Devices and Methods for Punctured Transmission in a Wireless Network

Abstract

An access point (AP) (110) is provided for performing a sounding process with one or more associated non-AP stations (120) in a wireless local area network (100). The AP (110) includes processing circuitry (111) configured to generate a null data PPDU announcement (NDPA) frame, wherein the NDPA frame includes a station information field for each non-AP station among the one or more associated non-AP stations (120). The station information field includes a partial bandwidth information sub-field, the partial bandwidth information sub-field includes an indication of a feedback bitmap and a resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap, the feedback bitmap having a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for sounding NDPs with bandwidths up to 320 MHz. The AP (110) further includes a communication interface (113) configured to transmit the NDPA frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations (120). Additionally, a corresponding non-AP station (120) is disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for punctured transmission in a wireless communication network. Background Art

[0002] WLANs (also known as Wi-Fi networks) based on IEEE 802.11 have become popular at an unprecedented rate. The IEEE 802.11be standard adds support for an ultra-wide bandwidth of 320 MHz for Wi-Fi transmission. Such a large bandwidth (BW) is likely to be interfered with by other networks or transmitters sharing the wireless medium. These interference signals may be generated by other Wi-Fi networks operating on the same BSS channel (or a portion thereof) of the same or neighboring geographical locations and the current BSS (i.e., OBSS) or by non-Wi-Fi sources. To handle such interference, the IEEE 802.11be standard defines a puncturing scheme, i.e., capable of achieving transmission over the entire large bandwidth by excluding only the subchannels affected by the interference.

[0003] The puncturing granularity is 20 MHz, meaning that certain 20 MHz subchannels within the total bandwidth of the BSS can be considered idle or occupied, depending on the power levels received from one or more interference sources in these specific 20 MHz subchannels. The IEEE 802.11 standard defines power threshold levels for the primary 20 MHz subchannels and the secondary 20 MHz subchannels, which define when a 20 MHz subchannel is considered busy or idle based on a valid Wi-Fi (i.e., IEEE 802.11) signal or other non-Wi-Fi signals. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The aim is to provide improved devices and methods for implementing a puncturing scheme in a wireless communication network, especially a wireless communication network based on IEEE 802.11.

[0005] The above and other aims are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Other implementations are apparent from the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0006] According to a first aspect, an access point (AP) is provided. The AP is used to perform a probing process with one or more associated non-AP stations (also known as users) in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The WLAN may be an 802.11-based WLAN.

[0007] The AP includes a processing circuit configured to generate a probe null data PPDU announcement (NDPA) frame, where the NDPA frame includes a station information field for each of the one or more associated non-AP stations (the size of each station information field can be 4 bytes, etc.). Each station information field includes a partial bandwidth information sub-field, and the partial bandwidth information sub-field includes a feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap, and the feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for probe NDPs with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0008] The AP further includes a communication interface configured to send the NDPA frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations.

[0009] Thus, as detailed below, the embodiments disclosed herein can support / perform beamforming in the presence of any type of interference without having to reduce the bandwidth, even for 320 MHz probe NDPs. Additionally, for the purpose of OFDMA scheduling, the embodiments disclosed herein are capable of performing channel state estimation / calculation and feedback indication from non-AP stations on a large bandwidth up to 320 MHz in the presence of any type of interference.

[0010] In another possible implementation, the NDPA frame may further include a disabled channel indication, where the disabled channel indication indicates that a 20 MHz sub-channel is not included in any other frames exchanged between the AP and the one or more non-AP stations associated with the AP participating in the current probe process. The disabled channel indication may be used as a disabled channel bitmap of a size of 16 bits, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface is further configured to send a beacon frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations, where the beacon frame includes the disabled channel indication (e.g., the 16-bit disabled channel bitmap).

[0011] In another possible implementation, the communication interface in the AP is configured to send a probe NDP optionally punctured according to the feedback bitmap for the one or more associated non-AP stations in a previous NDPA frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations.

[0012] In yet another possible implementation, the communication interface in the AP is configured to send a probe NDP punctured according to the disabled channel indication representing the AP disabled channels in a previous NDPA frame and optionally according to one or more feedback bitmaps for the one or more associated non-AP stations in the previous NDPA frame.

[0013] In yet another possible implementation, the processing circuit in the AP is configured to determine a feedback bitmap indication setting based on the required feedback of the non-AP STA and the disabled channel indication, e.g., the 16-bit disabled channel bitmap.

[0014] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth of 160 MHz or less, e.g., 40 MHz or 80 MHz; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap in the previous NDPA frame indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20-MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0015] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, e.g., a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160-MHz channel and a secondary 160-MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap in the previous NDPA frame indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20-MHz subchannel in the primary 160-MHz channel.

[0016] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, e.g., a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160-MHz channel and a secondary 160-MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap in the previous NDPA frame indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20-MHz subchannel in the secondary 160-MHz channel.

[0017] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, e.g., a bandwidth of 320 MHz; the indication of the resolution of the feedback bitmap in the previous NDPA frame indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 40-MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0018] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, e.g., a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160-MHz channel and a secondary 160-MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap in the previous NDPA frame indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20-MHz subchannel in the primary 160-MHz channel, and each bit in other feedback bitmaps represents a 20-MHz subchannel in the secondary 160-MHz channel.

[0019] In yet another possible implementation, for at least one non-AP station among the one or more associated non-AP stations that request to measure a sounding NDP with a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz and provide feedback on a partial bandwidth with a 20 MHz sub-channel resolution greater than 160 MHz, the NDPA frame includes an other stations information field, wherein the other stations information field includes the other feedback bitmap.

[0020] In yet another possible implementation, the other stations information field at least includes the identifier of the associated non-AP station that requests to measure a sounding NDP with a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz and provide feedback on a partial bandwidth with a 20 MHz sub-channel resolution greater than 160 MHz.

[0021] In yet another possible implementation, the partial bandwidth information sub-field in the station information field of the associated non-AP station further at least includes an indication that the associated non-AP station has the other stations information field.

[0022] In yet another possible implementation, the other stations information field of the associated non-AP station at least includes an indication that marks the other stations information field to distinguish the other stations information field from the station information field of the same associated non-AP station.

[0023] In yet another possible implementation, the indication that marks the other stations information field as the other stations information field is a pseudo partial bandwidth information sub-field in the other stations information field that uses an invalid value of the partial bandwidth information field.

[0024] In yet another possible implementation, the feedback bitmap and the other feedback bitmap define one combination among all possible combinations of the feedback bitmap and the other feedback bitmap, and the number of bits used is based on the bandwidth of the sounding NDP and the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap.

[0025] In yet another possible implementation, the communication interface is configured to receive a compressed beamforming feedback report (CBFR) frame from each of the one or more associated non-AP stations according to measurements performed by the one or more associated non-AP stations on the sounding NDP. The CBFR frame includes a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) control field with a partial bandwidth information subfield. The partial bandwidth information subfield in the MIMO control field includes a response feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap. The response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for a sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0026] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth of 160 MHz or less, for example, a bandwidth of 40 MHz or 80 MHz. The indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0027] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a secondary 160 MHz channel. The indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the primary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0028] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a slave 160 MHz channel. The indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the secondary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0029] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz. The indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 40 MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0030] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a secondary 160 MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the primary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP, and each bit in the other response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel of the secondary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0031] In yet another possible implementation, the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame includes the other response feedback bitmap.

[0032] In yet another possible implementation, the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame includes an indication that the other response feedback bitmap exists in the MIMO control field.

[0033] In yet another possible implementation, the response feedback bitmap and the other response feedback bitmap define one combination among all possible combinations of the response feedback bitmap and the other response feedback bitmap, and the number of bits used is based on the bandwidth of the sounding NDP and the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap.

[0034] In a second aspect, a method for performing a sounding process between an access point (AP) and one or more associated non-AP stations in a wireless local area network is provided. The method includes the following steps:

[0035] The AP generates an empty data PPDU announcement (NDPA) frame, where the NDPA frame includes a station information field for each non-AP station among the one or more associated non-AP stations, the station information field includes a partial bandwidth information subfield, the partial bandwidth information subfield includes a feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap, and the feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for a sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz;

[0036] Send the NDPA frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the NDPA frame further includes a disabled channel indication, for example, a disabled channel bitmap with 16 bits, etc., where the disabled channel indication indicates that a 20 MHz subchannel is not included in any other frame exchanged between the AP and the one or more non-AP stations associated with the AP participating in the current sounding process.

[0038] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: sending the sounding NDP, which is punctured according to the feedback bitmap for the one or more associated non-AP stations in the previous NDPA frame and the channel disable indication indicating the AP-disabled channels of the previous NDPA frame, to the one or more associated non-AP stations.

[0039] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving, from each of the one or more associated non-AP stations, a Compressed Beamforming Feedback Report (CBFR) frame according to the sounding NDP, where the CBFR frame includes a MIMO control field, the MIMO control field includes a partial bandwidth information subfield, the partial bandwidth information subfield includes an indication of a response feedback bitmap, the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap, and an indication of the existence of other feedback bitmaps, and the response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for the sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0040] According to a third aspect, a non-access point (non-AP) station is provided. The non-AP station is used to perform a sounding process with an associated AP in a wireless local area network. The non-AP station includes a communication interface, and the communication interface is used to receive a sounding Null Data PPDU Announcement (NDPA) frame from the AP, where the NDPA frame includes a station information field of the non-AP station, the station information field includes a partial bandwidth information subfield, the partial bandwidth information subfield includes a feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap, and the feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for the sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the NDPA frame further includes a channel disable indication, where the channel disable indication indicates that the 20 MHz sub-channel is not included in any other frames exchanged between the non-AP station and the AP.

[0042] In another possible implementation, the communication interface is further used to receive the sounding NDP from the AP, where the sounding NDP is punctured according to the channel disable indication indicating the AP-disabled channels of the previous NDPA frame and optionally according to the feedback bitmap of the previous NDPA frame.

[0043] In yet another possible implementation, the non-AP station further includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is used to determine the sub-channels required for feedback according to the feedback bitmap and the channel disable indication.

[0044] In yet another possible implementation, the non-AP station further includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is configured to: in response to receiving the sounding NDP from the AP, generate a Compressed Beamforming Feedback Report (CBFR) frame according to the sounding NDP, wherein the CBFR frame includes a MIMO control field with a partial bandwidth information subfield, and the partial bandwidth information subfield in the MIMO control field includes a response feedback bitmap, and the MIMO control field includes an indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap and an indication that there are other feedback bitmaps in the MIMO control field, and the response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for the sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0045] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth of 160 MHz or less; the indication of the resolution of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0046] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a secondary 160 MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the primary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0047] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a secondary 160 MHz channel; the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the secondary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0048] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz; the indication of the resolution of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 40 MHz subchannel of the sounding NDP.

[0049] In yet another possible implementation, the sounding NDP has a bandwidth greater than 160 MHz, for example, a bandwidth of 320 MHz, including a primary 160 MHz channel and a secondary 160 MHz channel; the indication of the resolution of the response feedback bitmap in the partial bandwidth information subfield of the MIMO control field indicates that each bit in the response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the primary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP, and each bit in the other response feedback bitmap represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the secondary 160 MHz channel of the sounding NDP.

[0050] In yet another possible implementation, the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame includes the other response feedback bitmap and an indication that the other response feedback bitmap exists in the MIMO control field.

[0051] In yet another possible implementation, the response feedback bitmap and the other response feedback bitmap define one combination among all possible combinations of the response feedback bitmap and the other response feedback bitmap, and the number of bits used is based on the bandwidth of the sounding NDP and the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap.

[0052] According to a fourth aspect, a method for performing a sounding process between a non-access point (non-AP) station and an associated AP in a wireless local area network is provided. The method includes the following steps:

[0053] Receiving a sounding null data PPDU announcement (NDPA) frame from the AP, where the NDPA frame includes a station information field of the non-AP station, the station information field includes a partial bandwidth information subfield, the partial bandwidth information subfield includes a feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap, and the feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for a sounding NDP with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the method further includes the following steps: receiving the sounding NDP from the AP and measuring one or more parameters of the required 20 MHz subchannels.

[0055] In another possible implementation, the method further includes: generating a feedback report including a MIMO control field, where the MIMO control field represents an exact feedback indication performed by the non-AP station.

[0056] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes: receiving a beamforming report poll (BFRP) from the AP, and sending a compressed beamforming feedback report (CBFR) frame to the AP according to one or more parameters included in the BFRP.

[0057] The method provided in the fourth aspect of the present disclosure may be executed by the non-AP station provided in the third aspect of the present disclosure. Therefore, other features of the method provided in the fourth aspect of the present disclosure directly come from the functions of the non-AP stations provided in the third aspect and its above and below different implementations.

[0058] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store program code, and when the program code is executed by a computer or a processor, the program code causes the computer or the processor to execute the method provided in the second aspect or the method described in the fourth aspect.

[0059] The following drawings and description elaborate one or more embodiments in detail. Other features, objectives, and advantages are apparent in the description, drawings, and claims. Description of the Drawings

[0060] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0061] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication network including an AP and a plurality of non-AP stations provided by an embodiment is shown;

[0062] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the current effect of a non-OFDMA puncturing pattern indicated only by a disabled subchannel bitmap provided by an embodiment is shown;

[0063] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a part of a frame exchanged between an AP and a plurality of non-AP stations in a trigger-based sounding sequence for OFDMA scheduling is shown;

[0064] Figure 4a A site information field of an NDPA frame generated by an AP during a sounding process provided by an embodiment is shown;

[0065] Figure 4b Shows Figure 4a More details of a partial bandwidth information subfield in the site information field of

[0066] Figure 5 Shows a list of determining Figure 4a A table of rules for the resolution and / or range of a feedback bitmap in the site information field of

[0067] Figure 6 Shows the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame generated by a non-AP station during a probe by one embodiment;

[0068] Figure 7a Shows the station information field and other station information fields of the NDPA frame generated by an AP during a probe by one embodiment;

[0069] Figure 7b Shows listing the determination Figure 7a of the rules for the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmaps and other feedback bitmaps in the station information field and other station information fields;

[0070] Figure 8a Shows the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame generated by a non-AP station during a probe by another embodiment;

[0071] Figure 8b Shows listing the determination Figure 8a of the rules for the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap in the MIMO control field;

[0072] Figure 9a Shows the station information field and other station information fields of the NDPA frame generated by an AP during a probe by another embodiment;

[0073] Figure 9b Shows listing the determination of the number of STA information fields for each specific STA and Figure 9a of the rules for the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmaps and other feedback bitmaps (if any) in the station information field and other station information fields;

[0074] Figure 10a Shows the station information field and other station information fields of the NDPA frame generated by an AP during a probe by another embodiment;

[0075] Figure 10b Shows listing the determination of the number of STA information fields for each specific STA and Figure 10a of the rules for the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmaps and other feedback bitmaps (if any) in the station information field and other station information fields;

[0076] Figure 11a Shows the MIMO control field of the CBFR frame generated by a non-AP station during a probe by another embodiment;

[0077] Figure 11b Shows listing according toFigure 11a A table of MIMO control fields that determines whether other partial bandwidth information is required and the rules for determining the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap;

[0078] Figure 12 A table showing the rules for determining the settings indicated by the feedback bitmap provided by one embodiment;

[0079] Figure 13 A table showing two embodiments of determining the settings indicated by the feedback bitmap;

[0080] Figure 14 A flowchart of a method for operating an AP provided by one embodiment;

[0081] Figure 15 A flowchart of a method for operating a non-AP station provided by one embodiment.

[0082] Hereinafter, the same reference numerals refer to the same or at least functionally equivalent features. Detailed Description

[0083] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure, and which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific aspects of embodiments of this disclosure or specific aspects in which embodiments of this disclosure may be used. It should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure may be used in other aspects and include structural or logical changes not depicted in the drawings. Accordingly, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

[0084] For example, it should be understood that the disclosure related to the described method may be applicable to the corresponding device or system for performing the method, and vice versa. For example, if one or more specific method steps are described, the corresponding device may include one or more units (e.g., functional units) to perform the one or more method steps described (e.g., one unit performs one or more steps, or multiple units each perform one or more of the multiple steps), even if the one or more units are not explicitly described or illustrated in the drawings. On the other hand, for example, if a specific apparatus is described based on one or more units (e.g., functional units), the corresponding method may include steps for performing the functions of the one or more units (e.g., one step for performing the functions of one or more units, or multiple steps for respectively performing the functions of one or more of the multiple units), even if the one or more steps are not explicitly described or shown in the drawings. Additionally, it can be understood that, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the features of the various exemplary embodiments and / or aspects described herein may be combined with each other.

[0085] Before describing the different embodiments in detail, some technical background and terms related to wireless transmitters (specifically wireless transmitters based on the IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard) are introduced below using one or more of the following abbreviations:

[0086] CBFR Compressed Beamforming Report

[0087] CCA Clear Channel Assessment

[0088] DL Downlink

[0089] UL Uplink

[0090] BFee Beamformee

[0091] BFer Beamformer

[0092] BFR Beamforming Report

[0093] BFRP Beamforming Report Poll

[0094] BSS Basic Serving Set

[0095] AP Access Point

[0096] EHT Extremely High-Throughput (feature introduced by IEEE802.11be)

[0097] HE High Efficiency (feature introduced by IEEE802.11ax)

[0098] PHY Physical Layer

[0099] MAC Medium Access Control

[0100] MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0101] MU Multi User

[0102] NDP Null Data PPDU

[0103] NDPA NDP Announcement

[0104] OBSS Overlapping BSS

[0105] OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0106] PPDU PHY Protocol Data Unit

[0107] STA Station (which can generally be an AP STA or a non - AP STA)

[0108] SU Single User

[0109] TXOP Transmit Opportunity

[0110] TF Trigger Frame

[0111] The sounding NDP used in this document is a PPDU that includes a preamble, which includes a Long Training Field (LTF), but does not include a MAC payload. The preamble is used to estimate the physical channel between the AP and non - AP stations so that precoder parameters can be calculated.

[0112] The NDPA frame used in this document is a frame sent before the sounding NDP, indicating some parameters of the sounding NDP (e.g., the type of feedback required), which STAs need to measure the sounding report, and which parameters these STAs should use for measurement, etc.

[0113] The BFR frame used in this document carries measured feedback / precoding parameters, e.g., precoding vectors or matrices, SNR corresponding to each precoder, etc.

[0114] The TF introduced by 802.11ax used in this document is a frame that triggers one or more non - AP stations to send to the triggering AP simultaneously in a synchronized manner.

[0115] Figure 1FIG. 100 shows a wireless communication system 100 including an access point (AP) 110, where the AP 110 is used to communicate with a plurality of associated non-AP stations 120, and the AP 110 and the non-AP stations 120 together define a BSS. As Figure 1 shown and described in detail below, the AP 110 includes a processing circuit or a processor 111 and a communication interface 113, specifically a communication interface 113 based on the 802.11 standard. The processing circuit 111 can be implemented in hardware and / or software, and can include digital circuits, or include both analog circuits and digital circuits. The digital circuits can include components such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or general-purpose processors. The AP 110 can also include a memory 115 for storing executable program code. When the executable program code is executed by the processing circuit 111, the executable program code causes the AP 110 to perform the functions and methods described herein.

[0116] Similarly, the non-AP station 120 can include a processing circuit or a processor 121 and a communication interface 123, specifically a communication interface 123 based on the 802.11 standard. The processing circuit 121 can be implemented in hardware and / or software, and can include digital circuits, or include both analog circuits and digital circuits. The digital circuits can include components such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or general-purpose processors. Each non-AP station 120 can also include a memory 125 for storing executable program code. When the executable program code is executed by the processing circuit 121, the executable program code causes each non-AP station 120 to perform the functions and methods described herein.

[0117] As described above, to handle interference, the IEEE 802.11be standard defines a puncturing scheme, i.e., transmission is achieved on a large bandwidth by excluding (i.e., puncturing) only the affected subchannels. The puncturing granularity is 20 MHz, which means that certain 20-MHz subchannels within the total bandwidth of the BSS can be considered idle or occupied, depending on the power levels received from one or more interference sources in these specific 20-MHz subchannels. IEEE 802.11 defines the power threshold levels for the primary 20-MHz subchannels and the secondary 20-MHz subchannels, and these threshold levels define when a 20-MHz subchannel is considered busy or idle based on the effective IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi) signal or other non-Wi-Fi signals.

[0118] IEEE 802.11be defines two possible puncturing modes. The first puncturing mode for EHT MU (OFDMA) supports a separate puncturing mode for each 80-MHz subblock in the EHT MU PPDU. The punctured subchannels across the entire bandwidth do not necessarily have to be continuous. The second puncturing mode for EHT MU (non-OFDMA) only supports a single continuous puncturing across the entire bandwidth in the EHT MU PPDU. The puncturing mode can include a single hole corresponding to a 20-MHz, 40-MHz, or 80-MHz subchannel.

[0119] The OFDMA puncturing mode is represented by a 4-bit bitmap for each 80-MHz subblock. Non-OFDMA is applicable to PPDUs transmitted to an SU across the entire bandwidth or to multiple users multiplexed as MU-MIMO across the entire bandwidth. The non-OFDMA puncturing is represented by a 5-bit index field pointing to one of the allowed puncturing modes. The puncturing mode index for each bandwidth has a different meaning. There are a total of 45 available modes in the current 802.11be standard.

[0120] According to IEEE 802.11be, in a transmission using the non-HT repeated PPDU format, any 20-MHz subchannel indicated as busy by CCA can be punctured, and it is mandatory to prohibit the use of a 20-MHz subchannel that is indicated as not allowed in the latest EHT operation element by the AP 110 using the disabled channel bitmap (also referred to as the disabled subchannel bitmap in this document). The puncturing of non-HT repeated PPDUs does not need to comply with the OFDMA puncturing mode and the non-OFDMA puncturing mode.

[0121] According to the IEEE 802.11 channel access rules, if puncturing is applied to a TX sequence including one or more PPDUs due to the disabled channel bitmap, the same subchannels indicated in the disabled channel bitmap must be punctured in all PPDUs.

[0122] According to IEEE 802.11be, the disabled channel bitmap must correspond to a non - OFDMA puncturing pattern. Additionally, each sub - channel indicated as a disabled channel in the disabled channel bitmap is prohibited from being used for any frame exchange by any member in AP 110 or the EHT BSS. According to Figure 2 the example shown, an AP 110 operating with a 160 - MHz bandwidth can sense two 20 - MHz sub - channels as busy (interfered). For example, one of these two 20 - MHz sub - channels is in the primary 80 - MHz channel and the other is in the secondary 80 - MHz channel. The only non - OFDMA puncturing pattern traditionally suitable for such a scenario is a single 20 - MHz "hole" in the primary 80 - MHz portion of the 160 - MHz bandwidth. Thus, the actual bandwidth available for frame exchange typically has to be reduced from 160 MHz to 80 MHz (abandoning the secondary 80 - MHz channel for any frame exchange). Thus, Figure 2 the example shown illustrates the excessive bandwidth reduction caused by using the disabled channel bitmap and non - OFDMA puncturing pattern in a traditional manner.

[0123] Figure 3 A slightly different scenario is shown, which is affected by the traditional puncturing limitations in the above - mentioned disabled channel bitmap. Instead of directly performing beamforming for a specific user (i.e., non - AP station 120 in a defined RU), the AP 110 may wish to perform sounding for multi - user scheduling purposes. At this stage, the AP 110 has not yet decided which RU to allocate to each user (i.e., non - AP station 120), and thus is interested in obtaining full - bandwidth feedback from the non - AP STA 120 rather than just partial - bandwidth feedback. From Figure 3 the example shown, since sounding NDP puncturing is limited to non - OFDMA puncturing patterns, in the presence of non - contiguous 20 - MHz blockers, this type of sounding cannot be performed over the entire bandwidth, reducing the effective bandwidth from 320 MHz to 80 MHz and thus degrading the overall performance.

[0124] In the following embodiments, the AP 110 and the non - AP station 120 will be in Figure 4a 、 Figure 4b and Figures 5 to 15In the context described above, one or more drawbacks of the above-described conventional punching schemes are solved. In these embodiments, the processing circuitry 111 in the AP 110 is used to generate a probe Null Data PPDU Announcement (NDPA) frame 201, where the NDPA frame 201 includes a station information field 500 for each non-AP station in the associated non-AP station 120. For the embodiments disclosed herein, it is assumed that the NDPA frame 201 and the following BFRP TF 205 are punched according to the non-HT repetition rules specified in the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0125] Figure 4a and Figure 4b FIG. shows a first embodiment of the station field 500 of the NDPA frame generated by the processing circuitry 111 in the AP. The station information field 500 includes an identifier (referred to as AID11) of the corresponding associated non-AP station 120 and a partial bandwidth information subfield 503. As can be seen from Figure 4b the partial bandwidth information subfield 503 includes a feedback bitmap 503c and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap 503c, and the feedback bitmap 503c has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for the probe NDP 203 with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0126] In Figure 4a and Figure 4b the embodiment shown, the indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap 503c includes a resolution bit 503a (e.g., bit B0 in the partial bandwidth information subfield 503) and an additional resolution bit 503b (e.g., bit B9 in the partial bandwidth information subfield 503). Thus, through the resolution bit 503a, the additional resolution bit 503b, and the feedback bitmap 503c in the partial bandwidth information subfield 503, the AP 110 can indicate to the associated non-AP station 120 in the EHT probe sequence on which subcarriers to provide beamforming feedback and the resolution and / or range, i.e., the granularity of the feedback bitmap 503c. It can be understood that compared with the conventional partial bandwidth information subfield defined in the current 802.11 standard, the partial bandwidth information subfield 503 of the NDPA frame 201 generated by the AP provided by one embodiment uses currently reserved bits (e.g., bit B20, as described in the embodiments of Figure 4a and Figure 4b to increase from 9 bits to 10 bits.

[0127] In addition to the identifier (AID11) 501 and the partial bandwidth information subfield 503, the station information field 500 of the NDPA frame 201 may include the following fields (these fields are already known from the station information field of the conventional NDPA frame and thus will not be elaborated in detail here): Nc index field 505, feedback type and Ng field 507, disambiguation field 509, codebook size field 511, and reserved bit field 513.

[0128] In one embodiment, the NDPA frame 201 may further include a disabled channel indication, e.g., a disabled channel bitmap, where the disabled channel indication indicates that the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel is not included in any other frames exchanged between the AP 110 and the non-AP station 120 associated with the AP 110. In one embodiment, the disabled channel bitmap may be a 16-bit disabled channel bitmap. In one embodiment, the communication interface 113 in the AP may also be used to send a beacon frame to the associated non-AP station 120, where the beacon frame includes a disabled channel indication, e.g., a 16-bit disabled channel bitmap, for confirming that the 20 MHz subchannel is not included in any other frames exchanged between the AP 110 and the non-AP station 120. In one embodiment, the communication interface 113 in the AP is used to send a sounding NDP 203 (after the NDPA frame 201) to the associated non-AP station 120 that is punctured according to the disabled channel indication and optionally punctured according to one or more feedback bitmaps 503c for the associated non-AP station 120 in the NDPA frame 201. Thus, in one embodiment, the puncturing of the sounding NDP 201 is defined by the disabled channel indication (e.g., a 16-bit disabled channel bitmap), while the information provided in the partial bandwidth information subfield 503 indicates on which subchannels to measure the feedback. It can be understood that in one embodiment, the measurement and feedback reports generated by the non-AP STA only apply to channels that meet the following two requirements: (1) identified by the information provided in the partial bandwidth information subfield 503, and (2) not included in the disabled channel indication (e.g., a 16-bit disabled channel bitmap).

[0129] For Figure 4a and Figure 4b the illustrated embodiment, the AP 110 may determine the resolution defined by the indication of the resolution bits 503a and the additional resolution bits 503b, etc., according to the rules specified for the single STA information field in the Figure 5 illustrated table. For example, for a sounding NDP 203 with a bandwidth of 320 MHz and a feedback RU / MRU located in the primary 160 MHz channel with a size less than or equal to 2×996 subcarriers (tones), the "0" resolution bit 503a and the "1" additional resolution bit 503b define that each bit in the feedback bitmap 503c represents a 20 MHz subchannel in the primary 160 MHz channel.

[0130] As described above, the non-AP station 120 can be used to: in response to receiving the sounding NDP 203 that is before the BFRP TF 205 from the AP 110, send a Compressed Beamforming Feedback Report (CBFR) frame to the AP 110, where the CBFR frame includes a MIMO control field. In one embodiment, the MIMO control field can define the header of the CBFR frame or be a part of the header of the CBFR frame.

[0131] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the MIMO control field includes a partial bandwidth information subfield, and the partial bandwidth information subfield includes a response feedback bitmap and an indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap. The response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for the sounding NDP 203 with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz. In one embodiment, the indication of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap can include resolution bits and additional resolution bits (similar to the above embodiments). In one embodiment, the partial bandwidth information subfield in the MIMO control field can be copied by each non-AP station 120 from the corresponding station information field of the NDPA frame 201.

[0132] Figure 6 The MIMO control field 600 of the CBFR frame generated by the non-AP station 120 provided by one embodiment is shown. The partial bandwidth information subfield 617 in the MIMO control field 600 includes a response feedback bitmap. In one embodiment, the first bit B0 in the partial bandwidth information subfield 617 in the MIMO control field 600 can define the resolution bit, and the bits B1 to B8 in the partial bandwidth information subfield 617 define the response feedback bitmap. As Figure 6 shown, the additional resolution bit 623 can be defined by one of the reserved bits B37 to B39 in the currently standardized MIMO control field 600.

[0133] As Figure 6 shown, in addition to the partial bandwidth information subfield 617 and the additional resolution bit 623, the MIMO control field 600 of the CBFR frame can include the following fields (these fields are already known from the MIMO control field of the traditional CBFR frame and thus will not be elaborated here): Nc index field 601, Nr index field 603, bandwidth field 605, packet field 607, feedback type field 609, reserved bit field 611, remaining feedback segment field 613, first feedback segment field 615, sounding dialogue token number field 619, and codebook information field 621.

[0134] In one embodiment, each associated non-AP station 120 can be based on Figure 5The resolution determined by the partial bandwidth information subfield 617 and the additional resolution bits 623 in the MIMO control field 600 is determined by the rules specified in the table shown.

[0135] Figure 7a Another embodiment of the NDPA frame 201 generated and transmitted by the AP 110 is shown, where, in addition to the first station information field 500, the NDPA frame 201 also includes other (i.e., second) station information fields 700 for each associated non-AP station 120 that have the same identifier AID11 and size as the station information field 500. In Figure 7a the embodiment shown, the station information field 500 includes an extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503, and the other station information fields 700 include an extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703. The extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503 includes resolution bits 503a (e.g., bit B0 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503), a feedback bitmap 503c (e.g., bits B1 to B8 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503), and additional bits (e.g., B9 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503; called "STA information number = 0" in Figure 7a ), thereby identifying the station information field 500 as the first station information field of the corresponding non-AP station 120. Similarly, the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703 includes resolution bits (e.g., bit B0 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703), other feedback bitmaps (e.g., bits B1 to B8 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703), and additional bits (e.g., bit B9 in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 507; called "STA information number = 1" in Figure 7a ), thereby identifying the station information field 700 as the second station information field of the corresponding non-AP station 120. Thus, in Figure 7a the embodiment shown, the resolution bits 503a in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503, the resolution bits in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703, and the other feedback bitmaps in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 703 define an indication of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap 503c in the extended partial bandwidth information subfield 503. It can be understood that for Figure 7a the embodiment in, each non-AP station 120 may have to parse the entire NDPA frame 201 in order to determine whether the NDPA frame 201 includes two station information fields for the corresponding non-AP station 120.

[0136] For Figure 7a the embodiment shown, the AP 110 can be based on Figure 7bThe resolution specified by the rules in the table shown is determined by the resolution bits in the station information field 500 and the resolution bits in other station information fields 700 and other feedback bitmaps and the like.

[0137] Figure 8a Shown is a variant of the MIMO control field 600 of the CBFR frame generated by the non-AP station 120 provided by one embodiment. Figure 6 In the embodiment shown. Figure 8a In the embodiment shown, the currently reserved bit (e.g., bit B37) in the MIMO control field 600 is used to indicate that the MIMO control field 600 further includes an extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 625 (e.g., additional bits B40 to B47). It can be understood that, compared with the traditional MIMO control field, the MIMO control field 600 in this embodiment can be increased from 5 octets / bytes to 6 octets / bytes.

[0138] For Figure 8a the embodiment shown, each associated non-AP station 120 can determine the resolution according to Figure 8b the rules specified in the table shown.

[0139] Figure 9a Shown is another embodiment of the NDPA frame 201 generated and sent by the AP 110, wherein, in addition to the first station information field 500, the NDPA frame 201 further includes one or more other (i.e., second) station information fields 700 of the associated non-AP stations 120 that have the same identifier AID11 and size as the station information field 500. In Figure 9a the embodiment shown, the first station information field 500 includes an extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 503. The extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 503 includes additional bits (e.g., bit B20) indicating whether the NDPA frame 201 further includes a second station information field 700 for the first station information field 500 identified by the identifier AID11. The second station information field 700 includes an extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 705, and the extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 705 includes a pseudo partial bandwidth information field indicating to each non-AP station 120 that the second station information field 700 corresponds to the first station information field 500. In addition, in this embodiment and the following embodiments, the extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 703 may include a reserved field. In one embodiment, the reserved field may include an additional STA information presence field. In Figure 9a the embodiment shown, the second station information field 700 (identified by the pseudo partial bandwidth information field) further includes an other feedback bitmap 705 (e.g., bits B24 to B31 in the second station information field 700).

[0140] ForFigure 9a In the illustrated embodiment, AP 110 may set the resolution according to Figure 9b the rules specified in the table shown. For example, when the bandwidth of the detected NDP 203 is 320 MHz and there are a first station information field 500 and a second station information field 700 (e.g., identified by the pseudo partial bandwidth information field "0 0000 0000"), each bit in the feedback bitmap of the first station information field 500 represents a 20 MHz sub-channel in the primary 160 MHz channel, and each bit in the other feedback bitmaps of the second station information field 700 represents a 20 MHz sub-channel in the secondary 160 MHz channel. For this embodiment, each non-AP station 120 may be used to generate the MIMO control field 600, as already described in Figure 8a and Figure 8b the context of.

[0141] Figure 10a Another embodiment of the NDPA frame 201 generated and sent by the AP 110 is shown, where, in addition to the first station information field 500, the NDPA frame 201 further includes other (i.e., second) station information fields 700 of each associated non-AP station 120 that have the same identifier AID11 and size as the station information field 500. Compared with Figure 9a the embodiment shown in Figure 10a the first station information field 500 in the embodiment shown also includes a bit 513a (e.g., bit B29 in the first station information field 500) for indicating the existence of the second station information field 700. The extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 503 may be configured as shown in the embodiments of Figure 4a and Figure 4b , that is, the extended partial bandwidth information sub-field 503 may include a resolution bit 503a (e.g., bit B0 in the partial bandwidth information sub-field 503), a feedback bitmap 503c (e.g., bits B1 to B8 in the partial bandwidth information sub-field 503), and an additional resolution bit 503b (e.g., bit B9 in the partial bandwidth information sub-field 503). The second station information field 700 may be configured as shown in the above Figure 9a embodiment.

[0142] For Figure 10a the embodiment shown, AP 110 may according to Figure 10bThe resolution is determined by the rules specified in the table shown. For example, when the bandwidth of the detected NDP 203 is 320 MHz, the size of the feedback RU / MRU is greater than 2 × 996 subcarriers, and there are a first station information field 500 and a second station information field 700 (e.g., identified by the pseudo partial bandwidth information field "0 00000000"), the "1" resolution bit 503a and the "1" additional resolution bit 503b define that each bit in the feedback bitmap of the first station information field 500 represents 242 subcarrier RUs, i.e., 20 MHz subchannels in the main 160 MHz channel, and each bit in the other feedback bitmaps of the second station information field 700 represents 242 subcarrier RUs, i.e., 20 MHz subchannels in the secondary 160 MHz channel.

[0143] Figure 11a Shown is another variant of the MIMO control field 600 of the CBFR frame generated by the non-AP station 120 provided by one embodiment. Figure 8a As shown. Figure 8a Compared with the MIMO control field 600 in the embodiment shown, the current reserved bits include additional resolution bits (e.g., the current reserved bit B37 in the MIMO control field 600) and bits indicating the presence of an extended partial bandwidth information subfield 625 (e.g., additional bits B40 to B47) (e.g., the current reserved bit B38 in the MIMO control field 600). For this embodiment, each associated non-AP station 120 can determine the resolution according to Figure 11b the rules specified in the table shown.

[0144] The following other embodiments describe methods for calculating the required 20 MHz subchannels, where, even if the subchannel is not involved in the effective RU / MRU, feedback is requested considering the disabled subchannel indication (e.g., the disabled channel bitmap). This is mainly required in the case of performing a detection process for scheduling purposes (where the RU / MRU allocated to each STA is not defined). In one embodiment, this can be achieved by implementing Figure 12 the rules listed in the table shown, as detailed in the context of the following two examples. For Figure 12 the table shown, the following definitions hold:

[0145] A, B, C, and D are all 8-bit binary values.

[0146] The symbol "~" represents the following bitwise NOT operation:

[0147] Input = 0, Output = 1

[0148] Input = 1, Output = 0

[0149] The symbol "&" represents the following bitwise AND operation:

[0150] Input 1 = 0, Input 2 = 0, Output = 0

[0151] Input 1 = 0, Input 2 = 1, Output = 0

[0152] Input 1 = 1, Input 2 = 0, Output = 0

[0153] Input 1 = 1, Input 2 = 1, Output = 1

[0154] The LSB in the disabled channel bitmap represents bits B0 to B7 in the full field.

[0155] The MSB in the disabled channel bitmap represents bits B8 to B15 in the full field.

[0156] Example 1:

[0157]

[0158] Example 2:

[0159]

[0160] Implementation Figure 12 As a result of the rules listed in the table shown, the valid calculated feedback bitmap values in the calculated partial bandwidth information or the calculated extended partial bandwidth information can take any value (between 00000000 and 11111111), and should not be limited to the valid RU / MRU values currently supported by the standard. In one embodiment, the number of bits used in the feedback bitmap is determined based on the bandwidth (i.e., not all combinations are possible in all cases). The feedback bitmap values of the calculated partial bandwidth information or the calculated extended partial bandwidth information can be calculated in two alternative ways, as detailed below.

[0161] According to the first option (referred to as Option A), the AP 110 uses the feedback bitmap values in the partial bandwidth information (and extended partial bandwidth information, if applicable) in the station information field of the NDPA frame 201 according to the rules described in the embodiments above Figure 9b . The AP 100 can set the partial bandwidth information for any desired 20 MHz subchannel mode. The AP 100 generates the disabled channel bitmap in the NDPA frame 201 or the beacon frame. Each non-AP station 120 determines the valid feedback bitmaps of the calculated partial bandwidth information (and calculated extended partial bandwidth information, if applicable) defined by the Figure 12 table shown, and sets them in the MIMO control field 600.

[0162] According to the second option (referred to as Option B), the AP 110 defines the feedback bitmap values for the partial bandwidth information (and the extended partial bandwidth information, if applicable) according to the rules described in the embodiments above Figure 9b . The AP 110 may puncture the sounding NDP 203 and / or include the disabled channel bitmap in the NDPA frame 201 or the beacon frame. If the disabled channel bitmap is indicated in the beacon frame or in the previous NDPA frame 201, the sounding NDP 203 must be punctured according to the disabled channel bitmap. The AP 110 calculates the feedback bitmaps for the calculated partial bandwidth information (and the calculated extended partial bandwidth information, if applicable) of each non-AP station 120 included in the NDPA frame 201, as defined by the table shown in Figure 12 , and sets them in the partial bandwidth information field (and the extended partial bandwidth information field, if applicable) of the appropriate station information field in the NDPA frame 201. Each non-AP station 120 responds using the same feedback bitmap value for the partial bandwidth information (and the extended partial bandwidth information, if applicable) in the MIMO control field 600, as specified by the AP 110 in the appropriate station information field of the NDPA frame 201. Figure 13 The table shown in illustrates an example of the operation of the AP 110 and each non-AP station 120 for two options, namely Option A and Option B.

[0163] Figure 14 is a flowchart of a method 1400 for performing a sounding process between the AP 110 and an associated non-AP station 120 in the wireless local area network 100. The method 1400 includes step 1401: The AP 110 generates an NDPA frame, where the NDPA frame includes a station information field 500 for each associated non-AP station 120, where the station information field 500 includes a partial bandwidth information subfield 503, the partial bandwidth information subfield 503 includes a feedback bitmap 503c and indications 503a, 503b of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap 503c, and the feedback bitmap 503c includes a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for the sounding NDP 203 with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz. In addition, the method 1400 includes step 1403: Sending the NDPA frame 201 to the associated non-AP stations 120.

[0164] In one embodiment, the method 1400 further includes: Sending the sounding NDP 203 to the associated non-AP stations 120 that is punctured according to the disabled channel indication (e.g., the above-mentioned disabled channel bitmap) and optionally punctured according to one or more feedback bitmaps 503c for the associated non-AP stations 120 in the NDPA frame 201.

[0165] In one embodiment, method 1400 further includes: sending a BFRP trigger frame to receive a CBFR frame from each associated non-AP station 120 included in a previous NDPA, wherein the CBFR frame includes a MIMO control field 600, wherein the MIMO control field 600 includes a partial bandwidth information subfield 617, the partial bandwidth information subfield 617 includes a response feedback bitmap and an indication 623 of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap, and the response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for the sounding NDP 203 with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0166] Since method 1400 can be implemented by the AP 110, other features of method 1400 are directly implemented through the functions of the AP 110 and its different embodiments described above and below.

[0167] Figure 15 is a flowchart of a method 1500 for performing a sounding process between each non-AP station 120 and an associated AP 110 in a wireless local area network 100. Method 1500 includes step 1501: receiving an NDPA frame 201 from the AP 110, wherein the NDPA frame 201 includes a station information field 500, the station information field 500 includes an identifier (501) of the non-AP station 120, the station information field 500 includes a partial bandwidth information subfield 503, the partial bandwidth information subfield 503 includes a feedback bitmap 503c and an indication 503a, 503b of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap 503c, and the feedback bitmap 503c has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannel resolution for the sounding NDP 203 with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

[0168] In one embodiment, method 1500 further includes: receiving a sounding NDP 203 from the AP 110 and measuring one or more parameters of a desired 20 MHz subchannel.

[0169] In one embodiment, method 1500 further includes: generating a feedback report including a MIMO control field 600, wherein the MIMO control field 600 reflects an exact feedback indication performed by the non-AP station 120.

[0170] In one embodiment, method 1500 further includes: receiving a beamforming report poll (BFRP) 205 from the AP 110 and sending a compressed beamforming feedback report (CBFR) frame to the AP 110 according to one or more parameters included in the BFRP 205.

[0171] Since the method 1500 can be implemented by the non-AP station 120, other features of the method 1500 are directly implemented through the functions of the non-AP station 120 and the above-described and below-described different embodiments.

[0172] Those skilled in the art will understand that the "blocks" ("units") in the various drawings (methods and apparatuses) represent or describe the functions of the embodiments of the present disclosure (not necessarily independent "units" in hardware or software), thus equally describing the functions or features of the apparatus embodiments as well as the method embodiments (unit = step).

[0173] In several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described embodiments of the apparatus are merely exemplary. For example, the unit division is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Additionally, the shown or described mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection can be achieved through some interfaces. The indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units can be achieved in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0174] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units. They may be located in one position or distributed over multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment solution.

[0175] Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments disclosed herein can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

Claims

1. A method (1400) for performing a probe process between an access point AP (110) and one or more associated non-AP stations (120) in a wireless local area network (100), characterized in that, The method (1400) includes: The AP (110) generates (1401) a Null Data Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit Announcement NDPA frame (201), wherein the NDPA frame (201) includes a station information field (500) for each non-AP station (120) among the one or more associated non-AP stations (120), wherein the station information field (500) includes a partial bandwidth BW information sub-field (503), the partial bandwidth information sub-field (503) includes a feedback bitmap (503c) and an indication (503a, 503b) of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap (503c), and the feedback bitmap (503c) has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for sounding NDPs (203) with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz; Sending (1403) the NDPA frame (201) to the one or more associated non-AP stations (120).

2. The method (1400) according to claim 1, wherein, The NDPA frame (201) further includes a disabled channel indication, wherein the disabled channel indication indicates that one or more 20 MHz sub-channels are not included in any other frames exchanged between the AP (110) and the one or more non-AP stations (120) associated with the AP (110).

3. The method (1400) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method (1400) further includes: sending a beacon frame to the one or more associated non-AP stations (120), wherein the beacon frame includes a disabled channel indication, and the disabled channel indication indicates that one or more respective 20 MHz sub-channels are not included in any other frames exchanged between the AP (110) and the one or more non-AP stations (120) associated with the AP (110).

4. The method (1400) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The method (1400) further includes: sending the sounding NDP (203) to the one or more associated non-AP stations (120) that is punctured according to the disabled channel indication and punctured according to one or more feedback bitmaps (503c) for the one or more associated non-AP stations (120) in the NDPA frame (201).

5. The method (1400) according to claim 4, wherein, The method (1400) further includes: receiving a Compressed Beamforming Feedback Report CBFR frame from each non-AP station (120) among the one or more associated non-AP stations (120) included in the NDPA frame (201), wherein the CBFR frame includes a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output MIMO control field (600), the MIMO control field (600) includes a partial bandwidth information sub-field (617), the partial bandwidth information sub-field (617) includes a response feedback bitmap, an indication (623) of the resolution and / or range of the response feedback bitmap, and an indication of the existence of other feedback bitmaps, and the response feedback bitmap has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for sounding NDPs (203) with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

6. A method (1500) for performing a probing process between a non-access point non-AP station (120) and an associated AP (110) in a wireless local area network (100), characterized in that, The method (1500) includes: Receiving (1501) a Null Data Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit Announcement NDPA frame (201) from the AP (110), wherein the NDPA frame (201) includes a station information field (500), the station information field (500) includes an identifier (501) of the non-AP station (120) and a partial bandwidth BW information sub-field (503), the partial bandwidth information sub-field (503) includes a feedback bitmap (503c) and an indication (503a, 503b) of the resolution and / or range of the feedback bitmap (503c), and the feedback bitmap (503c) has a 20 MHz or 40 MHz sub-channel resolution for sounding NDPs (203) with a bandwidth up to 320 MHz.

7. The method (1500) according to claim 6, wherein, The method (1500) further includes: receiving the sounding NDP (203) from the AP (110) and measuring one or more parameters of a desired 20 MHz sub-channel.

8. The method (1500) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method (1500) further includes: generating a feedback report including a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output MIMO control field (600), wherein the MIMO control field (600) represents a feedback indication performed by the non-AP station (120).

9. The method (1500) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The method (1500) further includes: receiving a Beamforming Report Poll BFRP (205) from the AP (110) and sending a Compressed Beamforming Feedback Report CBFR frame to the AP (110) according to one or more parameters included in the BFRP (205).

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is used to store program code, which, when executed by a computer or a processor, causes the computer or the processor to execute the method (1400) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or the method (1500) according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

11. An access point AP (110), characterized in that, The AP (110) includes a processor and a communication interface, and the processor is used to call executable program code stored in a memory to cause the AP (110) to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

12. A non-access point non-AP station (120), characterized in that, The non-AP station (120) includes a processor and a communication interface, and the processor is used to call executable program code stored in a memory to cause the non-AP station (120) to implement the method according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

Images