Method and apparatus for transmitting parameter indication when WLAN sensing is supported

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transmitting a parameter indication when wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing is supported is provided herein. The invention provides an apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and a processor circuit coupled with the RF interface, wherein the processor circuit: decodes an information element (IE) received from a WLAN device via the RF interface, wherein the IE indicates a transmission parameter for a transmission of a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) of the WLAN device; and performs WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the IE. Other embodiments can also be disclosed and claimed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In summary, embodiments of the present invention relate to wireless communication, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for transmitting parameter indications when supporting wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing. Background Technology

[0002] WLAN sensing is typically used to characterize the environment in which WLAN devices are located. WLAN sensing will be affected by various factors. For example, it will be affected by factors such as human movement in the environment. Furthermore, other factors can be investigated to improve the performance of WLAN sensing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and a processor circuit coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuit is configured to: decode an information element (IE) received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface, wherein the IE indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) of the WLAN device; and perform WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the IE.

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention also provide other devices. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Embodiments of the invention will be illustrated by way of example, not limitation, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements, and wherein:

[0006] Figure 1 This is a network diagram illustrating an example network environment according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 2a This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 2b This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing element according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing frame according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing frame according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a method for transmitting parameter indication when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method for transmitting parameter indication when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a method for transmitting parameter indication when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 7 These are block diagrams of radio architectures 700A and 700B according to some embodiments, which can... Figure 1 Implemented in either AP 104 and / or user equipment 102.

[0015] Figure 8 A WLAN FEM circuit 704a according to some embodiments is shown.

[0016] Figure 9 A radio IC circuit 706a according to some embodiments is shown.

[0017] Figure 10 A functional block diagram of a baseband processing circuit 708a according to some embodiments is shown.

[0018] Figure 11 This is a functional diagram of an exemplary communication station according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 12 It is a block diagram of an example machine or system on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein can be performed. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terminology commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the spirit of the invention to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternative embodiments can be implemented using only a portion of the described aspects. Specific figures, materials, and configurations are presented for purposes of explanation to provide a full understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments can be implemented without specific details. In other instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid obscuring the illustrative embodiments.

[0021] Furthermore, the various operations will be described sequentially as a plurality of discrete operations in a manner most conducive to understanding the illustrative embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed as implying that these operations are necessarily dependent on the order. In particular, these operations do not need to be performed in the proposed order.

[0022] The phrases “in an embodiment,” “in one embodiment,” and “in some embodiments” are used repeatedly herein. These phrases generally do not refer to the same embodiment; however, they may refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous unless the context otherwise requires. The phrases “A or B” and “A / B” mean “(A), (B), or (A and B).”

[0023] Figure 1 This is a network diagram illustrating an example network environment according to some embodiments of the present invention. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the wireless network 100 may include one or more user equipment 102 and one or more access points (APs) 104, which can communicate according to the IEEE 802.11 communication standard. User equipment 102 may be a non-fixed mobile device (e.g., without a fixed location) or a fixed device.

[0024] In some embodiments, user equipment 102 and AP 104 may include one or more functional modules, similar to Figure 11 Functional diagrams and / or Figure 12 Those in example machines / systems.

[0025] One or more user equipment 102 and / or AP 104 may be operated by one or more users 110. It should be noted that any addressable unit can be a station (STA). An STA can adopt several different characteristics, each of which shapes its functionality. For example, a single addressable unit can simultaneously be a portable STA, a Quality of Service (QoS) STA, an attached STA, and a hidden STA. One or more user equipment 102 and one or more AP 104 can be STAs. One or more user equipment 102 and / or AP 104 can operate as a Personal Basic Service Set (PBSS) control point / access point (PCP / AP). User equipment 102 (e.g., 1024, 1026, or 1028) and / or AP 104 may include any suitable processor-driven device, including but not limited to mobile devices or non-mobile devices such as static devices. For example, user equipment 102 and / or access point 104 may include user equipment (UE), station (STA), access point (AP), software-enabled AP (SoftAP), personal computer (PC), wearable wireless device (e.g., wristband, watch, glasses, ring, etc.), desktop computer, mobile computer, laptop computer, ultrabook. TMComputers, laptops, tablets, server computers, handheld computers, handheld devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensor devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld PDA devices, in-vehicle devices, non-in-vehicle devices, hybrid devices (e.g., combining cellular phone functionality with PDA device functionality), consumer devices, vehicle devices, non-vehicle devices, mobile or portable devices, non-mobile or non-portable devices, mobile phones, cellular phones, personal communication service (PCS) devices, PDA devices incorporating wireless communication devices, mobile or portable global positioning system (GPS) devices, digital video broadcasting (DVB) devices, relatively small computing devices, non-desktop computers, "carry small live" computers. Large (CSLL) devices, Ultra Mobile Devices (UMDs), Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs), Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), "origami" devices or computing devices, devices supporting Dynamically Composable Computing (DCC), context-sensing devices, video devices, audio devices, A / V devices, set-top boxes (STBs), Blu-ray disc (BD) players, BD burners, digital video disc (DVD) players, high-definition (HD) DVD players, DVD burners, HDDVD burners, personal video recorders (PVRs), broadcast HD receivers, video sources, audio sources, video convergence systems, audio convergence systems, stereo tuners, broadcast radio receivers, flat panel displays, personal media players (PMPs), digital video cameras (DVCs), digital audio players, speakers, audio receivers, audio amplifiers, gaming devices, data sources, data receivers, digital still cameras (DSCs), media players, smartphones, televisions, music players, etc. Other devices, including smart devices such as lights, climate control, automotive parts, home appliances, etc., may also be included in this list.

[0026] As used herein, the term "Internet of Things (IoT) device" refers to any object (e.g., appliance, sensor, etc.) that has an addressable interface (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address, Bluetooth identifier (ID), Near Field Communication (NFC) ID, etc.) and can transmit information to one or more other devices via wired or wireless connections. IoT devices may have passive communication interfaces, such as Quick Response (QR) codes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, NFC tags, etc., or active communication interfaces, such as modems, transceivers, transmitter-receivers, etc. IoT devices may have a specific set of attributes (e.g., one or more device states, such as whether the IoT device is on or off, open or closed, idle or active, available for task execution or busy, cooling or heating functions, environmental monitoring or recording functions, light emission functions, sound emission functions, etc.), which may be embedded in or controlled / monitored by a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, ASIC, etc., and configured to connect to IoT networks, such as local ad-hoc networks or the Internet. For example, IoT devices may include, but are not limited to, refrigerators, toasters, ovens, microwave ovens, freezers, dishwashers, tableware, hand tools, washing machines, dryers, stoves, air conditioners, thermostats, televisions, lamps, vacuum cleaners, sprinklers, electricity meters, and gas meters, as long as these devices are equipped with addressable communication interfaces for communicating with IoT networks. IoT devices may also include mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Therefore, an IoT network can consist of a combination of “traditional” internet-accessible devices (e.g., laptops or desktop computers, mobile phones, etc.) and devices that typically do not have internet connectivity (e.g., dishwashers, etc.).

[0027] According to one or more IEEE 802.11 standards and / or 3GPP standards, user equipment 102 and / or AP 104 may also include, for example, mesh stations in a mesh network.

[0028] Any of user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) and AP 104 can be configured to communicate with each other wirelessly or wiredly via one or more communication networks 130 and / or 135. User equipment 102 can also communicate with each other point-to-point or directly, with or without AP 104. Any of communication networks 130 and / or 135 may include, but is not limited to, any combination of suitable communication networks of different types, such as, for example, broadcast networks, cable networks, public networks (e.g., the Internet), private networks, wireless networks, cellular networks, or any other suitable private and / or public networks. Furthermore, any of communication networks 130 and / or 135 may have any suitable communication range associated with it and may include, for example, global networks (e.g., the Internet), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), or personal area networks (PANs). Furthermore, any one of the communication networks 130 and / or 135 may include any type of medium on which network traffic can be carried, including but not limited to coaxial cable, twisted pair, optical fiber, hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) medium, microwave terrestrial transceiver, radio frequency communication medium, white space communication medium, ultra-high frequency communication medium, satellite communication medium, or any combination thereof.

[0029] Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) and AP 104 may include one or more communication antennas. These one or more communication antennas may be any suitable type of antenna corresponding to the communication protocol used by user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, and 1028) and AP 104. Some non-limiting examples of suitable communication antennas include Wi-Fi antennas, IEEE 802.11 series standard compliant antennas, directional antennas, non-directional antennas, dipole antennas, folded dipole antennas, patch antennas, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, omnidirectional antennas, quasi-omnidirectional antennas, etc. The one or more communication antennas may be communicatively coupled to radio components to transmit and / or receive signals, such as communication signals to and / or from user equipment 102 and / or AP 104.

[0030] Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) or access point 104 can be configured to perform directional transmission and / or directional reception in conjunction with wireless communication in a wireless network. Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) or access point 104 can be configured to perform such directional transmission and / or reception using a set of multiple antenna arrays (e.g., DMG antenna arrays, etc.). Each of these multiple antenna arrays can be used for transmission and / or reception in a particular, respective direction or directional range. Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) or access point 104 can be configured to perform any given directional transmission toward one or more defined transmission sectors. Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) or access point 104 can be configured to perform any given directional reception from one or more defined reception sectors.

[0031] MIMO beamforming in a wireless network can be accomplished using radio frequency (RF) beamforming and / or digital beamforming. In some embodiments, when performing a given MIMO transmission, user equipment 102 and / or AP 104 can be configured to perform MIMO beamforming using all or a subset of one or more of their communication antennas.

[0032] Either user equipment 102 (e.g., user equipment 1024, 1026, 1028) or access point 104 may include any suitable radio and / or transceiver for transmitting and / or receiving radio frequency (RF) signals to communicate with each other in a bandwidth and / or channel corresponding to a communication protocol utilized by either user equipment 102 or access point 104. The radio component may include hardware and / or software to modulate and / or demodulate the communication signals according to a pre-established transmission protocol. The radio component may further have hardware and / or software instructions for communicating via one or more Wi-Fi and / or Wi-Fi Direct protocols, as standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. It should be understood that this list of communication channels according to certain 802.11 standards is only a partial list, and other 802.11 standards (e.g., next-generation Wi-Fi, or other standards) may be used. In some embodiments, non-Wi-Fi protocols may be used for communication between devices, such as Bluetooth, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Ultra High Frequency (UHF) (e.g., IEEE 802.11af, IEEE 802.22), whiteband frequencies (e.g., white space), or other packet radio communications. The radio components may include any known receiver and baseband suitable for communication via a communication protocol. The radio components may further include a low-noise amplifier (LNA), an additional signal amplifier, an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter, one or more buffers, and a digital baseband.

[0033] Examples are provided to indicate multiple transmission parameters when supporting WLAN sensing in order to enhance the performance of WLAN sensing.

[0034] Wi-Fi sensing is a Wi-Fi technology that performs applications similar to sensors and radar, such as:

[0035] • Motion detection: Detects environmental changes between devices, including those caused by human movement;

[0036] • Remote patient monitoring: Passively monitor patient movement, including fall detection and other movement alerts;

[0037] • Passive positioning: Determining the location of a person, animal, or object without a wireless device in a pre-mapped / scanned / trained location;

[0038] Survival detection: By detecting vital signs and fine motor skills, inanimate objects can be distinguished from living objects;

[0039] • Vital signs monitoring: Non-contact estimation of respiratory rate and / or heart rate.

[0040] Wi-Fi sensing implementations typically fall into two categories:

[0041] • The same device transmits and receives waveforms—similar to traditional radar (e.g., Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology). It is typically implemented using millimeter-wave technology (IEEE 802.11ad / ay) and Doppler processing. It is generally used for short-range, high-resolution applications such as gesture recognition and vital sign monitoring.

[0042] Sensing is performed by tracking one or more wireless links between a "sensing" STA (e.g., an access point) and one or more transmitting STAs (e.g., clients). It is typically implemented using sub-7 GHz (e.g., 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz) Wi-Fi technology and leverages artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) algorithms to classify temporal variations in the wireless channel as events / activities. It supports applications with broad coverage (e.g., single-family homes) and lower resolution, such as home security and smart buildings.

[0043] WLAN sensing implementations typically rely on solutions such as (1) forcing STAs participating in WLAN sensing to maintain / freeze their transmission parameters and / or (2) enabling STAs participating in WLAN sensing to indicate relevant transmission parameters via a reverse channel. Such WLAN sensing implementations may experience performance degradation if one or more of the STAs participating in the sensing procedure change transmission parameters, such as changing the transmission power level, beamforming matrix, and the antenna / antenna group used, because there is no definition and procedure for enabling STAs participating in WLAN sensing to indicate transmission parameters and adaptation.

[0044] This invention is primarily described in the context of WLAN sensing applications that rely on tracking one or more wireless links over time (e.g., the second type described above). Such applications depend on the fact that the movement of a person or object in a given environment can affect how Wi-Fi signals propagate from the transmitter to the receiver (e.g., propagation paths are created and disrupted, resulting in time-varying multipath attenuation). However, the solutions in this invention are applicable to other WLAN sensing applications (e.g., sensing applications that rely on Doppler processing). This invention is not limited in this respect.

[0045] It is expected that channel estimates for wireless links will show little or no temporal variation over time when the environment is static, and show variation when the environment is not static, such as when a person is walking in the monitored environment. However, this expected behavior relies on the assumption that the sensing transmitter does not change its transmission parameters when sending packets for WLAN sensing. However, most Wi-Fi devices adapt their transmission parameters over time for several reasons—and if this fact is not handled properly, it can severely degrade the performance of WLAN sensing. For example, different sets of transmission parameters can lead to significantly different channel estimates.

[0046] WLAN sensing can suffer performance degradation due to transmission parameter adaptation because the sensing receiver is typically unaware of when (and which) such changes occur. Therefore, the sensing receiver cannot distinguish whether the observed changes are due to channel variations (such as when a person walks in the environment) – which is the target of Wi-Fi sensing – or as a result of transmission parameter changes / adaptation.

[0047] For ease of description, a sensing transmitter is a STA that transmits Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) for sensing measurements during a sensing session, and a sensing receiver is a STA that receives PPDUs sent by the sensing transmitter and performs sensing measurements during a sensing session. If the sensing receiver knows the transmission parameters used in the transmission of each PPDU it receives, it will not only be able to determine when adaptation occurs, but also be able to eliminate or reduce the effects of such adaptation.

[0048] To inform the STA (e.g., a sensor receiver) performing WLAN sensing of the transmission parameters used in the PPDU transmission, a new information element (IE) can be defined to carry such information. This new information element can be referred to as a WLAN sensing element. Transmission parameters may include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0049] Figure 2a This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing element 201 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2a In the WLAN sensing element 201, the fields labeled PHY 1, PHY 2, ... and PHY n correspond to various PHY parameters, such as the TX power level, which are not found in the PHY header of the PPDU.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2a As shown, the WLAN sensing element 201 may further include other fields, such as element ID, length, and element ID extension.

[0051] Figure 2bThis is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing element 202 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2b The WLAN sensing element 202 illustrates a second possible format for the proposed information element.

[0052] and Figure 2a Compared to WLAN sensing element 201, WLAN sensing element 202 includes an additional field preceding the PHY 1, PHY 2...PHY n fields, which is in Figure 2b The field "Parameter Bitmap" is shown in the diagram. The PHY parameters included in the information element can be determined via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the length of this field is fixed, and the parameter values ​​contained in the element are represented using 0s and 1s. For example, the first bit in the bitmap may indicate the transmit (TX) power level, and the second bit may indicate the antenna group used, and so on. In this case, if the first bit in the bitmap is equal to 1, then PHY 1 will contain the TX power used in the PPDU transmission. If the first bit in the bitmap is equal to 0 and the second bit in the bitmap is equal to 1, then PHY 1 will indicate the antenna group used in the PPDU transmission. In some embodiments, the length of each PHY field may be predefined or configured via signaling.

[0053] In some embodiments, the proposed WLAN sensing elements (e.g., WLAN sensing element 201 and WLAN sensing element 202) can be expanded to include more fields than those used to transmit PHY parameters, such as address, duration of the current WLAN sensing session, and requests to extend the WLAN sensing session. That is, in addition to PHY parameter information, additional fields can be defined within the WLAN sensing element to carry information related to the sensing session and / or application.

[0054] In some embodiments, the proposed information element can be used in applications other than WLAN sensing. In this case, the information element may be referred to as a "transmission parameter element," and its format may be extensible.

[0055] In some embodiments, WLAN sensing elements can be carried within existing management frames, such as beacon frames. This allows, for example, a sensing receiver to track beacon frames periodically broadcast by the AP to support WLAN sensing. Alternatively, in some embodiments, new management frames can be defined to carry the WLAN sensing elements, as described below.

[0056] In some embodiments, the action type of the new management frame can be No Ack. For example, the new management frame can be referred to as a WLAN sensing frame. Similarly, as discussed earlier, the new management frame can be referred to as a transmission parameter frame to report transmission parameters other than those used for WLAN sensing.

[0057] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing frame 301 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3a As shown, the WLAN sensing frame 301 may include the fields "Category", "Action", and "PHY 1", "PHY 2"... "PHY n" indicating the transmission parameters used for WLAN sensing.

[0058] Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary WLAN sensing frame 302 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3b WLAN sensing frame 302 illustrates a second possible format for the proposed new management frame. For example... Figure 3b As shown, the disclosed WLAN sensing element is included in WLAN sensing frame 302.

[0059] Similar to the WLAN sensing elements described above, in addition to PHY parameter information, in some embodiments, additional fields can be defined within WLAN sensing frames 301 and 302 to carry information related to the sensing session and / or application.

[0060] The information contained in WLAN sensing elements / frames will be described in detail below.

[0061] As mentioned above, the various fields (PHY 1, PHY 2, ... and PHY n) in the WLAN sensing element / frame can correspond to PHY parameters that are not found in the PHY header of the PPDU.

[0062] In some embodiments, the "PHY parameter" may include the TXVECTOR value used to generate the PPDU.

[0063] For example, for High Throughput (HT), Very High Throughput (VHT), High Efficiency (HE), and Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDUs, these fields can indicate one or more of the following TXVECTOR parameters:

[0064] • TXPWR_LEVEL_INDEX: Indicates which of the available TxPowerLevel attributes defined in the Master Information Block (MIB) are used in the current transmission;

[0065] • N_TX: Indicates the number of transmission links;

[0066] •ANTENNA_SET: Indicates which of the available antennas were used in the transmission.

[0067] When the disclosed WLAN sensing elements and / or WLAN sensing frames are carried within an HT, VHT, HE, or EHT PPDU, other PHY parameters may also be defined. This invention is not limited in this respect.

[0068] For Directed Multi-Gigabit (DMG) and Enhanced Directed Multi-Gigabit (EDMG) PPDUs, these fields can indicate one or more of the following TXVECTOR parameters:

[0069] • ANT_CONFIG: Indicates which antenna(s) configuration to use throughout the packet transmission and when to switch between configurations;

[0070] • TX_SECTOR_CONFIG_INDEX: An integer used to identify the TX sector combination index;

[0071] • CSD_APPLIED: Indicates that a cyclic shift delay (CSD) is applied on a different transport chain.

[0072] When the proposed WLAN sensing element and / or WLAN sensing frame is carried within the DMG and EDMG PPDU, other PHY parameters can also be defined. This invention is not limited in this respect.

[0073] These fields within WLAN sensing elements / frames may also include indications of PHY parameters, which are implementation-specific and not passed to the PHY via TXVECTOR. For example, when generating HT, VHT, HE, and EHT PPDUs, the transmitter can use a spatial mapping matrix Q that maps the spatial-temporal stream to the transport chain. k Matrix Q k The PHY is determined in an implementation-specific manner and is not controlled by the TXVECTOR parameter. Therefore, the STA can use a different spatial mapping matrix in the transmission of each PPDU. Thus, the PHY field within a WLAN sensing element / frame can be defined using one of the following possible definitions:

[0074] • Indication is provided via a single bit. For example, a bit equal to 1 can indicate the matrix Q used in the transmission of the PPDU. k The matrix Q used in the previous transmission to the same user or user group k Same. If this bit is equal to 0, it may indicate matrix Q. k The changes.

[0075] • Indicated via multiple bits. It will indicate the matrix Q used throughout the packet transmission. k Configuration, and when to switch between configurations. Despite the exponential and matrix Q... kThe mapping between them is unknown to the receiving STA, but it will still allow the receiving STA to track Q. k The changes, and may even allow it to "combine" PPDUs transmitted with the same configuration over time.

[0076] In some embodiments, to enable a sensing receiver to recognize that a PPDU is available for WLAN sensing purposes—for example, if the PPDU includes a WLAN sensing element—an indication may be included in the PHY header to indicate the presence of the WLAN sensing element / frame. This indication may be triggered, for example, by using a different channel estimation algorithm or by storing a channel estimate obtained by the receiver until the WLAN sensing element / frame is decoded, as well as other implementation issues.

[0077] In some embodiments, for HT PPDUs, the indication may be included within HT-SIG; for VHT PPDUs, the indication may be included within VHT-SIG-A; for HE PPDUs, the indication may be included within HE-SIG-A; for DMG PPDUs, the indication may be included within the Header; and for EDMG PPDUs, the indication may be included within EDMG-Header-A. In some embodiments, the indication may be included within a different field than those described above. The invention is not limited in this respect.

[0078] It is beneficial to add little or no load to WLAN from WLAN sensing. Therefore, whenever possible (e.g., depending on the requirements of the sensing application), WLAN sensing can utilize PPDUs transmitted for purposes other than WLAN sensing—e.g., for transmitting data frames.

[0079] In some embodiments, when a sensing application utilizes PPDUs transmitted for different purposes, it is important that one or more sensing receivers still be able to obtain the information contained in the WLAN sensing elements / frames. Therefore, when transmitting PPDUs with aggregated MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs), or more generally, when transmitting frames that can be aggregated with other MAC protocol data units (MPDUs), the sensing transmitter can aggregate WLAN sensing elements / frames so that the sensing receivers can obtain knowledge of the PHY parameters used in their transmission.

[0080] In some embodiments, the sensing transmitter will make a best effort to aggregate WLAN sensing elements / frames into one MPDU in each of its transmitted PPDUs, particularly if it knows that the PPDU can be used to support WLAN sensing. This process will effectively reduce the overhead of WLAN sensing because it will enable PPDUs transmitted for data exchange to also be used by WLAN sensing, for example.

[0081] Figure 4This is a flowchart of a method 400 for transmitting parameter indications when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Method 400 may include steps 410 and 420.

[0082] At 410, the Information Element (IE) received from the WLAN is decoded. The IE indicates the transmission parameters used for the transmission of PPDUs for the WLAN device.

[0083] In 420, WLAN sensing is performed on WLAN devices based on IE.

[0084] Method 400 may include more or fewer steps, which is not limited in this invention.

[0085] In some embodiments, the IE is carried in an existing management frame or a dedicated management frame.

[0086] In some embodiments, based on IE, it is determined when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change; and when it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change, WLAN sensing is performed based on the changed transmission parameters.

[0087] In some embodiments, transmission parameters include PHY parameters. In some embodiments, PHY parameters include TXVECTOR values. In some embodiments, PHY parameters indicate: transmission power level; number of transmission chains; antennas used for transmission; antenna configuration used for transmission; transmission sector combination index; or the application of CSD. In some embodiments, PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0088] In some embodiments, the IE is included in the PPDU, and the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the IE is included in the PPDU.

[0089] In some embodiments, the IE further indicates other information related to WLAN sensing.

[0090] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method 500 for transmitting parameter indications when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Method 500 may include steps 510 and 520.

[0091] At 510, the information received from the WLAN device is decoded. This information is carried in a dedicated management frame and indicates the transmission parameters for the transmission of PPDUs for the WLAN device.

[0092] At 520, WLAN sensing is performed on the WLAN device based on this information.

[0093] Method 500 may include more or fewer steps, which is not limited in this invention.

[0094] In some embodiments, the PPDU includes a dedicated management frame for the MPDU, which is the PPDU.

[0095] Within the broad category of WLAN sensing applications that rely on tracking wireless links over time, there are at least two possible operating modes: negotiated operation and opportunistic / passive operation.

[0096] During the negotiation process, the STAs participating in the sensing session can negotiate operating parameters. Although PPDUs transmitted when WLAN sensing is supported can also carry data, their transmission is primarily triggered for the purpose of WLAN sensing.

[0097] In opportunistic / passive operation, the STA performs WLAN sensing measurements opportunistically / passively; that is, measurements are performed using PPDUs transmitted for non-sensing purposes. The transmitter of such PPDUs may or may not know that the PPDUs it transmits are used for WLAN sensing purposes. In this operating mode, the overhead of WLAN sensing (channel usage) is negligible or even zero.

[0098] Transmission parameter adjustments can negatively impact the performance of both negotiated WLAN sensing and opportunistic / passive WLAN sensing. While PPDUs used for channel measurements in negotiated WLAN sensing applications will naturally (1) be transmitted with little or no change in transmission parameters, or (2) include the aforementioned WLAN sensing elements / frames, PPDUs used by opportunistic WLAN sensing applications may be transmitted with various transmission parameters and will therefore require the use of the WLAN sensing elements / frames disclosed herein.

[0099] To enhance the performance of opportunistic / passive WLAN sensing applications, procedures are provided to enable a sensing receiver (or the initiator of a sensing session) to request a potential sensing transmitter to include the proposed WLAN sensing element / frame in its transmission whenever possible.

[0100] In some embodiments, the proposed procedure is as follows:

[0101] 1. STAs that support opportunistic / passive sensing and new information elements and / or frames disclosed herein indicate such support in their respective capabilities.

[0102] 2. STAs intending to perform opportunistic / passive sensing determine whether other STAs in their coverage area support the capabilities discussed in step 1.

[0103] • If the STA intending to perform opportunistic / passive sensing is a non-AP STA, it can determine whether the desired capability is supported by nearby AP STAs by means of means such as transmitting a probe request.

[0104] • Non-AP STAs can determine whether other non-AP STAs associated with the same AP support the desired capabilities through Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) and other possible methods.

[0105] • Non-AP STAs can determine whether other non-AP STAs that are not associated with or are associated with different APs support the desired capabilities by utilizing GAS frames / procedures and other possible methods.

[0106] 3. After identifying one or more STAs within its coverage area that support the capabilities described in step 1, the STA intending to perform WLAN sensing opportunistic request frame opportunistically sends a WLAN sensing opportunistic request frame to the identified STA. The request may define the following information:

[0107] • Duration. The STA receiving the request may include the WLAN sensing frame in the PPDU as much as possible for transmission within the duration defined in the request.

[0108] • Desired PHY parameters, such as the bandwidth and number of antennas.

[0109] • The expected number of PPDU transmissions per second. To enable WLAN sensing applications to achieve a certain level of reliability / performance, the requesting STA can request a minimum number of transmissions within a given time period.

[0110] 4. A STA that receives a WLAN sensing opportunistic request frame may reject or accept the request.

[0111] 5. If the STA that receives the request accepts the request, the STA will include the WLAN sensing element or WLAN sensing frame in the PPDU. If the transmission parameters change, the PPDU will be transmitted for the negotiated duration (and other methods may also be selected).

[0112] The order of operations described above is not limited to the examples above. In some embodiments, the operations of the above procedures can be reordered. The present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present invention, a WLAN sensing element or a WLAN sensing frame may be provided to each PPDU, regardless of whether the transmission parameters change. In some embodiments of the present invention, a WLAN sensing element or a WLAN sensing frame may be provided to the PPDU only when there is a change in the transmission parameters. The present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0114] Figure 6This is a flowchart of a method 600 for transmitting parameter indications when supporting WLAN sensing, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Method 600 may include steps 610, 620, 630, and 640.

[0115] In step 610, the capability message received from the WLAN device is decoded. The capability message indicates that the WLAN device supports both opportunistic / passive sensing and transmitting WLAN sensing elements / frames.

[0116] At 620, in response to the capability message, a WLAN sensing request is encoded for transmission to the WLAN device to request a WLAN sensing element / frame.

[0117] At 630, in response to the WLAN sensing request, the PPDU received from the WLAN device is decoded to obtain the WLAN sensing element / frame. The WLAN sensing element / frame indicates the transmission parameters of the WLAN device used for the PPDU.

[0118] In 640, WLAN sensing is performed on the WLAN device based on transmission parameters.

[0119] Method 600 may include more or fewer steps, which is not limited in this invention.

[0120] In some embodiments, a non-AP STA may perform method 600.

[0121] In some embodiments, the WLAN device may include an AP STA or a non-AP STA.

[0122] By employing a solution that transmits parameter indication when supporting WLAN sensing, the sensing receiver can know the transmission parameters used in the transmission of the PPDUs it receives. In this way, the sensing receiver can not only determine when adjustments by the sensing transmitter occur, but also eliminate or reduce the impact of such adjustments. Therefore, the performance of WLAN sensing can be improved.

[0123] Figure 7 These are block diagrams of radio architectures 700A and 700B according to some embodiments, which can... Figure 1 The implementation is carried out in either AP 104 or user equipment 102. Radio architectures 700A and 700B may include radio front-end module (FEM) circuitry 704a-b, radio IC circuitry 706a-b, and baseband processing circuitry 708a-b. As shown, radio architectures 700A and 700B include both Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Bluetooth (BT) functionality, although embodiments are not so limited. In this invention, "WLAN" and "Wi-Fi" are used interchangeably.

[0124] FEM circuits 704a-b may include a WLAN or Wi-Fi FEM circuit 704a and a Bluetooth (BT) FEM circuit 704b. The WLAN FEM circuit 704a may include a receive signal path, which includes circuitry configured to operate on WLAN RF signals received from one or more antennas 701 to amplify the received signals and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the WLAN radio IC circuit 706a for further processing. The BT FEM circuit 704b may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry configured to operate on BT RF signals received from one or more antennas 701 to amplify the received signals and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the BT radio IC circuit 706b for further processing. The FEM circuit 704a may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry configured to amplify the WLAN signals provided by the radio IC circuit 706a for wireless transmission by one or more of the antennas 701. Furthermore, the FEM circuit 704b may also include a transmission signal path, which may include circuitry configured to amplify the BT signal provided by the radio IC circuit 706b for wireless transmission by one or more antennas. Figure 7 In the embodiments, although FEM 704a and FEM 704b are shown to be different from each other, the embodiments are not so limited and include the use of FEM (not shown) that includes transmission and / or reception paths for both WLAN and BT signals, or the use of one or more FEM circuits in which at least some of the FEM circuits share transmission and / or reception signal paths for WLAN and BT signals.

[0125] The radio IC circuits 706a-b shown in the figure may include a WLAN radio IC circuit 706a and a BT radio IC circuit 706b. The WLAN radio IC circuit 706a may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry for down-converting a WLAN RF signal received from the FEM circuit 704a and providing a baseband signal to the WLAN baseband processing circuit 708a. The BT radio IC circuit 706b may then include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry for down-converting a BT RF signal received from the FEM circuit 704b and providing a baseband signal to the BT baseband processing circuit 708b. The WLAN radio IC circuit 706a may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry for up-converting the WLAN baseband signal provided by the WLAN baseband processing circuit 708a and providing a WLAN RF output signal to the FEM circuit 704a for subsequent wireless transmission by one or more antennas 701. The BT radio IC circuit 706b may also include a transmission signal path, which may include circuitry to up-convert the BT baseband signal provided by the BT baseband processing circuit 708b and provide a BT RF output signal to the FEM circuit 704b for subsequent wireless transmission by one or more antennas 701. Figure 7 In the embodiments, although radio IC circuits 706a and 706b are shown to be different from each other, the embodiments are not so limited and include, within their scope, the use of radio IC circuits (not shown) that include transmission signal paths and / or reception signal paths for both WLAN and BT signals, or the use of one or more radio IC circuits, wherein at least some of the radio IC circuits share transmission and / or reception signal paths for both WLAN and BT signals.

[0126] The baseband processing circuits 708a-b may include a WLAN baseband processing circuit 708a and a BT baseband processing circuit 708b. The WLAN baseband processing circuit 708a may include a memory, such as, for example, a set of RAM arrays in a Fast Fourier Transform or Inverse Fast Fourier Transform block (not shown) of the WLAN baseband processing circuit 708a. Each of the WLAN baseband circuit 708a and the BT baseband circuit 708b may further include one or more processors and control logic to process signals received from the corresponding WLAN or BT receive signal path of the radio IC circuits 706a-b, and also to generate corresponding WLAN or BT baseband signals for the transmit signal path of the radio IC circuits 706a-b. Each of the baseband processing circuits 708a and 708b may further include physical layer (PHY) and media access control layer (MAC) circuitry, and may further interface with devices for generating and processing baseband signals and for controlling the operation of the radio IC circuits 706a-b.

[0127] Still referencing Figure 7 According to the illustrated embodiment, the WLAN-BT coexistence circuit 713 may include logic providing an interface between the WLAN baseband circuit 708a and the BT baseband circuit 708b to implement use cases requiring WLAN and BT coexistence. Furthermore, a switch 703 may be provided between the WLAN FEM circuit 704a and the BT FEM circuit 704b to allow switching between WLAN and BT radios as needed by the application. Additionally, although the antenna 701 is depicted as being connected to the WLAN FEM circuit 704a and the BT FEM circuit 704b respectively, embodiments within their scope include sharing one or more antennas between the WLAN and BT FEMs, or providing more than one antenna connected to each of the FEMs 704a or 704b.

[0128] In some embodiments, the front-end module circuitry 704a-b, the radio IC circuitry 706a-b, and the baseband processing circuitry 708a-b may be housed on a single radio card, such as a wireless radio card 702. In some other embodiments, one or more antennas 701, FEM circuitry 704a-b, and radio IC circuitry 706a-b may be housed on a single radio card. In some other embodiments, the radio IC circuitry 706a-b and the baseband processing circuitry 708a-b may be housed on a single chip or integrated circuit (IC), such as IC 712.

[0129] In some embodiments, the wireless radio card 702 may include a WLAN radio card and may be configured for Wi-Fi communication, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some of these embodiments, radio architectures 700A, 700B may be configured to receive and transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication signals on a multi-carrier communication channel. The OFDM or OFDMA signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0130] In some of these multi-carrier embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B may be part of a Wi-Fi communication station (STA), such as a wireless access point (AP), base station, or mobile device including Wi-Fi equipment. In some of these embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B may be configured to transmit and receive signals according to specific communication standards and / or protocols, such as any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards, including 802.11n-2009, IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE 802.11-2016, 802.11n-2009, 802.11ac, 802.11ah, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and / or 802.11ax standards and / or proposed specifications for WLAN, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. Radio architectures 700A and 700B may also be adapted to transmit and / or receive communications according to other technologies and standards.

[0131] In some embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B can be configured for efficient Wi-Fi (HEW) communication according to the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In these embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B can be configured for communication according to OFDMA technology, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0132] In some other embodiments, radio architectures 700A, 700B may be configured to transmit and receive signals transmitted using one or more other modulation techniques, such as spread spectrum modulation (e.g., direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) and / or frequency hopping code division multiple access (FH-CDMA)), time division multiplexing (TDM) modulation, and / or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) modulation, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0133] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As further shown, the BT baseband circuit 708b can conform to Bluetooth (BT) connectivity standards, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth 8.0 or Bluetooth 6.0, or any other iteration of the Bluetooth standard.

[0134] In some embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B may include other radio cards, such as cellular radio cards configured for cellular (e.g., 5GPP such as LTE, LTE Advanced, or 5G communications).

[0135] In some IEEE 802.11 embodiments, radio architectures 700A and 700B can be configured for communication over a variety of channel bandwidths, including bandwidths with center frequencies of approximately 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz, and bandwidths of approximately 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 5 MHz, 5.5 MHz, 6 MHz, 8 MHz, 10 MHz, 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz (with continuous bandwidth) or 80+80 MHz (160 MHz) (with discontinuous bandwidth). In some embodiments, a 720 MHz channel bandwidth can be used. However, the scope of the embodiments is not limited to the aforementioned center frequencies.

[0136] Figure 8 A WLAN FEM circuit 704a according to some embodiments is shown. Although... Figure 8 The example is described in conjunction with the WLAN FEM circuit 704a, but Figure 8 Examples can be combined with example BT FEM circuit 704b ( Figure 7 This can be described as ), although other circuit configurations may also be appropriate.

[0137] In some embodiments, FEM circuit 704a may include a TX / RX switch 802 to switch between transmit and receive mode operation. FEM circuit 704a may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of FEM circuit 704a may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 806 to amplify the received RF signal 803 and provide an amplified received RF signal 807 as an output (e.g., to radio IC circuits 706a-b). Figure 7 The transmission signal path of circuit 704a may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify the input RF signal 809 (e.g., provided by radio IC circuits 706a-b), and one or more filters 812, such as a bandpass filter (BPF), low-pass filter (LPF), or other type of filter, to generate an RF signal 815 for subsequent transmission via example duplexer 814 (e.g., by one or more of antennas 701). Figure 7 )).

[0138] In some dual-mode embodiments for Wi-Fi communication, the FEM circuit 704a can be configured to operate in either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz spectrum. In these embodiments, the receive signal path of the FEM circuit 704a may include a receive signal path duplexer 804 to separate signals from each spectrum, and a separate LNA 806 for each spectrum, as shown. In these embodiments, the transmit signal path of the FEM circuit 704a may also include a power amplifier 810 and a filter 812, such as a BPF, LPF, or another type of filter for each spectrum, and a transmit signal path duplexer 814 to provide a signal from one of the different spectra onto a single transmit path for subsequent use by one or more of the antennas 701. Figure 7 Transmission. In some embodiments, BT communication may utilize a 2.4 GHz signal path and may utilize the same FEM circuit 704a used for WLAN communication.

[0139] Figure 9 A radio IC circuit 706a according to some embodiments is shown. The radio IC circuit 706a is suitable for use as a WLAN or BT radio IC circuit 706a / 706b. Figure 7 This is an example of a circuit, although other circuit configurations may also be suitable. Alternatively, Figure 9 An example can be described in conjunction with the example BT radio IC circuit 706b.

[0140] In some embodiments, the radio IC circuit 706a may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the radio IC circuit 706a may include at least a mixer circuit 902, such as, for example, a down-conversion mixer circuit, an amplifier circuit 906, and a filter circuit 908. The transmit signal path of the radio IC circuit 706a may include at least a filter circuit 912 and a mixer circuit 914, such as, for example, an up-conversion mixer circuit. The radio IC circuit 706a may also include a synthesizer circuit 904 for synthesizing a frequency 905 for use by the mixer circuits 902 and 914. According to some embodiments, the mixer circuits 902 and / or 914 may each be configured to provide direct conversion functionality. Compared to standard superheterodyne mixer circuits, the latter type of circuit presents a much simpler architecture and can mitigate any flicker noise introduced therefrom, for example, by using OFDM modulation. Figure 9Only a simplified version of the radio IC circuitry is shown, and although not shown, embodiments may include each of the circuits depicted therein that may include more than one component. For example, depending on the application requirements, mixer circuitry 914 may each include one or more mixers, and filter circuitry 908 and / or 912 may each include one or more filters, such as one or more BPFs and / or LPFs. For example, when the mixer circuitry has a direct conversion type, they may each include two or more mixers.

[0141] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 902 may be configured to synthesize frequency 905 provided by synthesizer circuit 904 from FEM circuits 704a-b ( Figure 7 The received RF signal 807 is down-converted. Amplifier circuit 906 can be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and filter circuit 908 may include an LPF configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal 907. The output baseband signal 907 can be provided to baseband processing circuits 708a-b. Figure 7 This is for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signal 907 may be a zero-frequency baseband signal, although this is not required. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 902 may include a passive mixer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0142] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 914 may be configured to up-convert input baseband signal 911 based on synthesis frequency 905 provided by synthesizer circuit 904 to generate RF output signal 809 for FEM circuits 704a-b. Baseband signal 911 may be provided by baseband processing circuits 708a-b and may be filtered by filter circuit 912. Filter circuit 912 may include LPF or BPF, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0143] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 902 and mixer circuit 914 may each include two or more mixers and may be arranged, with the aid of synthesizer 904, for quadrature downconversion and / or upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 902 and mixer circuit 914 may each include two or more mixers, each mixer configured for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, mixer circuit 902 and mixer circuit 914 may be arranged for direct downconversion and / or direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 902 and mixer circuit 914 may be configured for superheterodyne operation, although this is not required.

[0144] According to one embodiment, mixer circuit 902 may include: quadrature passive mixers (e.g., for in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) paths). In such an embodiment, from Figure 9 The RF input signal 807 can be down-converted to provide I and Q baseband output signals to be transmitted to the baseband processor.

[0145] The quadrature passive mixer can be driven by zero-degree and ninety-degree time-varying LO switching signals provided by a quadrature circuit, which can be configured to receive the LO frequency (fLO) from a local oscillator or synthesizer, such as the LO frequency 905 of synthesizer 904. Figure 9 In some embodiments, the LO frequency may be the carrier frequency, while in other embodiments, the LO frequency may be a portion of the carrier frequency (e.g., half or one-third of the carrier frequency). In some embodiments, time-varying switching signals for zero and ninety degrees may be generated by a synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0146] In some embodiments, the LO signal can vary in terms of duty cycle (where the LO signal is a percentage of one cycle of high level) and / or offset (the difference between the start points of the cycles). In some embodiments, the LO signal can have an 85% duty cycle and an 80% offset. In some embodiments, each branch of the mixer circuit (e.g., the in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) paths) can operate at an 80% duty cycle, which can result in a significant reduction in power consumption.

[0147] RF input signal 807 ( Figure 8 The I and Q baseband output signals may include balanced signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. The I and Q baseband output signals may be provided to a low-noise amplifier, such as amplifier circuit 906. Figure 9 ) or filter circuit 908 ( Figure 9 ).

[0148] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal 907 and the input baseband signal 911 may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal 907 and the input baseband signal 911 may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the radio IC circuitry may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry.

[0149] In some dual-mode embodiments, separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, or for other spectrums not mentioned herein, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0150] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 904 may be a fractional N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect, as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuit 904 may be a Δ-σ synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider. According to some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 904 may include digital synthesizer circuitry. The advantage of using digital synthesizer circuitry is that, although it may still include some analog components, its footprint can be significantly reduced compared to analog synthesizer circuitry. In some embodiments, the frequency input to synthesizer circuit 904 may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not required. The frequency divider control input may be further provided by baseband processing circuitry 708a-b (… Figure 7 The frequency divider control input (e.g., N) is provided, depending on the desired output frequency 905. In some embodiments, the divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table (e.g., within a Wi-Fi card) based on the channel number and channel center frequency determined or indicated by the example application processor 710. The application processor 710 may include or be otherwise connected to one of the example secure signal converter 101 or the example receive signal converter 103 (e.g., depending on which device the example radio architecture is implemented in).

[0151] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 904 may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as output frequency 905, while in other embodiments, output frequency 905 may be a portion of the carrier frequency (e.g., half or one-third of the carrier frequency). In some embodiments, output frequency 905 may be the LO frequency (fLO).

[0152] Figure 10 A functional block diagram of a baseband processing circuit 708a according to some embodiments is shown. The baseband processing circuit 708a is suitable for use as a baseband processing circuit 708a. Figure 7 This is an example of a circuit, although other circuit configurations may also be suitable. Alternatively, Figure 10 Examples can be used for implementation Figure 7 Example BT baseband processing circuit 708b.

[0153] Baseband processing circuit 708a may include processing functions generated by radio IC circuits 706a-b ( Figure 7 The baseband processing circuit 708a provides a receive baseband processor (RX BBP) 1002 for receiving baseband signals 1009, and a transmit baseband processor (TX BBP) 1004 for generating transmit baseband signals 1011 for the radio IC circuits 706a-b. The baseband processing circuit 708a may also include control logic 1006 for coordinating the operation of the baseband processing circuit 708a.

[0154] In some embodiments (e.g., when analog baseband signals are exchanged between baseband processing circuits 708a-b and radio IC circuits 706a-b), baseband processing circuit 708a may include an ADC 1010 to convert analog baseband signals 1009 received from radio IC circuits 706a-b into digital baseband signals for processing by RX BBP 1002. In these embodiments, baseband processing circuit 708a may also include a DAC 1012 to convert digital baseband signals from TX BBP 1004 into analog baseband signals 1011.

[0155] In some embodiments of transmitting OFDM or OFDMA signals, such as via baseband processor 708a, the transmitting baseband processor 1004 can be configured to generate OFDM or OFDMA signals suitable for transmission by performing an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The receiving baseband processor 1002 can be configured to process the received OFDM or OFDMA signals by performing an FFT. In some embodiments, the receiving baseband processor 1002 can be configured to detect the presence of OFDM or OFDMA signals by performing autocorrelation to detect preambles such as short preambles, and by performing cross-correlation to detect long preambles. The preamble may be part of a predetermined frame structure for Wi-Fi communication.

[0156] Come back for reference Figure 7 In some embodiments, antenna 701 ( Figure 7 Each antenna 701 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, the antennas may be effectively separated to take advantage of spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may result. Each antenna 701 may include a set of phased array antennas, although embodiments are not so limited.

[0157] Although the radio architectures 700A and 700B are shown as having several individual functional elements, one or more of these functional elements can be combined and implemented by a combination of software-configurable elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs) and / or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may include combinations of one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and various hardware and logic circuits to perform functions at least those described herein. In some embodiments, a functional element may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0158] Figure 11A functional diagram of an exemplary communication station 1100 according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention is shown. In one embodiment, Figure 11 It is shown that, according to some embodiments, it may be suitable for use as AP 104 ( Figure 1 ) or user equipment 102 ( Figure 1 The communication station 1100 is a functional block diagram. The communication station 1100 can also be used as a handheld device, mobile device, cellular phone, smartphone, tablet computer, netbook, wireless terminal, laptop computer, wearable computer device, femtocell, high data rate (HDR) subscriber station, access point, access terminal, or other personal communication system (PCS) device.

[0159] Communication station 1100 may include communication circuitry 1102 and transceiver 1110 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from other communication stations using one or more antennas 1101. Communication circuitry 1102 may include circuitry operable for physical layer (PHY) communication and / or media access control (MAC) communication for controlling access to the wireless medium, and / or any other communication layer for transmitting and receiving signals. Communication station 1100 may also include processing circuitry 1106 and memory 1108 arranged to perform the operations described herein. In some embodiments, communication circuitry 1102 and processing circuitry 1106 may be configured to perform the operations detailed in the figures, illustrations, and flowcharts described above.

[0160] According to some embodiments, communication circuitry 1102 may be arranged to contend for a wireless medium and configure frames or packets for communication over the wireless medium. Communication circuitry 1102 may be arranged to transmit and receive signals. Communication circuitry 1102 may also include circuitry for modulation / demodulation, up-conversion / down-conversion, filtering, amplification, etc. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1106 of communication station 1100 may include one or more processors. In other embodiments, two or more antennas 1101 may be coupled to communication circuitry 1102 arranged for transmitting and receiving signals. Memory 1108 may store information for configuring processing circuitry 1106 to perform operations for configuring and transmitting message frames and performing various operations described herein. Memory 1108 may include any type of memory, including non-transitory memory, for storing information in a machine-readable (e.g., computer) form. For example, memory 1108 may include computer-readable storage devices, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and other storage devices and media.

[0161] In some embodiments, communication station 1100 may be part of a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a network tablet computer, a cordless phone, a smartphone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), a wearable computer device, or another device capable of wirelessly receiving and / or transmitting information.

[0162] In some embodiments, communication station 1100 may include one or more antennas 1101. Antenna 1101 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some embodiments, a single antenna with multiple apertures may be used instead of two or more antennas. In these embodiments, each aperture may be considered a separate antenna. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, the antennas may be effectively separated to achieve spatial diversity and to allow for different channel characteristics that may arise between each antenna and the antennas of the transmitting station.

[0163] In some embodiments, the communication station 1100 may include one or more of a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, and other mobile device components. The display may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, including a touchscreen.

[0164] Although the communication station 1100 is shown as having several individual functional elements, two or more of these functional elements can be combined and implemented by a combination of software-configurable elements, such as processing elements including a digital signal processor (DSP), and / or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may include one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and combinations of various hardware and logic circuits to perform at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, a functional element of the communication station 1100 may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0165] Some embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Other embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device that can be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein. A computer-readable storage device may include any non-transitory memory mechanism for storing information in a machine-readable (e.g., computer) form. For example, a computer-readable storage device may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and other storage devices and media. In some embodiments, communication station 1100 may include one or more processors and may be configured with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device.

[0166] Figure 12 A block diagram illustrating an example of machine or system 1200 on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein can be performed. In other embodiments, machine 1200 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 1200 may operate as a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In the example, machine 1200 may act as a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 1200 may be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, wearable computing device, network appliance, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequentially or otherwise) specifying the actions to be taken by the machine, such as a base station. Furthermore, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be considered to include any collection of machines, such as cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), or other computer cluster configurations, that individually or jointly execute a set (or more) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

[0167] As described herein, examples may include logic or multiple components, modules, or mechanisms that can be operated on. A module is a tangible entity (e.g., hardware) capable of performing a specified operation at operation. Modules include hardware. In the examples, the hardware may be specifically configured to perform a particular operation (e.g., hardwiring). In another example, the hardware may include a configurable execution unit (e.g., transistor, circuitry, etc.) and a computer-readable medium containing instructions that configure the execution unit to perform a specific operation at operation. This configuration may be directed by the execution unit or loading mechanism. Thus, during device operation, the execution unit is communicatively coupled to the computer-readable medium. In this example, the execution unit may be a member of more than one module. For example, under operation, the execution unit may be configured by a first set of instructions to implement a first module at a point in time and reconfigured by a second set of instructions to implement a second module at a second point in time.

[0168] Machine (e.g., computer system) 1200 may include a hardware processor 1202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 1204, and static memory 1206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via interconnect (e.g., bus) 1208. Machine 1200 may further include a power management device 1232, a graphics display device 1210, an alphanumeric input device 1212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1214 (e.g., a mouse). In this example, the graphics display device 1210, the alphanumeric input device 1212, and the UI navigation device 1214 may be a touchscreen display. Machine 1200 may additionally include a storage device (i.e., a driver unit) 1216, a signal generation device 1218 (e.g., a speaker), a transmission parameter indicating device 1219, a network interface device / transceiver 1220 coupled to antenna(s)(x)1230, and one or more sensors 1228, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. Machine 1200 may include an output controller 1234, such as serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connections, to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.). Operation according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention may be performed by a baseband processor. The baseband processor may be configured to generate corresponding baseband signals. The baseband processor may further include physical layer (PHY) and media access control layer (MAC) circuitry, and may further interface with hardware processor 1202 for generating and processing baseband signals and for controlling the operation of main memory 1204, storage device 1216, and / or transmission parameter indicating device 1219. The baseband processor may be located on a single radio card, a single chip, or an integrated circuit (IC).

[0169] Storage device 1216 may include machine-readable medium 1222 on which one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1224 (e.g., software) are stored, embodying, or being utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. Instructions 1224 may also reside wholly or at least partially in main memory 1204, static memory 1206, or, when executed by machine 1200, in hardware processor 1202. In this example, one or any combination of hardware processor 1202, main memory 1204, static memory 1206, or storage device 1216 may constitute a machine-readable medium.

[0170] The transmission parameters indicate that device 1219 can perform or execute any of the operations and processes described and shown above (e.g., methods 400, 500, and 600).

[0171] It should be understood that the above content is only a subset of what the transmission parameter indicating device 1219 can be configured to perform, and other functions included throughout the present invention can also be performed by the transmission parameter indicating device 1219.

[0172] Although machine-readable medium 1222 is shown as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" can include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 1224.

[0173] Various embodiments may be implemented wholly or partially in software and / or firmware. The software and / or firmware may take the form of instructions contained in or on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Those instructions may then be read and executed by one or more processors to enable the operations described herein to be performed. The instructions may be in any suitable form, such as, but not limited to, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, etc. Such computer-readable media may include any tangible non-transitory medium for storing information in one or more computer-readable forms, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory, etc.

[0174] The term "machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by machine 1200 and for performing one or more of the techniques of the present invention, or a medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used or associated with such instructions. Examples of non-limiting machine-readable media can include solid-state memory and optical and magnetic media. In examples, mass-capacity machine-readable media includes machine-readable media having a plurality of particles having rest masses. Specific examples of mass-capacity machine-readable media can include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and flash memory devices); magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.

[0175] Instruction 1224 can further be transmitted or received over communication network 1226 via network interface device / transceiver 1220 using any of a variety of transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.) using a transport medium. Example communication networks may include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile phone networks (e.g., cellular networks), point-of-sale (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., those referred to in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards). The IEEE 802.16 series of standards are called The network interface device / transceiver 1220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 1226. In the example, the network interface device / transceiver 1220 may include multiple antennas to perform wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies. The term "transmission medium" should be considered to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by machine 1200, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software.

[0176] The operations and processes described and illustrated above can be performed or carried out in any suitable order desired in various embodiments. Furthermore, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the operations can be performed in parallel. Additionally, in some embodiments, fewer or more operations than described can be performed.

[0177] The word “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The terms “computing device,” “user equipment,” “communication station,” “station,” “handheld device,” “mobile device,” “wireless device,” and “user equipment” (UE) as used herein refer to wireless communication devices such as cellular phones, smartphones, tablet computers, netbooks, wireless terminals, laptops, femtocells, high data rate (HDR) subscriber stations, access points, printers, point-of-sale devices, access terminals, or other personal communication system (PCS) devices. Such devices can be mobile or fixed.

[0178] The term "communication" as used herein is intended to include transmission, or reception, or both. This may be particularly useful in the claims when describing the organization of data transmitted by one device and received by another device, but requiring only the functionality of one of those devices would infringe the claim. Similarly, bidirectional data exchange between two devices (where both devices transmit and receive during the exchange) can be described as "communication," in which case only the functionality of one of those devices is required. The term "communication" as used herein in relation to wireless communication signals includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, a wireless communication unit capable of communicating wireless communication signals may include a wireless transmitter to transmit wireless communication signals to at least one other wireless communication unit, and / or a wireless communication receiver to receive wireless communication signals from at least one other wireless communication unit.

[0179] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, ordinal adjectives such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used to describe common objects only to indicate that different instances of similar objects are mentioned, and are not intended to imply that the objects described in this way must be in a given sequence in time, space, hierarchy, or any other way.

[0180] As used herein, the term "access point" (AP) can refer to a fixed station. An access point may also be referred to as an access node, base station, evolved Node B (eNodeB), or some other similar terminology known in the art. An access terminal may also be referred to as a mobile station, user equipment (UE), wireless communication device, or some other similar terminology known in the art. The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to wireless networks. Some embodiments may relate to a wireless network operating according to one of the IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0181] Some embodiments can be used with a variety of devices and systems, such as personal computers (PCs), desktop computers, mobile computers, laptops, notebook computers, tablet computers, server computers, handheld computers, handheld devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld PDA devices, in-vehicle devices, non-in-vehicle devices, hybrid devices, vehicle devices, non-vehicle devices, mobile or portable devices, consumer devices, non-mobile or non-portable devices, wireless communication stations, wireless communication devices, wireless access points (APs), wired or wireless routers, wired or wireless modems, video devices, audio devices, audio / video (A / V) devices, wired or wireless networks, wireless local area networks, wireless video local area networks (WVANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless LANs (WLANs), personal area networks (PANs), wireless PANs (WPANs), and so on.

[0182] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with: one-way and / or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, mobile phones, cell phones, cordless phones, personal communication system (PCS) devices, PDA devices that incorporate wireless communication devices, mobile or portable global positioning system (GPS) devices, devices that incorporate GPS receivers or transceivers or chips, devices that incorporate RFID elements or chips, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceivers or devices, single-input multiple-output (SIMO) transceivers or devices, multiple-input single-output (MISO) transceivers or devices, devices with one or more internal antennas and / or external antennas, digital video broadcasting (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, wired or wireless handheld devices such as smartphones, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) devices, and so on.

[0183] Some embodiments can be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and / or systems that follow one or more wireless communication protocols, such as radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal FDM (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), time division multiple access (TDMA), extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), extended GPRS, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier modulation (MDM), and discrete multi-tone (DMT). Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Purple Bee, Ultra Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, 5G mobile networks, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, Enhanced Data Rate Evolution of GSM (EDGE), and so on. Other embodiments can be used in a variety of other devices, systems, and / or networks.

[0184] The following paragraphs describe examples of various embodiments.

[0185] Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuitry: decodes information elements (IEs) received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface, wherein the IEs indicate transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and performs WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the IEs.

[0186] Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the IE is carried in an existing management frame or a dedicated management frame.

[0187] Example 3 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: determine when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on the IE; and when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device are determined to change, adjust the WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters.

[0188] Example 4 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0189] Example 5 includes the apparatus of Example 4, wherein the PHY parameter includes the TXVECTOR value.

[0190] Example 6 includes the apparatus of Example 5, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power stage; the number of transmission chains; the antennas used for transmission; the antenna configuration used for transmission; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0191] Example 7 includes the apparatus of Example 4, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0192] Example 8 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0193] Example 9 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the IE is included in the PPDU, and wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the IE is included in the PPDU.

[0194] Example 10 includes the device of Example 1, wherein the IE further indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0195] Example 11 includes an apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to: decode information received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface, wherein the information is carried in a dedicated management frame and indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and perform WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the information.

[0196] Example 12 includes the apparatus of Example 11, wherein the PPDU includes a dedicated management frame as a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) of the PPDU.

[0197] Example 13 includes an apparatus comprising: a radio frequency (RF) interface; and processor circuitry coupled to the RF interface, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to: decode a capability message received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface, wherein the capability message indicates that the WLAN device supports both opportunistic / passive sensing and transmission of WLAN sensing elements / frames; in response to the capability message, encode a WLAN sensing request for transmission to the WLAN device via the RF interface to request a WLAN sensing element / frame; in response to the WLAN sensing request, decode a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) received from the WLAN device via the RF interface to obtain a WLAN sensing element / frame, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame indicates transmission parameters of the WLAN device for the PPDU; and perform WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the transmission parameters.

[0198] Example 14 includes the device of Example 13, wherein the device is part of a non-access point (AP) STA.

[0199] Example 15 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the WLAN device includes an AP STA or a non-AP STA.

[0200] Example 16 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: determine when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on WLAN sensing elements / frames; and when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device are determined to have changed, adjust the WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters.

[0201] Example 17 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0202] Example 18 includes the apparatus of Example 17, wherein the PHY parameters include the TXVECTOR value.

[0203] Example 19 includes the apparatus of Example 18, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power level; the number of transmission chains; the antenna for the PPDU; the antenna configuration for the PPDU; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0204] Example 20 includes the apparatus of Example 18, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0205] Example 21 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0206] Example 22 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that a WLAN sensing element / frame is included in the PPDU.

[0207] Example 23 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame also indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0208] Example 24 includes a method comprising: decoding an information element (IE) received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the IE indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the IE.

[0209] Example 25 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the IE is carried in an existing management frame or a special management frame.

[0210] Example 26 includes the method of Example 24, and further includes: determining when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on the IE; and when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change are determined to have changed, adjusting the WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters.

[0211] Example 27 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the transport parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0212] Example 28 includes the method of Example 27, where the PHY parameter includes the TXVECTOR value.

[0213] Example 29 includes the method of Example 28, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power level; the number of transmission chains; the antennas used for transmission; the antenna configuration used for transmission; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0214] Example 30 includes the method of Example 27, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0215] Example 31 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directed multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directed multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0216] Example 32 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the IE is included in the PPDU, and wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the IE is included in the PPDU.

[0217] Example 33 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the IE also indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0218] Example 34 includes a method comprising: decoding information received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the information is carried in a dedicated management frame and indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the information.

[0219] Example 35 includes the method of Example 34, wherein the PPDU includes a dedicated management frame as the Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) of the PPDU.

[0220] Example 36 includes a method comprising: decoding a capability message received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the capability message indicates that the WLAN device supports both opportunistic / passive sensing and transmission of WLAN sensing elements / frames; in response to the capability message, encoding a WLAN sensing request for transmission to the WLAN device to request a WLAN sensing element / frame; in response to the WLAN sensing request, decoding a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) received from the WLAN device to obtain the WLAN sensing element / frame, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame indicates transmission parameters of the WLAN device for the PPDU; and performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the transmission parameters.

[0221] Example 37 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the method is performed by a non-access point (AP) STA.

[0222] Example 38 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the WLAN device includes an AP STA or a non-AP STA.

[0223] Example 39 includes the method of Example 36, and further includes: determining when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on WLAN sensing elements / frames; and when it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device have changed, adjusting the WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters.

[0224] Example 40 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0225] Example 41 includes the method of Example 40, where the PHY parameter includes the TXVECTOR value.

[0226] Example 42 includes the method of Example 41, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power level; the number of transmission chains; the antenna for the PPDU; the antenna configuration for the PPDU; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0227] Example 43 includes the method of Example 41, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0228] Example 44 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directed multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directed multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0229] Example 45 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that a WLAN sensing element / frame is included in the PPDU.

[0230] Example 46 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame also indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0231] Example 47 includes an apparatus comprising: a unit for decoding an information element (IE) received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the IE indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and a unit for performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the IE.

[0232] Example 48 includes the apparatus of Example 47, wherein the IE is carried in an existing management frame or a dedicated management frame.

[0233] Example 49 includes the apparatus of Example 47, and further includes: a unit for determining when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on the IE; and a unit for adjusting WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters when it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device have changed.

[0234] Example 50 includes the apparatus of Example 47, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0235] Example 51 includes the apparatus of Example 50, wherein the PHY parameter includes a TXVECTOR value.

[0236] Example 52 includes the apparatus of Example 51, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power stage; the number of transmission chains; the antennas used for transmission; the antenna configuration used for transmission; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0237] Example 53 includes the apparatus of Example 50, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0238] Example 54 includes the apparatus of Example 47, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0239] Example 55 includes the apparatus of Example 47, wherein the IE is included in the PPDU, and wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the IE is included in the PPDU.

[0240] Example 56 includes the device of Example 47, wherein the IE also indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0241] Example 57 includes an apparatus comprising: a unit for decoding information received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the information is carried in a dedicated management frame and indicates transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) for the WLAN device; and a unit for performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the information.

[0242] Example 58 includes the apparatus of Example 57, wherein the PPDU includes a dedicated management frame as a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) of the PPDU.

[0243] Example 59 includes an apparatus comprising: a unit for decoding a capability message received from a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, wherein the capability message indicates that the WLAN device supports both opportunistic / passive sensing and transmission of WLAN sensing elements / frames; a unit for encoding a WLAN sensing request in response to the capability message for transmission to the WLAN device to request WLAN sensing elements / frames; a unit for decoding a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) received from the WLAN device in response to the WLAN sensing request to obtain WLAN sensing elements / frames, wherein the WLAN sensing elements / frames indicate transmission parameters of the WLAN device for the PPDU; and a unit for performing WLAN sensing on the WLAN device based on the transmission parameters.

[0244] Example 60 includes the device of Example 59, wherein the device is part of a non-access point (AP) STA.

[0245] Example 61 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the WLAN device includes an AP STA or a non-AP STA.

[0246] Example 62 includes the apparatus of Example 59, and further includes: a unit for determining when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change based on WLAN sensing elements / frames; and a unit for adjusting WLAN sensing based on the changed transmission parameters when it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device have changed.

[0247] Example 63 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

[0248] Example 64 includes the apparatus of Example 63, wherein the PHY parameters include the TXVECTOR value.

[0249] Example 65 includes the apparatus of Example 64, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: the transmission power stage; the number of transmit chains; the antenna for the PPDU; the antenna configuration for the PPDU; the transmission sector combination index; or the application of cyclic shift delay (CSD).

[0250] Example 66 includes the apparatus of Example 64, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

[0251] Example 67 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the PPDU includes a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

[0252] Example 68 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that a WLAN sensing element / frame is included in the PPDU.

[0253] Example 69 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame also indicates information related to WLAN sensing.

[0254] Example 70 includes a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by processor circuitry, cause the processor circuitry to perform any of the methods in Examples 24 to 46.

[0255] Example 71 includes a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) device as shown and described in the description.

[0256] Example 72 includes a method performed at a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) device as shown and described in the description.

[0257] While certain embodiments have been shown and described herein for purposes of description, various alternative and / or equivalent embodiments or implementations that are calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the shown and described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. This application is intended to cover any modifications or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, the embodiments described herein are clearly limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: Radio frequency (RF) interface; as well as The processor circuit coupled to the RF interface, The processor circuit described therein is used for: The information element (IE) received from the wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface is decoded, wherein the IE indicates dynamic transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) of the WLAN device; and Based on the IE, WLAN sensing is performed on the WLAN device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IE is carried in an existing management frame or a dedicated management frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: Based on the IE, determine when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change; and When it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device have changed, the WLAN sensing is adjusted based on the changed transmission parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the PHY parameter includes a TXVECTOR value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: Transmission power stage; Number of transmission links; Antenna used for the transmission; Antenna configuration for the transmission; Transmission sector combination index; or Applications of Cyclic Shift Delay (CSD).

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PPDU comprises a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IE is included in the PPDU, and wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the IE is included in the PPDU.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IE further indicates information related to the WLAN sensing.

11. An apparatus comprising: Radio frequency (RF) interface; as well as The processor circuit coupled to the RF interface, The processor circuit described therein is used for: The information received from the wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface is decoded, wherein the information is carried in a dedicated management frame and indicates dynamic transmission parameters for the transmission of physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) of the WLAN device; and Based on the information, WLAN sensing is performed on the WLAN device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the PPDU includes the dedicated management frame as a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) of the PPDU.

13. An apparatus comprising: Radio frequency (RF) interface; as well as The processor circuit coupled to the RF interface, The processor circuit described therein is used for: The capability message received from the wireless local area network (WLAN) device via the RF interface is decoded, wherein the capability message indicates that the WLAN device supports both opportunistic / passive sensing and transmission of WLAN sensing elements / frames; In response to the capability message, a WLAN sensing request is encoded for transmission to the WLAN device via the RF interface to request the WLAN sensing element / frame; In response to the WLAN sensing request, a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) received from the WLAN device via the RF interface is decoded to obtain the WLAN sensing element / frame, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame indicates dynamic transmission parameters of the WLAN device for the PPDU; and WLAN sensing is performed on the WLAN device based on the transmission parameters.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is part of a non-access point (AP) STA.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the WLAN device comprises an AP STA or a non-AP STA.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to: Based on the WLAN sensing elements / frames, determine when the transmission parameters of the WLAN device change; and When it is determined that the transmission parameters of the WLAN device have changed, the WLAN sensing is adjusted based on the changed transmission parameters.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transmission parameters include physical layer (PHY) parameters.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the PHY parameter includes a TXVECTOR value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the PHY parameters indicate: Transmission power stage; Number of transmission links; Antenna for the PPDU; Antenna configuration for the PPDU; Transmission sector combination index; or Applications of Cyclic Shift Delay (CSD).

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the PHY parameters include implementation-specific parameters.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the PPDU comprises a high throughput (HT) PPDU, a very high throughput (VHT) PPDU, a high efficiency (HE) PPDU, an extremely high throughput (EHT) PPDU, a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) PPDU, or an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) PPDU.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the PPDU includes a PHY header to indicate that the WLAN sensing element / frame is included in the PPDU.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the WLAN sensing element / frame further indicates information related to the WLAN sensing.

Images