Techniques for non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving station operations during a synchronization procedure

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for non-simultaneous transmission and reception (STR) station (STA) transmissions using multiple links. In one aspect, a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of a non-STR STA may be started in response to completing the transmission of data on a first link to delay triggering of a clear channel assessment (CCA) associated with the second link. Data may be transmitted on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer. In another aspect, an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link may be reduced from a first ED threshold level to a second ED threshold level after transmitting data on the first link.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 981,445, filed on February 25, 2020, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR NON-SIMULTANEOUS TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE STATION OPERATION DURING SYNCHRONIZATION PROCEDURES,” and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 181,987, filed on February 22, 2021, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR NON-SIMULTANEOUS TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE STATION OPERATION DURING SYNCHRONIZATION PROCEDURES,” both of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to techniques for non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) operations during a synchronization procedure.

[0004] Related technical description

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

[0006] Overview

[0007] The systems, methods, and devices of the disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0008] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method includes transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links. The method further includes starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing transmission of the data on the first link. The method further includes transmitting data on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0009] Another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include a memory and a processor in communication with the memory. The processor may be configured to transmit data on a first link of a non-STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links. The processor may be further configured to start a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link. The processor may be further configured to transmit data on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0010] Another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for transmitting data on a first link of a non-STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links. The apparatus may further include means for starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link. The apparatus may further include means for transmitting data on the second link in response to the expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0011] Another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium including stored communication instructions executable by a processor to transmit data on a first link of a non-STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links, start a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing transmission of the data on the first link, and transmit data on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0012] To achieve the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects include the features fully described below and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. However, these features are merely indicative of several of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to cover all such aspects and their equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Details of one or more aspects of the subject matter described in the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. However, the accompanying drawings illustrate only some typical aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered as limiting its scope. Other features, aspects and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0016] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown.

[0017] Figure 3A A block diagram of an example access point (AP) is shown.

[0018] Figure 3B A block diagram of an example station (STA) is shown.

[0019] Figure 4A A conceptual diagram of an example communication session at a STA is shown.

[0020] Figure 4B A conceptual diagram of another example communication session at a STA is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A A flow chart illustrating an example process for communicating at a STA is shown.

[0022] Figure 5B A flow chart illustrating another example process for communicating at a STA is shown.

[0023] Figure 5C A flow chart illustrating an example process for communicating at an AP is shown.

[0024] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0025] Detailed Description

[0026] The following description is directed to some specific aspects in order to describe the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. The various aspects described can be implemented in a manner that is capable of being implemented in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, the Bluetooth SIG standard, or the like as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The various aspects described may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with one or more of the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards, or the like released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The various aspects described may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals in accordance with one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), single user (SU) multiple input multiple output (MIMO), and multi-user (MU) MIMO. The various aspects described may 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), or an Internet of Things (IOT) network.

[0027] Various aspects generally relate to non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) station (STA) operations during a synchronization procedure. Generally, a STA may have a countdown timer, which may be referred to as a countdown inhibit timer or a medium synchronization delay (MediumSyncDelay) timer, which indicates a wait time on a particular medium or channel before initiating a transmission on the medium or channel. Generally, the value of the countdown timer is randomly selected by the transmitter to avoid conflicts with other STAs that are also waiting to transmit on the medium or channel after the current transmission from another STA. When a non-STR STA is transmitting uplink data on a first link, the non-STR STA may not be able to receive downlink transmissions on a second link at the same time.

[0028] However, due to the self-interference of the transmission from the STA on the first link, the non-STR STA may not be able to start or continue the countdown on the second link, which may be referred to as a clear channel assessment (CCA) blocking state. In this case, the non-STR STA may be "deaf" on the second link during the transmission period on the first link, because the non-STR STA may not be able to perform communications including countdown for transmission. The non-STR STA may also miss any preamble or entire frame of another transmission on the second link, in which case the non-STR STA may not be able to properly set its network allocation vector (NAV). Thus, when the transmission is completed on the first link, it is desirable to configure the non-STR STA operation on the second link after the "deaf" period so that it can be synchronized to the second link again in terms of the proper NAV setting on the second link.

[0029] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in the present disclosure may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. In certain aspects, the described techniques may be used to start a medium synchronization delay timer on a second link of a non-STR STA after a transmission on a first link has been completed. This allows the STA to receive signaling and acquire synchronization before starting a countdown (such as a CCA countdown) before transmitting on the second link. Similarly, if a non-STR STA performs a second transmission of the first link before the medium synchronization delay timer expires, the medium synchronization delay timer will be restarted after the second transmission is completed. Thus, by implementing the medium synchronization delay timer as described herein, non-STR STAs can operate more efficiently. In certain aspects, a non-STR STA may monitor the second link within a time period after the transmission on the first link to determine whether the non-STRSTA may have missed the preamble transmission of another STA during the transmission on the first link. If the non-STR STA does not wait to monitor the second link within a time period, but instead starts the countdown immediately, the probability of a collision with another transmission from another STA may increase.

[0030] Figure 1 A block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 is shown. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a Wi-Fi network (and will be referred to as WLAN 100 hereinafter). For example, the WLAN 100 may be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, such as the standards defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or an amendment thereof, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be. The WLAN 100 may include numerous wireless communication devices, such as an access point (AP) 102 and a plurality of stations (STAs) 104. Although only one AP 102 is shown, the WLAN network 100 may also include a plurality of APs 102.

[0031] Each STA 104 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile handset, a wireless handset, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other possibilities. STA 104 may represent a variety of devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo equipment, remote control devices (“remote controls”), printers, kitchen or other home appliances, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), and other possibilities.

[0032] A single AP 102 and the associated set of STAs 104 may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102 . Figure 1 Additionally shown is an example coverage area 106 of the AP 102, which may represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. The BSS may be identified to users by a service set identifier (SSID) and may also be identified to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which may be a media access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 periodically broadcasts a beacon frame (“beacon”) including the BSSID to enable any STA 104 within the wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish or maintain a corresponding communication link 108 (hereinafter also referred to as a “Wi-Fi link”) with the AP 102. For example, the beacon may include an identification of a primary channel used by the corresponding AP 102 and a timing synchronization function for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 may provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the WLAN via corresponding communication links 108 .

[0033] To establish a communication link 108 with the AP 102, each STA 104 is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations ("scanning") on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (eg, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform a passive scan, the STA 104 listens for beacons transmitted by the corresponding AP 102 at periodic time intervals, referred to as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs), measured in time units (TUs), where one TU may be equal to 1024 microseconds (μs). To perform an active scan, the STA 104 generates probe requests and sequentially transmits these probe requests on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from the AP 102. Each STA 104 may be configured to identify or select an AP 102 to associate with based on the scan information obtained through passive or active scanning, and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 108 with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operation, and the AP 102 uses the AID to track the STA 104.

[0034] As wireless networks become more and more common, STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within the range of the STA or to select among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) (including multiple connected BSSs). The extended network station associated with WLAN 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that allows multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. In this way, STA 104 may be covered by more than one AP 102 and may be associated with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after associating with AP 102, STA 104 may also be configured to periodically scan its surroundings to find a more suitable AP 102 to associate with. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 may perform a "roaming" scan to find another AP 102 with more suitable network characteristics (such as a larger received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reduced traffic load).

[0035] In some cases, STA 104 may form a network without AP 102 or other equipment other than STA 104 itself. An example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network may alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, an ad hoc network may be implemented within a larger wireless network (such as WLAN 100). In such aspects, although STA 104 may be able to communicate with each other through AP 102 using communication link 108, STA 104 may also communicate directly with each other via direct wireless link 110. In addition, two STA 104 may communicate via direct communication link 110, regardless of whether the two STA 104 are associated with the same AP 102 and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more STA 104 may assume the role played by AP 102 in the BSS. Such STA 104 may be referred to as a group owner (GO) and may coordinate transmission within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless link 110 include a Wi-Fi Direct connection, a connection established by using a Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) link, and other P2P group connections.

[0036] The AP 102 and the STA 104 may function and communicate (via corresponding communication links 108) in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its amendments, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be. These standards define WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the PHY and media access control (MAC) layers. The AP 102 and the STA 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as "Wi-Fi communications") to and from each other in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs) (or physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) PDUs). The AP 102 and STA 104 in the WLAN 100 may transmit PPDUs on an unlicensed spectrum, which may be a portion of a spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 60 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, and the 900 MHz band. Some aspects of the AP 102 and STA 104 described herein may also communicate in other frequency bands, such as the 6 GHz band, that may support both licensed and unlicensed communications. The AP 102 and STA 104 may also be configured to communicate on other frequency bands, such as shared licensed frequency bands, where multiple operators may have licenses to operate in one or more of the same or overlapping frequency bands.

[0037] Each frequency band may include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs that comply with IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and 802.11be standard amendments may be transmitted on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands, where each frequency band is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. In this way, these PPDUs are transmitted on a physical channel with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels may be formed by channel bonding. For example, a PPDU may be transmitted on a physical channel with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz by bonding multiple 20 MHz channels together.

[0038] 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 the receiving device to decode subsequent data in the PSDU. In an instance where the PPDU is transmitted over a bonded channel, the preamble field can be replicated and transmitted in each of a plurality of component channels. The PHY preamble may include both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). Legacy preambles can be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation, as well as other purposes. Legacy preambles can also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, decoding, and information provided therein of the non-legacy portion of the preamble are based on the specific IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0039] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 200 is shown. In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 may be an example of a device used in a STA, such as a STA. Figure 1 In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 may be a wireless communication device for an AP (such as the one described above with reference to Figure 1 The wireless communication device 200 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device can be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and media access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) that comply with IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its amendments, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be).

[0040] The wireless communication device 200 may be or may include a chip, system on chip (SoC), chipset, package, or device including one or more modems 202 (e.g., Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 compliant) modems). In some aspects, one or more modems 202 (collectively, “modems 202”) additionally include a WWAN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 also includes one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements 204 (collectively, “processors 204”) coupled to the modem 202. In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 additionally includes one or more radios 206 (collectively, “radios 206”) coupled to the modem 202. In some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 further includes one or more memory blocks or elements 208 (collectively, “memory 208”) coupled to the processor 204 or the modem 202.

[0041] The modem 202 may include an intelligent hardware block or device (for example, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). The modem 202 is generally configured to implement the PHY layer, and in some aspects also implement a portion of the MAC layer (e.g., a hardware portion of the MAC layer). For example, the modem 202 is configured to modulate packets and output the modulated packets to the radio 204 for transmission on the wireless medium. Similarly, the modem 202 is configured to obtain modulated packets received by the radio 204 and demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets. In addition to the modulator and demodulator, the modem 202 may further include digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry, automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry, encoders, decoders, multiplexers, and demultiplexers. For example, when in a transmit mode, data obtained from the processor 206 may be provided to an encoder, which encodes the data to provide encoded bits. The encoded bits may then be mapped to a number (N SS ) spatial streams for spatial multiplexing or several (N STSThe coded bits in each stream may then be mapped to points in a modulation constellation (using a selected MCS) to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols in the corresponding spatial stream or space-time stream may be multiplexed, transformed via an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block, and then provided to a DSP circuit system (e.g., for Tx windowing and filtering). The digital signal may then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signal may then be provided to an upconverter and ultimately to the radio 204. In aspects related to beamforming, the modulated symbols in the corresponding spatial streams are precoded via a steering matrix before being provided to the IFFT block.

[0042] When in receive mode, the DSP circuit system is configured to acquire a signal including modulated symbols received from the radio 204, for example, by detecting the presence of the signal and estimating initial timing and frequency offsets. The DSP circuit system is further configured to digitally condition the signal, for example, using channel (narrowband) filtering and analog impairment conditioning (such as correcting I / Q imbalance), and by applying digital gain to ultimately obtain a narrowband signal. Subsequently, the output of the DSP circuit system may be fed to an AGC, which is configured to use information extracted from the digital signal (e.g., in one or more received training fields) to determine an appropriate gain. The output of the DSP circuit system is also coupled to a demultiplexer that demultiplexes modulated symbols when multiple spatial streams or space-time streams are received. The demultiplexed symbols may be provided to a demodulator that is configured to extract the symbols from the signal and, for example, calculate a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for each bit position of each subcarrier in each spatial stream. The demodulator is coupled to a decoder that may be configured to process the LLRs to provide decoded bits. The coded bits may then be descrambled and provided to the MAC layer (processor 206) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0043] The radio 204 generally includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or "transmitter chain") and at least one RF receiver (or "receiver chain"), which may be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, each of the RF transmitter and receiver may include various analog circuit systems, including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low noise amplifier (LNA), respectively. The RF transmitter and receiver may in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some aspects, the wireless communication device 200 may include or be coupled to multiple transmit antennas (each having a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each having a corresponding receive chain). The codewords output from the modem 202 are provided to the radio 204, which then transmits the codewords via the coupled antennas. Similarly, the codewords received via the antennas are obtained by the radio 204, which then provides the codewords to the modem 202.

[0044] The processor 206 may include an intelligent hardware block or device designed to perform the functions described herein, such as, for example, a processing core, a processing block, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The processor 206 processes information received through the radio 204 and the modem 202, and processes information to be output by the modem 202 and the radio 204 for transmission over a wireless medium. For example, the processor 206 may implement a control plane and at least a portion of a MAC layer, which is configured to perform various operations related to the generation, transmission, reception, and processing of MPDUs, frames, or packets. In some aspects, the MAC layer is configured to: generate an MPDU to provide to the PHY layer for encoding, and receive decoded information bits from the PHY layer for processing as an MPDU. The MAC layer may be further configured to allocate time and frequency resources, for example, for OFDMA, or other operations or technologies. In some aspects, processor 206 may generally control modem 202 to cause the modem to perform the various operations described above.

[0045] The memory 204 may include a tangible storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM) or a combination thereof. The memory 204 may also store non-transient processor or computer executable software (SW) code containing instructions that, when executed by the processor 206, cause the processor to perform various operations for wireless communication described herein, including generation, transmission, reception, and interpretation of MPDUs, frames, or packets. For example, the various functions of the various components disclosed herein or the various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein may be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0046] Figure 3A 302 is a block diagram of an example AP 302. For example, the AP 302 may be a reference Figure 1 Example aspects of AP 102 are described. AP 302 includes a wireless communication device (WCD) 310 (although AP 302 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, wireless communication device 310 may be a wireless communication device (WCD) 310. Figure 2 Example aspects of the wireless communication device 200 described. The AP 302 also includes a plurality of antennas 320 coupled to the wireless communication device 310 to transmit and receive wireless communications. In some aspects, the AP 302 additionally includes an application processor 330 coupled to the wireless communication device 310, and a memory 340 coupled to the application processor 330. The AP 302 further includes at least one external network interface 350, which enables the AP 302 to communicate with a core network or a backhaul network to obtain access to an external network including the Internet. For example, the external network interface 350 may include one or both of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) network interface and a wireless network interface (such as a WWAN interface). Components of the aforementioned components may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of these components on at least one bus. The AP 302 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 310, the application processor 330, the memory 340, and encloses at least a portion of the antenna 320 and the external network interface 350.

[0047] Figure 3B 304. For example, STA 304 may be a reference Figure 1 104. STA 304 includes a wireless communication device 315 (although STA 304 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, wireless communication device 315 may be a wireless communication device. Figure 2Example aspects of the wireless communication device 200 described. STA 304 also includes one or more antennas 325 coupled to the wireless communication device 315 to transmit and receive wireless communications. STA 304 additionally includes an application processor 335 coupled to the wireless communication device 315, and a memory 345 coupled to the application processor 335. In some aspects, STA 304 further includes a user interface (UI) 355 (such as a touch screen or keyboard) and a display 365, which can be integrated with UI 355 to form a touch screen display. In some aspects, STA304 can further include one or more sensors 375 (such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors, for example). Components of the aforementioned components can communicate directly or indirectly with other components of these components on at least one bus. STA 304 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 315, the application processor 335, the memory 345, and at least portions of the antenna 325, the UI 355, and the display 365.

[0048] Figure 4A A conceptual diagram 400 of an example communication session at a non-STR STA is shown. For example, a non-STR STA may correspond to a multi-link device that may not have the capability for simultaneous or overlapping transmit and receive operations on multiple links for a given set of links. In other words, a non-STR STA is able to transmit or receive on a single link at a time. As described above, when a non-STR STA is transmitting uplink data on a first link (such as after performing a countdown such as a CCA countdown), the non-STR STA may not be able to receive downlink transmissions on a second link. The non-STR STA may also be unable to continue a countdown (such as a CCA countdown) on the second link.

[0049] For example, the non-STR STA may not be able to continue the countdown on the second link during the transmission on the first link because the transmission on the first link interferes with the ability of the non-STR STA to receive signals on the second link. In some aspects, this may interfere with the ability of the non-STR STA to assess whether the medium of the second link is being used, or the interference may actually indicate to the non-STR STA that the medium of the second link is being used. In an example that should not be considered limiting, when the frequency of each link is within an interference frequency range threshold (such as, but not limited to, within about 1 GHz), the transmission on the first link may interfere with the countdown on the second link.

[0050] Therefore, the non-STR STA may count down on the second link after a period of time (referred to herein as the medium synchronization delay time) has passed since the end of the transmission on the first link. For example, when the non-STR STA is transmitting on the first link (STA1), the non-STR STA may not be able to transmit or receive on the second link (STA2), such as in Figure 4A ” indicated by the “busy” and “CCA blocked” indications in . It should be noted that the non-STR STA may be able to communicate on two or more links (such as two or more different frequencies), but the example uses two links for simplicity. After the non-STR STA has completed transmission on the first link, the non-STR STA may start a medium synchronization delay timer with a medium synchronization delay time duration (also referred to as aPPDUMaxTime), during which the non-STR STA may perform a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization procedure. Specifically, the medium synchronization delay timer prevents the STA from performing a countdown on the second link until a defined period corresponding to the medium synchronization delay time duration has passed. The amount of time of the medium synchronization delay time duration may be configurable, for example, to provide a non-STR STA with sufficient time to acquire synchronization. After the synchronization delay timer expires, the non-STR STA may start a countdown on the second link (STA2). After the countdown has ended on the second link, the non-STR STA may then transmit data on the second link.

[0051] In addition, in an aspect in which the non-STR STA performs a second transmission on the first link after the medium synchronization delay timer has been started and before the medium synchronization delay timer expires, the non-STR STA may restart the medium synchronization delay timer on the second link (STA2) at the end of the second transmission. Upon expiration of the restarted medium synchronization delay timer, the non-STR STA may start a countdown (CCA countdown), and after the countdown has ended on the second link, the non-STR STA may then transmit data on the second link.

[0052] On the other hand, after the transmission ends on the first link, the energy detection (ED) level of STA2 may drop to about -82dBm. If STA2 misses a preamble transmission (such as by other STAs) within a PPDU1 transmission, STA2 may still detect the transmission on the second link and may not continue its countdown.

[0053] Figure 4BA conceptual diagram of an example communication session 420 at a non-STR STA is shown. In certain aspects, after a PPDU transmission on a first link (Link 1) of a first station (STA1), a first AP (AP1) associated with the first link (Link 1) may send a block acknowledgment (BA) frame. In certain aspects, in the same BA, the first AP (AP1) may include a NAV setting of a second AP (AP2) and send the NAV setting to the first STA (STA1). The first STA (STA1) may then indicate the NAV setting to the second STA (STA2). The second STA (STA2) may then update its NAV based on the received information.

[0054] Figure 5A A flow chart illustrating an example process 500 for communicating at a STA according to some aspects is shown. The operations of process 500 may be implemented by a STA or components thereof as described herein. For example, process 500 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as a wireless communication device such ... Figure 2 3). In some aspects, process 200 may be performed by a non-STR STA (such as a wireless communication device 200 described in conjunction with FIG. 3 and / or STA 304). Figure 1 and 3B One of the STAs described).

[0055] At block 502, process 500 includes transmitting data on a first link of a non-STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to transmit data on a first link of a non-STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to use antenna 325 to transmit data on a first link.

[0056] At block 504, process 500 includes starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to start a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, as described with reference to Figure 1-4B In another example, the application processor 335 of the STA 304 may trigger the medium synchronization delay timer stored in the memory 345 to delay transmission on the second link.

[0057] Optionally, at block 506, process 500 includes triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to trigger a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer, as described with reference to Figure 1-4B In another example, the application processor 335 of the STA 304 may activate the CCA countdown timer stored in the memory 345 to run after the medium synchronization delay timer expires.

[0058] At block 508, process 500 includes transmitting data on the second link in response to expiration of the CCA countdown timer. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to transmit data on the second link in response to expiration of the CCA countdown timer, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B Described.

[0059] In certain aspects, the medium synchronization delay timer may prevent the CCA countdown timer for the second link from being started after the transmission of data on the first link is completed. In another example, the STA 304 may activate the WCD 315 to transmit data on the second link using the antenna 325.

[0060] In certain aspects, transmission of data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on the second link.

[0061] In certain aspects, a first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of a second frequency of the second link.

[0062] In certain aspects, process 500 may optionally include initiating a second transmission on the first link while the medium synchronization delay timer is active, terminating the medium synchronization delay timer in response to the second transmission on the first link being performed while the medium synchronization delay timer is active, and restarting the medium synchronization delay timer in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link. For example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to transmit the second transmission on the first link using antenna 325, and activate application processor 335 to terminate and restart the medium synchronization delay timer based on completion of the second transmission on the first link.

[0063] In certain aspects, the process 500 may optionally include starting a second medium synchronization delay timer associated with a third link of the non-STR STA in response to completing the transmission of data on the first link, triggering a second CCA countdown timer associated with the third link in response to the expiration of the second medium synchronization delay timer, and transmitting data on the third link in response to the expiration of the second countdown timer. For example, the application processor 335 of the STA 304 may trigger the second medium synchronization delay timer stored in the memory 345 and then activate the second CCA countdown timer. In addition, the STA 304 may activate the WCD 315 to use the antenna 325 to transmit data on the third link.

[0064] In certain aspects, transmission of data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on both the second link and the third link.

[0065] In certain aspects, the first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of both the second frequency of the second link and the third frequency of the third link.

[0066] In some aspects, process 500 may optionally include determining whether a channel detection condition has been met, and terminating the medium synchronization delay timer based on determining that the channel detection condition has been met. In some aspects, the channel detection condition may correspond to at least one of: decoding of a received physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) associated with a valid medium access control PDU (MPDU), reception of a PPDU with a valid transmission opportunity duration, or completion of a NAV synchronization procedure.

[0067] In some aspects, process 500 may optionally include receiving a BA from an AP on a first link, the BA including a NAV synchronization of a second AP; and adjusting a NAV synchronization procedure of the second link based on the received BA. For example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to use antenna 325 to receive a BA from an AP on a first link.

[0068] In certain aspects, the medium synchronization delay timer may expire after a duration value, and the duration value may be received from the access point or defined at the STR STA.

[0069] Figure 5B 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 520 for communicating at a STA. The operations of process 520 may be implemented by a STA or its components as described herein. For example, process 520 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as a wireless communication device such ... Figure 2 In some aspects, process 520 may be performed by a non-STR STA (such as a wireless communication device 200 described in conjunction with FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 and3B One of the STAs described).

[0070] At block 522, process 500 includes transmitting data on a first link of a STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to transmit data on a first link of a STR STA configured to communicate using multiple links, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to use antenna 325 to transmit data on a first link.

[0071] At block 524, process 500 includes reducing the ED threshold level on the second link from the first ED threshold level to the second ED threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to reduce the ED threshold level on the second link from the first ED threshold level to the second ED threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, the STA 304 can, via the application processor 335, lower the ED threshold level after transmitting data on the first link using the antenna 325.

[0072] At block 526, process 500 includes triggering a CCA countdown timer associated with the second link. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to trigger a CCA countdown timer associated with the second link, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, the STA 304 may start a CCA countdown timer associated with the second link via the application processor 335.

[0073] At block 528, process 500 includes transmitting data on the second link. For example, in one aspect, STA 200, processor 202 or memory 208, modem 204, or radio 206 may be configured to transmit data on the second link, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to use antenna 325 to transmit data on the second link.

[0074] In certain aspects, the ED threshold level may be significantly reduced immediately upon completion of transmission of data on the first link.

[0075] In certain aspects, method 520 may optionally include increasing the ED threshold level from the second ED threshold level to the first ED threshold level after initiating transmission of the data on the second link.

[0076] Figure 5C A flow chart illustrating an example process 540 for communicating at an AP is shown. The operations of process 540 may be implemented by an AP or its components as described herein. In some aspects, process 540 may be implemented by, for example, reference Figure 3A The described AP 302 may be used to perform the above operations.

[0077] At block 542, process 500 includes determining completion of transmission on the first link of the station. For example, in one aspect, AP 302, processor 330 or memory 340, or radio 320 may be configured to determine completion of transmission on the first link of the station, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1-4B In another example, the STA 304 may determine, via the application processor 335, completion of the transmission on the first link when the allocated resources for the transmission have been transmitted.

[0078] At block 544, process 500 includes transmitting a BA frame to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station, the BA frame including the NAV synchronization of the second access point. For example, in one aspect, AP 302, processor 330 or memory 340, or radio 320 may be configured to transmit a BA frame to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station. In some aspects, the BA frame includes the NAV synchronization of the second access point, as described with reference to Figure 1-5B In another example, STA 304 may activate WCD 315 to use antenna 325 to transmit a BA frame to the first link.

[0079] Some additional examples

[0080] Aspects described herein may also include one or more of the following implementation examples described in the following numbered clauses.

[0081] 1. A communication method, comprising:

[0082] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0083] In response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA; and

[0084] Data is transmitted on the second link in response to expiration of the synchronization delay countdown timer.

[0085] 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the transmission of data on the first link interferes with the reception of signaling on the second link.

[0086] 3. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of a second frequency of the second link.

[0087] 4. A method as described in any of the preceding clauses, further comprising:

[0088] initiating a second transmission on the first link while the quality synchronization delay timer is active;

[0089] terminating the medium synchronization delay timer in response to a second transmission on the first link occurring while the medium synchronization delay timer is active; and

[0090] The medium synchronization delay timer is restarted in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link.

[0091] 5. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer expires after a duration value.

[0092] 6. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein the duration value is received from an access point or defined at a non-STR STA.

[0093] 7. A method as described in any of the preceding clauses, further comprising:

[0094] determining whether a channel detection condition has been met; and

[0095] The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated based on determining that the channel detection condition has been met.

[0096] 8. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein the channel detection condition corresponds to at least one of the following:

[0097] reception of a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) associated with a valid media access control PDU (MPDU),

[0098] Reception of a PPDU with a valid transmission opportunity duration,

[0099] Decoding of the preamble, or

[0100] Completion of the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) synchronization procedure.

[0101] 9. A method as described in any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0102] receiving a block acknowledgment (BA) from an access point (AP) on a first link, the BA including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of a second AP; and

[0103] A NAV synchronization procedure of the second link is adjusted based on the received BA.

[0104] 10. A method as described in any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0105] In response to completing transmission of data on the first link, starting a second medium synchronization delay timer associated with a third link of the non-STR STA;

[0106] triggering a second CCA countdown timer associated with the third link in response to expiration of the second medium synchronization delay timer; and

[0107] Data is transmitted on the third link in response to expiration of the second countdown timer.

[0108] 11. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein transmission of data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on both the second link and the third link.

[0109] 12. The method of any preceding clause, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of both a second frequency of the second link and a third frequency of the third link.

[0110] 13. A method as described in any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0111] adjusting an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting data on the first link;

[0112] triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and

[0113] Data is transmitted on the second link.

[0114] 14. A method as described in any preceding clause, wherein the ED threshold level is lowered immediately after completion of transmission of data on the first link.

[0115] 15. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising increasing the ED threshold level from the second ED threshold level to the first ED threshold level after initiating transmission of data on the second link.

[0116] 16. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link in response to expiration of the countdown prohibit timer,

[0117] The countdown prohibition timer prevents the CCA countdown timer for the second link from being started after the transmission of data on the first link is completed.

[0118] 17. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0119] Memory; and

[0120] a processor in communication with the memory and configured to:

[0121] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0122] In response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA; and

[0123] Data is transmitted on the second link in response to expiration of the synchronization delay countdown timer.

[0124] 18. The apparatus of clause 17, wherein transmission of data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on the second link.

[0125] 19. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of a second frequency of the second link.

[0126] 20. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer expires after a duration value.

[0127] 21. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the duration value is received from an access point or defined at a non-STR STA.

[0128] 22. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0129] determining whether a channel detection condition has been met; and

[0130] The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated based on determining that the channel detection condition has been met.

[0131] 23. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the channel detection condition corresponds to at least one of the following:

[0132] reception of a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) associated with a valid media access control PDU (MPDU),

[0133] Reception of a PPDU with a valid transmission opportunity duration,

[0134] Decoding of the preamble, or

[0135] Completion of the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) synchronization procedure.

[0136] 24. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0137] receiving a block acknowledgment (BA) from an access point (AP) on a first link, the BA including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of a second AP; and

[0138] A NAV synchronization procedure of the second link is adjusted based on the received BA.

[0139] 25. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0140] initiating a second transmission on the first link while the medium synchronization delay timer is active;

[0141] terminating the medium synchronization delay timer in response to a second transmission on the first link occurring while the countdown prohibit timer is active; and

[0142] The medium synchronization delay timer is restarted in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link.

[0143] 26. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein the processor is further configured to:

[0144] In response to completing transmission of data on the first link, starting a second medium synchronization delay timer associated with a third link of the non-STR STA;

[0145] triggering a second CCA synchronization delay associated with the third link in response to expiration of the second countdown prohibit timer; and

[0146] Data is transmitted on the third link in response to expiration of the second medium synchronization delay timer.

[0147] 27. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein transmission of data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on both the second link and the third link.

[0148] 28. An apparatus as described in any preceding clause, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interfering frequency range of both a second frequency of the second link and a third frequency of the third link.

[0149] 29. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0150] means for transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0151] means for starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA in response to completing transmission of the data on the first link; and

[0152] Means for transmitting data on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0153] 30. A computer readable medium comprising stored communication instructions executable by a processor to:

[0154] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0155] In response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer associated with a second link of the non-STR STA; and

[0156] Data is transmitted on the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

[0157] 31. A communication method, comprising:

[0158] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0159] reducing an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link;

[0160] triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and

[0161] Data is transmitted on the second link.

[0162] 32. The method of clause 31, wherein the ED threshold level is lowered immediately upon completion of transmission of data over the first link.

[0163] 33. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising increasing the ED threshold level from the second ED threshold level to the first ED threshold level after initiating transmission of data on the second link.

[0164] 34. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0165] Memory; and

[0166] a processor in communication with the memory and configured to:

[0167] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0168] reducing an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link;

[0169] triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and

[0170] Data is transmitted on the second link.

[0171] 35. The apparatus of clause 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform the operations of one or more of the methods of claims 28 and 29.

[0172] 36. A computer readable medium comprising stored communication instructions executable by a processor to:

[0173] transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0174] reducing an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link;

[0175] triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and

[0176] Data is transmitted on the second link.

[0177] 37. The computer-readable medium of clause 36, further comprising stored communication instructions executable by a processor to perform the operations of one or more of the methods of claims 32 and 33.

[0178] 38. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0179] means for transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links;

[0180] means for reducing an energy detection (ED) threshold level on the second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link;

[0181] means for triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and

[0182] Means for transmitting data on the second link.

[0183] 39. The apparatus of clause 38, comprising means for performing the operations of one or more of the methods of claims 32 and 33.

[0184] 40. A method of communicating at an access point, comprising:

[0185] determining completion of transmission on the first link of the station; and

[0186] A block acknowledgment (BA) frame is transmitted to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station, the BA frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of the second access point.

[0187] 41. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0188] Memory; and

[0189] a processor in communication with the memory and configured to:

[0190] determining completion of transmission on the first link of the station; and

[0191] A block acknowledgment (BA) frame is transmitted to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station, the BA frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of the second access point.

[0192] 42. A computer readable medium comprising stored communication instructions executable by a processor to:

[0193] determining completion of transmission on the first link of the station; and

[0194] A block acknowledgment (BA) frame is transmitted to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station, the BA frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of the second access point.

[0195] 43. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

[0196] means for determining completion of transmission on the first link of the station; and

[0197] Means for transmitting a block acknowledgment (BA) frame to the first link based on determining completion of the transmission on the first link of the station, the BA frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of the second access point.

[0198] As used herein, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense unless otherwise expressly indicated. For example, "a or b" may include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b. As used herein, a phrase that refers to "at least one of" or "one or more of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including individual members. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover the following possibilities: only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0199] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of their functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0200] Various modifications to the various aspects described in this disclosure may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the universal principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the disclosure, the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0201] In addition, various features described in this specification in the context of separate aspects may also be implemented in combination in a single aspect. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single aspect may also be implemented in multiple aspects separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some cases, and a claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination, or a variation of a sub-combination.

[0202] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all the operations described in order to achieve the desired result. In addition, the accompanying drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flow chart or a flow diagram. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the example processes schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of various system components in the aspects described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all aspects, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising: transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links; After completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer, the medium synchronization delay timer being associated with the second link of the non-STR STA; initiating a second transmission on the first link while the medium synchronization delay timer is active; restarting the medium synchronization delay timer in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link; and Data is transmitted on the second link based on the medium synchronization delay timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the data on the first link interferes with the reception of signaling on the second link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interference frequency range of a second frequency of the second link.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated in response to the second transmission on the first link occurring while the medium synchronization delay timer is active.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer expires after a medium synchronization delay time duration has elapsed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether a channel detection condition has been met; as well as The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated based on determining that the channel detection condition has been met.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the channel detection condition corresponds to at least one of: reception of a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) associated with a valid media access control PDU (MPDU), Reception of a PPDU with a valid transmission opportunity duration, Decoding of the preamble, or Completion of the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) synchronization procedure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a block acknowledgment (BA) from an access point (AP) on the first link, the BA including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of a second AP; as well as A NAV synchronization procedure of the second link is adjusted based on the received BA.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: In response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a second medium synchronization delay timer associated with a third link of the non-STR STA; triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the third link in response to expiration of the second medium synchronization delay timer; and Data is transmitted on the third link in response to expiration of the CCA countdown timer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmission of the data on the first link interferes with the reception of signaling on both the second link and the third link.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first frequency of the first link is within an interference frequency range of both the second frequency of the second link and the third frequency of the third link.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting an energy detection (ED) threshold level on a second link from a first energy detection (ED) threshold level to a second energy detection (ED) threshold level after transmitting the data on the first link; triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link; and Data is transmitted on the second link.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ED threshold level is lowered immediately after completion of the transmission of the data on the first link.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising increasing the ED threshold level from the second ED threshold level to the first ED threshold level after initiating transmission of the data on the second link.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the second link in response to expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer prevents the CCA countdown timer for the second link from being started after the transmission of the data on the first link is completed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer is initiated in response to completing transmission of the data on the first link.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data on the second link comprises: Data is transmitted on the second link after expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

18. An apparatus for communication, comprising: Memory; as well as a processor in communication with the memory and configured to: transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links; After completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer, the medium synchronization delay timer being associated with the second link of the non-STR STA; initiating a second transmission on the first link while the medium synchronization delay timer is active; restarting the medium synchronization delay timer in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link; and Data is transmitted on the second link based on the medium synchronization delay timer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the data on the first link interferes with the reception of signaling on the second link.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interference frequency range of a second frequency of the second link.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer expires after a medium synchronization delay time duration has elapsed.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining whether a channel detection condition has been met; and The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated based on determining that the channel detection condition has been met.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the channel detection condition corresponds to at least one of: reception of a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) associated with a valid media access control PDU (MPDU), Reception of a PPDU with a valid transmission opportunity duration, Decoding of the preamble, or Completion of the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) synchronization procedure.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to: receiving a block acknowledgment (BA) from an access point (AP) on the first link, the BA including a network allocation vector (NAV) synchronization of a second AP; and A NAV synchronization procedure of the second link is adjusted based on the received BA.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to: The medium synchronization delay timer is terminated in response to the second transmission on the first link occurring while the medium synchronization delay timer is active.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a second medium synchronization delay timer associated with a third link of the non-STR STA; triggering a clear channel assessment (CCA) countdown timer associated with the third link in response to expiration of the second medium synchronization delay timer; and Data is transmitted on the third link in response to expiration of the CCA countdown timer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the transmission of the data on the first link interferes with reception of signaling on both the second link and the third link.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a first frequency of the first link is within an interference frequency range of a second frequency of the second link and a third frequency of the third link.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the medium synchronization delay timer is initiated in response to completing transmission of the data on the first link.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to: Data is transmitted on the second link after expiration of the medium synchronization delay timer.

31. An apparatus for communication, comprising: means for transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links; means for starting a medium synchronization delay timer after completing transmission of the data on the first link, the medium synchronization delay timer being associated with a second link of the non-STR STA; means for initiating a second transmission on said first link while said medium synchronization delay timer is active; means for restarting the medium synchronization delay timer in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link; as well as means for transmitting data on the second link based on the medium synchronization delay timer.

32. A computer readable medium comprising stored communication instructions executable by a processor to: transmitting data on a first link of a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) station (STA) configured to communicate using multiple links; After completing the transmission of the data on the first link, starting a medium synchronization delay timer, the medium synchronization delay timer being associated with the second link of the non-STR STA; initiating a second transmission on the first link while the medium synchronization delay timer is active; restarting the medium synchronization delay timer in response to completion of the second transmission on the first link; and Data is transmitted on the second link based on the medium synchronization delay timer.

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