Apparatus and method for supervising initial control frame transmission

Abstract

The invention provides a device and a method for supervising initial control frame transmission. An apparatus includes an interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled with the interface circuit, where the processor circuit is configured to: encode an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA) via the interface circuit; and transmitting the ICF to the STA to retry to transmit the ICF to the STA without receiving a response to the ICF from the STA, where the number of retries is limited. Other embodiments are also protected and described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for supervising initial control frame (ICF) transmissions. Background Art

[0002] Wireless devices are becoming more widespread and increasingly require access to wireless channels. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is developing one or more standards to improve wireless performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a device, comprising: an interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, wherein the processor circuit is used to: encode an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA) via the interface circuit; and retry transmitting the ICF to the STA if no response to the ICF is received from the STA, wherein the number of retries is limited.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides an apparatus comprising: an interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, wherein the processor circuit is used to: decode an initial control frame (ICF) received from a sending station (STA) via the interface circuit; prevent responding to the ICF due to a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the receiving STA; and encode a response frame for transmission to the sending STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting time period before the ICF is retried for transmission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.

[0006] Figure 1 is a network diagram illustrating an example network environment according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for supervising initial control frame transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method for supervising initial control frame transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a radio architecture according to some examples.

[0010] Figure 5 A method for performing a multi-function circuit according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 Example front-end module circuit in a radio architecture of FIG.

[0011] Figure 6 A method for performing a multi-function circuit according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 Example radio IC circuit in a radio architecture of FIG.

[0012] Figure 7 A method for performing a multi-function circuit according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 Example baseband processing circuitry in a radio architecture of FIG.

[0013] Figure 8 A functional diagram of an exemplary communication station is shown in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Fig. 9 A block diagram is shown of an example machine upon which any of one or more techniques (eg, methodologies) may be performed according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly used by those skilled in the art to convey the essence of the present disclosure to other persons skilled in the art. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that many alternative embodiments may be practiced using portions of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known features may be omitted or simplified to avoid blurring the illustrative embodiments.

[0016] Furthermore, various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations in a manner that is most helpful for understanding the illustrative embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed as implying that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations do not need to be performed in the order presented.

[0017] The phrases "in an embodiment," "in one embodiment," and "in some embodiments" are used repeatedly herein. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment; however, it may. The terms "comprising," "having," and "including" are synonymous unless the context dictates otherwise. The phrases "A, B, or C" and "A / B / C" mean "(A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C)."

[0018] Figure 11 is a network diagram illustrating an example network environment according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. A wireless network 100 may include one or more user devices 120 and one or more access points (APs) 102, which may communicate according to the IEEE 802.11 communication standard. The user device 120 may be a mobile device that is not fixed (e.g., does not have a fixed location) or may be a fixed device.

[0019] In some embodiments, user equipment 120 and AP 102 may include one or more computer systems, similar to Figure 8 Functional diagrams and / or Fig. 9 As shown in the example machine / system.

[0020] One or more illustrative user devices 120 and / or AP 102 may be operated by one or more users 110. It should be noted that any addressable unit may be a station (STA). A STA may have a plurality of different features, each of which shapes its functionality. For example, a single addressable unit may be a portable STA, a quality of service (QoS) STA, a subordinate STA, and a hidden STA at the same time. One or more illustrative user devices 120 and AP 102 may be STAs. One or more illustrative user devices 120 and / or AP 102 may operate as a personal basic service set (PBSS) control point / access point (PCP / AP). User devices 120 (e.g., 124, 126, or 128) and / or AP 102 may include any suitable processor-driven device, including but not limited to mobile devices or non-mobile devices, such as static devices. For example, the user equipment 120 and / or the AP 102 may include a user equipment (UE), a station (STA), an access point (AP), a software enabled AP (SoftAP), a personal computer (PC), a wearable wireless device (e.g., a wristband, a watch, glasses, a ring, etc.), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, an ultrabook TMcomputer, notebook computer, tablet computer, server computer, handheld computer, handheld device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, sensor device, PDA device, handheld PDA device, vehicle-mounted device, non-vehicle-mounted device, hybrid device (e.g., combining cellular phone functionality with PDA device functionality), consumer device, vehicle-mounted device, non-vehicle-mounted device, mobile or portable device, non-mobile or non-portable device, mobile phone, cellular phone, PCS device, PDA device including wireless communication device, mobile or portable GPS device, DVB device, relatively small computing device, non-desktop computer, "travel light, live life" (CSLL) device, ultra mobile device (UMD), ultra mobile PC (UMPC), mobile Internet device (MID), "origami" "Device or computing device, device supporting Dynamic Combination Computing (DCC), context-aware device, video device, audio device, A / V device, set-top box (STB), Blu-ray Disc (BD) player, BD recorder, digital video disc (DVD) player, high-definition (HD) DVD player, DVD recorder, HDDVD recorder, personal video recorder (PVR), broadcast HD receiver, video source, audio source, video receiver, audio receiver, stereo tuner, broadcast radio receiver, flat panel display, personal media player (PMP), digital video camera (DVC), digital audio player, speaker, audio receiver, audio amplifier, gaming device, data source, data receiver, digital still camera (DSC), media player, smartphone, television, music player, etc. Other devices, including smart devices such as lamps, climate control, automotive components, household components, appliances, etc., may also be included in this list."

[0021] As used herein, the term "Internet of Things (IoT) device" is used to refer to any object (e.g., appliance, sensor, etc.) that has an addressable interface (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address, Bluetooth identifier (ID), near field communication (NFC) ID, etc.) and can transmit information to one or more other devices through a wired or wireless connection. IoT devices can have passive communication interfaces, such as quick response (QR) codes, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, NFC tags, etc., or active communication interfaces, such as modems, transceivers, transmitter-receivers, etc. IoT devices can have a set of specific attributes (e.g., device states, such as whether the IoT device is turned on or off, on or off, idle or active, available for task execution or busy, etc., cooling or heating functions, environmental monitoring or recording functions, light emission functions, sound emission functions, etc.), which can be embedded in and / or controlled / monitored by a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, etc., and configured to be connected to an IoT network, such as a local ad hoc network or the Internet. For example, IoT devices may include, but are not limited to, refrigerators, toasters, ovens, microwaves, freezers, dishwashers, dishes, hand tools, washers, dryers, stoves, air conditioners, thermostats, televisions, lamps, vacuum cleaners, sprinklers, electric meters, gas meters, etc., as long as these devices are equipped with an addressable communication interface for communicating with the IoT network. IoT devices may also include mobile phones, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc. Therefore, an IoT network may include a combination of "traditional" Internet-accessible devices (e.g., laptop or desktop computers, mobile phones, etc.) and devices that do not typically have Internet connectivity (e.g., dishwashers, etc.).

[0022] User equipment 120 and / or AP 102 may also include, for example, mesh stations in a mesh network in accordance with one or more IEEE 802.11 standards and / or 3GPP standards.

[0023] Any of the user devices 120 (e.g., user devices 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 may be configured to communicate with each other in a wireless or wired manner via one or more communication networks 130 and / or 135. The user devices 120 may also communicate with each other peer-to-peer or directly with or without AP 102. Any of the communication networks 130 and / or 135 may include, but are not limited to, any combination of suitable communication networks of different types, such as broadcast networks, wired networks, public networks (e.g., the Internet), private networks, wireless networks, cellular networks, or any other suitable private and / or public networks. In addition, any of the communication networks 130 and / or 135 may have any suitable communication range associated therewith, and may include, for example, a global network (e.g., the Internet), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or a personal area network (PAN). In addition, any communication network 130 and / or 135 may include any type of medium that can carry network traffic, including but not limited to coaxial cable, twisted pair, optical fiber, hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) medium, microwave ground transceiver, radio frequency communication medium, white space communication medium, ultra-high frequency communication medium, satellite communication medium, or any combination thereof.

[0024] Any of the user devices 120 (e.g., user devices 124, 126, 128) and the AP 102 may include one or more communication antennas. The one or more communication antennas may be any suitable type of antenna corresponding to the communication protocol used by the user devices 120 (e.g., user devices 124, 126, and 128) and the AP 102. Some non-limiting examples of suitable communication antennas include Wi-Fi antennas, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series standard compliant antennas, directional antennas, non-directional antennas, dipole antennas, folded dipole antennas, patch antennas, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, omnidirectional antennas, quasi-omnidirectional antennas, etc. The one or more communication antennas may be communicatively coupled to a radio component to send and / or receive signals, such as communication signals, to and / or from the user devices 120 and / or the AP 102.

[0025] Any one of the user equipment 120 (e.g., user equipment 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 can be configured to perform directional transmission and / or directional reception in conjunction with wireless communication in a wireless network. Any one of the user equipment 120 (e.g., user equipment 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 can be configured to use a set of multiple antenna arrays (e.g., DMG antenna arrays, etc.) to perform such directional transmission and / or reception. Each of the multiple antenna arrays can be used for transmission and / or reception in a specific corresponding direction or range of directions. Any one of the user equipment 120 (e.g., user equipment 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 can be configured to perform any given directional transmission to one or more defined transmission sectors. Any one of the user equipment 120 (e.g., user equipment 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 can be configured to perform any given directional reception from one or more defined reception sectors.

[0026] MIMO beamforming in wireless networks can be implemented using RF beamforming and / or digital beamforming. In some embodiments, in performing a given MIMO transmission, user equipment 120 and / or AP 102 can be configured to perform MIMO beamforming using all or a subset of its one or more communication antennas.

[0027] Any of the user devices 120 (e.g., user devices 124, 126, 128) and AP 102 may include any suitable radio and / or transceiver for sending and / or receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a bandwidth and / or channel corresponding to a communication protocol used by any of the user devices 120 and AP 102 to communicate with each other. The radio component may include hardware and / or software to modulate and / or demodulate communication signals according to a pre-established transmission protocol. The radio component may also have hardware and / or software instructions to communicate via one or more Wi-Fi and / or Wi-Fi Direct protocols, as standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards. In certain example embodiments, a radio component cooperating with a communication antenna may be configured to communicate via a 2.4 GHz channel (e.g., 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ax), a 5 GHz channel (e.g., 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax), or a 60 GHZ channel (e.g., 802.11ad, 802.11ay), an 800 MHz channel (e.g., 802.11ah). The communication antenna may operate at 28 GHz and 40 GHz. It should be understood that the list of communication channels according to certain 802.11 standards is only a partial list, and other 802.11 standards (e.g., next generation Wi-Fi or other standards) may be used. In some embodiments, non-Wi-Fi protocols may be used for communication between devices, such as Bluetooth, dedicated short range communication (DSRC), ultra-high frequency (UHF) (e.g., IEEE 802.11af, IEEE 802.22), white band frequencies (e.g., white space), or other packet radio communications. The radio assembly may include any known receiver and baseband suitable for communicating via a communication protocol. The radio assembly may also include a low noise amplifier (LNA), additional signal amplifiers, an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter, one or more buffers, and a digital baseband.

[0028] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 1, the user equipment 120 can communicate with one or more APs 102. For example, one or more APs 102 can implement enhanced ICF transmission 142 with one or more user equipment 120. Each of the one or more APs 102 may include multiple individual APs (e.g., AP1, AP2, ... APn, where n is an integer), and each of the one or more user equipment 120 may include multiple individual STAs (e.g., STA1, STA2, ..., STAn). (One or more) APs and (one or more) STAs can establish one or more links (e.g., link 1, link 2, ..., link n) between each individual AP and STA. It should be understood that the above description is for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limiting.

[0029] Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn or Ultra High Reliability (UHR)) is the next generation Wi-Fi standard and the successor to IEEE802.11be (Wi-Fi 7). Like all previous Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi 8 will focus on improving wireless performance across the board while introducing new innovative features to further advance Wi-Fi technology.

[0030] When STA (for example, Figure 1 102 or user equipment 120 in the AP 102 obtains access to the medium, becomes a transmission opportunity (TxOP) holder, and wishes to transmit a signal to a peer STA (e.g., Figure 1 When a TxOP is transmitted to an AP 102 or a user device 120 in a wireless communication network, it usually starts with an initial control frame (ICF) (e.g., a request to send (RTS) frame, a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame, etc.) and waits for a control response to check whether a TxOP responder is available.

[0031] If the TxOP responder is available and its network allocation vector (NAV) is expired, eg, the NAV value is 0, the TxOP holder may use the TxOP to send / receive frames to / from the TxOP responder.

[0032] In the first case, the TxOP responder receives an ICF, but its NAV has not expired (e.g., its NAV is set to a non-zero value), and therefore cannot respond to the ICF with an Initial Control Frame Response. If a new frame cannot be sent, the TxOP holder will often keep trying to access the medium and transmit to the TxOP responder, which may eventually result in a large number of back-to-back ICFs for the TxOP responder, but these ICFs cannot be responded to before the NAV expires and pollute the wireless environment.

[0033] In the second case, the TxOP Responder did not hear the ICF because it was unavailable (e.g., coexistence issues, P2P, etc.) or did not detect the ICF. There is currently no solution to provide the TxOP Holder with information about why the transaction was not successful. The TxOP Holder will then try to access the medium again to transmit to the TxOP Responder, which may continue until the TxOP Responder is available again or successfully detects the ICF. Therefore, similar to the first case, a large number of consecutive ICFs may be sent without a response, polluting the wireless environment and causing interference.

[0034] In the present disclosure, an embodiment of providing a rule to prevent a STA from sending too many consecutive ICFs when no response is obtained from a target receiver will be described.

[0035] In some embodiments, if the TxOP responder cannot respond with an initial control frame response, the TxOP responder may be allowed to respond with a special control response frame that will indicate that the TxOP responder is busy until a certain point in time (e.g., indicates that its NAV is set and indicates the value of the NAV). If the special control response frame is sent, the TxOP holder will receive the frame and know that it cannot transmit to the TxOP responder before the time indicated in the special control response frame (wait until the NAV is no longer set).

[0036] Figure 2 1 is a flowchart of a method 200 for supervising ICF transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method may be performed by any STA (hereinafter also referred to as a sending STA), for example, an AP STA (e.g., Figure 1 AP 102 in, non-APSTA (e.g., Figure 1 User equipment 120 in Fig. 9 The enhanced ICF transmission device 919 in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0037] In some embodiments, method 200 may include operations 210 and 220. At operation 210, the ICF is encoded for transmission to a peer STA (hereinafter also referred to as a receiving STA), such as an AP STA (e.g., Figure 1 AP 102 in, non-AP STA (e.g., Figure 1 At operation 220, if no response to the ICF is received from the peer STA, the ICF is retried to be transmitted to the peer STA. The number of retries is limited. In some embodiments, the number of retries is predefined (e.g., a default value defined in the specification) or configurable (configured by the peer STA, e.g., the AP / user device can change the number of retries).

[0038] In some embodiments, the number of retries may be indicated via a beacon frame, association frame, reassociation frame, etc. For example, the number of retries may be announced in a beacon frame, association frame, reassociation frame, etc., such as via specific field(s).

[0039] For a STA that intends to transmit to a peer STA, if no response is received from the peer STA, the number of ICFs N that can be sent to the peer STA will be limited. For example, N=2 ICFs are allowed (one retry if the packet is not successfully received the first time). However, other values ​​may also be applicable and the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0040] In some embodiments, upon receiving a response frame indicating when the peer STA is available, the transmitting STA may wait for a period of time based on the response frame and then retry transmitting the ICF to the peer STA again. For example, the transmitting STA is a user device, the peer STA is an AP, and the transmitting user device receives a frame from the AP or a user device in the same basic service set (BSS) as the AP, which allows the transmitting user device to determine whether the AP is busy, so that the transmitting user device can wait for a period of time based on the received frame and then make another retry when the AP is available.

[0041] In some embodiments, the ICF is followed by an emergency data frame close to a delay boundary. In this case, the sending STA may not wait for any period of time, but retry to transmit the ICF to the peer STA.

[0042] In some embodiments, the transmitting STA may be eligible to send a special control frame to announce a high priority contention. After sending a special control frame (e.g., a postponement signal (which is expected to block (postpone) contention for all other unqualified clients)), the STA immediately starts this high priority contention and sends the ICF. That is, in this case, the transmitting STA may not wait for any period of time, but retry to transmit the ICF to the peer STA.

[0043] In some embodiments, if no response is received from the peer STA after retrying the number of times, the sending STA may wait for the ReSynchDelay duration and then retry to transmit the ICF to the peer STA again. In other words, after these N attempts are not successfully responded to, the sending STA will wait for the ReSynchDelay duration before making another attempt and transmitting the ICF to the peer STA.

[0044] In some embodiments, the ReSynchDelay duration is predefined (eg, a default value defined in a specification) or configurable (configured by a peer STA, eg, an AP / user equipment can change the ReSynchDelay duration).

[0045] In some embodiments, the ReSynchDelay duration may be a default value, which is defined as the TxOP length or half the TxOP length. This is particularly applicable if the main reason for the unresponsiveness comes from the NAV setting. However, the default value may also be applicable to other situations, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0046] In some embodiments, the receiving STA can indicate to the transmitting STA what is the appropriate ReSynchDelay for the receiving STA to match the receiving STA's unavailable duration or half of that duration. This mechanism is particularly applicable if the reason for the unresponsiveness is more likely to be due to coexistence issues (with Bluetooth or other activities, such as P2P) that cause the STA side to be unavailable. However, this mechanism may also be applicable to other situations and the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0047] In some embodiments, the ReSynchDelay duration may be indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, a reassociation frame, etc. For example, the ReSynchDelay duration may be announced in a beacon frame, an association frame, a reassociation frame, etc., such as through specific field(s).

[0048] In some embodiments, the clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry may be lowered compared to the first transmission of the ICF. The CCA detection threshold may include a CCA-energy detection (CCA-ED) threshold, a CCA-signal detection (CCA-SD) threshold, etc. For example, after the first N' (e.g., N'=1) ICFs, the CCA-ED threshold or the CCA-SD threshold may be set to a lower value to send the remaining (N-N') ICFs to capture the situation where the NAV of the TXOP responder is blocked.

[0049] The embodiments described in the present disclosure are applicable to uplink (UL) transmissions (e.g., from a user device to an AP) and downlink (DL) transmissions (e.g., from an AP to a user device). The present disclosure is not limited in this respect. However, the UL traffic based on each user device is less relative to the DL traffic for all user devices, so there may be fewer opportunities to receive frames from the user device. In some embodiments, for this DL direction, it may be necessary to rely on the ReSynchDelay value many times. Therefore, it may be reasonable to allow different ReSynchDelay and retry times (or N values) for DL ​​and UL. In this case, two sets of values ​​can be defined, one for DL ​​and the other for UL. For example, a set of values ​​{T 1 ,N 1 ; T 2 ,N 2 ; T 3 ,N 3}, define another set of values ​​for UL {T 3 ,N 3 ; T 4 ,N 4 ; T 5 ,N 5}, where T represents or reflects ReSynchDelay, and N represents or reflects the number of retries (or N value). It can be seen that the two sets of values ​​defined for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission may have some overlapping elements, such as T in the above example. 3 ,N 3 When T is selected from two different sets of values ​​for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission 3 ,N 3 , then the same ReSynchDelay and number of retries (or N value) may be set for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission. When different values ​​are selected from two different sets of values ​​for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission, different ReSynchDelay and number of retries (or N value) may be set for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission. In another example, two completely different sets of values ​​may be defined for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission, so that there are no overlapping elements. For example, a set of values ​​{T 1 ,N 1 ; T 2 ,N 2 ; T 3 ,N 3}, define another set of values ​​for UL {T 4 ,N 4 ; T 5 ,N 5 ; T 6 ,N 6In yet another example, a set of values ​​{T 1 ,N 1 ; T 2 ,N 2 ; T 3 ,N 3}, define a set of values ​​for UL {T 3 ,N 2 ; T 4 ,N 4 ; T 5 ,N 5 In these two sets of values, there is no case where both ReSynchDelay and the number of retries (or N value) are the same at the same time. However, for example, when T is selected for DL ​​transmission 3 ,N 3 And select T for UL transmission 3 ,N 2 When T is selected for DL ​​transmission, the ReSynchDelay for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission is the same, but the number of retries (or N value) is different. 2 ,N 2 And select T for UL transmission 3 ,N 2 When the ReSynchDelay for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission is different, but the number of retries (or N value) is the same. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the ReSynchDelay and the number of retries (or N value) can be defined separately. For example, a set of values ​​{T 1 ; T 2 ; T 3}, define a set of values ​​{N 1 ; N 2 ; N 3}, define a set of values ​​for ReSynchDelay of UL transmission {T 3 ; T 4 ; T 5}, define a set of values ​​{N 3 ; N 4 ; N 5}. The two sets of values ​​defined for ReSynchDelay for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission may be completely different or have overlapping elements. The two sets of values ​​defined for the number of retries (or N values) for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission may be completely different or have overlapping elements. The present disclosure is not limited to this. However, in some embodiments, ReSynchDelay or the number of retries (or N values) may not be distinguished for DL ​​transmission and UL transmission, that is, the same ReSynchDelay or the number of retries (or N values) may be set for both DL transmission and UL transmission, and the present application is not limited to this. In some embodiments, for DL, the above mechanism does not necessarily need to be included in the beacon frame and the (re) association response frame. However, in some other embodiments, for DL, this is included in the beacon frame and the (re) association response frame. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0050] In some embodiments, the above technical solution can also be implemented by reusing the medium synchronization process defined in IEEE 802.11be, which already has a medium synchronization delay (MediumSynchDelay) and N2 RTSs that can be sent during the MediumSynchDelay. The medium synchronization process can be reused by defining a specification so that after N1 ICF transmissions are not successfully responded to, the sender will be considered to be in blind mode for transmitting to the target receiver (in some cases, the AP, not necessarily all other user devices), and therefore needs to follow the medium synchronization process in IEEE 802.11be to regain the medium to transmit to the target receiver. In this case, the sum of the values ​​N1 and N2 will result in the number of ICFs allowed to be sent continuously.

[0051] Figure 2 An embodiment is provided from the perspective of the sending STA of the ICF. Figure 3 An embodiment is provided from the perspective of a receiving STA of an ICF. Figure 3 1 is a flowchart of a method 300 for supervising ICF transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 300 may be performed by any STA, such as an AP STA (e.g., Figure 1 AP 102 in, non-AP STA (e.g., Figure 1 User equipment 120 in Fig. 9 The enhanced ICF transmission device 919 in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0052] In some embodiments, the method 300 may include operations 310 to 330. At operation 310, an ICF received from a transmitting STA is decoded. At operation 320, a response to the ICF is blocked due to the NAV value of the receiving STA. At operation 330, a response frame is encoded for transmission to the transmitting STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting period before the ICF is retried for transmission.

[0053] In some embodiments, the response frame includes a beacon frame, an association frame, a reassociation frame, and the like.

[0054] In some embodiments, the waiting period is from a first set of values ​​when the ICF is for UL transmission or from a second set of values ​​when the ICF is for DL ​​transmission. The first set of values ​​is the same as or different from the second set of values.

[0055] In some embodiments, the receiving STA receives a number of retries of the ICF transmission from the transmitting STA before the waiting period begins. In some embodiments, the number of retries is predefined or configurable. In some embodiments, the number of retries is from a first set of values ​​when the ICF is for UL transmission; or the number of retries is from a second set of values ​​when the ICF is for DL ​​transmission. The first set of values ​​is the same or different from the second set of values. In some embodiments, the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, a reassociation frame, etc.

[0056] The method 300 can be understood in conjunction with the embodiments described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0057] The technical solution provided by the present disclosure can prevent a large number of continuous ICFs without response from being sent, thus improving wireless environment pollution and interference.

[0058] Figure 4 It is based on Figure 1 105A, 105B is a block diagram of some embodiments of the radio architecture 105A, 105B implemented in any one of the example AP 102 and / or the example STA 120. The radio architecture 105A, 105B may include radio front end module (FEM) circuits 404a-b, radio IC circuits 406a-b, and baseband processing circuits 408a-b. The radio architecture 105A, 105B shown includes wireless local area network (WLAN) functionality and Bluetooth (BT) functionality, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, "WLAN" and "Wi-Fi" may be used interchangeably.

[0059] The FEM circuits 404a-b may include WLAN or Wi-Fi FEM circuits 404a and Bluetooth (BT) FEM circuits 404b. The WLAN FEM circuits 404a may include a receive signal path including circuits configured to operate on WLAN RF signals received from one or more antennas 401, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the WLAN radio IC circuits 406a for further processing. The BT FEM circuits 404b may include a receive signal path including circuits configured to operate on BT RF signals received from one or more antennas 401, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the BT radio IC circuits 406b for further processing. The FEM circuits 404a may also include a transmit signal path including circuits configured to amplify WLAN signals provided by the radio IC circuits 406a for wireless transmission to one or more of the antennas 401. Additionally, the FEM circuitry 404b may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify BT signals provided by the radio IC circuitry 406b for wireless transmission to one or more antennas. Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, although FEM 404a and FEM 404b are shown as being different from each other, the embodiments are not limited thereto and include within their scope the use of a FEM (not shown) that includes a transmit path and / or receive path for both WLAN and BT signals, or the use of one or more FEM circuits, at least some of which share transmit and / or receive signal paths for both WLAN and BT signals.

[0060] The illustrated radio IC circuits 406a-b may include a WLAN radio IC circuit 406a and a BT radio IC circuit 406b. The WLAN radio IC circuit 406a may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry for down-converting a WLAN RF signal received from the FEM circuit 404a and providing a baseband signal to the WLAN baseband processing circuit 408a. The BT radio IC circuit 406b may in turn include a receive signal path that may include circuitry for down-converting a BT RF signal received from the FEM circuit 404b and providing a baseband signal to the BT baseband processing circuit 408b. The WLAN radio IC circuit 406a may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for up-converting a WLAN baseband signal provided by the WLAN baseband processing circuit 408a and providing a WLAN RF output signal to the FEM circuit 404a for subsequent wireless transmission by one or more antennas 401. The BT radio IC circuit 406b may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for up-converting a BT baseband signal provided by the BT baseband processing circuit 408b and providing a BT RF output signal to the FEM circuit 404b for subsequent wireless transmission by the one or more antennas 401. Figure 4 Although radio IC circuits 406a and 406b are shown as being distinct from one another, embodiments are not limited thereto and include within their scope the use of a radio IC circuit (not shown) that includes a transmit signal path and / or receive signal path for both WLAN and BT signals, or the use of one or more radio IC circuits at least some of which share transmit and / or receive signal paths for both WLAN and BT signals.

[0061] The baseband processing circuits 408a-b may include a WLAN baseband processing circuit 408a and a BT baseband processing circuit 408b. The WLAN baseband processing circuit 408a may include a memory, such as a set of RAM arrays in a fast Fourier transform or inverse fast Fourier transform block (not shown) of the WLAN baseband processing circuit 408a. Each of the WLAN baseband circuit 408a and the BT baseband circuit 408b may further include one or more processors and control logic. Each of the WLAN baseband circuit 408a and the BT baseband circuit 408b may further include an interface circuit to couple with the corresponding one or more processors or control logic. The one or more processors and control logic may process signals received from the corresponding WLAN or BT receive signal paths of the radio IC circuits 406a-b via the interface circuits, and also generate corresponding WLAN or BT baseband signals for the transmit signal paths of the radio IC circuits 406a-b. Each of the baseband processing circuits 408a and 408b may further include physical layer (PHY) and medium access control layer (MAC) circuits and may further interface with devices for generation and processing of baseband signals and for controlling operation of the radio IC circuits 406a-b.

[0062] Still reference Figure 4 According to the illustrated embodiment, the WLAN-BT coexistence circuit 413 may include logic for providing an interface between the WLAN baseband circuit 408a and the BT baseband circuit 408b to implement use cases requiring WLAN and BT coexistence. In addition, a switch 403 may be provided between the WLAN FEM circuit 404a and the BT FEM circuit 404b to allow switching between the WLAN and BT radios as required by the application. Furthermore, while the antennas 401 are depicted as being connected to the WLAN FEM circuit 404a and the BT FEM circuit 404b, respectively, embodiments include within their scope sharing one or more antennas between the WLAN and BT FEMs, or providing more than one antenna connected to each FEM 404a or 404b.

[0063] In some embodiments, the front end module circuits 404a-b, the radio IC circuits 406a-b, and the baseband processing circuits 408a-b may be provided on a single radio card, such as radio card 402. In other embodiments, one or more antennas 401, the FEM circuits 404a-b, and the radio IC circuits 406a-b may be provided on a single radio card. In some other embodiments, the radio IC circuits 406a-b and the baseband processing circuits 408a-b may be provided on a single chip or integrated circuit (IC), such as IC 412.

[0064] In some embodiments, the radio card 402 may include a WLAN radio card and may be configured for Wi-Fi communications, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some of these embodiments, the radio architecture 105A, 105B may be configured to receive and transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication signals over a multi-carrier communication channel. The OFDM or OFDMA signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0065] In some of these multi-carrier embodiments, the radio architecture 105A, 105B may be part of a Wi-Fi communication station (STA), such as a wireless access point (AP), a base station, or a mobile device including a Wi-Fi device. In some of these embodiments, the radio architecture 105A, 105B may be configured to send and receive signals according to a specific communication standard and / or protocol, such as any Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard, including 802.11n-2009, IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE 802.11-2016, 802.11n-2009, 802.11ac, 802.11ah, 802.11ad, 802.11ay and / or 802.11ax standards and / or 802.11ax standards and / or proposed WLAN specifications, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. The radio architecture 105A, 105B may also be suitable for sending and / or receiving communications according to other technologies and standards.

[0066] In some embodiments, the radio architectures 105A, 105B may be configured for high-efficiency Wi-Fi (HEW) communications in accordance with the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In these embodiments, the radio architectures 105A, 105B may be configured to communicate in accordance with OFDMA technology, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard.

[0067] In some other embodiments, the radio architectures 105A, 105B may be configured to send and receive signals transmitted using one or more other modulation techniques such as spread spectrum modulation (e.g., direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) and / or frequency hopping code division multiple access (FH-CDMA)), time division multiplexing (TDM) modulation, and / or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) modulation, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0068] In some embodiments, Figure 4 As further shown in FIG. 4 , the BT baseband circuit 408 b may comply with a Bluetooth (BT) connection standard, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth 8.0, or Bluetooth 6.0, or any other iteration of the Bluetooth standard.

[0069] In some embodiments, the radio architecture 105A, 105B may include other radio cards, such as a cellular radio card configured for cellular (e.g., 5GPP such as LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 7G communications).

[0070] In some IEEE 802.11 embodiments, the radio architectures 105A, 105B may be configured to communicate over a variety of channel bandwidths, including bandwidths with center frequencies of approximately 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and approximately 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 5 MHz, 5.5 MHz, 6 MHz, 8 MHz, 10 MHz, 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz (with continuous bandwidth) or 80+80 MHz (160 MHz) (with non-continuous bandwidth). In some embodiments, a channel bandwidth of 920 MHz may be used. However, the scope of the embodiments is not limited to the above center frequencies.

[0071] Figure 5 WLAN FEM circuit 404a is shown in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 5 The example is described in conjunction with the WLAN FEM circuit 404a, but may be combined with the example BT FEM circuit 404b ( Figure 4 ) to describe Figure 5 , although other circuit configurations may also be suitable.

[0072] In some embodiments, FEM circuit 404a may include TX / RX switch 502 to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. FEM circuit 404a may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of FEM circuit 404a may include a low noise amplifier (LNA) 506 to amplify received RF signal 503 and provide an amplified received RF signal 507 as an output (e.g., provided to radio IC circuits 406a-b ( Figure 4 )). The transmit signal path of circuitry 404a may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify an input RF signal 509 (e.g., provided by radio IC circuitry 406a-b), and one or more filters 512, such as a bandpass filter (BPF), a lowpass filter (LPF), or other type of filter, to generate an RF signal 515 for subsequent transmission via an example duplexer 514 (e.g., through one or more antennas 401 ( Figure 4 )).

[0073] In some dual-mode embodiments for Wi-Fi communications, the FEM circuit 404a can be configured to operate in the 2.4 GHz spectrum or the 5 GHz spectrum. In these embodiments, the receive signal path of the FEM circuit 404a can include a receive signal path duplexer 504 to separate the signal from each spectrum and provide a separate LNA 506 for each spectrum, as shown. In these embodiments, the transmit signal path of the FEM circuit 404a can also include a power amplifier 510 and a filter 512, such as a BPF, LPF, or other type of filter for each spectrum, and a transmit signal path duplexer 504 to provide the signal of one of the different spectrums onto a single transmit path for subsequent transmission by one or more antennas 401 ( Figure 4 ) transmission. In some embodiments, BT communications may utilize a 2.4 GHz signal path and may utilize the same FEM circuit 404a as used for WLAN communications.

[0074] Figure 6 4 shows a radio IC circuit 406a according to some embodiments. The radio IC circuit 406a is suitable for use as a WLAN or BT radio IC circuit 406a / 406b ( Figure 4 ), but other circuit configurations may also be suitable. Alternatively, Figure 6 Examples of may be described in conjunction with example BT radio IC circuit 406 b.

[0075] In some embodiments, the radio IC circuit 406a may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the radio IC circuit 406a may include at least a mixer circuit 602, such as a down-conversion mixer circuit, an amplifier circuit 606, and a filter circuit 608. The transmit signal path of the radio IC circuit 406a may include at least a filter circuit 612 and a mixer circuit 614, such as an up-conversion mixer circuit. The radio IC circuit 406a may also include a synthesizer circuit 604 for synthesizing a frequency 605 for use by the mixer circuit 602 and the mixer circuit 614. According to some embodiments, the mixer circuits 602 and / or 614 may be configured to provide a direct conversion function, respectively. Compared to a standard superheterodyne mixer circuit, the latter type of circuit presents a simpler architecture and any flicker noise caused by it may be mitigated by, for example, using OFDM modulation. Figure 6Only a simplified version of the radio IC circuit is shown, and embodiments may be included (although not shown) in which each of the depicted circuits may include more than one component. For example, mixer circuit 614 may include one or more mixers, respectively, and filter circuits 608 and / or 612 may include one or more filters, respectively, such as one or more BPFs and / or LPFs as required by the application. For example, when the mixer circuits are of the direct conversion type, they may each include two or more mixers.

[0076] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 may be configured to generate a synthesized frequency 605 from FEM circuits 404a-b based on the synthesized frequency 605 provided by synthesizer circuit 604. Figure 4 ) down-converts the received RF signal 507. The amplifier circuit 606 may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal and the filter circuit 608 may include an LPF configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal 607. The output baseband signal 607 may be provided to the baseband processing circuits 408a-b ( Figure 4 ) for further processing. In some embodiments, output baseband signal 607 may be a zero frequency baseband signal, but this is not required. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 may include a passive mixer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0077] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 614 may be configured to up-convert input baseband signal 611 based on synthesized frequency 605 provided by synthesizer circuit 604 to generate RF output signal 509 for FEM circuits 404a-b. Baseband signal 611 may be provided by baseband processing circuits 408a-b and may be filtered by filter circuit 612. Filter circuit 612 may include an LPF or a BPF, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0078] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 and mixer circuit 614 may each include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature down-conversion and / or up-conversion, respectively, with the aid of synthesizer 604. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 and mixer circuit 614 may each include two or more mixers, each mixer being configured for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 and mixer circuit 614 may each be arranged for direct down-conversion and / or direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 602 and mixer circuit 614 may be configured for superheterodyne operation, but this is not required.

[0079] According to one embodiment, mixer circuit 602 may include: quadrature passive mixers (e.g., for in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) paths). In such an embodiment, Figure 6 The RF input signal 507 may be downconverted to provide I and Q baseband output signals to be sent to a baseband processor.

[0080] The quadrature passive mixers may be driven by zero and ninety degree time varying LO switching signals provided by a quadrature circuit, which may be configured to receive an LO frequency (fLO) from a local oscillator or synthesizer, such as LO frequency 605 (fLO) of synthesizer 604. Figure 6 ). In some embodiments, the LO frequency may be the carrier frequency, while in other embodiments, the LO frequency may be a fraction of the carrier frequency (e.g., one-half of the carrier frequency, one-third of the carrier frequency). In some embodiments, the zero-degree and ninety-degree time-varying switching signals may be generated by a synthesizer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0081] In some embodiments, the LO signal can differ in duty cycle (the percentage of a cycle that the LO signal is high) and / or offset (the difference between the start points of the cycle). In some embodiments, the LO signal can have an 85% duty cycle and an 80% offset. In some embodiments, each branch of the mixer circuit (e.g., the in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) paths) can operate at an 80% duty cycle, which can result in a significant reduction in power consumption.

[0082] RF input signal 507 ( Figure 5 ) may include balanced signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. The I and Q baseband output signals may be provided to a low noise amplifier, such as amplifier circuit 606 ( Figure 6 ) or filter circuit 608 ( Figure 6 ).

[0083] In some embodiments, output baseband signal 607 and input baseband signal 611 may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, output baseband signal 607 and input baseband signal 611 may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the radio IC circuit may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuits.

[0084] In some dual-mode embodiments, separate radio IC circuits may be provided to process signals for each spectrum, or for signals for other spectrums not mentioned herein, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0085] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 604 may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, the synthesizer circuit 604 may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider. According to some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 604 may include a digital synthesizer circuit. One advantage of using a digital synthesizer circuit is that, although it may still contain some analog components, its footprint may be much smaller than that of an analog synthesizer circuit. In some embodiments, the frequency input to the synthesizer circuit 604 may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not required. Depending on the desired output frequency 605, the divider control input may be further controlled by the baseband processing circuits 408a-b ( Figure 4 ) is provided. In some embodiments, the divider control input (e.g., N) can be determined from a lookup table (e.g., within a Wi-Fi card) based on the channel number and channel center frequency determined or indicated by the example application processor 410. The application processor 410 can include or otherwise be connected to one of the example secure signal converter 101 or the example receive signal converter 103 (e.g., depending on which device the example radio architecture is implemented in).

[0086] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 604 can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency 605, while in other embodiments, the output frequency 605 can be a fraction of the carrier frequency (e.g., one-half of the carrier frequency, one-third of the carrier frequency). In some embodiments, the output frequency 605 can be the LO frequency (fLO).

[0087] Figure 7 4 shows a functional block diagram of a baseband processing circuit 408a according to some embodiments. The baseband processing circuit 408a is a circuit that can be suitable for use as a baseband processing circuit 408a ( Figure 4 ) is an example of a circuit, although other circuit configurations may also be suitable. Alternatively, Figure 6 The example can be used to implement Figure 4 An example BT baseband processing circuit 408b.

[0088] Baseband processing circuitry 408a may include a receive baseband processor (RX BBP) 702 for processing signals received by radio IC circuitry 406a-b ( Figure 4 ) and a transmit baseband processor (TX BBP) 704 for generating a transmit baseband signal 611 for the radio IC circuits 406a-b. The baseband processing circuit 408a may also include control logic 706 for coordinating the operation of the baseband processing circuit 408a.

[0089] In some embodiments (e.g., when analog baseband signals are exchanged between baseband processing circuits 408a-b and radio IC circuits 406a-b), baseband processing circuits 408a may include ADC 710 to convert analog baseband signals 709 received from radio IC circuits 406a-b into digital baseband signals for processing by RX BBP 702. In these embodiments, baseband processing circuits 408a may also include DAC 712 to convert digital baseband signals from TX BBP 704 into analog baseband signals 711.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as transmitting an OFDM signal or an OFDMA signal by the baseband processor 408a, the transmit baseband processor 704 can be configured to generate an OFDM or OFDMA signal suitable for transmission by performing an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The receive baseband processor 702 can be configured to process the received OFDM signal or OFDMA signal by performing an FFT. In some embodiments, the receive baseband processor 702 can be configured to detect the presence of an OFDM signal or OFDMA signal by performing an autocorrelation to detect a preamble such as a short preamble, and to detect a long preamble by performing a cross-correlation. The preamble can be part of a predetermined frame structure for Wi-Fi communication.

[0091] Return to reference Figure 4 In some embodiments, antenna 401 ( Figure 4 ) can each include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas or other types of suitable antennas for transmission of radio frequency signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, the antennas can be effectively separated to take advantage of spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may result. Antennas 401 can each include a set of phased array antennas, but the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0092] Although the radio architecture 105A, 105B is shown as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by a combination of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs) and / or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may include one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and combinations of various hardware and logic circuits for performing at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, a functional element may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0093] Figure 8800 according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 FIG. 1 shows an example of an AP 102 ( Figure 1 ) or user equipment 120( Figure 1 ) is a functional block diagram of a communication station of the present invention. The communication station 800 may also be suitable for use as a handheld device, a mobile device, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a netbook, a wireless terminal, a laptop computer, a wearable computer device, a femtocell, a high data rate (HDR) user station, an access point, an access terminal, or other personal communication system (PCS) equipment.

[0094] The communication station 800 may include a communication circuit 802 and a transceiver 810 for sending signals to other communication stations and receiving signals from other communication stations using one or more antennas 801. The communication circuit 802 may include a circuit that can operate the following communications: physical layer (PHY) communication and / or a medium access control (MAC) communication for controlling access to a wireless medium, and / or any other communication layer for sending and receiving signals. The communication station 800 may also include a processing circuit 806 and a memory 808, which are arranged to perform the operations described herein. In some embodiments, the communication circuit 802 and the processing circuit 806 may be configured to perform the operations detailed in the above figures, diagrams, and processes.

[0095] According to some embodiments, the communication circuit 802 may be arranged to compete for a wireless medium and configure a frame or packet for communication via a wireless medium. The communication circuit 802 may be arranged to send and receive signals. The communication circuit 802 may also include circuits for modulation / demodulation, up-conversion / down-conversion, filtering, amplification, etc. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 806 of the communication station 800 may include one or more processors. In other embodiments, two or more antennas 801 may be coupled to the communication circuit 802 arranged to send and receive signals. The memory 808 may store information for configuring the processing circuit 806 to perform operations for configuring and sending message frames and for performing various operations described herein. The memory 808 may include any type of memory, including non-transitory memory, for storing information in a machine (e.g., computer) readable form. For example, the memory 808 may include a computer-readable storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and other storage devices and media.

[0096] In some embodiments, the communication station 800 can be part of a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a web tablet, a wireless phone, a smart phone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), a wearable computer device, or other device that can wirelessly receive and / or transmit information.

[0097] In some embodiments, communication station 800 may include one or more antennas 801. Antenna 801 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some embodiments, a single antenna with multiple apertures may be used to replace two or more antennas. In these embodiments, each aperture may be considered as a separate antenna. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, antennas may be effectively separated for spatial diversity and different channel characteristics that may occur between each antenna and the antenna of the transmitting station.

[0098] In some embodiments, the communication station 800 may include one or more of a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, and other mobile device elements. The display may be an LCD screen including a touch screen.

[0099] Although the communication station 800 is shown as having several separate functional elements, two or more functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by a combination of software-configured elements (e.g., processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs)) and / or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may include one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and combinations of various hardware and logic circuits for implementing at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, the functional elements of the communication station 800 may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0100] Some embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Other embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein. A computer-readable storage device may include any non-transitory memory mechanism for storing information in a machine (e.g., computer) readable form. For example, a computer-readable storage device may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and other storage devices and media. In some embodiments, the communication station 800 may include one or more processors and may be configured with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device.

[0101] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an example of a machine 900 or system is shown, on which any one or more techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein can be performed. In other embodiments, the machine 900 can operate as a standalone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 900 can run in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In an example, the machine 900 can act as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 900 can be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a wearable computer device, a network device, a network router, a switch or a bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify the actions to be taken by the machine (e.g., a base station). In addition, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more methods discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS) or other computer cluster configurations.

[0102] As described herein, examples may include or may operate on a logic or multiple components, modules or mechanisms. A module is a tangible entity (e.g., hardware) that is capable of performing a specified operation when in operation. A module includes hardware. In one example, the hardware may be specifically configured to perform a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In another example, the hardware may include a configurable execution unit (e.g., a transistor, a circuit, etc.) and a computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein the instructions configure the execution unit to perform a specific operation at runtime. Configuration may occur under the guidance of the execution unit or a loading mechanism. Therefore, when the device is running, the execution unit is communicatively coupled to the computer-readable medium. In this example, the execution unit may be a member of more than one module. For example, in operation, the execution unit may be configured by a first set of instructions to implement a first module at a point in time, and reconfigured by a second set of instructions to implement a second module at a second point in time.

[0103] The machine (e.g., computer system) 900 may include a hardware processor 902 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 904, and a static memory 906, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnection link (e.g., a bus) 908. The machine 900 may also include a power management device 932, a graphics display device 910, an alphanumeric input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 914 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the graphics display device 910, the alphanumeric input device 912, and the UI navigation device 914 may be a touch screen display. The machine 900 may also include a storage device (i.e., a drive unit) 916, a signal generating device 918 (e.g., a speaker), an enhanced ICF transmission device 919, a network interface device / transceiver 920 coupled to an antenna 930, and one or more sensors 928, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The machine 900 may include an output controller 934, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB)), parallel or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printers, card readers, etc.). Operations according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed by a baseband processor. The baseband processor may be configured to generate corresponding baseband signals. The baseband processor may also include a physical layer (PHY) and a media access control layer (MAC) circuit, and may further interface with the hardware processor 902 for baseband signal generation and processing, and for controlling the operation of the main memory 904, the memory device 916 and / or the enhanced ICF transmission device 919. The baseband processor may be provided on a single radio card, a single chip or an integrated circuit (IC).

[0104] The storage device 916 may include a machine-readable medium 922 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 924 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionality described herein. The instructions 924 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 904, within the static memory 906, or within the hardware processor 902 during execution thereof by the machine 900. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 902, the main memory 904, the static memory 906, or the storage device 916 may constitute a machine-readable medium.

[0105] The enhanced ICF transmission device 919 can perform or implement any of the operations and processes described and illustrated above.

[0106] It should be understood that the above is only a subset of the functions that the enhanced ICF transmission device 919 can be configured to perform, and other functions included throughout the present disclosure can also be performed by the enhanced ICF transmission device 919.

[0107] Although the machine-readable medium 922 is illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (eg, a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 924 .

[0108] Various embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in software and / or firmware. The software and / or firmware may take the form of instructions contained in or on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. These instructions may then be read and executed by one or more processors to enable the execution of the operations described herein. The instructions may be in any suitable form, such as, but not limited to, source code, compiled code, parsed code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, etc. Such computer-readable media may include any tangible, non-transitory media for storing information in a form readable by one or more computers, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory, etc.

[0109] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 900 and causing the machine 900 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting machine-readable medium examples may include solid-state memory and optical and magnetic media. In one example, a large amount of machine-readable media includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles with a rest mass. Specific examples of a large amount of machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0110] The instructions 924 may also be sent or received over a communication network 926 using a transmission medium through a network interface device / transceiver 920 that utilizes any of a variety of transmission protocols (e.g., frame relay, Internet Protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards, known as IEEE 802.16 series of standards, known as ), IEEE 802.15.4 series of standards, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, etc. In an example, the network interface device / transceiver 920 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 926. In an example, the network interface device / transceiver 920 may include multiple antennas to use at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology for wireless communication. The term "transmission medium" should be understood to include any intangible medium that can store, encode, or carry instructions for execution by the machine 900, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate the communication of such software.

[0111] The operations and processes described and shown above can be performed or implemented in any suitable order according to the needs in various embodiments. In addition, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the operations can be performed in parallel. In addition, in some embodiments, less than or more than the described operations can be performed.

[0112] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The terms "computing device," "user device," "communication station," "station," "handheld device," "mobile device," "wireless device," and "user equipment" (UE) as used herein refer to a wireless communication device, such as a cellular phone, smartphone, tablet computer, netbook, wireless terminal, laptop computer, femtocell, high data rate (HDR) subscriber station, access point, printer, point of sale device, access terminal, or other personal communication system (PCS) device. The device may be mobile or fixed.

[0113] As used in this document, the term "communication" is intended to include sending or receiving, or both sending and receiving. This may be particularly useful in a claim when describing the organization of data transmitted by one device and received by another device, but requiring only the functionality of one of these devices would infringe the claim. Similarly, a two-way data exchange between two devices (both devices that send and receive during the exchange) may be described as "communication" when only the functionality of one of these devices is required. The term "communication" as used herein with respect to wireless communication signals includes sending wireless communication signals and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, a wireless communication unit capable of transmitting wireless communication signals may include a wireless transmitter that sends wireless communication signals to at least one other wireless communication unit, and / or a wireless communication receiver that receives wireless communication signals from at least one other wireless communication unit.

[0114] As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the use of ordinal adjectives "first," "second," "third," etc. to describe common objects merely indicates different instances of the similar objects referred to, and is not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given order, whether temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

[0115] The term "access point" (AP) as used herein may be a fixed station. An access point may also be referred to as an access node, a base station, an evolved Node B (eNodeB), or some other similar terms known in the art. An access terminal may also be referred to as a mobile station, a user equipment (UE), a wireless communication device, or some other similar terms known in the art. The embodiments disclosed herein are generally related to wireless networks. Some embodiments may relate to a wireless network operating according to one of the IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0116] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices and systems, such as a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a handheld PDA device, a vehicle-mounted device, a non-vehicle-mounted device, a hybrid device, a vehicle-mounted device, a non-vehicle-mounted device, a mobile or portable device, a consumer device, a non-mobile or non-portable device, a wireless communication station, a wireless communication device, a wireless access point (AP), a wired or wireless router, a wired or wireless modem, a video device, an audio device, an audio-video (A / V) device, a wired or wireless network, a wireless local area network, a wireless video local area network (WVAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), a wireless PAN (WPAN), etc.

[0117] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with the following systems or devices: one-way and / or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, mobile phones, cellular phones, wireless phones, personal communication system (PCS) devices, PDA devices including wireless communication devices, mobile or portable global positioning system (GPS) devices, devices including GPS receivers or transceivers or chips, devices including RFID elements or chips, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceivers or devices, single-input multiple-output (SIMO) transceivers or devices, multiple-input single-output (MISO) transceivers or devices, devices with one or more internal antennas and / or external antennas, digital video broadcasting (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, wired or wireless handheld devices (such as smart phones), wireless application protocol (WAP) devices, etc.

[0118] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and / or systems that follow one or more wireless communication protocols, such as radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal FDM (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), time division multiple access (TDMA), extended TDMA (E-TDMA), general packet radio service (GPRS), extended GPRS, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier modulation (MDM), discrete multi-tone (DMT), Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, fifth generation (5G) mobile networks, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), etc. Other embodiments may be used in various other devices, systems and / or networks.

[0119] The following paragraphs describe examples of various embodiments.

[0120] Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: an interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, wherein the processor circuit is used to: encode an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA) via the interface circuit; and retry transmitting the ICF to the STA if no response to the ICF is received from the STA, wherein the number of retries is limited.

[0121] Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0122] Example 3 includes the apparatus described in Example 1 or 2, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0123] Example 4 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0124] Example 5 includes the device described in any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the processor circuit is further used to: when no response is received from the STA after the number of retries, wait for a first time period and then retry transmitting the ICF to the STA; or when a response frame indicating when the STA is available is received, wait for a second time period based on the response frame and then retry transmitting the ICF to the STA.

[0125] Example 6 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the first time period is predefined or configurable.

[0126] Example 7 includes an apparatus described in any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the first time period is from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the first time period is from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0127] Example 8 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the first time period is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0128] Example 9 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 8, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0129] Example 10 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0130] Example 11 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the apparatus is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0131] Example 12 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0132] Example 13 includes an apparatus comprising: an interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, wherein the processor circuit is used to: decode an initial control frame (ICF) received from a sending station (STA) via the interface circuit; prevent responding to the ICF due to a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the receiving STA; and encode a response frame for transmission to the sending STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting time period before the ICF is retried for transmission.

[0133] Example 14 includes the apparatus of Example 13, wherein the response frame comprises a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0134] Example 15 includes the apparatus described in Example 13 or 14, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0135] Example 16 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 13 to 15, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to receive several retries of transmission of the ICF from the transmitting STA before the waiting period begins.

[0136] Example 17 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 13 to 16, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0137] Example 18 includes an apparatus described in any of Examples 13 to 17, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0138] Example 19 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 13 to 18, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0139] Example 20 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 13 to 19, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0140] Example 21 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 13 to 20, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0141] Example 22 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 13 to 21, wherein the apparatus is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0142] Example 23 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 13 to 22, wherein the apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0143] Example 24 includes a method comprising: encoding an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA); and retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA if no response to the ICF is received from the STA, wherein the number of retries is limited.

[0144] Example 25 includes the method of Example 24, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0145] Example 26 includes the method described in Example 24 or 25, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0146] Example 27 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 26, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0147] Example 28 includes the method described in any one of Examples 24 to 27, further including: when no response is received from the STA after the number of retries, waiting for a first time period and then retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA; or when a response frame indicating when the STA is available is received, waiting for a second time period based on the response frame and then retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA.

[0148] Example 29 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 28, wherein the first time period is predefined or configurable.

[0149] Example 30 includes the method described in any one of Examples 24 to 29, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the first time period is from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the first time period is from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0150] Example 31 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 30, wherein the first time period is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0151] Example 32 includes the method of any of Examples 24 to 31, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0152] Example 33 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 32, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0153] Example 34 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 33, wherein the method is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0154] Example 35 includes the method of any one of Examples 24 to 34, wherein the method is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0155] Example 36 includes a method comprising: decoding an initial control frame (ICF) received from a transmitting station (STA); preventing a response to the ICF due to a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the receiving STA; and encoding a response frame for transmission to the transmitting STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting time period before the ICF is retried for transmission.

[0156] Example 37 includes the method of Example 36, wherein the response frame comprises a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0157] Example 38 includes the method described in Example 36 or 37, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0158] Example 39 includes the method of any one of Examples 36 to 38, further comprising: receiving several retries for transmission of the ICF from the transmitting STA before the waiting period begins.

[0159] Example 40 includes the method of any one of Examples 36 to 39, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0160] Example 41 includes a method described in any one of Examples 36 to 40, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0161] Example 42 includes the method of any one of Examples 36 to 41, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0162] Example 43 includes the method of any of Examples 36 to 42, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0163] Example 44 includes the method of any of Examples 36 to 43, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0164] Example 45 includes the method of any one of Examples 36 to 44, wherein the method is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0165] Example 46 includes the method of any one of Examples 36 to 45, wherein the method is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0166] Example 47 includes an apparatus comprising: a component for encoding an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA); and a component for retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA if no response to the ICF is received from the STA, wherein the number of retries is limited.

[0167] Example 48 includes the apparatus of Example 47, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0168] Example 49 includes the apparatus described in Example 47 or 48, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0169] Example 50 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 49, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0170] Example 51 includes the apparatus described in any one of Examples 47 to 50, further comprising: a component for waiting for a first time period and then retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA if no response is received from the STA after the number of retries; or a component for waiting for a second time period based on a response frame indicating when the STA is available and then retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA if a response frame is received.

[0171] Example 52 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 51, wherein the first time period is predefined or configurable.

[0172] Example 53 includes an apparatus described in any of Examples 47 to 52, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the first time period is from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the first time period is from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0173] Example 54 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 53, wherein the first time period is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0174] Example 55 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 54, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0175] Example 56 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 55, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0176] Example 57 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 56, wherein the apparatus is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0177] Example 58 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 47 to 57, wherein the apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0178] Example 59 includes an apparatus comprising: a component for decoding an initial control frame (ICF) received from a transmitting station (STA); a component for preventing a response to the ICF due to a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the receiving STA; and a component for encoding a response frame for transmission to the transmitting STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting time period before the ICF is retried for transmission.

[0179] Example 60 includes the apparatus of Example 59, wherein the response frame comprises a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0180] Example 61 includes the apparatus described in Example 59 or 60, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the waiting time period comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0181] Example 62 includes the apparatus of any one of Examples 59 to 61, further comprising: a component for receiving several retries of transmission of the ICF from the transmitting STA before the waiting period begins.

[0182] Example 63 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 62, wherein the number of retries is predefined or configurable.

[0183] Example 64 includes an apparatus described in any of Examples 59 to 63, wherein: when the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a first set of values; or when the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries comes from a second set of values, wherein the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

[0184] Example 65 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 64, wherein the number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

[0185] Example 66 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 65, wherein a clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

[0186] Example 67 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 66, wherein the ICF comprises a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

[0187] Example 68 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 67, wherein the apparatus is applicable to an access point (AP) STA.

[0188] Example 69 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 59 to 68, wherein the apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

[0189] Example 70 includes a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform a method as described in any of Examples 24-35.

[0190] Example 71 includes a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform a method as described in any of Examples 36-46.

[0191] Embodiments according to the present disclosure are specifically disclosed in the attached claims for methods, storage media, devices, and computer program products, wherein any feature mentioned in one claim category (e.g., method) may also be claimed in another claim category (e.g., system). Dependencies or references in the attached claims are selected for formal reasons only. However, any subject matter resulting from intentional tracing back to any previous claim (especially multiple dependencies) may also be claimed, so that any combination of claims and their features is disclosed and may be claimed, regardless of the dependencies selected in the attached claims. The subject matter that may be claimed includes not only the combination of features listed in the attached claims, but also any other combination of features in the claims, wherein each feature mentioned in the claims may be combined with any other feature or combination of other features in the claims. In addition, any embodiments and features described or depicted herein may be claimed in separate claims and / or in any combination with any embodiment or feature described or depicted herein or with any feature of the attached claims.

[0192] The foregoing description of one or more embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the various embodiments.

[0193] Certain aspects of the present disclosure are described above with reference to block diagrams and flow charts of systems, methods, devices and / or computer program products according to various embodiments. It should be understood that one or more blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts can be implemented by computer executable program instructions, respectively. Likewise, according to some embodiments, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow charts may not necessarily need to be executed in the order presented, or may not need to be executed at all.

[0194] These computer executable program instructions can be loaded onto a special purpose computer or other specific machine, processor or other programmable data processing device to produce a specific machine, so that these instructions executed on the computer, processor, or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing one or more functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium or memory, which can instruct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium produce a product, which includes an instruction means for implementing one or more functions specified in a flowchart block or block. As an example, some embodiments can provide a computer program product, including a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code or program instruction implemented therein, and the computer readable program code is suitable for being executed to implement one or more functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating elements or steps are executed on a computer or other programmable device, thereby generating a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on a computer or other programmable device provide elements or steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks.

[0195] Therefore, the blocks of the block diagrams and flow charts support a combination of devices for performing a specified function, a combination of elements or steps for performing a specified function, and a program instruction means for performing a specified function. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow charts and the combination of blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts can be implemented by a dedicated, hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs a specified function, element or step.

[0196] Conditional language, such as "may" or "might", etc., unless expressly stated otherwise or otherwise understood in the context of use, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments may include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and / or operations. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or operations are in any way required for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments must include logic for determining, with or without user input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and / or operations are included in any particular embodiment or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0197] Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will clearly benefit from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used in a general and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation.

Claims

1. A device comprising: Interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, Wherein, the processor circuit is used for: encoding an initial control frame (ICF) for transmission to a station (STA) via the interface circuit; and In the case where no response to the ICF is received from the STA, retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA, Among them, the number of retries is limited.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of retries is predefined or configurable.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: In case the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries is from a first set of values; or In case the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries is from a second set of values, Wherein, the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of retries is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to: If no response is received from the STA after the number of retries, wait for a first time period and then retry to transmit the ICF to the STA; or In case of receiving a response frame indicating when the STA is available, waiting for a second time period based on the response frame and then retrying to transmit the ICF to the STA.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first time period is predefined or configurable.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein: In case the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the first time period is from a first set of values; or In case the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the first time period is from a second set of values, Wherein, the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first time period is indicated via a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: A clear channel assessment (CCA) detection threshold for the retry is lowered.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The ICF includes a request to send (RTS) frame or a multi-user RTS (MU-RTS) frame.

11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The device is suitable for an access point (AP) STA.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

13. An apparatus comprising: Interface circuit; and a processor circuit coupled to the interface circuit, Wherein, the processor circuit is used for: decoding an initial control frame (ICF) received from a transmitting station (STA) via the interface circuit; preventing a response to the ICF due to a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the receiving STA; and A response frame is encoded for transmission to the transmitting STA, the response frame being used to indicate a waiting period before the ICF is retried to transmit.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein: The response frame includes a beacon frame, an association frame, or a reassociation frame.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein: In case the ICF is for an uplink (UL) transmission, the waiting period is from a first set of values; or In case the ICF is for a downlink (DL) transmission, the waiting period is from a second set of values, Wherein, the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein: The processor circuit is further configured to: A number of retries for transmission of the ICF are received from the transmitting STA before the waiting period begins.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein: The number of retries is predefined or configurable.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: In case the ICF is for uplink (UL) transmission, the number of retries is from a first set of values; or In case the ICF is for downlink (DL) transmission, the number of retries is from a second set of values, Wherein, the first set of values ​​is different from the second set of values.

19. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The device is suitable for an access point (AP) STA.

20. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The apparatus is applicable to a non-access point (non-AP) STA.

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