data in association with relaying the data from the second wireless communication device to a third wireless communication device.

[0126] In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for transmitting, in association with receiving a frame indicating a shared transmission opportunity, a trigger frame soliciting data associated with a traffic stream. In some implementations, the data communication component 704 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for receiving data in association with transmitting the trigger frame.

[0127] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 can perform, be configured for, or be operable to support means for receiving, from a controller of a multi-hop relay path, information associated with a sequence of slots.

[0128] In some implementations, one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream and the sequence of slots also corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0129] In some implementations, the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels.

[0130] In some implementations, the frame is an allocation request frame or a trigger frame.

[0131] In some implementations, the frame indicates, via an information element, an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0132] In some implementations, the sequence of time slots is associated with a sequence of back-to-back time-domain multiple access time slot reservations specific to the stream.

[0133] Additionally or alternatively, the wireless communication device 700 can support wireless communication at a first wireless communication device in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving information associated with a sequence of time slots, where the sequence of time slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of time slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels. In some implementations, the data communication component 704 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for transmitting data associated with the traffic stream via a first frequency channel during a first time slot of the sequence of time slots in accordance with the frequency channel mapping.

[0134] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of time slots, where the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective time slot of the sequence of time slots.

[0135] In some implementations, the channel access priority mapping indicates a relatively highest channel access priority for the first wireless communication device for the first time slot and a relatively highest channel access priority for the second wireless communication device for a second time slot of the sequence of time slots, and the frequency channel mapping indicates a first frequency channel for the first wireless communication device and a second frequency channel for the second wireless communication device.

[0136] In some implementations, the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel are different channels in accordance with the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being at least two hops away from each other according to the multi-hop relay path.

[0137] In some implementations, the TDMA series component 702 is capable of, configured for, or operable to support means for receiving the information associated with the sequence of time slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

[0138] In some implementations, the frequency channel mapping is associated with multi-master channel operation along the multi-hop relay path.

[0139] In some implementations, a frequency channel is indicative of a different multi- master channel for different hops of a multi-hop relay path.

[0140] In some implementations, a sequence of time slots is associated with a sequence of back-to-back time-domain multiple access time slot reservations specific to a stream.

[0141] Figure 8 A flow diagram illustrating an example process 800 that supports back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path using stream-specific resource reservations is shown. The operations of process 800 can be implemented by an AP or a STA or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of process 800 can be performed by the wireless communication device 700 as described with reference to FIG. 7. In some implementations, a first wireless communication device can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the first wireless communication device to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the first wireless communication device can perform aspects of the described functions using special-purpose hardware. Figure 7

[0142] In some implementations, in block 802, the first wireless communication device can receive information associated with a sequence of time slots, where the sequence of time slots corresponds to a stream of traffic associated with a multi-hop relay path. The operations of block 802 can be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of block 802 can be performed by a TDMA series component 702 as described with reference to FIG. 7. Figure 7

[0143] In some implementations, in block 804, the first wireless communication device can transmit data associated with the stream of traffic during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device. The operations of block 804 can be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of block 804 can be performed by a data communication component 704 as described with reference to FIG. 7. Figure 7

[0144] In some implementations, in block 806, the first wireless communication device can transmit a frame indicating that a transmission opportunity is shared with a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path and an identifier corresponding to the stream of traffic according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of time slots. The operations of block 806 can be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of block 806 can be performed by a TXOP sharing component 706 as described with reference to FIG. 7. Figure 7

[0145] Figure 9 ​​​​A flowchart illustrating an example process 900 for back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path, exemplified by supporting one or more aspects of this disclosure, using flow-specific resource reservations. Operation of process 900 may be implemented by an AP or STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, operation of process 900 may be implemented by, as referenced... Figure 7 The described wireless communication device 700 performs this function. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the first wireless communication device to perform the described function. Additionally or alternatively, the first wireless communication device may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0146] In some implementations, in block 902, the first wireless communication device may receive information associated with a timeslot sequence, wherein the timeslot sequence corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path. Operation of block 902 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of block 902 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The TDMA series component 702 described is used to perform this.

[0147] In some implementations, in block 904, the first wireless communication device may receive a frame indicating a shared transmission opportunity and indicating an identifier corresponding to a traffic flow. Operation of block 904 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of block 904 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The TXOP shared component 706 described is used for execution.

[0148] In some implementations, in block 906, the first wireless communication device may convey data associated with a service flow during a transmission opportunity based on an identifier corresponding to the service flow indicated by a frame. The operation of block 906 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of block 906 may be provided by reference to [reference needed]. Figure 7 The data communication component 704 described herein shall be used to perform this action.

[0149] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an example process 1000 for back-to-back transmission via a multi-hop relay path, exemplified by support for one or more aspects of this disclosure, using flow-specific resource reservations. Operation of process 1000 may be implemented by an AP or STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, operation of process 1000 may be implemented by, as referenced... Figure 7 The described wireless communication device 700 performs this function. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication device may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the first wireless communication device to perform the described function. Additionally or alternatively, the first wireless communication device may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described function.

[0150] In some implementations, in block 1002, the first wireless communication device can receive information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path, and where the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path that indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a set of multiple frequency channels. The operations of block 1002 can be performed according to the examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of block 1002 can be performed by a TDMA series component 702 as described with reference to Figure 7

[0151] In some implementations, in block 1004, the first wireless communication device can transmit data associated with the traffic flow via a first frequency channel during a first slot of the sequence of slots according to the frequency channel mapping. The operations of block 1004 can be performed according to the examples as disclosed herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operations of block 1004 can be performed by a data communication component 704 as described with reference to Figure 7

[0152] Examples of specific implementations are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0153] Clause 1: A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, comprising: receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, where the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic flow associated with a multi-hop relay path; transmitting data associated with the traffic flow during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device; and transmitting a frame that indicates a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path shares the transmission opportunity and indicates an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

[0154] Clause 2: The method of clause 1, further comprising: receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, where the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and where the sharing of the transmission opportunity replaces the channel access priority mapping according to the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic flow.

[0155] ​​Clause 3: The method of clause 2, further comprising transmitting the frame to the second wireless communication device according to the multi-hop relay path, wherein according to the channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately follows the first slot.

[0156] Clause 4: The method of any one of clauses 1-3, further comprising transmitting the frame to indicate to the second wireless communication device that the data associated with the traffic stream is to be relayed according to the multi-hop relay path during the transmission opportunity.

[0157] Clause 5: The method of any one of clauses 1-4, further comprising receiving a trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream from the second wireless communication device during the transmission opportunity, wherein transmitting the data is associated with receiving the trigger frame.

[0158] Clause 6: The method of clause 5, further comprising transmitting a second trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream to a third wireless communication device and receiving the data associated with the traffic stream from the third wireless communication device in association with transmitting the second trigger frame, wherein transmitting the frame indicating that the transmission opportunity is shared with the second wireless communication device is associated with receiving the data from the third wireless communication device.

[0159] Clause 7: The method of any one of clauses 1-6, further comprising receiving the information associated with the sequence of slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

[0160] Clause 8: The method of any one of clauses 1-7, wherein the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream is indicated according to the frame and the sequence of slots also corresponds to the traffic stream, one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmission opportunity shared by the first wireless communication device.

[0161] Clause 9: The method of any one of clauses 1-8, wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels.

[0162] Clause 10: The method of any one of clauses 1-9, wherein the frame is an allocation request frame or a trigger frame.

[0163] Clause 11: The method of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the frame indicates the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream via an information element.

[0164] Clause 12: The method of any of clauses 1-11, wherein the sequence of slots is associated with a sequence of stream-specific back-to-back time-domain multiple access slot reservations.

[0165] Clause 13: A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; receiving a frame indicating a transmission opportunity shared with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream; and communicating data associated with the traffic stream during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0166] Clause 14: The method of clause 13, further comprising: receiving a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority map indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and wherein sharing the transmission opportunity supersedes the channel access priority map in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

[0167] Clause 15: The method of clause 14, further comprising: receiving the frame from a second wireless communication device in accordance with the multi-hop relay path, wherein the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately precedes the first slot in accordance with the channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots.

[0168] Clause 16: The method of any of clauses 13-15, further comprising: receiving the data associated with the traffic stream from a second wireless communication device; and transmitting the data during the transmission opportunity in association with relaying the data from the second wireless communication device to a third wireless communication device.

[0169] Clause 17: The method of any of clauses 13-16, further comprising: transmitting a trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream in association with receiving the frame indicating the transmission opportunity is shared; and receiving the data in association with transmitting the trigger frame.

[0170] Clause 18: The method of any one of clauses 13-17, further comprising: receiving, from a controller of the multi-hop relay path, the information associated with the sequence of slots.

[0171] Clause 19: The method of any one of clauses 13-18, wherein the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream is indicated according to the frame and the sequence of slots also corresponds to the traffic stream, one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmission opportunity.

[0172] Clause 20: The method of any one of clauses 13-19, wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels.

[0173] Clause 21: The method of any one of clauses 13-20, wherein the frame is an allocation request frame or a trigger frame.

[0174] Clause 22: The method of any one of clauses 13-21, wherein the frame indicates the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream via an information element.

[0175] Clause 23: The method of any one of clauses 13-22, wherein the sequence of slots is associated with a sequence of stream-specific back-to-back time-domain multiple access slot reservations.

[0176] Clause 24: A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path, and wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels; and transmitting, via a first frequency channel, data associated with the traffic stream during a first slot of the sequence of slots according to the frequency channel mapping.

[0177] Clause 25: The method of clause 24, further comprising: receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots.

[0178] Clause 26: The method of clause 25, wherein the channel access priority mapping indicates a relatively highest channel access priority for the first wireless communication device for the first time slot and a relatively highest channel access priority for a second wireless communication device for a second time slot of the sequence of time slots, and the frequency channel mapping indicates the first frequency channel for the first wireless communication device and a second frequency channel for the second wireless communication device.

[0179] Clause 27: The method of clause 26, wherein the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel are different channels in accordance with the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being at least two hops apart from each other according to the multi-hop relay path.

[0180] Clause 28: The method of any of clauses 24 to 27, further comprising: receiving the information associated with the sequence of time slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

[0181] Clause 29: The method of any of clauses 24 to 28, wherein the frequency channel mapping is associated with multi-master channel operation along the multi-hop relay path.

[0182] Clause 30: The method of any of clauses 24 to 29, wherein the frequency channel mapping indicates different multi-master channels for different hops of the multi-hop relay path.

[0183] Clause 31: The method of any of clauses 24 to 30, wherein the sequence of time slots is associated with a sequence of flow-specific back-to-back time-domain multiple access time slot reservations.

[0184] Clause 32: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured to, individually or collectively, cause the first wireless communication device to perform a method of any of clauses 1 to 12 when executing the code.

[0185] Clause 33: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising at least one means for performing a method of any of clauses 1 to 12.

[0186] Clause 34: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method of any of clauses 1 to 12.

[0187] Clause 35: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured to, individually or collectively, cause the first wireless communication device to perform a method of any of clauses 13 to 23 when executing the code.

[0188] Clause 36: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising at least one means for performing a method of any of clauses 13 to 23.

[0189] Clause 37: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to individually or collectively perform a method of any of clauses 13 to 23.

[0190] Clause 38: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured to, individually or collectively, cause the first wireless communication device to perform a method of any of clauses 24 to 31 when executing the code.

[0191] Clause 39: A first wireless communication device for wireless communication, the first wireless communication device comprising at least one means for performing a method of any of clauses 24 to 31.

[0192] Clause 40: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to individually or collectively perform a method of any of clauses 24 to 31.

[0193] As used herein, the term “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (such as via a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining and the like. Additionally, “determining” can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data in a memory), and the like. Furthermore, “determining” can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

[0194] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted as an inclusive or meaning at least one, unless explicitly indicated otherwise (e.g., “either a or b, or both”). For example, “a or b” can include a, b, or a combination of a and b.

[0195] As used herein, “based on” is intended to be interpreted as an inclusive, not an exclusive, meaning, unless explicitly indicated otherwise. For example, “based on” can be used interchangeably with “based, at least in part, on,” “associated with,” or “in accordance with,” unless explicitly indicated otherwise. Specifically, unless the phrase “based on ‘one’” or equivalent is used in the context, it can be based on “one” alone or a combination of “one” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information, whether it is “based on ‘one’” or “based on ‘one’ at least in part.”

[0196] As used herein, including in the claims, the article “a” preceding a noun is an open- ended article and is understood to refer to “at least one” of those nouns or “one or more” of those nouns. As such, the terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” are interchangeable. For example, where a claim recites “a component” that performs one or more functions, each of the individual functions can be performed by a single component or by any combination of multiple components. As such, “a component” having a particular property or performing a particular function can refer to “at least one of one or more components” having that particular property or performing that particular function. Subsequent references to “the component” in the claims can refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, a component introduced with the article “a” or “an” can be understood as meaning “one or more components,” and subsequent references to “the component” in the claims can be understood as equivalent to references to “at least one of the one or more components.” Similarly, subsequent references to a component introduced with the article “the” or “said” as “one or more components” can refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, subsequent references to “the one or more components” in the claims can be understood as equivalent to references to “at least one of the one or more components.”

[0197] The various illustrative components, logic, blocks, modules, circuits, operations and algorithm processes described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and the structural equivalents thereof. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software has been described generally, in terms of their functionality, and herein with respect to the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits and processes described throughout. This functionality can be implemented in a manner as will be apparent to those skilled in the art; the implementation can be made either in terms of under program command control, or over a special purpose logic circuit, or using both programs and special purpose logic circuits.

[0198] Various modifications to these examples described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0199] Additionally, various features that are described in the context of separate examples can also be implemented in combination with each other. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single example can also be implemented separately from that single example or in any appropriate sub-combination. As such, although features can be described above as acting in particular combinations and even initially claimed as such, 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 sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

[0200] 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 or 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 illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all examples, 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 first wireless communication device, comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: to receive information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; to transmit, during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device, data associated with the traffic stream; and to transmit a frame indicating that a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path shares the transmission opportunity and that an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream is indicated according to the transmission opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

2. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: to receive a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority map indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and wherein the sharing of the transmission opportunity supersedes the channel access priority map according to the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

3. The first wireless communication device of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: to transmit the frame to the second wireless communication device according to the multi-hop relay path, wherein the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots immediately after the first slot according to the channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots.

4. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: to transmit the frame to indicate to the second wireless communication device that the data associated with the traffic stream is to be relayed during the transmission opportunity according to the multi-hop relay path.

5. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: to receive a trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream from the second wireless communication device during the transmission opportunity, wherein transmitting the data is associated with receiving the trigger frame.

6. The first wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are configured individually or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: transmitting a second trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream to a third wireless communication device; and receiving the data associated with the traffic stream from the third wireless communication device in association with transmitting the second trigger frame, wherein transmitting the frame indicating that the transmit opportunity is shared with the second wireless communication device is associated with receiving the data from the third wireless communication device.

7. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, separately or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receive the information associated with the sequence of slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

8. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmit opportunity shared by the first wireless communication device in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream and the sequence of slots also corresponding to the traffic stream.

9. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel map associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel map indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels.

10. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the frame is an allocation request frame or a trigger frame.

11. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the frame indicates the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream via an information element.

12. The first wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the sequence of slots is associated with a sequence of stream-specific back-to-back time-domain multiple access slot reservations.

13. A first wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured separately or collectively to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receive information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; receive a frame indicating a transmit opportunity shared with the first wireless communication device and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic stream; and convey data associated with the traffic stream during the transmit opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

14. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, separately or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receive the information associated with the sequence of slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path. receiving a channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority map indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and wherein the sharing of the transmission opportunity supersedes the channel access priority map in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream.

15. The first wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receiving the frame from a second wireless communication device in accordance with the multi-hop relay path, wherein the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots that immediately precedes the first slot in accordance with the channel access priority map associated with the sequence of slots.

16. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receiving the data associated with the traffic stream from a second wireless communication device; and transmitting the data during the transmission opportunity in association with relaying the data from the second wireless communication device to a third wireless communication device.

17. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: transmitting a trigger frame soliciting the data associated with the traffic stream in association with receiving the frame indicating the sharing of the transmission opportunity; and receiving the data in association with transmitting the trigger frame.

18. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to cause the first wireless communication device, when executing the code: receiving the information associated with the sequence of slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

19. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein one or more channel access rules associated with the sequence of slots are not applicable during the transmission opportunity in accordance with the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic stream and the sequence of slots also corresponding to the traffic stream.

20. The first wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel map associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel map indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels.

21. A first wireless communication device, comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and configured individually or collectively to, when executing the code: receive information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path, and wherein the information associated with the sequence of slots indicates a frequency channel mapping associated with the multi-hop relay path, the frequency channel mapping indicating that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path uses a respective frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels; and transmit, during a first slot of the sequence of slots via a first frequency channel in accordance with the frequency channel mapping, data associated with the traffic stream.

22. The first wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to, when executing the code: receive a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots.

23. The first wireless communication device of claim 22, wherein the channel access priority mapping indicates a relatively highest channel access priority for the first wireless communication device for the first slot and a relatively highest channel access priority for a second wireless communication device for a second slot of the sequence of slots, and the frequency channel mapping indicates the first frequency channel for the first wireless communication device and a second frequency channel for the second wireless communication device.

24. The first wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the first frequency channel and the second frequency channel are different channels in accordance with the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being at least two hops away from each other according to the multi-hop relay path.

25. The first wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to, when executing the code: receive the information associated with the sequence of slots from a controller of the multi-hop relay path.

26. The first wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the frequency channel mapping is associated with multi-master channel operation along the multi-hop relay path.

27. The first wireless communication device of claim 21, wherein the frequency channel mapping indicates different multi-master channels for different hops of the multi-hop relay path.

28. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving information associated with a sequence of slots, wherein the sequence of slots corresponds to a traffic stream associated with a multi-hop relay path; transmitting, during a transmission opportunity of the first wireless communication device, data associated with the traffic stream; and transmitting a frame indicating that the transmit opportunity is shared with a second wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path, and indicating an identifier corresponding to the traffic flow according to the transmit opportunity at least partially overlapping with the sequence of slots.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: receiving a channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots, wherein the channel access priority mapping indicates that each respective wireless communication device of the multi-hop relay path has a channel access priority during a respective slot of the sequence of slots, and wherein sharing the transmit opportunity replaces the channel access priority mapping according to the frame indicating the identifier corresponding to the traffic flow.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: transmitting the frame to the second wireless communication device according to the multi-hop relay path, wherein the first wireless communication device is scheduled for a first slot of the sequence of slots and the second wireless communication device is scheduled for a second slot of the sequence of slots immediately after the first slot according to the channel access priority mapping associated with the sequence of slots.

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