Bandwidth signaling for basic service sets (bsss) supporting 320 mhz operating bandwidths

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatuses, and methods, including computer programs encoded on storage media, for techniques for an access point (AP) in a basic service set (BSS) to announce or indicate 320MHz bandwidth operation and frequency segment composition in a 320MHz bandwidth to stations (STAs) in a wireless local area network (WLAN). Further, a WLAN device can announce or indicate its 320MHz bandwidth support capability to other WLAN devices in a WLAN.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of application No. 201880066991.X, filed on October 15, 2018, entitled“Bandwidth Signaling for Basic Service Set (BSS) Supporting 320 MHz Operating Bandwidth”, with the same assignee herewith.

[0002] Related Applications

[0003] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 573,118, filed on October 16, 2017, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16 / 159,313, filed on October 12, 2018. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to wireless local area networks (WLANs). BACKGROUND

[0005] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices, also referred to as stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a basic service set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a service set identifier (SSID) that is advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STAs within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. In a typical WLAN, each STA can only be associated with one AP at a time. To identify an AP with which to associate, a STA is configured to perform a scan on a wireless channel in each of one or more frequency bands (e.g., the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands). As wireless networks become more ubiquitous, a STA can have the opportunity to select one of many WLANs within range of the STA, or among multiple APs that together form an extended BSS. After associating with an AP, a STA can also be configured to periodically scan its surroundings to find a more suitable AP with which to associate. For example, a STA that is moving relative to its associated AP can perform a“roaming” scan to find an AP with more desirable network characteristics, such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

[0006] Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems can be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and space). APs can be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and can enable STAs to communicate via the network, including communicating with other devices coupled to an AP. SUMMARY

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

[0008] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by an access point (AP). The AP can determine to advertise a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for a basic service set (BSS) associated with the AP. The AP can select a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The AP can prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS and the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0009] In some implementations, the AP can determine a center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The management frame can further indicate the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0010] In some implementations, the AP can transmit the management frame to the at least one STA in the BSS. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0011] In some implementations, the management frame can include an extremely high throughput (EHT) operation information element (IE). The EHT operation IE can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0012] In some implementations, the operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE further includes a primary channel number of a primary channel of the BSS, and a channel width for providing a composition of the 320MHz operating bandwidth and a number of frequency segments.

[0013] In some implementations, the operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE further includes a first segment channel center frequency, a second segment channel center frequency, a third segment channel center frequency, and a fourth segment channel center frequency for indicating the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320MHz operating bandwidth.

[0014] In some implementations, the AP can receive bandwidth capability information from STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth capability information can indicate an operating bandwidth and one or more frequency segment compositions supported by each of the STAs in the BSS. The AP can determine to advertise the 320MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS in response to determining that at least one of the STAs supports the 320MHz operating bandwidth.

[0015] In some implementations, the AP can receive bandwidth capability information from STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth capability information can indicate an operating bandwidth and one or more frequency segment compositions supported by each of the STAs in the BSS. The AP can select the frequency segment composition for the 320MHz operating bandwidth from the multiple frequency segment compositions associated with the 320MHz operating bandwidth based at least in part on the one or more frequency segment compositions supported by each of the STAs in the BSS.

[0016] In some implementations, the AP can determine that one or more STAs in the BSS are EHT devices and one or more STAs in the BSS are non-EHT devices. The AP can prepare the management frame for transmission. The management frame can include an EHT Operating IE and a non-EHT Operating IE, the EHT Operating IE indicating the 320MHz operating bandwidth, the frequency segment composition, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the EHT devices, and the non-EHT Operating IE indicating the operating bandwidth and a corresponding frequency segment composition for the non-EHT devices.

[0017] In some implementations, the management frame can be a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame.

[0018] In some implementations, the frequency segment composition selected for the BSS comprises one of the multiple frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The multiple frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth can include a single 320 MHz frequency segment, two 160 MHz frequency segments, four 80 MHz frequency segments, and one 160 MHz frequency segment and two 80 MHz frequency segments.

[0019] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by a WLAN device. The WLAN device can determine support for a 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The WLAN device can determine, from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, one or more frequency segment compositions supported by the WLAN device. The WLAN device can prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one other WLAN device in a WLAN. The management frame can indicate support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and support for the one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0020] In some implementations, the management frame includes an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Capabilities IE. The EHT Capabilities IE can include an indication of whether the WLAN device supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and an indication of the one or more frequency segment compositions supported by the WLAN device.

[0021] In some implementations, the WLAN device can be a station (STA). The WLAN device can receive operating bandwidth information from an AP associated with a basic service set (BSS). The operating bandwidth information can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS associated with the AP, a frequency segment composition for the BSS, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition associated with the BSS. The WLAN device can join the BSS associated with the AP. The WLAN device can prepare a packet for transmission in a channel of the BSS using the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and the frequency segment composition. The packet can include an indication of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0022] In some implementations, the operating bandwidth information includes an operating bandwidth field of an EHT Operating IE. The operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE can include a primary channel number of a primary channel of the BSS, a channel width used to provide a composition of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a plurality of segment channel center frequencies used to indicate the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition associated with the BSS.

[0023] In some implementations, the WLAN device can be an AP. The WLAN device can determine that one or more STAs in a BSS associated with the AP are EHT devices and one or more STAs in the BSS are non-EHT devices. The WLAN device can prepare the management frame for transmission, the management frame including an EHT Capabilities IE and a non-EHT Capabilities IE, the EHT Capabilities IE indicating support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and support for the one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and the non-EHT Capabilities IE indicating a bandwidth capability for the non-EHT devices.

[0024] In some implementations, the WLAN device can be a STA and the management frame can be a probe request frame or an association request frame.

[0025] In some implementations, the WLAN device can be an AP and the management frame can be a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame.

[0026] In some implementations, the one or more frequency segment compositions supported by the WLAN device can include at least one member selected from the group consisting of: a single 320 MHz frequency segment, two 160 MHz frequency segments, four 80 MHz frequency segments, and one 160 MHz frequency segment and two 80 MHz frequency segments.

[0027] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by an AP that includes a processor and a memory. The memory has instructions stored therein that, when executed by the processor, cause the AP to determine to advertise a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for a BSS associated with the AP, select a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one STA in a WLAN. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS and the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0028] In some implementations, the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the AP to determine a center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The management frame can also indicate the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0029] In some implementations, the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the AP to transmit the management frame to the at least one STA in the BSS. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0030] In some implementations, the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the AP to receive bandwidth capability information from a STA in the BSS, the bandwidth capability information indicating an operating bandwidth and one or more frequency segment compositions supported by each of the STAs in the BSS, and in response to a determination that at least one of the STAs supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, determine to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS.

[0031] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor of an AP, cause the AP to determine to advertise a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for a BSS associated with the AP, select a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one STA in a WLAN. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS and the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0032] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by an AP including means for determining to advertise a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for a BSS associated with the AP; means for selecting a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and means for preparing a management frame for transmission to at least one STA in a WLAN. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS and the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0033] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by a WLAN device including means for determining support for a 320 MHz operating bandwidth; means for determining one or more frequency segment compositions supported by the WLAN device from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and means for preparing a management frame for transmission to at least one other WLAN device in a WLAN. The management frame can indicate support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and support for the one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0034] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures can not be drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 A system diagram depicting an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0036] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example access point (AP) for use in wireless communication is shown.

[0037] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example station (STA) for use in wireless communication is shown.

[0038] Figure 4 A block diagram of example EHT 320 MHz bandwidth signaling in an extremely high throughput (EHT) BSS is shown.

[0039] Figure 5 A conceptual diagram of an example management frame for EHT 320 MHz bandwidth signaling including an example bandwidth support field of an EHT capabilities information element (IE) is shown.

[0040] Figure 6 An example EHT operation IE for EHT 320MHz bandwidth signaling is described.

[0041] Figure 7 An example flowchart depicts the process by which an AP announces or instructs one or more STAs in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to the BSS for a 320MHz operating bandwidth and the frequency segments used for the 320MHz operating bandwidth.

[0042] Figure 8 An example flowchart depicts the process by which a WLAN device announces or indicates its 320MHz bandwidth support capability.

[0043] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating an example message flow for EHT 320MHz bandwidth signaling between APs and STAs in a WLAN is provided.

[0044] Figure 10 A conceptual diagram depicts example management frames used for EHT and non-EHT bandwidth signaling.

[0045] The same reference numerals and names in the various figures indicate the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0046] For the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure, the following description is directed to certain implementations. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any of the following: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, or The described implementations can also be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to any of the following technologies or methods: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband- CDMA (WCDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), AMPS, or other known signals that can be used in a wireless, cellular or Internet of Things (IOT) network (such as a system utilizing 3G, 4G or 5G, or further implementations, technologies thereof).

[0047] In a wireless local area network (WLAN) including an access point (AP) and one or more stations (STAs), the AP can advertise an operating channel and bandwidth for a basic service set (BSS) to the one or more STAs. For example, the AP can transmit a management frame, such as a beacon frame or a probe response frame, to indicate the operating channel and bandwidth for the BSS. The management frame can also indicate a frequency segment composition associated with the operating bandwidth and a corresponding center frequency for each segment.

[0048] In some implementations, at least one of the AP and STAs can support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for a channel of the BSS. The operating bandwidth can also be referred to as a channel width or channel bandwidth. The AP and STAs that support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth can be referred to as Extremely High Throughput (EHT) devices. In addition to operating bandwidths supported by non-EHT (or legacy) devices, such as 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 MHz operating bandwidths, EHT devices can also support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth. EHT devices can also support one or more of the frequency segment compositions that can be used in a 320 MHz operating bandwidth. In some implementations, four frequency segment compositions can be available for a 320 MHz operating bandwidth, including (1) a single 320 MHz frequency segment, (2) two 160 MHz (160+160 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), (3) four 80 MHz (4x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), and (4) one 160 MHz and two 80 MHz (160+2x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous). Prior generations of WLAN devices, such as IEEE 802.11 ax devices, typically support a maximum channel bandwidth of 160 MHz. In addition to using a larger channel bandwidth of 320 MHz, EHT devices can also utilize higher modulations, such as 4k-QAM / 16k-QAM, and utilize a larger number of spatial streams, such as up to 16 spatial streams. Prior generations of WLAN devices typically utilize a maximum modulation of 1024-QAM, and operate with up to 8 spatial streams.

[0049] In some implementations, the AP can advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth of the BSS to one or more STAs in the BSS by transmitting a management frame, such as a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame. The AP can also advertise the frequency segment composition that the WLAN devices in the BSS should use when operating at the 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, the AP can indicate one of the following frequency segment compositions: (1) a single 320 MHz frequency segment, (2) a 160+160 MHz frequency segment, (3) a 4x80 MHz frequency segment, and (4) a 160+2x80 MHz frequency segment. The AP can also indicate a center frequency associated with each segment of the frequency segment composition selected by the AP. The AP can indicate the operating information for the BSS, such as the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, the frequency segment composition, and the corresponding center frequency of each segment, in an EHT Operating Information Element (IE) of the management frame. In some implementations, the AP can select the operating bandwidth of 320 MHz and the frequency segment composition for the BSS based on the capabilities of the WLAN devices in the BSS.

[0050] In some implementations, during network discovery, the AP and STAs in a BSS can exchange management frames advertising the capabilities of the WLAN devices. For example, the management frames exchanged by the AP and STAs can indicate the operating bandwidth supported by each WLAN device, as well as one or more frequency segment compositions supported by each WLAN device. The AP can transmit a beacon frame or a probe response frame to indicate the bandwidth capabilities of the AP, and each of the STAs can transmit a probe request to indicate the bandwidth capabilities of the corresponding STA. Some EHT devices can indicate support for operating bandwidths up to 320 MHz, and some non-EHT devices can indicate support for operating bandwidths up to 160 MHz. In some implementations, support for 320 MHz operating bandwidths can be an optional feature for EHT devices, and thus, some EHT devices can not support 320 MHz operating bandwidths, but can instead indicate support for 160 MHz operating bandwidths. The AP and STAs can indicate their bandwidth capability information, such as support for 320 MHz operating bandwidths and support for one or more frequency segment compositions, in an EHT Capabilities information element (IE) of the management frames. In some implementations, the AP in a BSS can set the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition for the BSS based on the capability information received from the STAs.

[0051] In some implementations, a BSS can include both EHT and non-EHT devices. The non-EHT devices can be, for example, 802.11ax devices (which can also be referred to as high efficiency (HE) devices) that support a maximum operating bandwidth of 160 MHz (and thus do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidths). If a BSS includes both EHT and non-EHT devices, the AP can transmit two different operation IEs in a management frame to ensure compatibility with both EHT and non-EHT devices. For example, the management frame can include an EHT operation IE for EHT devices (and decodable by them), and an HE operation IE for non-EHT devices (and decodable by them). In some implementations, some EHT devices can not support 320 MHz operating bandwidths, but can instead support a maximum operating bandwidth of 160 MHz. If a BSS includes both EHT devices that support 320 MHz operating bandwidths and EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidths, the AP can transmit a management frame that includes an EHT operation IE for all EHT devices (and decodable by them), and an HE operation IE for EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidths (and decodable by them).

[0052] Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. The IEEE 802.11 standards body is planning to define support for 320 MHz operating bandwidth in the 802.11 standard specification. The management frame exchange and bandwidth signaling and related operations described in this disclosure allow EHT devices (such as APs and STAs) that support 320 MHz operating bandwidth to exchange capability and operating bandwidth information. An AP can send an EHT Operating IE to STAs in a BSS to advertise a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS, a corresponding frequency segment composition, and a center frequency associated with each of the segments of the selected frequency segment composition. The format of the EHT Operating IE (including the various fields and subfields) accounts for various frequency segment compositions that can be used for 320 MHz operating frequencies, and allows the AP to indicate the center frequencies for all of the frequency segments corresponding to the selected frequency segment. When at least one of the STAs supports 320 MHz bandwidth operation (determined based on the EHT Capabilities IE), the AP sets up the BSS with a 320 MHz operating frequency, which can allow one or more of the STAs to operate with higher bandwidth (compared to non-EHT devices), and can improve the performance of the BSS. In some implementations, if the BSS includes both EHT devices that support 320 MHz operating bandwidth and other devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth (such as non-EHT or EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz), the AP can prepare a management frame that includes both an EHT Operating IE for the EHT devices and an HE Operating IE for the non-EHT devices (or EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz). The management frame that includes both the EHT Operating IE and the HE Operating HE can ensure backward compatibility with non-EHT (or legacy) devices.

[0053] Figure 1A system diagram depicting an example wireless communication network 100 is illustrated. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a WLAN (and will be referred to as WLAN 100 hereinafter). For example, the WLAN 100 can be a network implementing at least one of the standards in the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The WLAN 100 can include a number of wireless devices (also referred to as WLAN devices), such as an AP 105 and a number of associated STAs 115. Each of the STAs 115 can also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, an access terminal (AT), a user device (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 115 can represent a variety of devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptop computers, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), printers, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), etc.

[0054] Each of the STAs 115 can be associated with and communicate with the AP 105 via communication links 110. The STAs 115 in the WLAN 100 are able to communicate with one another through the AP 105. A single AP 105 and an associated set of STAs 115 can be referred to as a BSS. Figure 1 An example coverage area 120 of the AP 105 is also shown, which can represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. While only one AP 105 is illustrated, the WLAN 100 can include multiple APs 105. An extended service set (ESS) can include a set of connected BSSs. An extended network station associated with the WLAN 100 can be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system, which can allow for multiple APs 105 to be connected in such an ESS. As such, a STA 115 can be covered by more than one AP 105, and can associate with different APs 105 at different times for different transmissions.

[0055] The STAs 115 can operate and communicate (via respective communication links 110) according to the standards and amendments of the IEEE 802.11 series of standards including, but not limited to, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11h, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, and 802.11ba. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocol for the PHY and medium access control (MAC) layers. The wireless devices in the WLAN 100 can communicate on an unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of the spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz, 3.6 GHz, and 900 MHz bands. The unlicensed spectrum can also include other bands, such as the emerging 6 GHz band. The wireless devices in the WLAN 100 can also be configured to communicate on other bands, such as a shared licensed band, where multiple operators can have a license to operate in the same or overlapping band or bands.

[0056] In some cases, the STAs 115 can form a network without an AP 105 or other device other than the STAs 115 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network can alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or peer-to-peer (P2P) connection. In some cases, an ad hoc network can be implemented within a larger wireless network, such as the WLAN 100. In such implementations, while the STAs 115 can be capable of communicating with each other through the AP 105 using communication links 110, the STAs 115 can also communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication links 125. Additionally, two STAs 115 can communicate via a direct wireless communication link 125 regardless of whether both STAs 115 are associated with and served by the same AP 105. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 115 can assume the role filled by the AP 105 in a BSS. Such a STA 115 can be referred to as a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 125 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established through the use of Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) links, and other peer-to-peer (P2P) group connections.

[0057] Some types of STAs 115 can provide for automated communication. Automated wireless devices can include those implementing Internet of Things (IoT) communication, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, or Machine Type Communication (MTC). IoT, M2M, or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with one another or a base station 105 without human intervention. For example, IoT, M2M or MTC can refer to communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay that information to a central server or application program that can make use of that information or present that information to humans in interaction with the programs or applications.

[0058] Some of the STAs 115 can be MTC devices, such as MTC devices designed to collect information or enable automated behavior of machines. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, climate and geological event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based business metering. MTC devices can operate using half-duplex (one-way) communications at a reduced peak rate. MTC devices can also be configured to enter a power saving "deep sleep" mode when not engaging in active communications.

[0059] WLAN 100 can support beamforming transmissions. As one example, AP 105 can use multiple antennas or antenna arrays to perform beamforming operations for directional communications with STAs 115. Beamforming, which can also be referred to as spatial filtering or directional transmission, is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitter, such as an AP 105, to shape or steer the beam of an overall antenna pattern in a specific direction, such as toward a target receiver, such as a STA 115. Beamforming can be achieved by combining elements in an antenna array in such a way that signals at particular angles experience constructive interference while others experience destructive interference. In some cases, the way in which the elements in the antenna array are combined at the transmitter can depend on channel state information (CSI) associated with a channel over which the AP 105 can communicate with the STAs 115. That is, based on the CSI, the AP 105 can appropriately weight transmissions from each antenna (or antenna port) in order to achieve the desired beamforming effect. In some cases, these weights can be determined prior to beamforming being employed. For example, a transmitter, such as an AP 105, can transmit one or more probe packets to a receiver in order to determine the CSI.

[0060] WLAN 100 can also support multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems. Such a system can use a transmission scheme between a transmitter (such as an AP 105) and a receiver (such as a STA 115), where both transmitter and receiver are equipped with multiple antennas. For example, AP 105 can have an array of antennas with multiple columns and multiple rows of antenna ports that AP 105 can use for beamforming in its communications with STAs 115. Signals can be transmitted multiple times along different directions (e.g., each transmission can be beamformed differently). A receiver (such as a STA 115) can try multiple beams (e.g., antenna subarrays) when receiving a signal.

[0061] WLAN PDUs can be transmitted on a radio frequency spectrum band, which in some examples can include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. In some cases, the radio frequency spectrum band can have a bandwidth of 80 MHz, and each of the sub-bands or channels can have a bandwidth of 20 MHz. Transmissions to and from STAs 115 and APs 105 typically include control information within a header that is transmitted prior to the data transmission. The information provided in the header is used by the receiving device to decode the subsequent data. A legacy WLAN preamble can include legacy short training field (STF) (L-STF) information, legacy long training field (LTF) (L-LTF) information, and legacy signaling (L-SIG) information. The legacy preamble can be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation, among other things. The legacy preamble can also be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices.

[0062] In some cases, aspects of the transmissions can vary based on a distance between a transmitter (e.g., an AP 105) and a receiver (e.g., a STA 115). WLAN 100 can generally benefit in other ways from APs 105 having information about the locations of various STAs 115 within coverage area 120. For example, a round-trip time (RTT)-based ranging procedure can be used to calculate the relevant distances. As one example, WLAN 100 can provide such functionality that yields accuracy on the order of one meter (or even centimeter-level accuracy). The same (or similar) techniques employed in WLAN 100 can be applied across other radio access technologies (RATs). For example, such RTT-based ranging functionality can be employed in developing “relative geofencing” applications, such as applications in which there is a geofence relative to an object of interest (such as a mobile device, a car, a person, etc.). Various such examples are contemplated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. For example, a car key can employ RTT estimation for a PKES system. An RTT-based geofence around an adult can monitor the location of a child within the geofence. Moreover, drone-to-drone and car-to-car RTT functionality can help prevent collisions.

[0063] In some implementations, during network discovery, a STA 115 can perform active scanning in the WLAN 100 by transmitting probe request frames indicating bandwidth capabilities of the STA 115. An AP 105 can receive one of the probe request frames and transmit a probe response frame to the STA 115 indicating bandwidth capabilities of the AP 105. For example, the exchanged probe request and response frames can indicate an operating bandwidth supported by each device (such as a 320 MHz operating bandwidth) and one or more frequency segment compositions. The AP 105 can also periodically transmit a beacon frame indicating bandwidth capabilities of the AP 105. After determining bandwidth capabilities of the STAs 115 in the WLAN 100, the AP 105 can set the operating channel, bandwidth, and other information for the BSS by transmitting a management frame to the STAs 115. For example, the AP 105 can transmit a beacon frame or an association response frame to the STAs 115 indicating operating information for the BSS, such as a 320 MHz operating bandwidth, a frequency segment composition, and a corresponding center frequency for each segment. As described in Figure 2 and Figure 3 The AP 105 and each STA 115 can include a bandwidth capability module that can be used to prepare management frames to indicate bandwidth capability information of the AP and the STA, as described in

[0064] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example AP 105 for use in wireless communication is depicted. The AP 105 and its components shown in Figure 2 may be examples of the AP described with reference to Figure 1 In some implementations, the AP 105 can be configured to transmit and receive WLAN frames (also referred to herein as transmissions or communications) intended to comply with IEEE 802.11 standards, such as 802.11 ac, 802.11 ax, or any future amendments to the 802.11 family of standards, and to encode and decode such frames. The AP 105 includes a processor 210, a memory 220, at least one transceiver 230, and at least one antenna 240. In some implementations, the AP 105 also includes one or both of an AP communication module 260 and a network communication module 270. Each of the components (or “modules”) described with reference to Figure 2 may communicate with one another directly or indirectly over at least one bus 205.

[0065] Memory 220 can include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 220 can also store processor- or computer-executable software (SW) code containing instructions that, when executed by processor 210, cause processor 210 to perform various functions described herein for wireless communication, including generating and transmitting downlink frames and receiving uplink frames.

[0066] Processor 210 can include an intelligent hardware device, such as for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a programmable logic device (PLD) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. Processor 210 can process information received through transceiver 230, AP communication module 260, and network communication module 270. Processor 210 can also process information to be sent to transceiver 230 for transmission through antenna 240, information to be sent to AP communication module 260, and information to be sent to network communication module 270. Processor 210 can typically be configured to execute various operations in connection with generating and transmitting downlink frames and receiving uplink frames.

[0067] Transceiver 230 can also include a modem to modulate the packets and provide the modulated packets to antenna 240 for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from antenna 240. Transceiver 230 can be implemented as at least one radio-frequency (RF) transmitter and at least one separate RF receiver. Transceiver 230 can communicate bi-directionally, via antenna 240, with at least one STA 115, for example, as shown in Figure 1 Although only one transceiver 230 and one antenna 240 are shown in Figure 2 , AP 105 can typically include multiple transceivers 230 and antennas 240. For example, in some implementations, AP 105 can include multiple transmit antennas (each with a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each with a corresponding receive chain). AP 105 can communicate with core network 280 through network communication module 270. The system can also use AP communication module 260 to communicate with other APs 105.

[0068] The AP 105 can also include a management frame generation module 290 to generate management frames for advertising the AP’s capabilities and bandwidth information. For example, the management frame generation module 290 can generate beacon frames, probe response frames, and association response frames. The AP 105 can include a bandwidth capability module 292 to determine and store the bandwidth capabilities of the AP 105. For example, the bandwidth capability module 292 can determine that the AP 105 supports a 320 MHz bandwidth, and store an indication of the bandwidth supported by the AP. The bandwidth capability module 292 can also determine and store one or more of the frequency segment compositions in the frequency segment composition associated with the 320 MHz bandwidth that are supported by the AP 105. The management frame generation module 290 can determine the bandwidth capabilities of the AP (such as from the bandwidth capability module 292), and generate a management frame to advertise the bandwidth and frequency segment composition supported by the AP to the WLAN. For example, the management frame generation module 290 can prepare a management frame to indicate the bandwidth capabilities of the AP in a bandwidth support field of an EHT Capabilities IE (as described in Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0069] The AP 105 can also include an operating bandwidth determination module 295 to determine an operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition for a BSS of the AP 105. The operating bandwidth determination module 295 can determine the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition for the BSS based on the bandwidth capabilities of the AP and one or more STAs 115 in the WLAN, such as one or more STAs 115 that are attempting to join the BSS. The management frame generation module 290 can determine the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition (such as from the operating bandwidth determination module 295), and generate a management frame to advertise the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition to one or more STAs 115 in the WLAN. For example, the management frame generation module 290 can prepare a management frame to indicate the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition (and corresponding center frequencies for each segment) in an operating bandwidth field of an EHT Operating IE (as described in Figure 4 and 6 ). The operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE can indicate a 320 MHz operating bandwidth and a corresponding frequency segment composition. The operating bandwidth field can not be exclusively dedicated to indicate a 320 MHz operating bandwidth and its corresponding frequency segment composition. The operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE can indicate an operating bandwidth of up to 320 MHz (also referred to as a maximum operating bandwidth), and thus, can also indicate support for 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 MHz bandwidth operating modes as well.

[0070] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example STA 115 for use in wireless communication is depicted. The STA 115 can be a station 115 as described with reference to FIG. 1, for example. The STA 115 can include a processor 305, memory 310, transceiver 315, one or more antennas 320, and bus interface 325. Figure 1Examples of various aspects of the described STA. In some implementations, STA 115 can be configured to transmit and receive WLAN frames (also referred to herein as transports or communications) designed to conform to IEEE 802.11 standards (such as 802.11ac, 802.11ax, or any future modifications to the 802.11 family of standards), as well as to encode and decode such frames. STA 115 includes a processor 310, a memory 320, at least one transceiver 330, and at least one antenna 340. In some implementations, STA 115 additionally includes one or more of a sensor 350, a display 360, and a user interface (UI) 370 (such as a touchscreen or keypad). References Figure 3 Each component in the described components (or “modules”) can communicate with each other directly or indirectly on at least one bus 305.

[0071] Memory 320 may include RAM and ROM. Memory 320 may also store processor or computer-executable SW code containing instructions that, when executed, cause processor 310 to perform various functions for wireless communication described herein, including receiving downlink frames and generating and transmitting uplink frames.

[0072] Processor 310 includes intelligent hardware devices, such as CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, or PLDs such as FPGAs. Processor 310 processes information received through transceiver 330 and information to be sent to transceiver 330 for transmission via antenna 340. Processor 310 can be configured to perform various operations related to receiving downlink frames and generating and sending uplink frames.

[0073] Transceiver 330 may include a modem for modulating packets and providing the modulated packets to antenna 340 for transmission, as well as demodulating packets received from antenna 340. Transceiver 330 may be implemented as at least one RF transmitter and at least one separate RF receiver. Transceiver 330 may communicate with, for example, an RF transmitter via antenna 340. Figure 1 At least one AP 105 shown performs bidirectional communication. Although in Figure 3 Only one transceiver 330 and one antenna 340 are shown in the diagram, but the STA 115 can typically include two or more antennas. For example, in some implementations, the STA 115 can include multiple transmit antennas (each with a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each with a corresponding receive chain).

[0074] The STA 115 can also include a management frame generation module 390 to generate management frames for advertising bandwidth capability information of the STA. For example, the management frame generation module 390 can generate probe request frames and association request frames. The STA 115 can include a bandwidth capability module 392 to determine and store bandwidth capabilities of the STA 115. For example, the bandwidth capability module 392 can determine that the STA 115 supports 320 MHz bandwidth, and store an indication of the bandwidth supported by the STA. The bandwidth capability module 392 can also determine and store one or more of the frequency segment compositions in the frequency segment composition associated with the 320 MHz bandwidth that are supported by the STA 115. The management frame generation module 390 can determine the bandwidth capabilities of the STA (such as from the bandwidth capability module 392), and generate management frames to advertise the bandwidth and frequency segment composition supported by the STA to the AP 105 and other STAs 115 in the WLAN. For example, the management frame generation module 390 can prepare a management frame to indicate the bandwidth capabilities of the STA in a bandwidth support field of an EHT Capabilities IE (as described in Figure 4 and 5 ). The STA 115 can use the EHT Capabilities IE to advertise support for 320 MHz bandwidth and one or more frequency segment compositions.

[0075] Figure 4 A block diagram of example EHT 320 MHz bandwidth signaling 400 in an EHT BSS is depicted. The EHT 320 MHz bandwidth signaling 400 in an EHT BSS includes transmit and receive processing for two information elements (IEs): (1) an EHT Operation IE 426 for an AP (such as the AP 105) to advertise 320 MHz bandwidth operation to STAs (such as the STA 115) in its BSS, and (2) an EHT Capabilities IE 466 for a WLAN device (such as the STA 115 or the AP 105) to advertise its support for 320 MHz bandwidth operation.

[0076] In some implementations, both the AP 105 and the STA 115 can advertise (transmit and receive) the bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE. The AP 105 can also transmit, and the STA 115 receive, the operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operation IE. For example, as shown in Figure 4 The AP 105 can include an operating bandwidth determination module 295 to determine and process the EHT Operation IE 426. The operating bandwidth determination module 295 can include a bandwidth operation IE generator 422 to generate the EHT Operation IE 426. For example, the bandwidth operation IE generator 422 can generate and store the EHT Operation IE 426 for the management frame generation module 290 to transmit to STAs in the BSS of the AP 105 (as described in Figure 2The STA 115 can include a bandwidth capability module 392 that can receive and process the EHT Operation IE 426. The EHT Operation IE 426 can be included in a management frame received by the STA 115 from the AP 105. For example, the bandwidth capability module 392 can include a bandwidth operation IE decoder 425 to receive and decode the EHT Operation IE 426. In decoding the EHT Operation IE 426, the bandwidth capability module 392 can determine that the AP 105 operates with a 320 MHz bandwidth and a particular frequency segment composition associated with the 320 MHz bandwidth.

[0077] In some implementations, the STA 115 can also utilize the bandwidth capability module 392 for determining and processing the EHT Capabilities IE 466. The bandwidth capability module 392 can include a bandwidth support IE generator 435 that generates the EHT Capabilities IE 466. For example, the bandwidth support IE generator 435 can generate and store the EHT Capabilities IE 466 for access by the management frame generation module 390 (shown in Figure 3 In some implementations, the STA 115 can also utilize the bandwidth capability module 392 for determining and processing the EHT Capabilities IE 466. The bandwidth capability module 392 can include a bandwidth support IE generator 435 that generates the EHT Capabilities IE 466. For example, the bandwidth support IE generator 435 can generate and store the EHT Capabilities IE 466 for access by the management frame generation module 390 (shown in

[0078] Figure 5 A conceptual diagram depicting an example management frame 501 for EHT 320 MHz bandwidth signaling is shown, including an example bandwidth support field of an EHT Capabilities IE. The management frame 501 can be transmitted by an AP or STA, such as the AP 105 or the STA 115 shown in Figures 1-4 The management frame 501 can include at least a header 505 and a payload 510. In some implementations, the header 505 can include a source network identifier, a length of the data frame, or other frame control information. The payload 510 can include various information elements (IEs) 525, and each of the IEs 525 can include one or more fields 555. For example, as shown in Figure 3 and 4As described in the background, a WLAN device (such as a STA 115 or an AP 105) can transmit a management frame (such as the management frame 501) that includes an EHT Capabilities IE. The EHT Capabilities IE can be one of the IEs in the management frame 501 shown in Figure 5 The bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE can be one of the fields in the IE 525 of the management frame 501 shown in

[0079] In some implementations, the bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE (also referred to herein as a physical layer (PHY) capabilities IE) can indicate whether the WLAN device supports a 320 MHz bandwidth (also referred to herein as a 320 MHz channel width). If the device supports a 320 MHz bandwidth, the WLAN device can also advertise a frequency segment composition supported by the WLAN device that is associated with the 320 MHz bandwidth. For example, the bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE can indicate support for one or more of the following frequency segment compositions: (1) a single 320 MHz frequency segment, (2) a 160+160 MHz frequency segment, (3) a 4x80 MHz frequency segment, and (4) a 160+2x80 MHz frequency segment. Note that for each of the above frequency segment composition options, the particular frequency segment composition and resulting signal waveform can be different, and the treatment of the waveform (such as in receive processing) can be different for each of the above frequency segment compositions. For example, each of the frequency segment compositions can have a different number of segments, and different center frequencies associated with each of the corresponding segments.

[0080] In some implementations, the bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE can utilize two or more bits to advertise bandwidth capability information of the WLAN device, and can be formatted in a variety of different ways. For example, the format of the bandwidth support field of the EHT Capabilities IE can be the format shown in Option A or Option B of Figure 5 Note that a variety of other formats can be used, and two example formats are shown herein for simplicity.

[0081] In some implementations, Option A of the bandwidth support field can include 4 bits (or a 4-bit bitmap) such as bits B0, B1, B2, and B3 to indicate whether the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and any supported frequency segment composition. When bit B0 is set to 1, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 320MHz bandwidth (which translates to a single frequency segment of 320MHz bandwidth). When bit B1 is set to 1, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 160+160MHz bandwidth (which translates to two contiguous or non-contiguous frequency segments each with 160MHz bandwidth). When bit B2 is set to 1, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 4X80MHz bandwidth (which translates to four contiguous or non-contiguous frequency segments each with 80MHz bandwidth). When bit B3 is set to 1, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 160+2X80MHz bandwidth (which translates to three contiguous or non-contiguous frequency segments, one frequency segment with 160MHz bandwidth and two frequency segments each with 80MHz bandwidth). When all bits B0, B1, B2, and B3 are set to 0, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device does not support 320MHz bandwidth. When one or more bits are set to 0 and one or more bits are set to 1, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and only supports one or more frequency segment compositions associated with the bits set to 1. For example, when bits B0 and B1 are set to 1 and bits B2 and B3 are set to 0, the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and only supports a frequency segment composition of 320MHz bandwidth and 160+160MHz bandwidth.

[0082] In some implementations, Option B of the bandwidth support field can include 3 bits (or a 3-bit field) to indicate whether a device supports 320MHz bandwidth and any supported frequency segment composition. When the binary value of the 3-bit field is set to 000 (which is the decimal value 0), the bandwidth support field indicates that the device does not support 320MHz bandwidth. When the binary value of the 3-bit field is set to 001 (which is the decimal value 1), the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 160+160MHz bandwidth. When the binary value of the 3-bit field is set to 010 (which is the decimal value 2), the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 4X80MHz bandwidth. When the binary value of the 3-bit field is set to 011 (which is the decimal value 3), the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 160+2X80MHz bandwidth. When the binary value of the 3-bit field is set to 100 (which is the decimal value 4), the bandwidth support field indicates that the device supports 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 320MHz bandwidth. In some implementations, the binary values of 101, 110, and 111 for the 3-bit field can be reserved or can not have a definition. In some implementations, the binary values of 101, 110, and 111 for the 3-bit field can each indicate support for multiple frequency segment compositions. For example, the binary value of 101 can indicate support for 320MHz bandwidth and a frequency segment composition of 320MHz bandwidth and 160+160MHz bandwidth. It is to be understood that the number of bits and what they represent can be changed to suit a particular application.

[0083] Figure 6 An example EHT Operating IE for EHT 320MHz bandwidth signaling is depicted. An AP, such as the AP 105 shown in Figures 1-4 may prepare and transmit a management frame, such as the management frame 501 shown in Figure 5 , that includes various information elements (IEs) 525, and each of the IEs 525 can include one or more fields 555. For example, as described in Figure 2 and 4 , the AP 105 can transmit a management frame, such as the management frame 501, that includes an EHT Operating IE. The EHT Operating IE 625 shown in Figure 6 may be one of the IEs 525 of the management frame 501 shown in Figure 5 , and the operating bandwidth field 655 of the EHT Operating IE 625 can be one of the fields 555 of the management frame 501 shown in Figure 5 .

[0084] In some implementations, the operating bandwidth field 655 of the EHT Operating IEs can include a channel number, a channel width (bandwidth), a segment 0 channel center frequency, a segment 1 channel center frequency, a segment 2 channel center frequency, and a segment 3 channel center frequency. Each of these subfields or entries of the operating bandwidth field 655 can include two or more bits. For example, each of the subfields or entries of the operating bandwidth field 655 can include an octet (eight bits). The channel number (also referred to as a primary channel number) can indicate a channel number of an operating channel (also referred to as a primary channel) for a BSS associated with the AP 105. The channel width (bandwidth) can indicate an operating channel width (which can also be referred to as an operating channel bandwidth or an operating bandwidth) and a corresponding frequency segment composition, including a number of segments. The operating channel width can indicate a maximum channel width (or maximum operating bandwidth) and a corresponding frequency segment composition (including a number of segments) that devices can utilize in the BSS. For example, the channel width can indicate that devices of the BSS, such as the AP 105 and the STAs 115, can utilize one of the following operating bandwidths and frequency segment compositions: 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 / 80+80 / 320 / 4x80 / 160+160 / 2x80+160 MHz bandwidths. In some implementations, the 320 MHz bandwidth operation can support a frequency segment composition of up to four frequency segments (also referred to as segments or channel segments).

[0085] The segment 0-3 channel center frequency information can indicate a respective channel center frequency for each frequency segment consisting of the frequency segment selected by the AP 105 for the BSS. For example, when the operating bandwidth is set to 320 MHz and the frequency segment composition has a single 320 MHz segment, the subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency associated with 20 / 40 / 60 / 80 / 160 / 320 MHz bandwidths can indicate the channel center frequency index (CCFI) of the 320 MHz segment. Since there is a single segment, the remaining subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency and all of the subfields of the segment 1-3 channel center frequencies can be set to 0. When the operating bandwidth is set to 320 MHz and the frequency segment composition has two 160 MHz segments, the subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency associated with 160+160 MHz bandwidths can indicate the CCFI of the lowest 160 MHz segment, and the subfields of the segment 1 channel center frequency associated with 160+160 MHz bandwidths can indicate the CCFI of the highest 160 MHz segment. Since there are two segments in the 160+160 MHz composition, the remaining subfields of the segment 0-1 channel center frequencies and all of the subfields of the segment 2-3 channel center frequencies can be set to 0. When the operating bandwidth is set to 160 MHz and the frequency segment composition has two 80 MHz segments, the subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency associated with 80+80 MHz bandwidths can indicate the CCFI of the lowest 80 MHz segment, and the subfields of the segment 1 channel center frequency associated with 80+80 MHz bandwidths can indicate the CCFI of the highest 80 MHz segment. Since there are two segments in the 80+80 MHz composition, the remaining subfields of the segment 0-1 channel center frequencies and all of the subfields of the segment 2-3 channel center frequencies can be set to 0.

[0086] When the operating bandwidth is set to 320MHz and the frequency segmentation consists of three segments (two 80MHz segments and one 160MHz segment), the subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency associated with 160+2X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the lowest 80MHz segment, the subfields of the segment 1 channel center frequency associated with 160+2X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the highest 80MHz segment, and the subfields of the segment 2 channel center frequency associated with 160+2X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the 160MHz segment. Since there are 3 segments in the 160+2X80 MHz composition, the remaining subfields of the segment 0-2 channel center frequencies and all subfields of the segment 3 channel center frequency can be set to 0. When the operating bandwidth is set to 320MHz and the frequency segmentation consists of four 80MHz segments, the subfields of the segment 0 channel center frequency associated with 4X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the lowest 80MHz segment, the subfields of the segment 1 channel center frequency associated with 4X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the second 80MHz segment, the subfields of the segment 2 channel center frequency associated with 4X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the third 80MHz segment, and the subfields of the segment 3 channel center frequency associated with 4X80 MHz bandwidth can indicate the CCFI of the fourth 80MHz segment. Since there are four segments in the 4X80 MHz composition, the remaining subfields of the segment 0-3 channel center frequencies can be set to 0.

[0087] It is noted that various other formats can be used for the EHT Operating IEs 625 and the operating bandwidth field 655 shown in FIG. 6B. Moreover, the subfields indicating bandwidth, frequency segmentation composition, and center frequency information can vary. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the number of bits in each of the fields (and subfields) and what they represent can be changed to suit a particular application. Figure 6

[0088] Figure 7 An example flowchart 700 depicting a procedure for an AP to advertise or indicate a 320MHz operating bandwidth for a BSS and a frequency segmentation composition for the 320MHz operating bandwidth to one or more STAs in a WLAN is depicted.

[0089] At block 710, an AP (such as the AP 105 in FIG. 1) can determine to advertise a 320MHz operating bandwidth for a BSS associated with the AP. For example, the AP can be an EHT device that supports a 320MHz operating bandwidth. Figures 1-4

[0090] ​​At block 720, the AP can select a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. For example, the frequency segment composition can be one of a plurality of frequency segment compositions defined for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, which can include one of: (1) a single 320 MHz frequency segment, (2) two 160 MHz (160+160 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), (3) four 80 MHz (4x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), and (4) one 160 MHz and two 80 MHz (160+2x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous). The AP can also determine a center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0091] At block 730, the AP can prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one STA in the WLAN. The management frame can be a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame. The management frame can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS and the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The management frame can also indicate the center frequency of each segment associated with the frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. In some implementations, the management frame can include an operation bandwidth field of an EHT Operation IE (such as the EHT Operation IE shown in Figure 6 The AP can transmit the management frame (including the EHT Operation IE) to one or more STAs in the WLAN. On the receiving side, the STAs receive the operation bandwidth field in the EHT Operation IE and decode the IE to determine whether the AP in the BSS operates with a 320 MHz bandwidth and, if so, further determine the frequency segment composition of the 320 MHz bandwidth.

[0092]

[0093] Figure 8 An example flow diagram 800 is depicted for a procedure for a WLAN device to advertise or indicate its 320 MHz bandwidth support capability.​

[0094] At block 810, a WLAN device (such as an AP 105 or a STA 115 in a WLAN) can determine that it supports a 320 MHz operating bandwidth. For example, the WLAN device can be an EHT device that supports a 320 MHz operating bandwidth. Figures 1-4

[0095] At block 820, the WLAN device can determine, from among a plurality of frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, one or more frequency segment compositions supported by the WLAN device. For example, the WLAN device can determine that it supports one or more of a plurality of frequency segment compositions defined for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, which can include one or more of: (1) a single 320 MHz frequency segment, (2) two 160 MHz (160+160 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), (3) four 80 MHz (4x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous), and (4) one 160 MHz and two 80 MHz (160+2x80 MHz) frequency segments (contiguous or non-contiguous).

[0096] At block 830, the WLAN device can prepare a management frame for transmission to at least one other WLAN device in the WLAN. The management frame can indicate support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and support for one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. In some implementations, the management frame can include a bandwidth support field of an EHT Capabilities IE (such as the EHT Capabilities IE shown in Figure 5 The WLAN device can transmit the management frame (including the EHT Capabilities IE) to one or more other WLAN devices in the WLAN to indicate its bandwidth capabilities. On the receiving side, another WLAN device receives and decodes the EHT Capabilities IE to determine whether the WLAN device supports 320 MHz bandwidth operation, and if so, further determine one or more frequency segment compositions of the 320 MHz bandwidth supported by the WLAN device.

[0097]

[0098] Figure 9 ​​An example message flow diagram depicting EHT 320MHz bandwidth signaling between an AP and a STA in a WLAN is depicted.

[0099] At 905, the STA 115 can perform active scanning in the WLAN by transmitting probe request frames. The STA 115 can transmit the probe request frames to attempt to join a BSS associated with the AP 105. The STA 115 can include bandwidth capability information in the probe request frames. For example, the STA 115 can include an EHT Capabilities IE that indicates that the STA 115 supports a 320MHz operating bandwidth, and indicates one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320MHz operating bandwidth supported by the STA 115.

[0100] At 910, the AP 105 can receive and process one of the probe request frames transmitted by the STA 115. For example, the AP 105 can receive a probe request frame broadcast by the STA 115 in an operating channel of the AP 105. The AP 105 can process the EHT Capabilities IE received from the STA 115 to determine bandwidth capability information associated with the STA 115, such as whether the STA 115 supports a 320MHz operating bandwidth.

[0101] At 915, the AP 105 can transmit a probe response frame to the STA 115. For example, the AP 105 can transmit the probe response frame via the same channel in which it received the probe request frame, such as the operating channel of the AP. The probe response frame can include bandwidth capability information of the AP. For example, the probe response frame can include an EHT Capabilities IE that indicates that the AP 105 supports a 320MHz operating bandwidth, and indicates one or more frequency segment compositions for the 320MHz operating bandwidth supported by the AP 105.

[0102] At 918, the AP 105 can also periodically transmit a beacon frame to devices in the WLAN at each beacon interval. For example, the AP 105 can periodically broadcast a beacon frame to the WLAN via its operating channel. The beacon frame can also include an EHT Capabilities IE associated with the AP 105.

[0103] At 920, the STA 115 can receive and process the probe response frame transmitted by the AP 105 at 915. For example, the STA 115 can process the EHT Capabilities IE received from the AP 105 to determine bandwidth capability information associated with the AP 105, such as whether the AP 105 supports a 320MHz operating bandwidth. After processing the probe response frame (including the EHT Capabilities IE), the STA 115 can decide to proceed with an association procedure to join the BSS associated with the AP 105. In addition to the probe response frame, the STA 115 can also receive and process the beacon frame.

[0104] At 925, the STA 115 can transmit an association request frame to the AP 105 to initiate an association procedure. The STA 115 can include the EHT Capabilities IE in the association request frame.

[0105] At 930, the AP 105 can receive and process the association request frame transmitted by the STA 115. The AP 105 can determine whether additional bandwidth capability information, such as the EHT Capabilities IE, is received from additional STAs 115 in the WLAN. The AP 105 can determine an operating bandwidth and a frequency segment composition for the BSS based on the bandwidth capability information received from the STAs 115 in the WLAN. For example, if at least one of the STAs 115 supports 320 MHz bandwidth operation, the AP 105 can set a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS. The AP 105 can also select one of the frequency segment compositions based on the bandwidth capability information received from the STAs 115. In some implementations, the AP 105 can set the highest operating bandwidth supported by at least one of the STAs for the BSS. For example, if none of the STAs 115 support 320 MHz operating bandwidth, the AP 105 can determine the highest operating bandwidth supported by at least one of the STAs 115, such as a 160 MHz operating bandwidth.

[0106] At 935, the AP 105 transmits an association response frame to the STA 115 that transmitted the association request frame. The AP 105 can include the operating bandwidth and frequency segment composition information in the association response frame. For example, the AP 105 can include the EHT Operating IE in the association response frame. The EHT Operating IE can indicate a 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS, a frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency for each segment associated with the selected frequency segment composition. The AP 105 also processes additional information included in the association request frame and determines to approve the association with the STA 115.

[0107] At 938, the AP 105 continues to periodically broadcast a beacon frame to the WLAN at each beacon interval. The AP 105 can also include the EHT Operating IE in the beacon frame.

[0108] At 940, the STA 115 receives and processes the association response frame transmitted by the AP 105. The STA 115 can determine that the EHT Operating IE indicates a 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS, the selected frequency segment composition, and the center frequency of each segment associated with the selected frequency segment composition. The STA 115 also processes additional information included in the association response frame to complete and confirm association with the AP 105. In some implementations, the STA 115 can transmit an acknowledgement message to indicate to the AP 105 that the association has been completed and the STA 115 has joined the BSS of the AP.

[0109] At 945, the STA 115 can transmit one or more packets to other WLAN devices that are part of the BSS. The packets can include an indication of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. For example, the packets can indicate the 320 MHz operating bandwidth used by the STA 115 in an EHT signal field, such as an EHT SIG-A field. The EHT signal field, such as the EHT SIG-A field, can indicate the operating bandwidth (or channel width) of the packet. The EHT signal field can not indicate its frequency segment composition.

[0110] In some implementations, the STA 115 can change the channel width or operating bandwidth it uses on a per-packet basis. The AP 105 can set the maximum operating bandwidth, e.g., the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, for the BSS using the EHT Operating IE. However, the STA 115 can change the channel width or operating bandwidth on a per-packet basis, and thus, the STA 115 can not necessarily use the maximum operating bandwidth or channel width in each packet. The 320 MHz bandwidth signaling is on a per-packet basis, however the frequency segment composition of the 320 MHz bandwidth, such as how many frequency segments are present in the 320 MHz bandwidth, is set for the BSS and is indicated in the operating bandwidth field of the EHT Operating IE, and thus, does not change on a per-packet basis.

[0111] Figure 10 A conceptual diagram depicting example management frames for EHT and non-EHT bandwidth signaling is depicted. As Figure 5As described in the middle, the management frame 501 can include at least a header 505 and a payload 510. In some implementations, the header 505 can include a source network identifier, a length of the data frame, or other frame control information. The payload 510 can include various information elements (IEs), such as an EHT operation IE 1025A including a field 1055A, an EHT capability IE 1025B including a field 1055B, a high-efficiency (HE) operation IE 1025C including a field 1055C, and a HE capability IE 1025D including a field 1055D. In some implementations, the payload 510 can include only the following: the EHT operation IE 1025A including the field 1055A, and the HE operation IE 1025C including the field 1055C. In some implementations, the payload 510 can include only the following: the EHT capability IE 1025B including the field 1055B, and the HE capability IE 1025D including the field 1055D.

[0112] In some implementations, a BSS can include both EHT devices and non-EHT devices. Non-EHT devices can be, for example, devices that comply with 802.11ax or that do not comply with 802.11ax (which can also be referred to as HE devices) that support a maximum operating bandwidth of 160 MHz (and thus do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth). In some implementations, some EHT devices can not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth, but instead support a maximum operating bandwidth of 160 MHz. If a BSS includes both EHT devices and non-EHT devices (or EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth), an AP can transmit at least two different operation IEs in management frame 501 to ensure compatibility with various types of EHT devices and non-EHT devices. For example, management frame 501 can include an EHT operation IE 1025A (with fields 1055A) and an HE operation IE 1025C (with fields 1055C). The EHT operation IE 1025A (including fields 1055A) can be directed to (and decoded by) EHT devices that support 320 MHz operating bandwidth. The HE operation IE 1025C (including fields 1055C) can be directed to non-EHT devices and also to EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth (and decoded by). For example, operating bandwidth information for EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth can be included in the HE operation IE 1025C, and thus these EHT devices can parse and decode both the EHT operation IE 1025A and the HE operation IE 1025C. In some implementations, during device discovery and during exchange of bandwidth capability information, management frame 501 can include only an EHT capability IE 1025B (with fields 1055B) and an HE capability IE 1025D (with fields 1055D). For example, an AP can transmit a management frame with both an EHT capability IE 1025B (with fields 1055B) and an HE capability IE 1025D (with fields 1055D) to advertise the bandwidth capabilities of the AP to EHT devices that support 320 MHz operating bandwidth, EHT devices that do not support 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and non-EHT devices.

[0113] As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of’ or “one or more of’ a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover the possibilities of: a alone, b alone, c alone, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a and b and c.

[0114] The various illustrative components, logic, logical blocks, modules, circuits, operations and algorithm processes described in connection with the implementations disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and the structural equivalents thereof. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software has been described generally in terms of the functionality that is to be performed by the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits and processes described in this specification and illustrated in the various figures. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0115] The hardware and data processing apparatus used to implement the various illustrative components, logic, logical blocks, modules and circuits described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented or performed with a general purpose single- or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, particular processes, operations and methods can be performed by an electric circuit specifically used for the given function.

[0116] In one or more aspects, the functions described can be implemented in hardware, digital circuitry, computer software, firmware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and the structural equivalents thereof), or any combination thereof. Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can also be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on a computer storage medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.

[0117] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Process steps and operations of the methods disclosed herein can be implemented in a processor-executable software module which can be located in a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. TM In addition, the operations of the method and algorithm can reside in any of one or more modules of the machine-readable medium and computer-readable medium, and the one or more modules can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. The machine-readable medium and computer-readable medium can be embodied in any computer-readable storage medium, including, but not limited to, volatile or non-volatile storage mediums, including, but not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0118] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure can be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed in this disclosure.

[0119] Further, those of skill in the art will recognize that the terms "on" and "under" are sometimes used herein for ease of description with respect to the orientation of the figures on the appropriately oriented page, and can not reflect the true orientation of any device as implemented.

[0120] Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features can be described above as being implemented in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and the claimed combination can be directed to a sub-combination or variations of a sub-combination.

[0121] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring or implying that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Further, the drawings can schematically depict one more example processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations that are not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any or all of the operations depicted. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

Claims

1. A method performed by an access point (AP), comprising: determining that one or more stations (STAs) of a plurality of STAs of a basic service set (BSS) associated with the AP are Extremely High Throughput (EHT) devices that support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth and that one or more STAs of the plurality of STAs are High Efficiency (HE) devices that do not support the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; determining to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth to the plurality of STAs of the BSS; selecting a discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a plurality of discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and outputting a management frame for a transmission to at least one STA of the plurality of STAs, the management frame including: an EHT operating information element (IE) for the EHT devices indicating the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS, the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and an HE operating IE for the HE devices indicating an operating bandwidth for the HE devices and a corresponding discontinuous frequency segment composition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a center frequency of each segment associated with the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth. the operating bandwidth field of the EHT operating IE further includes a primary channel number of a primary channel of the BSS and a channel width to provide a composition and a number of frequency segments of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, the operating bandwidth field of the EHT operating IE further includes a first segment channel center frequency, a second segment channel center frequency, a third segment channel center frequency, and a fourth segment channel center frequency to indicate the center frequency of each segment associated with the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving bandwidth capability information from at least one STA of the plurality of STAs, the bandwidth capability information indicating support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and one or more of the plurality of discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and in response to determining that the at least one STA of the plurality of STAs supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, determining to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving bandwidth capability information from one or more STAs of the plurality of STAs, the bandwidth capability information indicating support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and one or more of the plurality of discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and ​ ​ ​ selecting the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from among the multiple discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth based at least in part on the one or more discontinuous frequency segment compositions supported by the one or more of the plurality of STAs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, the multiple discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth include two discontinuous 160 MHz frequency segments, four discontinuous 80 MHz frequency segments, and one discontinuous 160 MHz frequency segment and two 80 MHz frequency segments.

9. A method performed by an access point (AP), comprising: obtaining an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) capabilities information element (IE) from one or more of a plurality of stations (STAs) of a basic service set (BSS) associated with the AP, the EHT capabilities IE indicating that the one or more STAs are EHT devices that support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth; obtaining a High Efficiency (HE) capabilities information element (IE) from the one or more of the plurality of STAs, the HE capabilities IE indicating that the one or more STAs are HE devices that do not support the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; determining that the AP supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; selecting a discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from among multiple discontinuous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and outputting a management frame for transmission to at least one of the plurality of STAs, the management frame including: an EHT operating IE for the EHT devices indicating the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS, the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and an HE operating IE for the HE devices indicating an operating bandwidth and a corresponding discontinuous frequency segment composition for the HE devices.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising: determining a center frequency of each segment associated with the discontinuous frequency segment composition for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

11. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising: receiving a packet from one of the plurality of STAs in a channel of the BSS using the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and the discontinuous frequency segment composition, the packet including an indication of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The operating bandwidth field of the EHT operation IE includes a primary channel number of a primary channel of the BSS, a channel width for providing the group of discontinuous frequency segments of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the group of discontinuous frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, The EHT capabilities IE also indicates one or more groups of discontinuous frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth supported by the EHT device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, The management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein, The multiple groups of discontinuous frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth include two discontinuous 160 MHz frequency segments, four discontinuous 80 MHz frequency segments, and one discontinuous 160 MHz frequency segment and two 80 MHz frequency segments.

16. An access point (AP) comprising: a processor; and a memory having instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor, cause the AP to: determine that one or more of a plurality of stations (STAs) of a basic service set (BSS) associated with the AP are extremely high throughput (EHT) devices that support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth and that one or more of the plurality of STAs are high efficiency (HE) devices that do not support the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; determine to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth to the plurality of STAs of the BSS; select a group of discontinuous frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a multiple groups of discontinuous frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and output a management frame for transmission to at least one of the plurality of STAs, the management frame including: an EHT operation information element (IE) for the EHT devices indicating the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS, the group of discontinuous frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the group of discontinuous frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and an HE operation IE for the HE devices indicating an operating bandwidth and a corresponding group of discontinuous frequency segments for the HE devices.

17. The AP of claim 16, wherein, The instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the AP to: determine a center frequency of each segment associated with the group of discontinuous frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

18. The AP of claim 16, wherein, The operating bandwidth field of the EHT operation IE further includes: a primary channel number of a primary channel of the BSS, a channel width for providing a composition and a number of frequency segments of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and a first segment channel center frequency, a second segment channel center frequency, a third segment channel center frequency, and a fourth segment channel center frequency for indicating a center frequency of each segment associated with the discrete set of frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

19. The AP of claim 16, wherein, When executed by the processor, the instructions further cause the AP to: receive bandwidth capability information from at least one of the plurality of STAs, the bandwidth capability information indicating support for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and one or more of the multiple discrete sets of frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and in response to a determination that the at least one of the plurality of STAs supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, determine to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS.

20. The AP of claim 16, wherein, The multiple discrete sets of frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth include: two discrete 160 MHz frequency segments, four discrete 80 MHz frequency segments, and one discrete 160 MHz frequency segment and two 80 MHz frequency segments.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which, when executed by a processor of an access point (AP), cause the AP to: determine that one or more of a plurality of stations (STAs) associated with a basic service set (BSS) of the AP are Extremely High Throughput (EHT) devices that support a 320 MHz operating bandwidth and that one or more of the plurality of STAs are High Efficiency (HE) devices that do not support the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; determine to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth to the plurality of STAs of the BSS; select a discrete set of frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth from a multiple discrete sets of frequency segments associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and output a management frame for transmission to at least one of the plurality of STAs, the management frame including: an EHT operating information element (IE) for the EHT devices indicating the 320 MHz operating bandwidth associated with the BSS, the discrete set of frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and a center frequency of each segment associated with the discrete set of frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, and an HE operating IE for the HE devices indicating an operating bandwidth and a corresponding discrete set of frequency segments for the HE devices.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein, When executed by the processor, the instructions further cause the AP to: determine a center frequency of each segment associated with the discrete set of frequency segments for the 320 MHz operating bandwidth.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein, When executed by the processor, the instructions further cause the AP to: receiving bandwidth capability information from at least one of the plurality of STAs, the bandwidth capability information indicating support for one or more of the 320 MHz operating bandwidth and one of the plurality of non-contiguous frequency segment compositions associated with the 320 MHz operating bandwidth; and in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of STAs supports the 320 MHz operating bandwidth, determining to advertise the 320 MHz operating bandwidth for the BSS.

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