Method and apparatus for indicating bandwidth based on operating frequency band in wireless LAN system

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for indicating bandwidth based on an operating band in a wireless LAN system. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by a first station (STA) in a wireless LAN system may comprise the steps of: receiving a PPDU including a field indicating a bandwidth for the first STA from a second STA; and processing the PPDU in the bandwidth based on the field. Here, a first value of the field is defined to indicate a different bandwidth size according to an operating band of the first STA, and a second value of the field may be defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for indicating bandwidth based on an operating band in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system. Background Art

[0002] New technologies for improving transmission rate, increasing bandwidth, improving reliability, reducing errors, and reducing latency have been introduced for wireless local area network (WLAN). Among WLAN technologies, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards can be referred to as Wi-Fi. For example, technologies recently introduced into WLAN include very high throughput (VHT) enhancements of the 802.11ac standard and high efficiency (HE) enhancements of the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0003] To provide a more advanced wireless communication environment, improved technologies for extremely high throughput (EHT) are being discussed. For example, technologies for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-access point (AP) coordination that support increased bandwidth, efficient use of multiple bands, and increased spatial streams are being studied, and specifically, various technologies for supporting low latency or real-time services are being studied. In addition, new technologies for supporting ultra-high reliability (UHR), including improvements or extensions of EHT technologies, are being discussed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical Problem

[0005] The technical objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for configuring / indicating bandwidth based on an operating band in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.

[0006] The technical objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for configuring or defining a specific value included in a SIG field to be interpreted differently according to an operating band.

[0007] The technical objectives to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above technical objectives, and other technical objectives not described herein can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0008] Technical Solution

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a first station (STA) in a wireless LAN system may include: receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) from a second STA, the PPDU including a field indicating a bandwidth for the first STA; and processing the PPDU in the bandwidth based on the field. Here, a first value of the field may be defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to an operating band of the first STA, and a second value of the field may be defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a second station (STA) in a wireless local area network system may include: constructing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a field indicating the bandwidth for a first STA; and transmitting the PPDU to the first STA. Here, a first value of the field may be defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and a second value of the field may be defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

[0011] Technical effects

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for configuring / indicating bandwidth based on an operating band in a wireless LAN system can be provided.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, a method and apparatus for configuring or defining specific values included in a SIG field to be interpreted differently according to an operating band can be provided.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, there is an advantage of improving throughput and / or efficiency in a specific operating band (e.g., 5 GHz band, etc.).

[0015] The effects that can be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above effects, and those skilled in the relevant art can clearly understand other effects not described herein through the following description. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The drawings included as part of the specific embodiments for understanding the present disclosure provide embodiments of the present disclosure and describe the technical features of the present disclosure together with the specific embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 Illustrates a configuration block diagram of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 Is a diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a WLAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0019] Figure 3 Is a diagram for explaining a link establishment process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0020] Figure 4 Is a diagram for explaining a backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0021] Figure 5 Is a diagram for explaining a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0022] Figure 6 Is a diagram for explaining an example of a frame structure used in a WLAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0023] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a PPDU defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0024] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a channel defined in a frequency band to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0025] Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a first STA according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a second STA according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description disclosed through the drawings is to describe exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and does not represent the only embodiments in which the present disclosure can be implemented. The following detailed description includes specific details to provide a complete understanding of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the relevant art know that the present disclosure can be implemented without these specific details.

[0028] In some cases, known structures and devices may be omitted, or may be shown in the form of a block diagram based on the core functions of each structure and device in order to prevent ambiguity of the concept of the present disclosure.

[0029] In the present disclosure, when an element is referred to as "connected", "combined" or "linked" to another element, it may include an indirect connection relationship as well as a direct connection relationship in which another element exists therebetween. In addition, in the present disclosure, the terms "comprising" or "having" specify the presence of the mentioned features, steps, operations, components and / or elements, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, stages, operations, components, elements and / or groups thereof.

[0030] In the present disclosure, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish one element from another element and do not limit the element, unless otherwise specified, which does not limit the order or importance, etc. between the elements. Therefore, within the scope of the present disclosure, the first element in an embodiment may be referred to as the second element in another embodiment, and similarly, the second element in an embodiment may be referred to as the first element in another embodiment.

[0031] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “and / or” as used in this disclosure may refer to one of the related listed items or mean that it refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of two or more of them. In addition, unless otherwise stated, the “ / ” between words in this disclosure has the same meaning as “and / or”.

[0032] Examples of this disclosure can be applied to various wireless communication systems. For example, examples of this disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN system. For example, examples of this disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax standards. In addition, examples of this disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the newly proposed IEEE 802.11be (or EHT) standard. Examples of this disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the IEEE 802.11be version 2 standard corresponding to additional enhancement technologies of the IEEE 802.11be version 1 standard. Additionally, examples of this disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the next-generation standard after IEEE 802.11be. Furthermore, examples of this disclosure can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system. For example, it can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system based on the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology and the 5G New Radio (NR) technology based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards.

[0033] Hereinafter, the technical features to which the examples of this disclosure can be applied will be described.

[0034] Figure 1 A block diagram of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0035] Figure 1 The first device 100 and the second device 200 illustrated in can be replaced with various terms such as a terminal, a wireless device, a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a user terminal (UT), a mobile subscriber station (MSS), a mobile subscriber unit (MSU), a subscriber station (SS), an advanced mobile station (AMS), a wireless terminal (WT), or simply a user. Additionally, the first device 100 and the second device 200 include an access point (AP), a base station (BS), a fixed station, a Node B, a base transceiver system (BTS), a network. It can be replaced with various terms such as an artificial intelligence (AI) system, a roadside unit (RSU), a repeater, a router, a relay, and a gateway.

[0036] Figure 1The apparatuses 100 and 200 illustrated in [the relevant context] can be referred to as a station (STA). For example, Figure 1 The apparatuses 100 and 200 illustrated in [the relevant context] can be referred to by various terms such as a transmitting apparatus, a receiving apparatus, a transmitting STA, and a receiving STA. For example, STAs 110 and 200 can perform an access point (AP) role or a non-AP role. That is, in the present disclosure, STAs 110 and 200 can perform AP and / or non-AP functions. When STAs 110 and 200 perform the AP function, they can be simply referred to as APs, and when STAs 110 and 200 perform the non-AP function, they can be simply referred to as STAs. Additionally, in the present disclosure, an AP can also be indicated as an AP STA.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1 , the first apparatus 100 and the second apparatus 200 can transmit and receive radio signals via various wireless LAN technologies (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 series). The first apparatus 100 and the second apparatus 200 can include interfaces for a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical layer (PHY) compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0038] In addition to wireless LAN technologies, the first apparatus 100 and the second apparatus 200 can additionally support various communication standard (e.g., 3GPP LTE series, 5G NR series standards, etc.) technologies. Additionally, the apparatuses of the present disclosure can be implemented in various apparatuses such as mobile phones, vehicles, personal computers, augmented reality (AR) devices, and virtual reality (VR) devices. Additionally, the STAs of the present specification can support various communication services such as voice calls, video calls, data communication, autonomous driving, machine type communication (MTC), machine-to-machine (M2M), device-to-device (D2D), IoT (Internet of Things), etc.

[0039] The first device 100 may include one or more processors 102 and one or more memories 104, and may additionally include one or more transceivers 106 and / or one or more antennas 108. The processor 102 may control the memory 104 and / or the transceiver 106, and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure. For example, after generating first information / signals by processing information in the memory 104, the processor 102 may transmit a wireless signal including the first information / signals via the transceiver 106. Additionally, the processor 102 may receive a wireless signal including second information / signals via the transceiver 106, and then store the information obtained by signal processing of the second information / signals in the memory 104. The memory 104 may be connected to the processor 102 and may store various information related to the operation of the processor 102. For example, the memory 104 may store software code including instructions for performing all or part of the processing controlled by the processor 102 or for performing the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure. Here, the processor 102 and the memory 104 may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement wireless LAN technology (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver 106 may be connected to the processor 102 and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via one or more antennas 108. The transceiver 106 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver 106 may be used with an RF (radio frequency) unit. In the present disclosure, a wireless device may refer to a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0040] The second device 200 may include one or more processors 202 and one or more memories 204, and may additionally include one or more transceivers 206 and / or one or more antennas 208. The processor 202 may control the memory 204 and / or the transceiver 206, and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure. For example, the processor 202 may generate third information / signals by processing the information in the memory 204, and then transmit wireless signals including the third information / signals through the transceiver 206. Additionally, the processor 202 may receive wireless signals including fourth information / signals through the transceiver 206, and then store the information obtained by signal processing of the fourth information / signals in the memory 204. The memory 204 may be connected to the processor 202 and may store various information related to the operation of the processor 202. For example, the memory 204 may store software codes including instructions for performing all or part of the processing controlled by the processor 202 or for performing the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure. Here, the processor 202 and the memory 204 may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement wireless LAN technology (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver 206 may be connected to the processor 202 and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals through one or more antennas 208. The transceiver 206 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver 206 may be used with an RF unit. In the present disclosure, a device may refer to a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0041] Hereinafter, the hardware components of apparatuses 100 and 200 will be described in more detail. Without being limited thereto, one or more protocol layers may be implemented by one or more processors 102 and 202. For example, one or more processors 102 and 202 may implement one or more layers (e.g., functional layers such as PHY and MAC). One or more processors 102 and 202 may generate one or more PDUs (Protocol Data Units) and / or one or more SDUs (Service Data Units) according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors 102 and 202 may generate messages, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors 102 and 202 may generate signals (e.g., baseband signals) including PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data, or information according to the functions, procedures, suggestions, and / or methods disclosed in the present disclosure to provide them to one or more transceivers 106 and 206. One or more processors 102 and 202 may receive signals (e.g., baseband signals) from one or more transceivers 106 and 206 according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure, and obtain PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data, or information.

[0042] One or more processors 102 and 202 may be referred to as a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or a microcomputer. One or more processors 102 and 202 may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), one or more DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), one or more DSPDs (Digital Signal Processor Devices), one or more PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), or one or more FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) may be included in one or more processors 102 and 202. The descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure may be implemented by using firmware or software, and the firmware or software may be implemented to include modules, procedures, functions, etc. The firmware or software configured to execute the descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure may be included in one or more processors 102 and 202, or may be stored in one or more memories 104 and 204 and driven by one or more processors 102 and 202. The descriptions, functions, procedures, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts included in the present disclosure may be implemented by using firmware or software in the form of codes, instructions, and / or instruction sets.

[0043] One or more memories 104, 204 may be connected to one or more processors 102, 202 and may store data, signals, messages, information, programs, code, instructions, and / or commands in various forms. One or more memories 104, 204 may be configured with ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk drives, registers, cache memories, computer-readable storage media, and / or combinations thereof. One or more memories 104, 204 may be located inside and / or outside one or more processors 102, 202. Additionally, one or more memories 104, 204 may be connected to one or more processors 102, 202 through various technologies such as wired or wireless connections.

[0044] One or more transceivers 106, 206 may send user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. mentioned in the methods and / or operation flowcharts, etc. of the present disclosure to one or more other devices. One or more transceivers 106, 206 may receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. mentioned in the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts, etc. included in the present disclosure from one or more other devices. For example, one or more transceivers 106, 206 may be connected to one or more processors 102, 202 and may send and receive wireless signals. For example, one or more processors 102, 202 may control one or more transceivers 106, 206 to send user data, control information, or wireless signals to one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more processors 102, 202 may control one or more transceivers 106, 206 to receive user data, control information, or wireless signals from one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more transceivers 106, 206 may be connected to one or more antennas 108, 208, and one or more transceivers 106, 206 may be configured to send and receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. mentioned in the descriptions, functions, processes, suggestions, methods, and / or operation flowcharts, etc. included in the present disclosure through one or more antennas 108, 208. In the present disclosure, one or more antennas may be multiple physical antennas or multiple logical antennas (e.g., antenna ports). One or more transceivers 106, 206 may convert the received wireless signals / channels, etc. from RF band signals into baseband signals to process the received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. by using one or more processors 102, 202. One or more transceivers 106, 206 may convert the user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. processed by using one or more processors 102, 202 from baseband signals into RF band signals. Thus, one or more transceivers 106, 206 may include (analog) oscillators and / or filters.

[0045] For example, one of STAs 100 and 200 may perform the expected operations of an AP, and the other of STAs 100 and 200 may perform the expected operations of a non-AP STA. For example, Figure 1 the transceivers 106 and 206 may perform the operations of sending and receiving signals (e.g., packets or physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) compliant with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn). Additionally, in the present disclosure, the operations of various STAs generating transmit / receive signals or pre-performing data processing or calculations for transmit / receive signals may be performed by Figure 1are executed by processors 102 and 202. For example, examples of operations for generating transmission / reception signals or performing data processing or calculations in advance for transmission / reception signals may include: 1) determining / acquiring / configuring / calculating / decoding / encoding bit information of fields (signals (SIG), short training fields (STF), long training fields (LTF), data, etc.) included in a PPDU; 2) determining / configuring / acquiring time resources or frequency resources (e.g., subcarrier resources) for fields (SIG, STF, LTF, data, etc.) included in a PPDU; 3) determining / configuring / acquiring a specific sequence (e.g., pilot sequence, STF / LTF sequence, additional sequence applied to SIG) for fields (SIG, STF, LTF, data, etc.) included in a PPDU operation; 4) power control operations and / or power saving operations applied to an STA; 5) operations related to ACK signal determination / acquisition / configuring / calculating / decoding / encoding, etc. Additionally, in the following examples, various information (e.g., information related to fields / sub-fields / control fields / parameters / power, etc.) used by various STAs to determine / acquire / configure / calculate / decode / encode transmission signals and reception signals may be stored in Figure 1 memories 104 and 204.

[0046] Hereinafter, a downlink (DL) may refer to a link for communication from an AP STA to a non-AP STA, and DL PPDUs / packets / signals may be transmitted and received through the DL. In DL communication, a transmitter may be part of an AP STA, and a receiver may be part of a non-AP STA. An uplink (UL) may refer to a link for communication from a non-AP STA to an AP STA, and UL PPDUs / packets / signals may be transmitted and received through the UL. In UL communication, a transmitter may be part of a non-AP STA, and a receiver may be part of an AP STA.

[0047] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure may be applied.

[0048] The structure of a wireless LAN system may be composed of multiple components. A wireless LAN that supports STA mobility transparent to an upper layer may be provided through the interaction of multiple components. A basic service set (BSS) corresponds to a basic building block of a wireless LAN. Figure 2 Exemplarily, it is shown that there are two BSSs (BSS1 and BSS2), and two STAs included as members of each BSS (STA1 and STA2 are included in BSS1, and STA3 and STA4 are included in BSS2). Figure 2The ellipse representing the BSS can also be understood as representing the coverage area in which STAs included in the corresponding BSS maintain communication. This area can be referred to as the Basic Service Area (BSA). When an STA moves outside the BSA, it cannot directly communicate with other STAs within the BSA.

[0049] If the DS shown in Figure 2 is not considered, the most basic type of BSS in a wireless LAN is the Independent BSS (IBSS). For example, an IBSS can have a minimum form that only includes two STAs. For example, assuming other components are omitted, BSS1 that only includes STA1 and STA2 or BSS2 that only includes STA3 and STA4 can respectively correspond to representative examples of IBSS. This configuration is possible when STAs can directly communicate without an AP. Additionally, in this type of wireless LAN, it is not pre-configured but can be configured when a LAN is needed, and this can be referred to as an ad-hoc network. Since an IBSS does not include an AP, there is no centralized management entity. That is, in an IBSS, STAs are managed in a distributed manner. In an IBSS, all STAs can consist of mobile STAs and are not allowed to access the Distributed System (DS), thus forming a self-contained network.

[0050] The membership of STAs in a BSS can be dynamically changed by turning on or off STAs, entering or exiting the BSS area, etc. To become a member of a BSS, an STA can use synchronization processing to join the BSS. To access all services of the BSS infrastructure, an STA should be associated with the BSS. This association can be dynamically established and can include using the Distribution System Service (DSS).

[0051] The direct STA-to-STA distance in a wireless LAN may be limited by the PHY performance. In some cases, this distance limitation may be sufficient, but in some cases, communication between STAs at longer distances may be required. The Distributed System (DS) can be configured to support extended coverage.

[0052] DS means the structure for interconnecting BSSs. Specifically, as Figure 2As shown, the BSS can exist as an extended form of a network composed of multiple BSSs. The DS is a logical concept and can be specified by the characteristics of the distributed system medium (DSM). In this regard, the wireless medium (WM) and the DSM can be logically separated. Each logical medium is used for a different purpose and is used by different components. These media are not limited to being the same, nor are they limited to being different. In this way, the flexibility of the wireless LAN structure (DS structure or other network structures) can be interpreted as multiple media being logically different. That is, the wireless LAN structure can be implemented in various ways, and the corresponding wireless LAN structure can be independently specified by the physical characteristics of each implementation.

[0053] The DS can support mobile devices by providing seamless integration of multiple BSSs and providing the logical services necessary for addressing the addresses to the destination. In addition, the DS can also include a component called a portal, which is used as a bridge for the connection between the wireless LAN and other networks (e.g., IEEE 802.X).

[0054] The AP enables access to the DS via the WM for the associated non-AP STA and refers to an entity that also has the STA function. The data movement between the BSS and the DS can be performed by the AP. For example, Figure 2 STA2 and STA3 shown in have the function of the STA and provide the function of allowing the associated non-AP STAs (STA1 and STA4) to access the DS. In addition, since all APs basically correspond to STAs, all APs are addressable entities. The address used by the AP to communicate on the WM is not necessarily the same as the address used by the AP to communicate on the DSM. The BSS composed of an AP and one or more STAs can be called an infrastructure BSS.

[0055] Data sent from one of the STAs associated with the AP to the STA address of the corresponding AP can always be received at the uncontrolled port and can be processed by the IEEE 802.1X port access entity. In addition, when the controlled port is authenticated, the transmitted data (or frame) can be delivered to the DS.

[0056] In addition to the above DS structure, the extended service set (ESS) can also be configured to provide wide coverage.

[0057] An ESS refers to a network composed of a DS and BSSs, which can be of any size and complexity. An ESS can correspond to a set of BSSs connected to a DS. However, an ESS does not include the DS. The ESS network is characterized by an IBSS in the logical link control (LLC) layer. The STAs included in an ESS can communicate with each other, and a mobile STA can move from one BSS to another (within the same ESS) transparently to the LLC. The APs included in an ESS can have the same service set identifier (SSID). The SSID is distinguished from the BSSID, which is the identifier of a BSS.

[0058] The wireless LAN system does not assume anything about the relative physical positions of BSSs, and all of the following forms are possible. BSSs can partially overlap, which is a form commonly used to provide continuous coverage. Additionally, BSSs can be physically unconnected, and logically, there is no limit to the distance between BSSs. Additionally, BSSs can be physically located at the same position, which can be used to provide redundancy. Additionally, one (or more than one) IBSS or ESS network can physically exist in the same space as one (or more than one) ESS network. This can correspond to forms of ESS networks when an ad-hoc network operates in a location where an ESS network exists, when physically overlapping wireless networks are configured by different organizations, or when two or more different access and security policies are required at the same location.

[0059] Figure 3 is a diagram for illustrating the link establishment process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0060] In order for an STA to establish a link with a network and send / receive data, it first discovers the network, performs authentication, establishes an association, and an authentication process is required for security. The link establishment process can also be referred to as a session initiation process or a session establishment process. Additionally, the processes of discovery, authentication, association, and security establishment in the link establishment process can be collectively referred to as an association process.

[0061] In step S310, the STA can perform a network discovery operation. The network discovery operation can include a scanning operation of the STA. That is, in order for the STA to access the network, it needs to find a network it can participate in. The STA should identify compatible networks before participating in a wireless network, and the process of identifying the networks existing in a specific area is called scanning.

[0062] Scanning schemes include active scanning and passive scanning. Figure 3A network discovery operation including an active scanning process is exemplarily illustrated. In active scanning, the STA performing the scan sends a probe request frame to discover which APs exist around it while moving across channels and waits for a response thereto. The responder sends a probe response frame as a response to the probe request frame to the STA that has sent the probe request frame. Here, the responder can be the STA that last sent a beacon frame in the BSS of the channel being scanned. In a BSS, since the AP sends a beacon frame, the AP becomes the responder, and in an IBSS, the STAs in the IBSS rotate to send beacon frames, so the responder is not constant. For example, the STA that sends a probe request frame on channel 1 and receives a probe response frame on channel 1 can store the BSS-related information included in the received probe response frame, and can move to the next channel (e.g., channel 2), and perform the scan in the same way (i.e., send and receive probe requests / responses on channel 2).

[0063] Although not shown in Figure 3 , the scan operation can be performed in a passive scanning manner. In passive scanning, the STA performing the scan waits for beacon frames while moving across channels. A beacon frame is one of the management frames defined in IEEE 802.11 and is periodically sent to notify the existence of a wireless network and to allow the STA performing the scan to find the wireless network and participate in the wireless network. In a BSS, the AP is used to periodically send beacon frames, and in an IBSS, the STAs within the IBSS rotate to send beacon frames. When the STA performing the scan receives a beacon frame, the STA stores the information of the BSS included in the beacon frame, and while moving to another channel, records the beacon frame information in each channel. The STA that receives a beacon frame can store the BSS-related information included in the received beacon frame, move to the next channel, and perform the scan in the next channel in the same way. Comparing active scanning with passive scanning, the advantage of active scanning is that it has less latency and less power consumption than passive scanning.

[0064] After the STA discovers the network, the authentication process can be performed in step S320. To clearly distinguish it from the security establishment operation in step S340 to be described later, this authentication process can be referred to as the first authentication process.

[0065] The authentication process includes the following process: The STA sends an authentication request frame to the AP, and in response thereto, the AP sends an authentication response frame to the STA. The authentication frame for authentication request / response corresponds to a management frame.

[0066] The authentication frame includes an authentication algorithm number, an authentication transaction serial number, a status code, a challenge text, a Robust Security Network (RSN), and a finite cyclic group, etc. This corresponds to some examples of information that can be included in the authentication request / response frame, and can be replaced with other information, or additional information can also be included.

[0067] The STA can send an authentication request frame to the AP. The AP can determine whether to allow the authentication of the corresponding STA based on the information included in the received authentication request frame. The AP can provide the result of the authentication process to the STA through an authentication response frame.

[0068] After the STA is successfully authenticated, the association process can be performed in step S330. The association process includes the following processes: The STA sends an association request frame to the AP, and in response, the AP sends an association response frame to the STA.

[0069] For example, the association request frame can include information related to various capabilities, a beacon listening interval, a Service Set Identifier (SSID), supported rates, supported channels, RSN, a mobility domain, supported operation classes, a Traffic Indication Map Broadcast Request (TIM broadcast request), interoperability service capabilities, etc. For example, the association response frame can include information related to various capabilities, a status code, an Association ID (AID), supported rates, an Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameter set, a Received Channel Power Indicator (RCPI), a Received Signal-to-Noise Indicator (RSNI), a mobility domain, a timeout interval (e.g., an association recovery time), overlapping BSS scan parameters, a TIM broadcast response, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, etc. This corresponds to some examples of information that can be included in the association request / response frame, and can be replaced with other information, or additional information can also be included.

[0070] After the STA is successfully associated with the network, the security establishment process can be performed in step S340. The security establishment process in step S340 can be referred to as an authentication process through a Robust Security Network Association (RSNA) request / response. The authentication process in step S320 is referred to as the first authentication process, and the security establishment process in step S340 can also simply be referred to as an authentication process.

[0071] The security establishment process in step S340 can include, for example, a process of establishing a private key using the Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL) frame through a four-way handshake. Additionally, the security establishment process can be performed according to a security scheme not defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0072] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining the backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0073] In a wireless LAN system, the basic access mechanism of the Media Access Control (MAC) is the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism. The CSMA / CA mechanism is also referred to as the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) of the IEEE 802.11 MAC and basically adopts a "listen before talk" access mechanism. According to this type of access mechanism, before starting to transmit, the AP and / or STA can perform a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) of sensing the radio channel or medium during a predetermined time interval (e.g., the DCF Interframe Space (DIFS)). As a result of the sensing, if it is determined that the medium is idle, frame transmission is started through the corresponding medium. On the other hand, if the medium is detected to be occupied or busy, the corresponding AP and / or STA does not start its own transmission and can set a delay period for medium access (e.g., a random backoff period) and attempt frame transmission after waiting. By applying the random backoff period, since it is expected that multiple STAs will attempt frame transmission after waiting for different time periods, collisions can be minimized.

[0074] In addition, the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol provides a Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF). The HCF is based on the DCF and the Point Coordination Function (PCF). The PCF is a polling-based synchronous access method and refers to a method in which all receiving APs and / or STAs are periodically polled to receive data frames. In addition, the HCF has an Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) and an HCF Control Channel Access (HCCA). The EDCA is a contention-based access method that provides data frames to multiple users in a directed manner, and the HCCA uses a contention-free channel access method that utilizes a polling mechanism. In addition, the HCF includes a medium access mechanism for improving the Quality of Service (QoS) of the wireless LAN and can transmit QoS data during a Contention Period (CP) and a Contention-Free Period (CFP).

[0075] Refer to Figure 4, operations based on a random backoff period will be described. When the occupied / busy medium becomes idle, multiple STAs can attempt to send data (or frames). As a method for minimizing collisions, each of the STAs can separately select a random backoff count and attempt to send after waiting for the corresponding slot time. The random backoff count has a pseudo-random integer value and can be determined as one of the values that vary from 0 to the value of CW. Here, CW is the contention window parameter value. The CW parameter is given the initial value of CWmin, but can take a value twice as large in the case of a transmission failure (e.g., when an ACK for the transmitted frame is not received). When the CW parameter value reaches CWmax, data transmission can be attempted while maintaining the CWmax value until the data transmission is successful, and when the data transmission is successful, the CWmin value is reset. The values of CW, CWmin, and CWmax are preferably set to 2n - 1 (n = 0, 1, 2,...).

[0076] When the random backoff process starts, the STA continuously monitors the medium during the countdown of the backoff slot according to the determined backoff count value. When monitoring the medium for occupancy, it stops the countdown and waits, and when the medium becomes idle, it resumes the remaining part of the countdown.

[0077] In Figure 4 the example, when the packet to be sent arrives at the MAC of STA 3, STA3 can immediately send a frame after confirming that the medium has been idle for up to DIFS. The remaining STAs monitor and wait for the medium to be occupied / busy. At the same time, the data to be sent can also occur in each of STA1, STA2, and STA5, and when the medium is monitored as idle, each STA waits for up to DIFS and then can perform the countdown of the backoff slot according to the random backoff count value selected by each STA. Assume that STA2 selects the minimum backoff count value and STA1 selects the maximum backoff count value. That is, an example is shown where the remaining backoff time of STA5 is shorter than the remaining backoff time of STA1 when STA2 finishes the backoff count and starts frame transmission. STA1 and STA5 temporarily stop the countdown and wait while STA2 occupies the medium. When the occupancy of STA2 ends and the medium becomes idle again, STA1 and STA5 wait for DIFS and resume the stopped backoff count. That is, frame transmission can start after counting down the remaining backoff slots for the remaining backoff time. Since the remaining backoff time of STA5 is shorter than the remaining backoff time of STA1, STA5 starts frame transmission. While STA2 occupies the medium, the data to be sent can also occur in STA4. From the perspective of STA4, when the medium becomes idle, STA4 can wait for DIFS and then can perform the countdown according to the random backoff count value selected by STA4 and start sending a frame. Figure 4The example shows a situation where the remaining backoff time of STA5 accidentally conflicts with the random backoff counter value of STA4. In this case, a conflict may occur between STA4 and STA5. When a conflict occurs, neither STA4 nor STA5 receives an ACK, so the data transmission fails. In this case, STA4 and STA5 can double the CW value, select a random backoff counter value, and perform countdown. When the medium is occupied due to the transmissions of STA4 and STA5, STA1 waits. When the medium becomes idle, STA1 waits for DIFS and then starts frame transmission after the remaining backoff time has passed.

[0078] As in Figure 4 the example, a data frame is a frame for transmitting data forwarded to a higher layer and can be sent after a backoff performed after DIFS from when the medium becomes idle. Additionally, a management frame is a frame for exchanging management information not forwarded to a higher layer and is sent after a backoff performed after an IFS such as DIFS or Point Coordination Function IFS (PIFS). As subtype frames of the management frame, there are beacon, association request / response, re-association request / response, probe request / response, authentication request / response, etc. A control frame is a frame for controlling access to the medium. As subtype frames of the control frame, there are Request to Send (RTS), Clear to Send (CTS), Acknowledgment (ACK), Power Save Poll (PS-Poll), Block Ack (BlockAck), Block ACK Request (BlockACKReq), Null Data Packet Announcement (NDP Announcement), and Trigger, etc. If the control frame is not a response frame to the previous frame, it is sent after a backoff performed after DIFS, and if it is a response frame to the previous frame, it is sent without performing a backoff after Short IFS (SIFS). The type and subtype of a frame can be identified by the type field and subtype field in the Frame Control (FC) field.

[0079] A Quality of Service (QoS) STA can perform a backoff performed after Arbitration IFS (AIFS) for the access category (AC) to which the frame belongs (i.e., AIFS (where i is a value determined by the AC)) and then can send the frame. Here, the frames for which AIFS can be used can be data frames, management frames, or control frames other than response frames.

[0080] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0081] As described above, in addition to the physical carrier sensing of the medium directly by the STA, the CSMA / CA mechanism also includes virtual carrier sensing. The virtual carrier sensing aims to compensate for problems such as the hidden node problem that may occur in medium access. For virtual carrier sensing, the MAC of the STA can use the Network Allocation Vector (NAV). The NAV is a value that indicates to other STAs the remaining time until the medium is available for use by the STA that currently has the right to use the medium. Therefore, the value set as the NAV corresponds to the period during which the STA that sends the frame plans to use the medium, and during the corresponding period, the STA that receives the NAV value is prohibited from accessing the medium. For example, the NAV can be configured based on the value of the "Duration" field in the MAC header of the frame.

[0082] In Figure 5 the example, it is assumed that STA1 aims to send data to STA2, and STA3 is in a position where it can overhear some or all of the frames sent and received between STA1 and STA2.

[0083] To reduce the possibility of transmission conflicts among multiple STAs in the CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation, a mechanism using RTS / CTS frames can be applied. In Figure 5 the example, when the transmission of STA1 is being executed, as a result of the carrier sensing of STA3, it can be determined that the medium is in an idle state. That is, STA1 can be a hidden node with respect to STA3. Alternatively, in Figure 5 the example, it can be determined that when the transmission of STA2 is being executed, the carrier sensing result of STA3 indicates that the medium is in an idle state. That is, STA2 can be a hidden node with respect to STA3. By exchanging RTS / CTS frames before data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2, STAs outside the transmission range of either STA1 or STA2 or STAs outside the carrier sensing range of the transmission from STA1 or STA3 can refrain from attempting to occupy the channel during the data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2.

[0084] Specifically, STA1 can determine whether the channel is being used through carrier sensing. In terms of physical carrier sensing, STA1 can determine the occupied or idle state of the channel based on the energy level or signal correlation detected in the channel. Additionally, in terms of virtual carrier sensing, STA1 can use the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) timer to determine the channel occupancy status.

[0085] When the channel is in an idle state during DIFS, STA1 can send an RTS frame to STA2 after performing backoff. When STA2 receives the RTS frame, STA2 can send a CTS frame to STA1 as a response to the RTS frame after SIFS.

[0086] If STA3 cannot overhear the CTS frame from STA2 but can overhear the RTS frame from STA1, STA3 can use the duration information included in the RTS frame to set the NAV timer for the transmission period of the frames continuously sent thereafter (e.g., SIFS + CTS frame + SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). Alternatively, if STA3 can overhear the CTS frame from STA2, even though STA3 cannot overhear the RTS frame from STA1, STA3 can also use the duration information included in the CTS frame to set the NAV timer for the transmission period of the frames continuously sent thereafter (e.g., SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). That is, if STA3 can overhear one or more of the RTS frames or CTS frames from one or more of STA1 or STA2, STA3 can set the NAV accordingly. When STA3 receives a new frame before the NAV timer expires, STA3 can use the duration information included in the new frame to update the NAV timer. STA3 does not attempt channel access until the NAV timer expires.

[0087] When STA1 receives the CTS frame from STA2, STA1 can send a data frame to STA2 after SIFS from the time point when the reception of the CTS frame is completed. When STA2 successfully receives the data frame, STA2 can send an ACK frame to STA1 after SIFS as a response to the data frame. When the NAV timer expires, STA3 can determine whether the channel is being used through carrier sensing. When STA3 determines during the DIFS period after the NAV timer expires that the channel is not being used by other terminals, STA3 can attempt channel access after the contention window (CW) according to random backoff has elapsed.

[0088] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining an example of the frame structure used in a WLAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0089] With instructions or primitives (meaning a set of instructions or parameters) from the MAC layer, the PHY layer can prepare the MAC PDU (MPDU) to be transmitted. For example, when receiving a command from the MAC layer to request the start of transmission from the PHY layer, the PHY layer switches to the transmission mode, configures the information (e.g., data) provided from the MAC layer in the form of a frame, and transmits it. In addition, when the PHY layer detects the valid preamble of the received frame, the PHY layer monitors the header of the preamble and sends a command to the MAC layer notifying the start of reception by the PHY layer.

[0090] In this way, information transmission / reception in a wireless LAN system is performed in the form of frames, and for this purpose, the PHY layer protocol data unit (PPDU) format is defined.

[0091] The basic PPDU may include a Short Training Field (STF), a Long Training Field (LTF), a Signal (SIG) field, and a Data field. The most basic PPDU format (e.g., the non-HT (High Throughput) shown in Figure 7 may consist only of a Legacy-STF (L-STF), a Legacy-LTF (L-LTF), a Legacy-SIG (L-SIG) field, and a Data field. Additionally, depending on the type of PPDU format (e.g., HT Mixed format PPDU, HT Greenfield format PPDU, VHT (Very High Throughput) PPDU, etc.), additional (or different types of) RL-SIG, U-SIG, non-legacy SIG fields, non-legacy STF, non-legacy LTF (i.e., xx-SIG, xx-STF, xx-LTF (e.g., xx is HT, VHT, HE, EHT, etc.)) etc. may be included between the L-SIG field and the Data field.

[0092] The STF is a signal for signal detection, automatic gain control (AGC), diversity selection, precise time synchronization, etc., and the LTF is a signal for channel estimation and frequency error estimation. The STF and LTF can be referred to as signals for synchronization and channel estimation of the OFDM physical layer.

[0093] The SIG field may include various information related to PPDU transmission and reception. For example, the L-SIG field consists of 24 bits, and the L-SIG field may include a 4-bit Rate field, a 1-bit Reserved bit, a 12-bit Length field, a 1-bit Parity field, and a 6-bit Tail field. The RATE field may include information about the modulation and coding rate of the data. For example, the 12-bit Length field may include information about the length or duration of the PPDU. For example, the value of the 12-bit Length field can be determined based on the type of PPDU. For example, for non-HT, HT, VHT, or EHT PPDU, the value of the Length field can be determined to be a multiple of 3. For example, for HE PPDU, the value of the Length field can be determined to be a multiple of 3 + 1 or 3 + 2.

[0094] The data field may include a SERVICE field, a Physical Layer Service Data Unit (PSDU), and PPDU tail bits, and may also include padding bits if necessary. Some bits of the SERVICE field may be used for synchronization of the descrambler at the receiving end. The PSDU corresponds to the MAC PDU defined in the MAC layer and may include data generated / used in the upper layer. The PPDU tail bits may be used to return the encoder to the 0 state. The padding bits may be used to adjust the length of the data field in predetermined units.

[0095] The MAC PDU is defined according to various MAC frame formats, and the basic MAC frame consists of a MAC header, a frame body, and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS). The MAC frame may consist of MAC PDUs and be sent / received through the PSDU of the data part in the PPDU format.

[0096] The MAC header includes a Frame Control field, a Duration / ID field, an Address field, etc. The Frame Control field may include control information required for frame transmission / reception. The Duration / ID field may be set to the time for transmitting the corresponding frame, etc. For details of the Sequence Control, QoS Control, and HT Control sub-fields of the MAC header, refer to the IEEE 802.11 standard literature.

[0097] The Null Data PPDU (NDP) format refers to a PPDU format that does not include a data field. In other words, the NDP refers to a frame format that includes the PPDU preamble of the general PPDU format (i.e., the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG fields, and additional non-conventional SIG, non-conventional STF, non-conventional LTF (if any)) and does not include the remainder (i.e., the data field).

[0098] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the PPDU defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0099] In standards such as IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax, various types of PPDUs have been used. The basic PPDU format (IEEE 802.11a / g) includes L-LTF, L-STF, L-SIG, and a data field. The basic PPDU format may also be referred to as the non-HT PPDU format (as shown in (a) of Figure 7 ).

[0100] Compared with the basic PPDU format, the HT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11n) additionally includes HT-SIG, HT-STF, and HT-LFT fields. Figure 7The HT PPDU format shown in (b) thereof can be referred to as the HT mixed format. In addition, an HT greenfield format PPDU can be defined, and this corresponds to a format (not shown) consisting of an HT-GF-STF, an HT-LTF1, an HT-SIG, one or more HT-LTFs, and a data field, excluding an L-STF, an L-LTF, and an L-SIG.

[0101] Compared with the basic PPDU format, an example of the VHT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ac) additionally includes VHT SIG-A, VHT-STF, VHT-LTF, and VHT-SIG-B fields (as Figure 7 shown in (c)).

[0102] Compared with the basic PPDU format, an example of the HE PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ax) additionally includes a repeated L-SIG (RL-SIG), HE-SIG-A, HE-SIG-B, HE-STF, HE-LTF, and packet extension (PE) fields (as Figure 7 shown in (d)). Some fields can be excluded, or their lengths can vary according to the detailed example of the HE PPDU format. For example, the HE-SIG-B field is included in the HE PPDU format for multi-user (MU), and the HE-SIG-B is not included in the HE PPDU format for single-user (SU). In addition, the HE trigger-based (TB) PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B, and the length of the HE-STF field can vary to 8 μs. The extended range (HE ER) SU PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B field, and the length of the HE-SIG-A field can vary to 16 μs. For example, the RL-SIG can be configured to be the same as the L-SIG. Based on the presence of the RL-SIG, the receiving STA can know that the received PPDU is an HE PPDU or an EHT PPDU, which will be described later.

[0103] The EHT PPDU format can include Figure 7 the EHT MU (multi-user) in (e) and Figure 7 the EHT TB (trigger-based) PPDU in (f). The EHT PPDU format is similar to the HE PPDU format in including an RL-SIG following the L-SIG, but can include a U (universal)-SIG, an EHT-SIG, an EHT-STF, and an EHT-LTF following the RL-SIG.

[0104] Figure 7The EHT MU PPDU in (e) corresponds to a PPDU carrying one or more data (or PSDUs) for one or more users. That is, the EHT MU PPDU can be used for both SU transmission and MU transmission. For example, the EHT MU PPDU can correspond to a PPDU for one receiving STA or multiple receiving STAs.

[0105] Compared with the EHT MU PPDU, Figure 7 The EHT TB PPDU in (f) omits the EHT-SIG. A STA that receives a trigger for UL MU transmission (e.g., a trigger frame or a triggered response schedule (TRS)) can perform UL transmission based on the EHT TB PPDU format.

[0106] The L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, U-SIG (Universal Signal), EHT-SIG fields can be encoded and modulated so that even traditional STAs can attempt to demodulate and decode, and can be mapped based on the determined subcarrier frequency spacing (e.g., 312.5 kHz). These can be referred to as pre-EHT modulation fields. Next, the EHT-STF, EHT-LTF, data, PE fields can be encoded and modulated to be demodulated and decoded by a STA that successfully decodes a non-traditional SIG (e.g., U-SIG and / or EHT-SIG) and obtains the information included in this field, and can be mapped based on the determined subcarrier frequency spacing (e.g., 78.125 kHz). These can be referred to as EHT modulation fields.

[0107] Similarly, in the HE PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, HE-SIG-A, and HE-SIG-B fields can be referred to as pre-HE modulation fields, and the HE-STF, HE-LTF, data, and PE fields can be referred to as HE modulation fields. Additionally, in the VHT PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, and VHT-SIG-A fields can be referred to as non-VHT modulation fields, and the VHT STF, VHT-LTF, VHT-SIG-B, and data fields can be referred to as VHT modulation fields.

[0108] Included in Figure 7The U-SIG in the EHT PPDU format can be configured based on, for example, two symbols (e.g., two consecutive OFDM symbols). Each symbol (e.g., OFDM symbol) for the U-SIG can have a duration of 4 μs, and the U-SIG can have a total duration of 8 μs. Each symbol of the U-SIG can be used to transmit 26 bits of information. For example, each symbol of the U-SIG can be transmitted and received based on 52 data tones and 4 pilot tones.

[0109] The U-SIG can be constructed in units of 20 MHz. For example, if an 80 MHz PPDU is constructed, the U-SIG can be replicated. That is, the same 4 U-SIGs can be included in the 80 MHz PPDU. A PPDU with a bandwidth exceeding 80 MHz can include different U-SIGs.

[0110] For example, A uncoded bits can be transmitted through the U-SIG. The first symbol of the U-SIG (e.g., U-SIG-1 symbol) can transmit the first X bits of information out of a total of A bits of information, and the second symbol of the U-SIG (e.g., U-SIG-2 symbol) can transmit the remaining Y bits of information out of a total of A bits of information. The A bits of information (e.g., 52 uncoded bits) can include a CRC field (e.g., a 4-bit long field) and a tail field (e.g., a 6-bit long field). For example, the tail field can be used to terminate the trellis structure of the convolutional decoder and can be set to 0.

[0111] The bit information transmitted through the U-SIG can be divided into version-independent bits and version-dependent bits. For example, the U-SIG can be included in Figure 7 a new PPDU format not shown (e.g., UHR PPDU format), and can be included in the format of the U-SIG field included in the EHT PPDU format and the format of the U-SIG field included in the UHR PPDU format. The version-independent bits can be the same, and some or all of the version-dependent bits can be different.

[0112] For example, the size of the version-independent bits of the U-SIG can be fixed or variable. The version-independent bits can be assigned only to the U-SIG-1 symbol, or assigned to both the U-SIG-1 symbol and the U-SIG-2 symbol. The version-independent bits and the version-dependent bits can be called various names, such as the first control bit and the second control bit.

[0113] For example, the version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include 3-bit physical layer version identifiers (PHY version identifiers), and this information may indicate the PHY version of the transmitted / received PPDU (e.g., EHT, UHR, etc.). The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include a 1-bit UL / DL flag field. The first value of the 1-bit UL / DL flag field is associated with UL communication, and the second value of the UL / DL flag field is associated with DL communication. The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include information about the length of the transmission opportunity (TXOP) and information about the BSS color ID.

[0114] For example, the version-dependent bits of the U-SIG may include information that directly or indirectly indicates the type of the PPDU (e.g., SU PPDU, MU PPDU, TB PPDU, etc.).

[0115] The information required for PPDU transmission and reception may be included in the U-SIG. For example, the U-SIG may also include information about the bandwidth, information about the MCS technology applied to non-traditional SIGs (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG, etc.), information indicating whether the DCM (dual carrier modulation) technology (e.g., a technology for achieving an effect similar to frequency diversity by reusing the same signal on two subcarriers) is applied to non-traditional SIGs, information about the number of symbols for non-traditional SIGs, information about whether non-traditional SIGs are generated across the entire frequency band.

[0116] Some of the information required for PPDU transmission and reception may be included in the U-SIG and / or non-traditional SIGs (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG, etc.). For example, information about the type of non-traditional LTF / STF (e.g., EHT-LTF / EHT-STF or UHR-LTF / UHR-STF, etc.), information about the length of the non-traditional LTF and the CP (cyclic prefix) length, information about the GI (guard interval) applicable to non-traditional LTFs, information about the preamble punching applicable to the PPDU, information about the resource unit (RU) allocation, etc. may be included only in the U-SIG, only in the non-traditional SIG, or may be indicated by a combination of the information included in the U-SIG and the information included in the non-traditional SIG.

[0117] Preamble punching may represent the transmission of the following PPDU, where there is no signal in one or more frequency units among the bandwidth of the PPDU. For example, the size of the frequency unit (or the resolution of the preamble punching) may be defined as 20 MHz, 40 MHz, etc. For example, preamble punching may be applied to a PPDU bandwidth of a predetermined size or larger.

[0118] In Figure 7In an example, non - traditional SIGs such as HE - SIG - B and EHT - SIG can include control information for receiving STAs. The non - traditional SIG can be sent on at least one symbol, and one symbol can have a length of 4 μs. Information about the number of symbols for EHT - SIG can be included in a previous SIG (e.g., HE - SIG - A, U - SIG, etc.).

[0119] Non - traditional SIGs such as HE - SIG - B and EHT - SIG can include a common field and user - specific fields. The common field and user - specific fields can be encoded separately.

[0120] In some cases, the common field can be omitted. For example, in a compressed mode that does not apply OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), the common field can be omitted, and multiple STAs can receive a PPDU (e.g., the data field of the PPDU) through the same frequency band. In a non - compressed mode that applies OFDMA, multiple users can receive a PPDU (e.g., the data field of the PPDU) through different frequency bands.

[0121] The number of user - specific fields can be determined based on the number of users. One user block field can include up to two user fields. Each user field can be associated with MU - MIMO allocation or can be associated with non - MU - MIMO allocation.

[0122] The common field can include CRC bits and tail bits, and the length of the CRC bits can be determined to be 4 bits, while the length of the tail bits can be determined to be 6 bits and set to 000000. The common field can include RU allocation information. The RU allocation information can include information about the location of the RUs assigned to multiple users (i.e., multiple receiving STAs).

[0123] An RU can include multiple sub - carriers (or tones). When sending signals to multiple STAs based on OFDMA technology, RUs can be used. Additionally, even when sending signals to one STA, RUs can be defined. Resources can be allocated for non - traditional STF, non - traditional LTF, and data fields in units of RUs.

[0124] The RU of an applicable size can be defined according to the PPDU bandwidth. The RU can be defined identically or differently for the applied PPDU format (e.g., HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU, etc.). For example, in the case of an 80 MHz PPDU, the RU layouts of the HE PPDU and the EHT PPDU can be different. The applicable RU size, the number and position of RUs, the DC (direct current) subcarrier position and number, the null subcarrier position and number, the guard subcarrier position and number, etc. for each PPDU bandwidth can be referred to as a tone plan. For example, the tone plan for a high bandwidth can be defined in the form of multiple iterations of a low bandwidth tone plan.

[0125] RUs of various sizes can be defined as 26-tone RUs, 52-tone RUs, 106-tone RUs, 242-tone RUs, 484-tone RUs, 996-tone RUs, 2×996-tone RUs, 3×996-tone RUs, etc. An MRU (multi-RU) is different from multiple individual RUs and corresponds to a set of subcarriers composed of multiple RUs. For example, an MRU can be defined as 52 + 26 tones, 106 + 26 tones, 484 + 242 tones, 996 + 484 tones, 996 + 484 + 242 tones, 2×996 + 484 tones, 3×996 tones, or 3×996 + 484 tones. Additionally, the multiple RUs constituting an MRU can be continuous or non-continuous in the frequency domain.

[0126] The specific size of an RU can be reduced or extended. Therefore, the specific size (i.e., the number of corresponding tones) of each RU in this disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive. Additionally, in this disclosure, within a predetermined bandwidth (e.g., 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 320 MHz...), the number of RUs can vary according to the RU size.

[0127] Figure 7 The name of each field in the PPDU format is exemplary, and the scope of this disclosure is not limited by these names. Additionally, the examples of this disclosure can be applied to Figure 7 the PPDU format shown in Figure 7 and new PPDU formats that exclude some fields and / or add some fields based on the

[0128] Method for configuring / indicating bandwidth considering the operating frequency band

[0129] Hereinafter, this disclosure proposes a method for defining, configuring, and / or indicating bandwidth while considering the operating frequency band.

[0130] First, a description of the frequency band to which the method proposed in this disclosure can be applied is given.

[0131] Figure 8 It is a diagram that exemplifies examples of channels to which the frequency band definition of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0132] Figure 8 (a) of exemplarily illustrates the relative positions in the frequency domain of 59 channels with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, 29 channels with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, 14 channels with a bandwidth of 80 MHz, and 7 channels with a bandwidth of 160 MHz defined in a total spectrum of 1200 MHz within the 6 GHz frequency band.

[0133] Figure 8 (b) of exemplifies, by way of example, the relative positions in the frequency domain of 25 channels with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, 12 channels with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, 6 channels with a bandwidth of 80 MHz, and 2 channels with a bandwidth of 160 MHz defined in a total spectrum of 500 MHz within the 5 GHz frequency band. Within the 5 GHz frequency band, when dynamic frequency selection (DFS) is not considered, channels can be defined on a spectrum of 180 MHz. For example, in Figure 8 (b) of, the DFS channels are represented by unshaded shapes.

[0134] As a detailed example, the 25 20-MHz channels can be called the first 20-MHz channel to the twenty-fifth 20-MHz channel in order from low frequency to high frequency. In this case, the four 20-MHz channels from the first 20-MHz channel to the fourth 20-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-1 frequency band, the four 20-MHz channels from the fifth 20-MHz channel to the eighth 20-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-2 frequency band, the twelve 20-MHz channels from the ninth 20-MHz channel to the twentieth 20-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-2-Extended frequency band, the four 20-MHz channels from the twenty-first 20-MHz channel to the twenty-fourth 20-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-3 frequency band, and the twenty-fifth 20-MHz channel can correspond to the ISM frequency band.

[0135] Similarly, the six 80-MHz channels from low frequency to high frequency can be called the first 80-MHz channel to the sixth 80-MHz channel. In this case, the first 80-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-1 frequency band, the second 80-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-2 frequency band, the three 80-MHz channels from the third 80-MHz channel to the fifth 80-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-2-Extended frequency band, and the sixth 80-MHz channel can correspond to the UNII-3 frequency band.

[0136] Figure 8(c) exemplarily illustrates the relative positions in the frequency domain of three channels with a bandwidth of 20 MHz and one channel with a bandwidth of 40 MHz defined on a total spectrum of 80 MHz in the 2.4 GHz band. As Figure 8 shown in (c), the 20 MHz channels can be defined as channels that do not overlap with the 40 MHz channel.

[0137] Figure 8 (d) exemplarily illustrates the relative positions in the frequency domain of the first position (i.e., corresponding to 320 - 1) and the second position (i.e., corresponding to 320 - 2) of 14 channels with a bandwidth of 80 MHz, 7 channels with a bandwidth of 160 MHz, and 3 channels with a bandwidth of 320 MHz, which are associated with the positions of the unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) channels within the 6 GHz band.

[0138] In Figure 8 the example of (d), a 320 MHz bandwidth channel can be configured by combining two consecutive 160 MHz channels, and two types / positions of the 320 MHz channel can be defined at the overlapping positions. For example, channel 320 - 1 included in channel UNII5 corresponds to the combination of the first 160 MHz channel and the second 160 MHz channel, channel 320 - 2 included in channel UNII5 corresponds to the combination of the second 160 MHz channel and the third 160 MHz channel, and channels 320 - 1 and 320 - 2 can be defined at the position where the second 160 MHz channel positions overlap.

[0139] In this regard, in the present disclosure, 240 MHz channels and bandwidths can be defined in a specific frequency band to improve throughput and efficiency in a wireless LAN system. In the present disclosure, a method for indicating when using a 240 MHz bandwidth is proposed.

[0140] Specifically, in next-generation wireless LAN systems (e.g., next-generation WiFi, UHR, etc.), 240 MHz channels and bandwidths (e.g., Figure 8 of (b)) can be defined in the 5 GHz band to improve throughput, etc. For example, a 240 MHz channel can be defined by combining three 80 MHz channels in the UNII - 2 - Extended band. Here, the three 80 MHz channels in the UNII - 2 - Extended band can correspond to three consecutive / adjacent 80 MHz channels in the frequency domain.

[0141] Additionally, a 240 MHz PPDU can be sent using the 240 MHz channel. At this time, the indication of the bandwidth (i.e., the bandwidth of the 240 MHz channel) can be indicated in the bandwidth field in the U - SIG.

[0142] For example, in the PPDU format (e.g., UHR PPDU format) of the next-generation wireless LAN system, U-SIG can be defined as being located after L-STF / L-LTF / L-SIG / RL-SIG. UHR-SIG / UHR-STF / HER-LTF / data field, etc. can be configured after U-SIG.

[0143] In particular, the version-independent field in U-SIG in the next-generation wireless LAN system can have the same configuration as Figure 7 the version-independent bits / fields described in (e.g., the version-independent bits / fields in U-SIG included in EHT PPDU).

[0144] In this regard, the bandwidth field in U-SIG can correspond to one of the version-independent fields. That is, the bandwidth of the PPDU in the next-generation wireless LAN system can be indicated using the bandwidth field (B3 to B5) of U-SIG-1.

[0145] Hereinafter, in the case of defining a 240 MHz channel and bandwidth, a method of indicating the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth will be described through a detailed example.

[0146] First, an explanation will be given on the assumption that the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth are defined in the 5 GHz band but are not additionally defined in the 6 GHz band.

[0147] In this case, the value 6 in the bandwidth field of U-SIG can be used to indicate the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth. In this case, the other values of the bandwidth field can be defined in the same manner as before.

[0148] Table 1 illustrates the bandwidth field within U-SIG according to the indication method.

[0149] [Table 1]

[0150]

[0151] Alternatively, the value 4 or value 5 in the bandwidth field can be used to implicitly indicate the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth.

[0152] Specifically, for the 6 GHz band, the value 4 is defined to indicate 320 MHz-1, and the value 5 is defined to indicate 320 MHz-2, and these definitions are only valid when the STA operates in the 6 GHz band. On the other hand, in the case where the STA operates in the 5 GHz band, the value 4 or value 5 can be defined as / used to indicate the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth. In this case, the other values of the bandwidth field can be defined in the same manner as before.

[0153] Table 2 illustrates the bandwidth fields within the U-SIG according to the implicit indication method.

[0154] [Table 2]

[0155]

[0156] Next, an explanation is given for the case where a 240 MHz channel and bandwidth are defined in the 5 GHz band and additionally defined in the 6 GHz band.

[0157] In this case, it may be desirable to indicate the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth according to the above display indication method. That is, the value 6 of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG can be defined to indicate the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth. If the 240 MHz channels are defined in an overlapping manner, both the value 6 and value 7 of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG can be used. For example, if the 240 MHz-1 channel and the 240 MHz-2 channel are defined as partially overlapping, the value 6 and value 7 of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG can be used to indicate the bandwidth of the 240 MHz-1 channel / 240 MHz-2 channel.

[0158] Alternatively, even if the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth are defined in the 6 GHz band, a method of implicitly indicating the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth through the 320 MHz-1 / 320 MHz-2 channels and bandwidth can be applied. Additionally, a method of explicitly indicating that it corresponds to the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth by defining a puncturing pattern or an additional field can be considered. In the case of applying this method, similar to Table 2 above, the 240 MHz bandwidth in the 5 GHz band can be implicitly indicated by using the value 4 or value 5 of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG.

[0159] Regarding the above method, since the 320 MHz channels and bandwidth have already been defined in the 6 GHz band, it may be desirable not to consider additionally defining the 240 MHz channel and bandwidth in the 6 GHz band.

[0160] In order to additionally use a wider bandwidth in the next-generation wireless LAN system, it may be desirable to implicitly indicate the 240 MHz channel and frequency in the 5 GHz band.

[0161] Specifically, regarding the above implicit indication method, the value 4 or value 5 of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG can be interpreted to indicate different bandwidths according to the operating band of the STA. In this case, the transmitter and receiver can perform different operations as follows.

[0162] Specifically, operation elements of the next-generation wireless LAN system (e.g., UHR operation elements) can be included in the transmission of beacon frames and the like. In the operation elements, each STA can obtain information on the operating band and can interpret the value 4 (or value 5) of the bandwidth field in the U-SIG as different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band. Here, the value can be interpreted as a 240 MHz channel and bandwidth (in the case of the 5 GHz band) or a 320 MHz channel and bandwidth (in the case of the 6 GHz band).

[0163] For example, an AP can transmit a PPDU containing a beacon frame on its primary channel. The beacon frame can contain operation elements of the next-generation wireless LAN system (e.g., UHR operation elements). The operation elements can contain bandwidth information and center frequency information of the BSS, and these information can contain information on how the BSS operates.

[0164] An STA can be configured to scan multiple 20 MHz channels to perform association with an AP, and can decode at the PHY layer a PPDU including a beacon frame sent from a specific AP and send the data part of the PPDU to its MAC layer. At the MAC layer, the STA can interpret the beacon frame within the sent data part to obtain the bandwidth information of the BSS. The MAC layer can notify this information to the PHY layer. In this way, when the STA interprets the U-SIG within the PPDU sent from the AP at the PHY layer at a later time, the STA can perform the interpretation of each field that may change according to the bandwidth information.

[0165] Additionally or alternatively, a punctured channel information field can be defined within the U-SIG, and this field can indicate punctured channel information. The value of this field can be interpreted differently according to the bandwidth.

[0166] In particular, when the punctured channel information field in single-user (SU) transmission is set to a specific value, this specific value can indicate different puncturing information defined in each bandwidth according to the 240 MHz bandwidth / 320 MHz bandwidth.

[0167] For example, in the case where an STA operates in the 5 GHz band, a puncturing pattern for the 240 MHz bandwidth can be defined according to the value of the punctured channel information field, as shown in Table 3.

[0168] Table 3 illustrates the puncturing pattern indication for the 240 MHz channel / bandwidth within the 5 GHz band.

[0169] [Table 3]

[0170]

[0171] Table 3 assumes that the punctured channel information field consists of 5 bits, but it does not exclude the possibility that this field may consist of a different number of bits.

[0172] In Table 3, "1" indicates / represents an unpunctured 40 MHz channel, and "0" indicates / represents a punctured 40 MHz channel.

[0173] Additional puncturing patterns other than those in Table 3 can be defined, and some of the puncturing patterns illustrated in Table 3 may not be defined.

[0174] In addition, in the case where the STA operates in the 6 GHz band, a puncturing pattern for a 320 MHz bandwidth can be defined according to the value of the punctured channel information field, as shown in Table 4.

[0175] Table 4 illustrates the puncturing pattern indication for a 320 MHz channel / bandwidth within the 6 GHz band.

[0176] [Table 4]

[0177]

[0178]

[0179] The puncturing pattern for the 320 MHz channel / bandwidth illustrated in Table 4 may be the same as the puncturing pattern in a conventional wireless LAN system (e.g., 802.11be). In addition, puncturing patterns other than those in Table 4 can be additionally defined, and some of the puncturing patterns exemplified in Table 4 may not be defined.

[0180] Additionally or alternatively, in multi-user (MU) transmission, the SIG (e.g., UHR-SIG) of the next-generation wireless LAN system consists of two content channels, and the information included in each content channel may vary according to the bandwidth. Here, each of the two content channels can include information for even-numbered 20 MHz channels and information for odd-numbered 20 MHz channels.

[0181] For example, in a 240 MHz bandwidth, each content channel can include user-specific information and RU allocation information for six 20 MHz channels. In contrast, in a 320 MHz bandwidth, each content channel can include user-specific information and RU allocation information for eight 20 MHz channels.

[0182] Hereinafter, regarding embodiments of the present disclosure, operations in which the STA differently sets / indicates / interprets the values of specific fields included in the PPDU based on the operating band are described.

[0183] Figure 9 and Figure 10 Examples of can correspond to some of the various examples of the present disclosure.

[0184] Figure 9It is a diagram for explaining the operation of a first STA according to the present disclosure.

[0185] For example, the first STA may correspond to a non-AP STA, and the second STA may correspond to an AP.

[0186] In step S910, the first STA may receive a PPDU from the second STA, and the PPDU includes a field indicating the bandwidth of the first STA.

[0187] Here, the first value of the field is defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and the second value may be defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band of the first STA.

[0188] For example, the operating band of the first STA (i.e., the operating band of the BSS to which the first STA belongs) may correspond to the 5 GHz band or the 6 GHz band.

[0189] In step S920, the PPDU may be processed based on the field, that is, the PPDU is processed in the bandwidth configured / indicated by the field.

[0190] For example, processing the PPDU may include obtaining the information included in each of the fields of the received PPDU based on one of a plurality of predefined PPDU formats.

[0191] Regarding the above operation, if the field indicates the first value and the operating band corresponds to the 5 GHz band, the bandwidth size indicated to the first STA (i.e., the bandwidth size interpreted by the first STA) may be 240 MHz. Here, the 240 MHz bandwidth may be composed of three consecutive 80 MHz channels (for example, three 80 MHz channels included in the UNII-2-Extended band).

[0192] Additionally or alternatively, if the field indicates the first value and the operating band corresponds to the 6 GHz band, the bandwidth size indicated to the first STA (i.e., the bandwidth size interpreted by the first STA) may be 320 MHz.

[0193] Additionally or alternatively, when the field indicates the second value, the bandwidth size indicated to the first STA (i.e., the bandwidth size interpreted by the first STA) may be one of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, or 160 MHz.

[0194] When the field indicating the above bandwidth is composed of 3 bits, the first value may be one of the value 4 or the value 5, and the second value may be one of the value 0, the value 1, the value 2, or the value 3.

[0195] In this regard, the field may be included in the U-SIG within the PPDU.

[0196] Additionally or alternatively, information regarding the above-mentioned operating frequency band can be obtained by decoding an operation element (e.g., UHR operation element, etc.) included in another PPDU received from the second STA before receiving the PPDU in step S910.

[0197] Additionally or alternatively, the PPDU in step S910 may further include a punctured channel-related field (e.g., punctured channel information field) for the indicated bandwidth. When the field indicating the bandwidth indicates a first value, the value of the punctured channel-related field can be interpreted as indicating different puncturing patterns based on the bandwidth size indicated differently according to the operating frequency band.

[0198] Additionally or alternatively, the PPDU in step S910 may further include a UHR-SIG field composed of one or more content channels. When the field indicating the bandwidth indicates a first value, each of the one or more content channels may include different information based on the bandwidth size indicated differently according to the operating frequency band.

[0199] Figure 9 The method performed by the first STA described in the example may be performed by Figure 1 the first device (100). For example, Figure 1 one or more processors (102) of the first device (100) may be configured to receive, via one or more transceivers (106), a PPDU from the second STA (200) including a field indicating the bandwidth of the first STA, and perform PPDU processing in the bandwidth based on the corresponding field.

[0200] For example, one or more processors (102) of the first device (100) may be configured to decode a beacon frame within the received PPDU to obtain information on the operating frequency band. One or more processors (102) may be configured to decode / interpret fields included in a later-received PPDU based on the obtained operating frequency band. As an example, one or more processors (102) may be configured to interpret the value of the bandwidth field included in the PPDU as indicating different bandwidths according to whether the operating frequency band corresponds to the 5 GHz band or the 6 GHz band. Additionally, one or more processors (102) may be configured to interpret the values of other fields / information included in the corresponding PPDU differently based on the indicated / interpreted bandwidth size.

[0201] Furthermore, one or more memories (104) of the first device (100) may store commands that, when executed by one or more processors (102), are used to perform Figure 8 the method described in the example or the examples described below.

[0202] Figure 10It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second STA according to the present disclosure.

[0203] For example, the first STA may correspond to a non-AP STA, and the second STA may correspond to an AP.

[0204] In step S1010, the second STA may construct a PPDU that includes a field indicating the bandwidth for the first STA.

[0205] Here, the first value of the field may be defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and the second value may be defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band of the first STA.

[0206] In step S1020, the second STA may send the constructed PPDU to the first STA.

[0207] In Figure 10 the example, the field indicating the bandwidth, the detailed indication / interpretation of the field / information within the PPDU, etc. are the same as those described in Figure 9 the example, so redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0208] Figure 10 The method performed by the second STA described in the example may be performed by Figure 1 the second device (200). For example, Figure 1 one or more processors (202) of the second device (200) may be configured to construct a PPDU that includes a field indicating the bandwidth for the first STA and send the constructed PPDU to the first STA (100) via one or more transceivers (206).

[0209] For example, one or more processors (202) of the second device (200) may be configured to encode information about the operating band into a beacon frame within the PPDU and send the information to the first device (100). One or more processors (202) may be configured to encode the fields included in the PPDU to be sent later based on the corresponding operating band. As an example, one or more processors (202) may be configured to indicate different bandwidths through specific values of the bandwidth field included in the PPDU according to whether the operating band corresponds to the 5 GHz band or the 6 GHz band. In addition, one or more processors (202) may be configured to indicate different information through the values of other fields included in the corresponding PPDU based on the indicated bandwidth size.

[0210] In existing wireless LAN systems, a 240 MHz bandwidth is not defined, and a method of indicating the bandwidth size through a bandwidth field in the U-SIG of a PPDU is defined. Specifically, all values constituting a conventional bandwidth field are defined to indicate the same information (i.e., the bandwidth size) regardless of the operating frequency band. In contrast, the method proposed in the present disclosure is a method for defining a 240 MHz bandwidth. In this regard, some values of the bandwidth field are defined to indicate different information (i.e., different bandwidth sizes) according to the operating frequency band, and the remaining values are defined to indicate the same information (i.e., the same bandwidth size) regardless of the operating frequency band.

[0211] According to the method proposed in the present disclosure, new effects of improving throughput and / or efficiency in a specific operating frequency band (e.g., 5 GHz frequency band, etc.) can be achieved.

[0212] The above embodiments combine the elements and features of the present disclosure in a predetermined form. Unless otherwise explicitly mentioned, each element or feature should be considered optional. Each element or feature can be implemented in a form that does not combine with other elements or features. Additionally, the embodiments of the present disclosure can include combining some elements and / or features. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be changed. Some elements or features of one embodiment can be included in other embodiments, or can be replaced with corresponding elements or features of other embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments can include combining claims that do not have an explicit citation relationship in the claims, or can be included as new claims through amendment after the application.

[0213] It is clear to those skilled in the relevant art that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without exceeding the essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed restrictively in every aspect, but should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present disclosure are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0214] The scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., operating systems, applications, firmware, programs, etc.) that perform operations according to various embodiments in a device or computer, and non-transitory computer-readable media that cause the software or instructions, etc. to be stored and executable in the device or computer. The instructions that can be used to program a processing system to perform the features described in the present disclosure can be stored in a storage medium or computer-readable storage medium, and the features described in the present disclosure can be implemented by using a computer program product including such a storage medium. The storage medium can include high-speed random access memory, for example, DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid-state storage devices, but is not limited thereto, and it can include non-volatile memory, for example, one or more disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. The memory optionally includes one or more storage devices located remotely from the processor. The memory, or alternatively, the non-volatile memory device in the memory, includes non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The features described in the present disclosure can be stored in any kind of machine-readable medium to control the hardware of the processing system, and can be integrated into software and / or firmware that allows the processing system to interact with other mechanisms using the results from the embodiments of the present disclosure. Such software or firmware can include application code, device drivers, operating systems, and execution environments / containers, but is not limited thereto.

[0215] Industrial Applicability

[0216] The method proposed by the present disclosure is mainly described based on examples applied to IEEE 802.11-based systems, but can be applied to various WLAN or wireless communication systems other than IEEE 802.11-based systems.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first station STA in a wireless LAN system, the method comprising: receiving a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU from a second STA, the PPDU including a field indicating a bandwidth for the first STA; and processing the PPDU in the bandwidth based on the field, wherein a first value of the field is defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to an operating band of the first STA, and wherein a second value of the field is defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating band corresponds to one of a 5 GHz band or a 6 GHz band.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein based on the field indicating the first value and the operating band corresponding to the 5 GHz band, the size of the bandwidth is 240 MHz.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the 240 MHz bandwidth is configured with three consecutive 80 MHz channels.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein based on the field indicating the first value and the operating band corresponding to the 6 GHz band, the size of the bandwidth is 320 MHz.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein based on the field indicating the second value, the size of the bandwidth is one of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz or 160 MHz.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein based on the field being composed of 3 bits, the first value is one of value 4 or value 5, and the second value is one of value 0, value 1, value 2 or value 3.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the field is included in the U-SIG within the PPDU.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein information about the operating band is obtained by decoding an operating element included in another PPDU received from the second STA before receiving the PPDU.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PPDU further includes a punctured channel related field for the bandwidth, and wherein based on the field indicating the first value, the value of the punctured channel related field is interpreted as indicating different puncturing patterns based on the bandwidth sizes indicated differently according to the operating band.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PPDU further includes a UHR-SIG field, the UHR-SIG field including one or more content channels, and wherein based on the field indicating the first value, each of the one or more content channels includes different information based on the bandwidth sizes indicated differently according to the operating band.

12. An apparatus for a first station STA in a wireless local area network WLAN system, the apparatus comprising: at least one transceiver; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being connected to the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Receive a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) from a second STA, the PPDU including a field indicating the bandwidth for the first STA; and Process the PPDU in the bandwidth based on the field, wherein a first value of the field is defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and wherein a second value of the field is defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

13. A method performed by a second station (STA) in a wireless LAN system, the method comprising: Construct a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that includes a field indicating the bandwidth for a first STA; and Transmit the PPDU to the first STA, wherein a first value of the field is defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and wherein a second value of the field is defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

14. An apparatus for a second station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the apparatus comprising: At least one transceiver; and At least one processor connected to the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: Construct a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that includes a field indicating the bandwidth for a first STA; and Transmit the PPDU to the first STA, wherein a first value of the field is defined to indicate different bandwidth sizes according to the operating band of the first STA, and wherein a second value of the field is defined to indicate the same bandwidth size regardless of the operating band.

15. A processing unit configured to control a station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the processing unit comprising: At least one processor; and At least one computer memory operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction, when executed by at least one processor, controls a device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.

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