Communication apparatus and communication method for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communication apparatus and a communication method for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission. A communication apparatus is provided, comprising: a circuitry that generates a trigger frame comprising a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; and a transmitter that transmits the generated trigger frame; wherein each of the plurality of user information fields comprises a first field and a second field, the first field indicating whether a resource unit (RU) adaptation procedure is disabled for another communication apparatus addressed by each of the plurality of user information fields, and the second field indicating a RU or a RU combination allocated to the another communication apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to communication apparatus and methods for uplink multi-user transmission, and more particularly to communication apparatus and methods for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission. Background Technology

[0002] In the standardization of next-generation wireless local area networks (WLANs), a new radio access technology with backward compatibility with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax technologies has been discussed in the IEEE 802.11 working group, and this new radio access technology is named 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT) WLAN.

[0003] In IEEE 802.11be EHT WLAN, in order to improve the spectral efficiency of 11ax High Efficiency (HE) WLAN, it has been proposed to increase the maximum channel bandwidth to 320MHz and allow more than one Resource Unit (RU) to be allocated to a single Station (STA).

[0004] However, there is not much discussion about efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission with bandwidth up to 320MHz.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for communication apparatuses and methods that provide a feasible technical solution for efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission with bandwidths up to 320MHz. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background information of this disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments facilitate the provision of communication apparatus and communication methods for efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission.

[0007] According to a first aspect, this disclosure relates to a communication apparatus, comprising: circuitry that generates a trigger frame including a public information field and a plurality of user information fields; and a transmitter that transmits the generated trigger frame; wherein each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field and a second field, the first field indicating whether a resource element (RU) adaptation process is disabled for another communication apparatus addressed by each of the plurality of user information fields, and the second field indicating an RU or a combination of RUs assigned to the other communication apparatus.

[0008] According to a second aspect, this disclosure relates to a communication method comprising: generating a trigger frame including a public information field and a plurality of user information fields; and sending the generated trigger frame; wherein each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field and a second field, the first field indicating whether an RU adaptation process is disabled for a communication device addressed by each of the plurality of user information fields, and the second field indicating an RU or a combination of RUs assigned to the communication device.

[0009] It should be noted that general or specific embodiments can be implemented as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, storage medium or any alternative combination thereof.

[0010] Additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and accompanying drawings. Benefits and / or advantages may be obtained individually from the various embodiments and features in the specification and drawings, not all of which need to be provided in order to obtain one or more such benefits and / or advantages. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Based on the following written description, embodiments of this disclosure will be better understood and apparent to those skilled in the art only by way of example and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1A A schematic diagram depicts trigger-based uplink multi-user (MU) communication between an AP and multiple STAs in a MIMO wireless network.

[0013] Figure 1B An exemplary EHT-based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) is shown.

[0014] Figure 1C A diagram illustrating how to transmit the pre-EHT modulation field of an EHT TB PPDU with a bandwidth of 320MHz is shown.

[0015] Figure 1D The table shows the fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU.

[0016] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating a trigger-based uplink MU transmission similar to 802.11ax is shown.

[0017] Figure 3 A table showing RUs or RU combinations with more than 242 tones and associated RUs or RU combinations according to various embodiments is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 4 The format of the EHT basic trigger frame according to various embodiments is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 The illustrations show how RU adaptation is implemented according to various embodiments.

[0020] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating the EHT TB PPDU transmission process according to a first embodiment is depicted.

[0021] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating the EHT TB PPDU receiving process according to a first embodiment is depicted.

[0022] Figure 8 A table is shown of the fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU sent by the STA according to the second embodiment, wherein the RU adaptation disabled field in the user information field of the STA requesting the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 under option A.

[0023] Figures 9A-9C A table illustrating how the RU or RU combination of more than 242 pitches and the adapted RU allocation field indicate the adapted RU or RU combination under option A, according to the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 10 The diagram illustrates how RU adaptation is implemented according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating the EHT TB PPDU receiving process according to a second embodiment is provided.

[0026] Figure 12 A flowchart depicting the EHT TB PPDU transmission process according to the third embodiment is described.

[0027] Figure 13 The format of the EHT basic trigger frame according to the third embodiment is shown.

[0028] Figure 14 A table showing the required number of blind decoders for each of the RUs or RU combinations with more than 242 pitches according to the third embodiment is provided.

[0029] Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating the reception of an EHT TB PPDU according to a third embodiment is shown.

[0030] Figure 16 A flowchart illustrating a method for implementing trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission according to various embodiments is shown.

[0031] Figure 17A schematic partial cross-sectional view of a communication apparatus, according to various embodiments, that can be implemented for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission is shown.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily depicted to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the illustrations, block diagrams, or flowcharts may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid in an accurate understanding of this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0033] Some embodiments of this disclosure will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals and characters in the drawings refer to the same elements or equivalents.

[0034] In the following paragraphs, certain exemplary embodiments are explained with reference to access points (APs) and stations (STAs) for uplink multi-user transmission, particularly in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless networks.

[0035] In the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, a station (which is interchangeably referred to as a STA) is a communication device capable of using the 802.11 protocol. Based on the IEEE 802.11-2016 definition, a STA can be any device that includes IEEE 802.11 compliant Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) interfaces connected to the wireless medium (WM).

[0036] For example, an STA can be a laptop computer, desktop PC, personal digital assistant (PDA), access point, or Wi-Fi phone in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. STAs can be fixed or mobile. In a WLAN environment, the terms "STA," "wireless client," "user," "user equipment," and "node" are often used interchangeably.

[0037] Similarly, in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, an AP, which can be interchangeably called a Wireless Access Point (WAP), is a communication device that allows STAs in a WLAN to connect to a wired network. An AP is typically connected to a router as a standalone device (via a wired network), but it can also be integrated with or used within a router.

[0038] As mentioned above, a STA in a WLAN can act as an AP at different times, and vice versa. This is because communication devices in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology can include both STA and AP hardware components. In this way, the communication device can switch between STA and AP modes based on actual WLAN conditions and / or requirements.

[0039] In MIMO wireless networks, "multiple" refers to multiple antennas used simultaneously for transmitting and multiple antennas used simultaneously for receiving on a radio channel. In this regard, "multiple inputs" refers to multiple transmitter antennas that input radio signals into the channel, and "multiple outputs" refers to multiple receiver antennas that receive radio signals from the channel into the receiver. For example, in an N×M MIMO network system, N is the number of transmitter antennas, M is the number of receiver antennas, and N may or may not be equal to M. For simplicity, the corresponding numbers of transmitter and receiver antennas will not be discussed further in this disclosure.

[0040] In MIMO wireless networks, multi-user (MU) communication can be deployed for communication between communication devices such as APs and STAs. MIMO wireless networks offer benefits such as spatial multiplexing and spatial diversity, achieving higher data rates and robustness through the use of multiple spatial streams. Depending on the embodiments, the term "spatial stream" may be used interchangeably with the term "spatial-temporal stream" (or STS).

[0041] To enable uplink MU transmission, trigger-based communication is provided to the MIMO wireless network. In this respect, Figure 1A A schematic diagram 100 depicts trigger-based uplink MU communication between AP 102 and multiple STAs 104, 106, and 108 in a MIMO wireless network.

[0042] Since multiple STAs 104, 106, and 108 are involved in trigger-based uplink MU communication, AP 102 needs to coordinate the simultaneous transmission of multiple STAs 104, 106, and 108.

[0043] Therefore, such as Figure 1AAs shown, AP 102 simultaneously sends trigger frames 110, 112, and 114 to STAs 104, 106, and 108 to indicate user-specific resource allocation information available to each STA (e.g., the number of spatial-temporal streams, the number of initial STSs, and the allocated RUs). In response to the trigger frames, STAs 104, 106, and 108 can then simultaneously send their respective spatial-temporal streams to AP 102 based on the user-specific resource allocation information indicated in trigger frames 110, 112, and 114. For example, two spatial-temporal streams can be directed from STA 106 to AP 102, another spatial-temporal stream can be directed from STA 104 to AP 102, and yet another spatial-temporal stream can be directed from STA 108 to AP 102. For simplicity, the two spatial-temporal flows from STA 106 to AP 102 are shown as packet data transmission arrows 118, the spatial-temporal flow from STA 104 to AP 102 is shown as data transmission arrows 116, and the spatial-temporal flow from STA 108 to AP 102 is shown as data transmission arrows 120.

[0044] Figure 1B An exemplary EHT Triggered-Based (TB) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) 122 is shown, which can be transmitted as a transmission signal by a communication device (such as a STA) to another communication device (such as an AP) in triggered-based communication. The EHTTB PPDU 122 may include pre-EHT modulation fields, such as a Non-High Throughput Short Training Field (L-STF), a Non-High Throughput Long Training Field (L-LTF), a Non-High Throughput Signal (L-SIG) field, a Repeated L-SIG (RL-SIG) field, and a Universal Signal (U-SIG) field 124, as well as EHT modulation fields, such as an EHT Short Training Field (EHT-STF), an EHT Long Training Field (EHT-LTF), a data field, and a Packet Extension (PE) field. The RL-SIG field is primarily used to identify any PHY version starting with 802.11be. The U-SIG field 124 may contain necessary information for interpreting the EHT modulation fields and for coexistence with third-party STAs.

[0045] Figure 1CFigure 126 illustrates how the pre-EHT modulation fields of a 320MHz bandwidth EHT TB PPDU can be transmitted. The 320MHz bandwidth is divided into four 80MHz bands. Furthermore, each 80MHz band is further divided into four 20MHz bands. Each row in Figure 126 represents a 20MHz band where the pre-EHT modulation fields (i.e., L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, and U-SIG fields) of the EHT TB PPDU 122 are transmitted. The transmitted L-SIG and RL-SIG fields can be the same for all 20MHz bands, but the U-SIG field can be different within each 80MHz band. The U-SIG fields transmitted in each of the four 20MHz bands within the 80MHz band can be copies of each other or different from each other. For example, U-SIG11, U-SIG12, U-SIG13, and U-SIG14 transmitted in the 20MHz band of the same 80MHz band 128 may be copies of each other or different from each other. According to various embodiments, the term "band" may be used interchangeably with the term "sub-channel".

[0046] The U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is two orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols long and is jointly coded. The U-SIG field is transmitted using 52 data tones and 4 pilot tones per 20 MHz and is modulated in the same way as the HE-SIG-A field of 802.11ax.

[0047] Figure 1D Table 130 shows the fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU. As shown in Table 130, the U-SIG field may include a 26-bit U-SIG1 and a 26-bit U-SIG2. U-SIG1 may include a PHY version identifier field (3 bits), an uplink / downlink (UL / DL) flag field (1 bit), a Basic Service Set (BSS) color field (6 bits), a Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) duration field (7 bits), a bandwidth (BW) field (3 bits), and a puncturing channel information field (4 bits). U-SIG2 may include a space reuse 1 field (4 bits), a space reuse 2 field (4 bits), a reservation field (8 bits), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field (4 bits), and a tail bit (6 bits). The PHY version identifier field is used to identify the exact PHY version starting with 802.11be, the BW field is used to indicate the PPDU bandwidth, and the puncturing channel information field is used to indicate puncturing channel information.

[0048] In trigger-based UL MU transmissions similar to 802.11ax, if requested in a trigger frame soliciting UL MU transmission (e.g., an EHT basic trigger frame), an energy-detection-based free channel assessment (CCA) should be performed by the STA on a 20MHz subchannel overlapping with a RU or RU combination allocated to the STA. If any of the 20MHz subchannels is deemed busy, the STA receiving the EHT basic trigger frame does not transmit an EHT TB PPDU.

[0049] Figure 2 Illustration 200 shows a trigger-based UL MU transmission similar to 802.11ax. The AP can send an EHT Basic Trigger Frame 202 to solicit simultaneous EHT TB PPDU transmissions from STA1 and STA2 using an 80MHz bandwidth. EHT Basic Trigger Frame 202 indicates that a large RU combination of 484-tone RU2 and 242-tone RU1 is assigned to STA1, and a large RU of 242-tone RU2 is assigned to STA2. Typically, RUs with 242 or more tones can be defined as large RUs, while RUs with fewer than 242 tones can be defined as small RUs. EHT Basic Trigger Frame 202 also indicates that ED-based CCA needs to be performed by STA1 and STA2 immediately after receiving EHT Basic Trigger Frame 202 during the Short Interframe Spacing (SIFS) 204. Based on the CCA results, the 20MHz subchannel 206 overlapping with the RU combination allocated to STA1 is considered busy, while the 20MHz subchannel overlapping with the RU allocated to STA2 is considered idle. Therefore, only STA2 can transmit EHT TB PPDUs at its allocated RUs, while STA1 cannot. As a result, the entire large-size RU or RU combination allocated to the STA may be wasted, even if only a small number of 20MHz subchannels overlapping with the allocated large-size RU or RU combination are considered busy, which will reduce system throughput.

[0050] Therefore, this disclosure proposes the following solution to address the aforementioned problems. Each RU or RU combination with more than 242 tones is associated with two or more RUs or RU combinations. Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with a RU or RU combination with more than 242 tones is a large-size RU or RU combination permitted for use in EHT WLAN. Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with a RU or RU combination with more than 242 tones has a size not larger than that of the RU or RU combination. To reduce the number of RUs or RU combinations associated with a RU or RU combination, some restrictions can be implemented. For example, each RU or RU combination associated with a RU or RU combination with no more than 2*996 tones has a size of at least X% (e.g., X = 50) of the size of that RU or RU combination. Furthermore, each RU or RU combination associated with a RU or RU combination with more than 2*996 tones has a size greater than X% (e.g., X = 50) of the size of that RU or RU combination.

[0051] Example RUs or RU combinations associated with each of the greater than 242 tones (where X = 50) according to various embodiments are as follows: Figure 3 As shown in Table 300. For example, referring to the 484-tone RU (RU484) applicable to PPDU BWs of 40MHz, 80MHz, 160 / 80+80MHz, and 320 / 160+160MHz, the associated RU or RU combination is RU484 and 242-tone RU (RU242). For RU242, there can be two options: a first RU242 or a second RU242 of RU484. Referring to a combination of one RU242 and one RU484 (RU242+RU484) applicable to PPDU BWs of 80MHz, 160 / 80+80MHz, and 320 / 160+160MHz, the associated RU or RU combination is RU242+RU484 and RU242+RU484. As can be seen from Table 300, RU242+RU484 is allowed only within the same 80MHz band, while RU484+RU996 is allowed only within the same 160MHz band.

[0052] Figure 4The format of an EHT basic trigger frame 400 according to various embodiments is shown. The EHT basic trigger frame 400 may include a common information field 402 and one or more user information fields 404. The trigger type field 406 in the common information field 402 indicates that frame 400 is an EHT basic trigger frame. Each of the one or more user information fields 404 may include an RU allocation field 418, which indicates the RU or RU combination assigned to the STA indicated in the AID12 field 416. Each of the one or more user information fields 404 may include a trigger-related user information field 408, which includes an RU allocation disable field 410. The RU adaptation disable field 410 indicates whether the RU adaptation process is disabled for the STA. When the RU adaptation disable field 410 is set to 1, the RU adaptation process is disabled for the STA. When the RU adaptation disable field 410 is set to 0, RU adaptation is enabled for the STA. Furthermore, the RU adaptation disable field 410 should be set to 1 when the number of RUs or RU combinations assigned to the STA is no greater than 242 tones.

[0053] The common information field 402 may also include a carrier sensing (CS) requirement field 412, which indicates whether each scheduled STA requires ED-based CCA before the EHT TB PPDU is transmitted. The common information field 402 may also include a UL puncturing channel information field 414, which may include N subfields, each indicating uplink puncturing channel information within the corresponding 80MHz band. For example, N=0 when UL BW=20 or 40MHz, N=1 when UL BW=80MHz, N=2 when UL BW=160 / 80+80MHz, and N=4 when UL BW=320 / 160+160MHz. Each of the N UL puncturing channel information subfields may be a 4-bit bitmap, where a bit set to 1 indicates that the corresponding 20MHz subchannel is punctured; otherwise, it is set to 0.

[0054] According to various embodiments, when the RU adaptation disable field of the STA's user information field in the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the STA can perform the RU adaptation process. Based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the RU or RU combination assigned to the STA can be adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combinations. When a portion of the assigned RU or RU combination considered to be idle matches one of its associated RU or RU combinations, the assigned RU or RU combination is adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combinations. When a portion of the assigned RU or RU combination considered to be idle does not match any of its associated RU or RU combinations, but covers at least one of its associated RU or RU combinations, the assigned RU or RU combination is adapted to the one of its associated RU or RU combinations that most overlaps with that portion of the assigned RU or RU combination. Furthermore, when a portion of the assigned RU or RU combination considered to be idle does not match or covers any of its associated RU or RU combinations, the assigned RU or RU combination is not adapted to any of its associated RU or RU combinations.

[0055] Figure 5 A diagram 500 illustrates how a STA implements RU adaptation according to various embodiments. In this diagram, a combination of 3rd RU484 and 1st RU996 (RU484+RU996) 506, 512, 518 is assigned to the STA for EHT TB PPDU transmission with a BW of 160MHz, including a first 80MHz band 502 and a second 80MHz band 504. In Example A, based on the ED-based CCA results performed by the STA, a 20MHz subchannel 508 overlapping with the assigned RU combination 506 is considered busy. Therefore, the assigned RU combination 506 is adapted to one of its associated RUs or RU combinations, namely the adapted RU (1st RU996) 510. In Example B, based on the ED-based CCA results performed by the STA, a 20MHz subchannel 514 overlapping with the assigned RU combination 512 is considered busy. Therefore, the assigned RU combination 512 is adapted to one of its associated RUs or RU combinations, namely the adapted RU combination (first RU242 and second RU484) 516. In Example C, based on the ED-based CCA results performed by the STA, the 20MHz sub-channels 520 and 522 overlapping with the assigned RU combination 518 are considered busy. In this case, a portion of the assigned RU combination 518 that is considered idle does not match or overlap with any of its associated RUs or RU combinations. Therefore, the assigned RU combination 518 is not adapted to any of its associated RUs or RU combinations.

[0056] According to the first embodiment, the STA behavior for implementing EHT TB PPDU transmission is as follows. When the RU adaptation process is not performed by the STA, an EHT TB PPDU transmission process similar to 802.11ax is performed by the STA. When the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA and the RU or RU combination allocated to the STA is adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combination based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA prepares the EHT TB PPDU based on the adapted RU or RU combination and the common transmission parameters and other user-specific transmission parameters (excluding the allocated RU or RU combination) indicated in the common information field of the soliciting EHT basic trigger frame and the STA's user information field. Furthermore, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field in the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the common information field in the soliciting EHT basic trigger frame. For example, the value of the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG transmitted in the 80MHz band is set to be the same as the value of the UL puncturing channel information subfield of the soliciting EHT basic trigger frame corresponding to the 80MHz band.

[0057] On the other hand, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA and the RU or RU combination allocated to the STA does not adapt to any of its associated RU or RU combination based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA does not send an EHTTB PPDU. Advantageously, the throughput of triggered UL MU transmissions can be improved.

[0058] exist Figure 6Flowchart 600 illustrates the EHT TB PPDU transmission process performed by the STA when a request is received for the STA to perform an ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU, according to the first embodiment. The process begins at step 602. At step 604, an ED-based CCA is performed by a non-AP STA. At step 606, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 and whether the STA intends to perform the RU adaptation process. If this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 616, where an EHT TB PPDU transmission process similar to 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends at step 614. On the other hand, if it is determined at step 606 that the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 and the STA intends to perform the RU adaptation process, the process proceeds to step 608, where the RU adaptation process is performed based on the ED-based CCA result. At step 610, it is determined whether the assigned RU or RU combination is adapted to one of its associated RUs or RU combinations. If this is not the case, the process ends at step 614. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 612, where an EHT TB PPDU is prepared based on the adapted RU or RU combination and then sent. The process then ends at step 614.

[0059] According to the first embodiment, the AP behavior for receiving EHT TB PPDU is as follows. When the RU or RU combination allocated to the STA is used for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) allocation, the RU adaptation disabled field should also be set to 1. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU sent by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the allocated RU or RU combination using an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to 802.11ax. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU sent by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure: performing signal detection using one or more of the pre-EHT modulation fields (i.e., L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG fields, RL-SIG fields, and U-SIG fields) of the EHT TB PPDUs transmitted in all 20MHz sub-channels corresponding to the allocated RU or RU combination for the STA. Based on the signal detection results, the STA can determine the adapted RU or RU combination. The BSS color indicated in the U-SIG field can be used to exclude overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) transmissions, allowing for the appropriate determination of the matching RU or RU combination. The remaining EHT TB PPDU is then decoded by the AP based on the matching RU or RU combination. Figure 5In Example A shown, the RU combination assigned to the STA, first RU996 and third RU484, is adapted to first RU996. When the AP receives an EHT TB PPDU sent by the STA, the signal will be detected by the AP in all four 20MHz sub-channels corresponding to first RU996, thus enabling the AP to determine that the adapted RU is first RU996.

[0060] exist Figure 7 Flowchart 700 illustrates the EHT TB PPDU reception process performed by the AP when the STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before EHT TB PPDU transmission, according to the first embodiment. The process begins at step 702. At step 704, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the user information field of the STA requesting the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If this is not determined, the process proceeds to step 716, where an EHT TB PPDU reception process similar to 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends at step 714. On the other hand, if it is determined at step 704 that the RU adaptation disable field in the user information field of the STA requesting the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the process proceeds to step 706, where signal detection is performed using one or more of the pre-EHT modulation fields of the EHT TB PPDUs transmitted in all 20MHz sub-channels corresponding to the allocated RU or RU combination. At step 708, it is determined whether a signal is detected on any 20MHz sub-channel corresponding to the allocated RU or RU combination. If this is not the case, the process ends at step 714. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 710, where the suitable RU or RU combination is determined. At step 712, the remaining EHT TB PPDUs are processed according to the suitable RU or RU combination. Then, the process ends at step 714.

[0061] According to the second embodiment, the STA behavior for transmitting EHT TB PPDU is as follows. When the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA and the RU or RU combination allocated to the STA is adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combination based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA prepares the EHT TB PPDU based on the adapted RU or RU combination and the common transmission parameters and other user-specific transmission parameters (excluding the allocated RU or RU combination) indicated in the common information field of the solicitation EHT basic trigger frame and the user information field of the STA.

[0062] The process can then be performed using one of two options. In Option A, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the EHT basic trigger frame. For example, the value of the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG transmitted in the 80MHz band is set to the same value as the value of the UL puncturing channel information subfield of the EHT basic trigger frame corresponding to the 80MHz band. The U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU contains an adapted RU allocation field, which indicates the adapted RU or RU combination. In Option B, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the EHT basic trigger frame and the adapted RU or RU combination.

[0063] Figure 8 Table 800 illustrates the fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU sent by the STA when the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the soliciting EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 under option A, according to the second embodiment. As shown in Table 800, U-SIG2 of the U-SIG field includes the adapted RU allocation field 802. As described above, the adapted RU allocation field 802 indicates the adapted RU or RU combination.

[0064] Figures 9A-9C Table 900 illustrates how the RU or RU combination for allocations of more than 242 tones under Option A, according to a second embodiment, and the adapted RU allocation field indicate the adapted RU or RU combination. For example, in the case where the RU or RU combination for allocations of more than 242 tones is RU484:

[0065] - When the value of the RU allocation field is 0, the RU being adapted is the allocated RU (i.e., RU484);

[0066] - When the value of the RU allocation field is 1, the RU being adapted is the first RU242 within the allocated RUs;

[0067] - When the adapted RU allocation field indicates a value of 2, the adapted RU is the second RU242 within the allocated RUs; and

[0068] Values ​​3-15 are reserved.

[0069] Furthermore, in cases where the allocation of more than 242 tones involves RU or RU combinations that are RU242+RU484:

[0070] - When the value of the RU allocation field of the adapted RU is 0, the adapted RU is the allocated RU (i.e., RU242+RU484);

[0071] - When the adapted RU allocation field indicates a value of 1, the adapted RU is RU484 of the allocated RU; and

[0072] Values ​​2-15 are reserved.

[0073] Figure 10 Figure 1000 illustrates how STA1 and STA2, according to a second embodiment, implement RU adaptation for corresponding EHTTB PPDU transmissions over a 160MHz band (BW) comprising two 80MHz bands 1002 and 1004. The solicitation EHT basic trigger frame used for this example may have the following attributes: Within the common information field of the EHT basic trigger frame, the CS need field is set to 1 to indicate the need for ED-based CCA, the UL BW field indicates UL BW = 160 / 80 + 80MHz, and the two UL punctured channel information subfields are set to 0010 and 0000 respectively (see reference numeral 1006). That is, the third 20MHz subchannel within the 80MHz band 1002 is punctured. Within the user information fields of STA1 and STA2 in the EHT basic trigger frame, the RU allocation field indicates that the RU combination of RU 1 (RU 484) and RU 2 (RU 996) is allocated to STA1 and RU 4 (RU 242) is allocated to STA2. In addition, the RU adaptation disabled field is set to 0 for STA1 and to 1 for STA2.

[0074] RU adaptation based on the ED-based CCA results can be as follows. For STA1, the second 20MHz subchannel 1008 and the fifth 20MHz subchannel 1010 are considered busy, while the remaining 20MHz subchannels overlapping with the first RU484 and the second RU996 are considered idle. The RU combination allocated for STA1 is adapted to the RU combination of the second RU242 1012 and the second RU484 1014 within the second RU996. For STA2, the fourth 20MHz subchannel 1016 is considered idle. Furthermore, in the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU to be transmitted for STA1, if under option A, the punctured channel information field is set to 0000 (see reference numeral 1018), and the adapted RU allocation field is set to 3; or if under option B, the punctured channel information field is set to 1000 (see reference numeral 1020). For the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU to be transmitted for STA2, the punch channel information field is set to 0000 (see figure 1022).

[0075] In the second embodiment, the EHT TB PPDU transmission process performed by the STA when it receives a request to execute an EHT basic trigger frame based on ED CCA before transmitting the EHT TB PPDU is similar to that in the first embodiment (i.e., as...). Figure 6 (As shown in flowchart 600), except for setting the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU according to option A or option B.

[0076] According to the second embodiment, when the AP receives an EHT TB PPDU sent by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU using an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to 802.11ax, based on the assigned RU or RU combination. On the other hand, if the EHT TB PPDU is sent by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure:

[0077] • The appropriate RU or RU combination is determined from the appropriate RU allocation field or puncturing channel information field in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU; and

[0078] • Decode the remaining EHT TB PPDU according to the appropriate RU or RU combination.

[0079] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating the EHT TB PPDU reception process performed by the AP when the STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before EHT TB PPDU transmission, according to a second embodiment, is shown. The process begins at step 1102. At step 1104, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If this is not determined, the process proceeds to step 1112, where an EHT TB PPDU reception process similar to 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends at step 1110. Otherwise, the process proceeds from step 1104 to step 1106, where the adapted RU or RU combination is determined from the punched channel information field of the U-SIG field or the adapted RU allocation field, and at step 1108, the remaining EHT TB PPDUs are processed according to the adapted RU or RU combination. The process then ends at step 1110.

[0080] According to the third embodiment, the STA behavior for transmitting EHT TB PPDUs is as follows. When the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA, an EHT TB PPDU transmission process similar to 802.11ax is performed by the STA. When the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA and the allocated RU or RU combination for the STA is adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combination based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA prepares the EHT TB PPDU based on the adapted RU or RU combination, common transmission parameters (including the additional packet padding duration), and other user-specific transmission parameters (excluding the allocated RU or RU combination) indicated in the common information field of the soliciting EHT basic trigger frame and the STA's user information field. The EHT TB PPDU is prepared by the STA in a manner similar to 802.11ax, followed by additional packet padding, allowing the AP sufficient time to perform blind decoding of the EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the STA and the RU or RU combination assigned to the STA is not adapted to any of its associated RU or RU combination based on the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA does not send an EHTTB PPDU.

[0081] exist Figure 12 Flowchart 1200 illustrates the EHT TB PPDU transmission process performed by the STA when an EHT basic trigger frame requesting the STA to perform ED-based CCA is received before the EHT TB PPDU transmission, according to a third embodiment. The process begins at step 1202. At step 1204, the STA performs ED-based CCA. At step 1206, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If this is not determined, the process proceeds to step 1216, where an EHT TB PPDU transmission process similar to 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends at step 1214. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 1206 that the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the process proceeds to step 1208, where an RU adaptation process is performed based on the ED-based CCA result. At step 1210, it is determined whether the assigned RU or RU combination is adapted to one of its associated RU or RU combination. If this is not the case, the process ends at step 1214. Otherwise, processing proceeds to step 1212, where the EHT TB PPDU is prepared based on the adapted RU or RU combination and the additional packet padding duration, and then sent. The process then ends at step 1214.

[0082] According to the third embodiment, the AP behavior for implementing trigger-based UL MU transmission is as follows. When sending an EHT basic trigger frame to solicit EHT TB PPDU transmission, the common information field includes an additional packet stuffing duration field to indicate the additional packet stuffing duration on top of normal packet stuffing. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU sent by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU using an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to 802.11ax, based on the assigned RU or RU combination. On the other hand, when receiving an EHT TB PPDU sent by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure:

[0083] • Identify the RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RUs or RU combinations, and

[0084] • Perform blind decoding on the EHT TB PPDU based on the associated RU or RU combination.

[0085] Figure 13 The format of the EHT basic trigger frame 1300 according to the third embodiment is shown. Although similar to Figure 4 The common information fields of the EHT basic trigger frame 400 and EHT basic trigger frame 1300 include a new additional packet fill duration field 1302, which, as described above, indicates an additional packet fill duration on top of the normal packet fill.

[0086] Figure 14 Table 1400 illustrates the number of blind decodings required for each of the RUs or RU combinations with more than 242 tones according to the third embodiment. For example, referring to RU484, the associated RUs or RU combinations are RU484 and RU242 (two options), so the required number of blind decodings is 3. Referring to RU242+RU484, the associated RUs or RU combinations are RU242+RU484 and RU484, so the required number of blind decodings is 2.

[0087] Figure 15A flowchart illustrating the EHT TB PPDU reception process performed by the AP when the STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before EHT TB PPDU transmission, according to a third embodiment, is shown. The process begins at step 1502. At step 1504, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If this is not determined, the process proceeds to step 1512, where an EHT TB PPDU reception process similar to 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends at step 1510. Otherwise, the process proceeds from step 1504 to step 1506, where the RU or RU combination associated with the assigned RU or RU combination is determined. At step 1508, blind decoding is performed based on the associated RU or RU combination. The process then ends at step 1510.

[0088] Advantageously, unlike the first and second embodiments, in the trigger-based UL MU transmission, RU adaptation can be enabled for the STAs participating in the MU-MIMO transmission according to the third embodiment.

[0089] Figure 16 A flowchart 1600 illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments is shown. At step 1602, the trigger frame includes a public information field and multiple user information fields, wherein each of the multiple user information fields includes a first field and a second field. The first field indicates whether the RU adaptation process is disabled for the communication device addressed by each of the multiple user information fields, and the second field indicates the RU or RU combination assigned to the communication device. At step 1604, the generated trigger frame is transmitted.

[0090] Figure 17 A schematic partial cross-sectional view is shown of a communication device 1700, which can be implemented for trigger-based UL MU transmission according to the first to third embodiments. According to the various embodiments, the communication device 1700 can be implemented as a STA or an AP.

[0091] The various functions and operations of the communication device 1700 are arranged into layers according to a hierarchical model. In this model, lower layers report to higher layers and receive instructions from them according to IEEE specifications. For simplicity, the details of the hierarchical model are not discussed in this disclosure.

[0092] like Figure 17 As shown, the communication device 1700 may include circuitry 1714, at least one radio transmitter 1702, at least one radio receiver 1704, and multiple antennas 1712 (for simplicity and for illustrative purposes, in...). Figure 17(Only one antenna is depicted in the diagram). The circuitry may include at least one controller 1706 for use in software and hardware-assisted performance of tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling communication with one or more other communication devices, such as APs and STAs in a MIMO wireless network. The at least one controller 1706 may control at least one transmit signal generator 1708 and at least one receive signal processor 1710, the at least one transmit signal generator 1708 for generating frames to be transmitted to one or more other STAs or APs via at least one radio transmitter 1702, and the at least one receive signal processor 1710 for processing frames received from one or more other STAs or APs via at least one radio receiver 1704. The at least one transmit signal generator 1708 and the at least one receive signal processor 1710 may be independent modules of the communication device 1700, communicating with the at least one controller 1706 for the aforementioned functions. Alternatively, the at least one transmit signal generator 1708 and the at least one receive signal processor 1710 may be included within the at least one controller 1706. Those skilled in the art will understand that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and can vary according to actual needs and / or requirements. Data processing, storage, and other related control devices can be located on appropriate circuit boards and / or chipsets.

[0093] In various embodiments, at least one radio transmitter 1702, at least one radio receiver 1704, and at least one antenna 1712 may be controlled by at least one controller 1706. Furthermore, although only one radio transmitter 1702 is shown, it should be understood that more than one such transmitter may be present.

[0094] In various embodiments, at least one radio receiver 1704, together with at least one receive signal processor 1710, forms the receiver of the communication device 1700. The receiver of the communication device 1700 provides the functionality required for trigger-based UL MU communication. Although only one radio receiver 1704 is shown, it should be understood that more than one such receiver may be present.

[0095] Communication device 1700 provides the functionality required for trigger-based UL MU transmission. For example, circuit 1714 can generate a trigger frame including a common information field and multiple user information fields, wherein each of the multiple user information fields includes a first field and a second field, the first field indicating whether the RU adaptation process is disabled for another communication device addressed by each of the multiple user information fields, and the second field indicating the RU or RU combination assigned to the other communication device. Transmitter 1702 can transmit the generated trigger frame.

[0096] When the assigned RU or RU combination has a size not exceeding 242 tones, the RU adaptation process can be disabled for another communication device. The common information field of the trigger frame may include a field indicating the duration of additional packet padding. An assigned RU or RU combination may be associated with two or more RUs or RU combinations. Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination may have a size not exceeding that of the assigned RU or RU combination. Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination may be a large-size RU or RU combination permitted for use in EHT WLANs.

[0097] When the RU adaptation process is performed by another communication device and a portion of the allocated RUs or RU combinations that are considered idle matches one of two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, the allocated RUs or RU combinations can be adapted to one of two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations.

[0098] When the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RU or RU combination that is considered idle does not match any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination, but instead covers at least one of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination, the allocated RU or RU combination can be adapted to at least one RU or RU combination among the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination that overlaps to the greatest extent with a portion of the allocated RU or RU combination.

[0099] When the RU adaptation process is performed by another communication device and a portion of the assigned RU or RU combination that is considered idle does not match or covers any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination, the assigned RU or RU combination may not be adapted to any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination.

[0100] Receiver 1704 can receive trigger-based PPDUs transmitted by another communication device. Circuit 1714 can also be configured to perform signal detection using one or more fields of the trigger-based PPDUs transmitted in all 20MHz sub-channels corresponding to the assigned RUs or RU combinations, and to determine the RU or RU combination adapted by the other communication device from the assigned RUs or RU combinations based on the CCA result. The U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU may include a signaling field indicating the RU or RU combination adapted by the other communication device from the assigned RUs or RU combinations based on the CCA result. This signaling field may also indicate puncturing channel information in the 80MHz band transmitted therein by the U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU.

[0101] Circuit 1714 can also be configured to apply blind decoding to the received trigger-based PPDU based on two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination.

[0102] As described above, embodiments of this disclosure provide an advanced communication system, communication method, and communication apparatus that enable trigger-based UL MU transmission.

[0103] This disclosure can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each of the above embodiments can be implemented partially or wholly by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be controlled partially or wholly by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. An LSI can be formed as a single chip, or it can be formed as a single chip to include some or all of the functional blocks. An LSI may include data inputs and outputs coupled thereto. Depending on the level of integration, the LSI herein may be referred to as an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra-LSI. However, the techniques for implementing integrated circuits are not limited to LSIs and can be implemented using dedicated circuitry, general-purpose processors, or special-purpose processors. Additionally, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and settings of circuit cells arranged within the LSI can be reconfigured, can be used. This disclosure can be implemented as digital or analog processing. If future integrated circuit technologies replace LSIs due to advancements in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, future integrated circuit technologies can be used to integrate functional blocks. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0104] This disclosure can be implemented by any kind of device, apparatus or system having communication function, referred to as a communication device.

[0105] Communication devices may include transceivers and processing / control circuitry. A transceiver may include and / or function as both a receiver and a transmitter. A transceiver functioning as both a transmitter and a receiver may include an RF (radio frequency) module, comprising amplifiers, RF modulators / demodulators, etc., and one or more antennas.

[0106] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include telephones (e.g., cellular phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, remote health / telemedicine (remote health and medical) devices, and vehicles that provide communication capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), as well as various combinations thereof.

[0107] The communication device is not limited to portable or mobile devices, but may also include any type of non-portable or fixed device, equipment or system, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines and any other “thing” in a network of “Internet of Things (IoT)”.

[0108] Communication can include exchanging data through, for example, cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, and various combinations thereof.

[0109] The communication device may include devices such as controllers or sensors coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in this disclosure. For example, the communication device may include a controller or sensor that generates control signals or data signals used by the communication device performing the communication functions of the communication device.

[0110] The communication apparatus may also include infrastructure such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, device, or system that communicates with or controls such apparatus as those in the above non-limiting examples.

[0111] It should be understood that although some properties of various embodiments have been described with reference to the communication device, the corresponding properties also apply to the methods of various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0112] While exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed descriptions of these embodiments, it should be understood that numerous variations exist. It should also be understood that the exemplary embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, operation, or configuration of this disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed descriptions will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient roadmap for implementing the exemplary embodiments, and it should be understood that various changes can be made to the functionality and arrangement of the steps and methods of operation described in the exemplary embodiments, as well as the modules and structure of the device described in the exemplary embodiments, without departing from the scope of the subject matter set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: The circuit generates a trigger frame that includes a public information field and multiple user information fields; as well as The transmitter sends the generated trigger frame; Each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field and a second field. The first field indicates whether the Resource Unit (RU) adaptation process is disabled for another communication device addressed by each of the plurality of user information fields. The second field indicates the RU or RU combination assigned to the other communication device. Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RUs or RU combinations considered to be idle matches one of two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, the allocated RUs or RU combinations are adapted to one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, or Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RUs or RU combinations considered idle does not match any of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, but instead covers at least one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, the allocated RUs or RU combinations are adapted to at least one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations with the largest overlap with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, or Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RU or RU combination that is considered idle does not match or cover any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination, the allocated RU or RU combination is not adapted to any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, When the assigned RU or RU combination has a size of no more than 242 tones, the RU adaptation process is disabled for the other communication device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The public information field of the trigger frame includes a field indicating the duration of the additional grouping fill.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination has a size not greater than that of the assigned RU or RU combination.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination is a large-size RU or RU combination that allows for use in an EHT WLAN with extremely high throughput.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The communication device further includes a receiver that receives trigger-based Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) sent by the other communication device.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Signal detection is performed using one or more fields of the trigger-based PPDU transmitted in all 20MHz sub-channels corresponding to the assigned RU or RU combination, and The RU or RU combination that is adapted from the allocated RU or RU combination by the other communication device based on the CCA result of the idle channel evaluation is determined.

8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The general signal U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU includes a signaling field that indicates the RU or RU combination adapted by the other communication device from the assigned RU or RU combination according to the CCA result.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein, The signaling field also indicates the punch-hole channel information in the 80MHz band transmitted in the U-SIG field of the triggered PPDU.

10. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The circuit is also configured to apply blind decoding to the received trigger-based PPDU based on the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the assigned RU or RU combination.

11. A communication method, comprising: Generate a trigger frame that includes a public information field and multiple user information fields; as well as Send the generated trigger frame; Each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field and a second field. The first field indicates whether the Resource Unit (RU) adaptation process is disabled for another communication device addressed by each of the plurality of user information fields. The second field indicates the RU or RU combination assigned to the other communication device. Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RUs or RU combinations considered to be idle matches one of two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, the allocated RUs or RU combinations are adapted to one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, or Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RUs or RU combinations considered idle does not match any of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, but instead covers at least one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations associated with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, the allocated RUs or RU combinations are adapted to at least one of the two or more RUs or RU combinations with the largest overlap with the allocated RUs or RU combinations, or Wherein, when the RU adaptation process is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the allocated RU or RU combination that is considered idle does not match or cover any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination, the allocated RU or RU combination is not adapted to any of the two or more RU or RU combinations associated with the allocated RU or RU combination.

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