Coordination of resource sharing between access points

Abstract

A method of sharing access points (APs) is disclosed, the APs being included in a set of APs, where the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network. The method is used for coordination of resource sharing among APs in a set according to a resource sharing type. The method comprises establishing (340) a resource sharing configuration between APs in the set by means of signaling over the wired network, where the resource sharing configuration comprises a configuration identifier and a configuration parameter. The method further comprises transmitting (360) a resource sharing trigger packet over wireless signaling, where the resource sharing trigger packet comprises a configuration identifier, and where the resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization associated with the shared AP and configured to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more sharing session APs comprised in the set of APs. A corresponding method of APs in a set is also disclosed that includes participating in a resource sharing session as one of the shared session APs according to a resource sharing configuration. Furthermore, a corresponding computer program product, apparatus and AP, and a corresponding communication system are disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of communication technology and, more particularly, to coordination of resource sharing between access points. Background Art

[0002] Resource sharing between multiple access points (APs) is a concept associated with IEEE 802.11 and is mentioned under the term "multi-AP coordination." According to the multi-AP coordination concept, when a particular AP that has obtained channel access is not using all of the reserved resources, the communication resources (such as time and / or frequency) reserved by the particular AP can be shared with one or more other APs. In order to achieve resource sharing, some coordination is required between the participating APs; for example, to determine which resources should be used by which APs.

[0003] Brian Hart et al. (Cisco Systems) describe some issues and challenges related to IEEE 802.11 multi-AP coordination in "A perspective on proposed Ultra-High Reliability (UHR) features for enterprise use cases" (document: IEEE 802.11-22 / 1580r1). Additional issues and challenges are also foreseeable.

[0004] One issue is that coordination information should preferably be communicated using a robust transport format (e.g., a low-rate modulation and coding scheme, MCS) so that it has a high probability of being correctly communicated between APs that are relatively far from each other (physically and / or in terms of signal attenuation). The signaling overhead caused by this robust coordination signaling offsets the efficiency gained by resource sharing.

[0005] One problem involves deployments where some APs are too far apart to reliably communicate coordination signaling (even with a robust transmission format). Multi-AP coordination between these APs is then typically impossible.

[0006] One issue involves deployments with frequency reuse, where APs are grouped into two or more groups, and each group uses a corresponding dedicated channel (frequency range). In such deployments, multi-AP coordination between the groups is often impossible. Furthermore, at least some of the APs in the groups may often be relatively far away from each other, which can make coordination cumbersome (as explained above).

[0007] Therefore, a need exists for an efficient and reliable method for coordinating resource sharing among access points. Summary of the Invention

[0008] It should be emphasized that the terms "comprises / comprising" (which may be replaced by "includes / including") when used in this specification are used to specify the presence of specified features, integers, steps or components, but do not exclude the addition or presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0009] Generally, when an arrangement is mentioned herein, it is to be understood as a physical product; for example, an apparatus. The physical product may include one or more parts, such as a control circuit module in the form of one or more controllers, one or more processors, or the like.

[0010] It is an aim of some embodiments to address or mitigate, alleviate or eliminate at least some of the above or other disadvantages.

[0011] A first aspect is a method for sharing access points (APs) included in a set of APs, wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network. The method is used to coordinate resource sharing among the APs in the set according to resource sharing types.

[0012] The method includes establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs in a set by signaling over a wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters (e.g., one or more configuration parameters); and transmitting a resource sharing trigger packet via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier. The resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization related to the shared APs and to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs.

[0013] In some embodiments, a time duration between the start of signaling over the wired network and the start of wireless signaling is greater than a round trip time for signaling over the wired network.

[0014] In some embodiments, the resource sharing configuration further includes a resource sharing type.

[0015] In some embodiments, the resource sharing type is defined by one or more of: shared session APs using different time portions of a transmit opportunity (TXOP), shared session APs using different orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers, shared session APs using different spatial resources, and joint transmission and / or joint reception by shared session APs.

[0016] In some embodiments, the resource sharing configuration and / or resource sharing triggering packet also includes an AP identifier for the shared AP.

[0017] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters indicate an overall communication resource allocation for resource sharing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the configuration parameters indicate a reservation of communication resources for a shared AP.

[0019] In some embodiments, the resource sharing trigger packet is further configured to indicate a transmit opportunity (TXOP) duration and / or a network allocation vector (NAV) duration.

[0020] In some embodiments, the resource sharing trigger packet has a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) format corresponding to one or more of the following: a wake-up radio (WUR) PPDU format, a PPDU format with an extended preamble and / or a reduced coding rate compared to a primary channel bandwidth PPDU format, and a PPDU format for transmission at a lower bandwidth than the primary channel bandwidth PPDU.

[0021] In some embodiments, establishing the resource sharing configuration includes establishing a plurality of resource sharing configurations, and the method further includes selecting one of the established resource sharing configurations.The resource sharing triggering packet then includes a configuration identifier of the selected resource sharing configuration.

[0022] In some embodiments, transmitting the resource sharing triggering packet includes transmitting two or more resource sharing triggering packets to initiate corresponding two or more resource sharing sessions. In some embodiments, each of the two or more resource sharing sessions corresponds to a target wake time (TWT) service period (SP).

[0023] In some embodiments, the set of APs includes a relay AP, and the resource sharing configuration instructs the relay AP to retransmit the resource sharing trigger packet.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes: instructing one or more measurement APs included in the set of APs to perform measurements on a reference group by means of signaling through a wired network; transmitting the reference group through wireless signaling; and receiving (one or more) corresponding measurement reports from the one or more measurement APs, wherein the (one or more) measurement reports are used to determine a wireless signaling routing path, and the wireless signaling routing path includes a relay AP.

[0025] A second aspect is a method for an access point (AP) included in a set of APs, wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network, and for coordinating resource sharing among the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type.

[0026] The method includes: establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs in a set via signaling over a wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and receiving a resource sharing trigger packet from a shared AP included in the set of APs via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier. The resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization associated with the shared APs and to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs. The method also includes participating in the resource sharing session as one of the shared session APs in accordance with the resource sharing configuration.

[0027] A third aspect is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program including program instructions thereon, wherein the computer program is loadable into a data processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method according to any one of the first and second aspects when the computer program is executed by the data processing unit.

[0028] A fourth aspect is an apparatus for sharing an access point (AP), wherein the shared AP is configured to be included in a set of APs, and wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network. The apparatus is used to coordinate resource sharing among the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type.

[0029] The apparatus includes a control circuit module configured to cause the following operations: establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs in a set via signaling over a wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and transmitting a resource sharing trigger packet via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier. The resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization related to the shared APs and to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs.

[0030] A fifth aspect is an apparatus for an access point (AP), wherein the AP is configured to be included in a set of APs, and wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network, and the apparatus is used to coordinate resource sharing among the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type.

[0031] The apparatus includes a control circuit module configured to cause the following operations: establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs in a set by signaling via a wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and receiving a resource sharing trigger packet from a shared AP included in the set of APs via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier. The resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization related to the shared APs and to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs. The control circuit module is further configured to cause the following operations: participating in the resource sharing session as one of the shared session APs in accordance with the resource sharing configuration.

[0032] A sixth aspect is an access point (AP), comprising the apparatus as described in any one of the fourth and fifth aspects.

[0033] A seventh aspect is a communication system including a set of access points (APs), wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network.

[0034] The system is adapted to coordinate resource sharing between APs according to a resource sharing type by: establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs in a set by means of signaling via a wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and transmitting a resource sharing trigger packet via wireless signaling (performed by a shared AP included in the set of APs), wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier. The resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization related to the shared APs and is configured to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs. In addition, the system is adapted to coordinate resource sharing between APs according to a resource sharing type by: participating in a resource sharing session as one of the shared session APs according to the resource sharing configuration and in response to receiving the resource sharing trigger packet (performed by another AP in the set of APs other than the shared AP).

[0035] In some embodiments, any of the above aspects may additionally have features that are identical or corresponding to any of the various features as explained above for any of the other aspects.

[0036] An advantage of some embodiments is that methods for coordination of resource sharing between access points are provided.

[0037] An advantage of some embodiments is that the coordination is efficient.

[0038] An advantage of some embodiments is that the wireless signaling overhead caused by the coordination is reduced compared to other approaches.

[0039] An advantage of some embodiments is that the coordination is robust.

[0040] An advantage of some embodiments is that the coordination is reliable.

[0041] For example, due to the use of signaling over the wired network and / or due to resource sharing through relay AP(s) to trigger retransmission of packets, reliable coordination may be achieved even for APs that are relatively far away from each other.

[0042] An advantage of some embodiments is that since the resource sharing trigger packet is transmitted via wireless signaling, the inherent delay of signaling over a wired network becomes less of an issue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Further objects, features and advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating example embodiments.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example communication system according to some embodiments;

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example communication system scenario according to some embodiments;

[0046] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating example method steps according to some embodiments;

[0047] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating example method steps according to some embodiments;

[0048] Figure 5 is a signaling diagram illustrating example signaling according to some embodiments;

[0049] Figure 6 is a signaling diagram illustrating example signaling according to the prior art;

[0050] Figure 7 is a signaling diagram illustrating example signaling according to some embodiments;

[0051] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example apparatus according to some embodiments; and

[0052] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example computer-readable medium in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] As already mentioned above, it should be emphasized that the terms "comprises / comprising" (which may be replaced by "includes / including") when used in this specification are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not exclude the addition or presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0054] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be more fully described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the solutions disclosed herein may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0055] In the following, a method for coordination of resource sharing between access points (APs) will be described and illustrated.

[0056] In general, it should be noted that even though the methods are exemplified in the context of IEEE 802.11 multi-AP coordination (e.g., using IEEE 802.11 multi-AP coordination terminology), they may also be applicable to other contexts in which resource sharing between access points is used. For example, the methods described herein may be applicable to the context of one or more future communication standards in which resource sharing between access points is used, where such standards may or may not be under the IEEE 802.11 framework.

[0057] The method for coordinating resource sharing among access points is applicable to a set of APs when the APs in the set are connected (eg, operatively connected) for direct communication with each other over a wired network.

[0058] For example, the APs in a set of APs being connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network may mean that there are no access barriers (e.g., firewalls or the like) between the APs in the set, and / or that the wired network is a local network (e.g., communication between APs over the wired network does not involve communication via some general public communication network (such as the Internet)).

[0059] An example scenario where a collection of APs are connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network is the "enterprise use case" of IEEE 802.11. Some example network deployments that may have a collection of APs connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network include deployments in environments such as factories / industries, office spaces, campuses / schools / universities, airports, stadiums, shopping malls, urban areas, and the like.

[0060] Typically, Wi-Fi deployments in offices and other Wi-Fi deployments associated with "enterprise use cases" differ from home Wi-Fi deployments in that wireless access should be provided in a much larger physical space than a home, and that channel planning is done by a centrally coordinated entity to ensure low co-channel interference from overlapping basic service sets (BSSs). Therefore, typical "enterprise use case" Wi-Fi deployments use a frequency reuse factor greater than 1.

[0061] Furthermore, all APs in a typical "enterprise use case" Wi-Fi deployment are connected to each other via a wired backbone (e.g., using Ethernet); in contrast to a collection of home Wi-Fi deployments, such as in an apartment building, where APs from different homeowners are not directly connected to each other. A wired backbone is an example of a wired network that implements connections between APs for direct communication with each other.

[0062] The method disclosed herein proposes to achieve coordination of resource sharing between APs in a set by means of signaling over a wired network for establishing a resource sharing configuration between APs, and using wireless signaling resource sharing trigger packets to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more APs included in the set.

[0063] Using signaling over a wired network to establish a resource sharing configuration may involve various advantages. For example, establishing a resource sharing configuration becomes reliable and robust, and is not affected by some APs having relatively weak wireless signaling paths between them (e.g., due to being relatively far away from each other). Furthermore, establishing a resource sharing configuration does not involve any wireless signaling overhead.

[0064] Typically, the information required for resource sharing between APs in a set can be divided into non-time-critical information and time-critical information. For example, the time-critical information may include all information that needs to be communicated within a specific time window before the resource sharing session begins, and the non-time-critical information may include all information that is not time-critical. In some embodiments, the specific time window may have a duration that is shorter than the round-trip time of signaling through the wired network. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the specific time window corresponds to the duration of a short interframe space (SIFS).

[0065] Generally, when referring to the round trip time of signaling through a wired network in this document, it can be defined as the maximum (worst case) round trip time, the average round trip time, or any other suitable round trip time value. An example of the round trip time of signaling through a wired network is the media access control to media access control (MAC-to-MAC) delay of signaling over an Ethernet connection between two APs.

[0066] The signaling over the wired network used to establish the resource sharing configuration may include all (or at least some) of the non-time-critical information and no time-critical information. The wireless signaling resource sharing trigger packet may include at least some (e.g., all) of the time-critical information (and may, but not preferably, include some of the non-time-critical information). As a result, the inherent latency of signaling over the wired network becomes less of an issue.

[0067] It should be noted that according to some embodiments, wireless signaling between APs may also be used for some coordination signaling in addition to the resource sharing trigger packet. For example, any reference signaling used to perform wireless signaling measurements inherently needs to be transmitted using wireless signaling.

[0068] As already mentioned, resource sharing between multiple access points (APs) is a concept associated with IEEE 802.11, referred to under the term "multi-AP coordination." In particular, the topic of "multi-AP coordination" has previously been a potential feature for IEEE 802.11be, and has gained newer relevance in connection with the "Ultra High Reliability" (UHR) Study Group (SG).

[0069] In general, resource sharing between multiple access points (e.g., the concept of multi-AP coordination) can be defined as encompassing any method whereby communication resources reserved by a particular AP that has gained channel access may be shared with one or more other APs when the particular AP that has gained channel access will not be using all of the reserved resources. Additionally or alternatively, resource sharing between multiple access points can be defined as coordinated transmissions between two or more APs. In some embodiments, the sharing can be arranged so that the resources used by different APs are orthogonal.

[0070] One example of resource sharing among multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing," where a TXOP is reserved for a shared AP and the shared AP provides some (or some) time portion of the TXOP for use by other APs.

[0071] One example of resource sharing among multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP OFDMA," where a collection of orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) subcarriers are reserved for a shared AP, and the shared AP offers some of the reserved subcarrier(s) for use by other APs.

[0072] One example of resource sharing between multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP spatial reuse," where a shared AP enables other APs to transmit simultaneously with the shared AP. For example, coordination parameters (one or more) may indicate which transmit power level may be used in each BSS. The transmit power level (one or more) may be determined under the condition that harmful interference at the receiver should be avoided.

[0073] One example of resource sharing among multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP beamforming," in which a shared AP provides certain (or some) spatial resources (e.g., direction(s), beam(s), or the like) for use by other APs.

[0074] One example of resource sharing among multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP joint transmission / joint reception," where a shared AP and one or more other APs coordinate their transmission and / or reception with respect to a station to provide distributed multiple-input multiple-output (D-MIMO) communication for the station.

[0075] Target Wake Time (TWT; including restricted TWT, r-TWT) is a method in which future TXOPs are scheduled as so-called service periods (SPs). An example of resource sharing between multiple access points includes "coordinated multi-AP target wake time", where the SP can be regarded as a resource sharing session within which a sharing AP provides resources (e.g., time and / or frequency and / or spatial resources) for use by other APs.

[0076] It should be noted that other examples of resource sharing among multiple access points are contemplated, as well as combinations of the above-mentioned examples.

[0077] The term "resource sharing type" may be used to identify a resource sharing principle (according to any of the examples mentioned above, or according to any other suitable resource sharing principle). Thus, "coordinated multi-AP transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing" may be one resource sharing type, "coordinated multi-AP OFDMA" may be another resource sharing type, and so on.

[0078] The coordination of resource sharing between APs typically varies depending on the type of resource sharing to be applied. For example, the coordination may include the exchange of parameters (at least some of which typically depend on the type of resource sharing) and synchronization of multi-AP operations.

[0079] Some of the coordination (e.g., determining which APs can share resources with each other and which resources to provide by the sharing APs) may be performed long before the resource sharing session. The content of such coordination can be considered as part of non-time-critical information and can be conveyed through wired signaling between APs.

[0080] In contrast, some of the coordination (e.g., synchronization in time and / or frequency between APs) should preferably be performed just before the start of the resource sharing session (e.g., on the order of a few microseconds or even less, whereas the round-trip time for signaling over a wired network may be on the order of 1 to 10 milliseconds). The content of such coordination may be considered part of the time-critical information and may be conveyed through wireless signaling between APs.

[0081] Figure 1 An example communication system 100 is schematically illustrated in which the proposed method for coordinating resource sharing between APs may be applicable. The communication system 100 includes a set of APs (AP1, AP2, AP3) 101, 102, 103 adapted for wireless signaling; for example, to communicate with one or more stations (STA1, STA2) 110, 120. The APs 101, 102, 103 are also connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network (WNW) 190.

[0082] When the proposed method for coordination of resource sharing between APs 101, 102, 103 is applied, signaling over wired network 190 may be used to establish resource sharing configuration, while wireless signaling 180 may be used to exchange time-critical information between APs 101, 102, 103; for example, communicating resource sharing trigger packets.

[0083] Figure 2 An example communication scenario is schematically illustrated, including a Wi-Fi deployment with frequency reuse in an office space 200. Circles represent APs, with solid circles 201-208 representing APs that share the same frequency channel according to a frequency reuse channel plan. As used herein, the set of APs for resource sharing may include all of the solid circles, or a subset thereof.

[0084] The lines between pairs of solid circles represent the wireless signaling paths between the corresponding APs. As can be seen, some APs (e.g., 201 and 204) cannot directly reach each other via wireless signaling. This makes coordinating resource sharing via wireless signaling cumbersome.

[0085] Furthermore, even if all APs could reach each other directly via wireless signaling, coordination of resource sharing via wireless signaling would involve signaling overhead and would typically require the use of robust (and thus typically time-consuming) transmission formats.

[0086] These issues can be addressed by using wired signaling for the non-time-critical portion of resource sharing coordination. The amount of time-critical information that needs to be carried via wireless signaling (in the resource sharing trigger packet) is quite limited. Therefore, even with a robust transport format, the signaling overhead is relatively modest.

[0087] for Figure 2 In the case depicted in FIG, where some of the APs cannot reach each other directly via wireless signaling, resource sharing trigger packets can be repeated through AP(s) strategically identified for this purpose. For example, for transmissions of resource sharing trigger packets from AP 201, AP 205 can be identified (during coordination) as a relay AP and instructed to retransmit any resource sharing trigger packets from AP 201 so that they can reach AP 204.

[0088] According to various embodiments illustrated herein, a set of APs is a collection of two or more APs that have the potential to share resources with each other according to a resource sharing type (e.g., APs associated with the same frequency reuse channel). Furthermore, as explained herein, the APs in the set of APs are connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network.

[0089] The AP (in the set of APs) that transmits the resource sharing trigger packet for a resource sharing session is denoted as a “sharing AP.” It should be noted that different resource sharing sessions may be associated with different sharing APs.

[0090] One or more other APs (in the set of APs) may participate in the resource sharing session in response to reception of a corresponding resource sharing trigger packet, and may be denoted as "participating AP(s)". In some IEEE 802.11 documents, participating APs are referred to as "shared APs". It should be noted that different resource sharing sessions may be associated with different participating APs. For a resource sharing session, the shared AP and the one or more participating APs are collectively denoted as two or more "shared session APs". The shared session APs may include all of the APs in the set of APs, or may include only a subset of the APs in the set of APs.

[0091] Figure 3 An example method 300 is illustrated for coordinating resource sharing among APs in a set of APs according to resource sharing types. The method 300 is for a shared AP. For example, the method 300 may be performed by a shared AP (e.g., Figure 1 One of AP 101, 102, 103) executes.

[0092] Figure 4An example method 400 is illustrated for coordinating resource sharing among APs in a set of APs according to resource sharing types. The method 400 is for (potential) participating APs. For example, the method 400 may be performed by a participating AP (e.g., Figure 1 One or more of AP101, 102, 103) is executed.

[0093] Methods 300 and 400 include providing a method for transmitting data to a server via a wired network (e.g., Figure 1 Signaling by the NWN 190) establishes a resource sharing configuration between the APs in the set, as illustrated by steps 340 and 440.

[0094] Typically, signaling over a wired network to establish a resource sharing configuration includes the transmission of a configuration message by one of the APs (e.g., denoted as a "coordinating AP") and the receipt of the configuration message by at least one (and typically all) other APs in the set of APs. A corresponding confirmation message may be transmitted by the other AP(s) and received by the coordinating AP. In some embodiments, establishing a resource sharing configuration includes the transmission and reception of several configuration messages (and corresponding confirmation messages).

[0095] It should be noted that the coordinating AP may be a shared AP, or a participating AP, or another AP in a set of APs. Similarly, it should be noted that the configuration message may be received by the shared AP and / or by the participating AP and / or by (one or more) other APs in a set of APs.

[0096] The resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and at least one configuration parameter. The configuration parameter carries non-time-critical information related to the coordination of resource sharing.

[0097] How many parameters and which parameters are included in the resource sharing configuration generally depends on the resource sharing type to be applied. In some embodiments, the resource sharing configuration also includes the resource sharing type. In some embodiments, the resource sharing type is implicitly included in the resource sharing configuration (e.g., implied by (one or more) parameters).

[0098] The resource sharing type can be any suitable resource sharing type (e.g., a multi-AP coordination scheme). For example, the resource sharing type can be defined by the shared session APs using different time portions of the TXOP (e.g., "coordinated multi-AP TXOP sharing" and / or "coordinated multi-AP target wake-up time"). Additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing type can be defined by the shared session APs using different OFDM subcarriers (e.g., "coordinated multi-AP OFDMA" and / or "coordinated multi-AP target wake-up time"). Still additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing type can be defined by the shared session APs using different spatial resources (e.g., "coordinated multi-AP beamforming" and / or "coordinated multi-AP target wake-up time"). Still additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing type can be defined by the shared session APs using a transmit power level in each BSS that avoids harmful interference at the receiver (e.g., "coordinated multi-AP spatial reuse"). Still additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing type can be defined by the shared session APs using joint transmission and / or joint reception (e.g., "coordinated multi-AP joint transmission / joint reception").

[0099] Some typical examples of parameters that may be included in a resource sharing configuration include (but are not limited to): - AP identification (may be relevant for all resource sharing types), - TXOP duration (may be relevant for all resource sharing types), - Maximum transmit power and / or minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and / or maximum interference level (possibly for all resources) Source share type is relevant), - the portion of time to be used by the respective AP (possibly for a shared resource this is a resource sharing class of time) type is relevant), - The subcarriers to be used by the corresponding AP (possibly for resource sharing types where the shared resource is frequency) relevant), and - Beams to be used by the respective APs and / or null placement for the respective APs (possibly for shared resources) The source is the resource sharing type of the space is relevant).

[0100] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter(s) indicate an overall communication resource allocation for resource sharing. The overall communication resource allocation may, for example, define which resources (e.g., time and / or frequency) may be used by any of the APs for communication during a resource sharing session. Examples of overall communication resource allocation include TXOP duration, a collection of one or more resource units (RUs), a frequency bandwidth, a collection of subcarriers, etc.

[0101] Additionally or alternatively, the configuration parameter(s) may indicate a communication resource reservation for the shared AP. The communication resource reservation for the shared AP may, for example, define which resources (e.g., time and / or frequency) will be used by the shared AP for communication during the resource sharing session. Examples of communication resource reservation for the shared AP include a portion of a TXOP duration, one or more RUs, a portion of a frequency bandwidth, one or more subcarriers, etc.

[0102] Still additionally or alternatively, the configuration parameter(s) may indicate a communication resource reservation for each potential participating AP. The communication resource reservation for a potential participating AP may, for example, define which resources (e.g., time and / or frequency) may be used by the potential participating AP for communication during the resource sharing session (e.g., a portion of a TXOP duration, one or more RUs, a portion of a frequency bandwidth, one or more subcarriers, etc.).

[0103] In some embodiments, the resource sharing configuration also includes an AP identifier (eg, in the form of a MAC address) for the shared AP.

[0104] This may be useful, for example, when the configuration identifier does not uniquely identify the resource sharing configuration across all resource sharing configurations, but rather uniquely identifies the resource sharing configuration across the resource sharing configurations of a specific shared AP. The configuration identifier together with the AP identifier of the shared AP then typically uniquely identifies the resource sharing configuration across all resource sharing configurations.

[0105] As illustrated by step 360, the shared AP communicates with the user via wireless signaling (e.g., Figure 1 The resource sharing triggering packet is transmitted by the wireless signaling 180), and the resource sharing triggering packet is received by the potential participating AP in step 460.

[0106] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As illustrated in , the transmission / reception of the resource sharing trigger packet may occur at a point in time that is not directly subsequent to the establishment of the resource sharing configuration. Typically, the time duration between the start of signaling over the wired network in steps 340 and 440 and the start of wireless signaling in steps 360 and 460 is (e.g., substantially) greater than the round-trip time of the signaling over the wired network.

[0107] In some embodiments, multiple resource sharing configurations (of the same or different resource sharing types) are established during the performance of steps 340 and 440. Method 300 may then include selecting one of the established resource sharing configurations (as illustrated by step 350), and the resource sharing triggering packet may include a configuration identifier of the selected resource sharing configuration.

[0108] The selection of step 350 may be based, for example, on current channel conditions (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal strength, etc.) and / or communication needs (e.g., BSS-specific load, number of STAs to be served, transmit buffer status, etc.).

[0109] Preferably, the resource sharing trigger packet comprises very little information (to enable the use of a robust transport format and / or to avoid unnecessary signalling overhead).In general, the resource sharing trigger packet may have any suitable format.

[0110] For example, the resource sharing trigger packet may have a PPDU format corresponding to a wake-up radio (WUR) PPDU format. The WUR PPDU format is robust in terms of modulation (typically on-off keying or frequency shift keying) and enables the use of low coding rates.

[0111] Additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing trigger packet may have a PPDU format with a time-extended preamble compared to the primary channel bandwidth PPDU format (ie, a "normal" IEEE 802.11 PPDU) and / or a reduced coding rate compared to the normal IEEE 802.11 PPDU format.

[0112] Still additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing trigger packet may have a PPDU format for transmission at a lower bandwidth than the primary channel bandwidth PPDU. For example, a single RU may be used for resource sharing trigger packet transmission. For example, a possible transmission format of the resource sharing trigger packet may consist of only a single small resource unit (e.g., 26 tones / subcarriers using high efficiency (HE) PHY numerology). Depending on regulatory restrictions, the shared AP may then increase the transmission power of the resource sharing trigger packet, thereby extending the transmission range.

[0113] Hence, since the resource sharing trigger packet payload typically comprises only a few bytes, it is possible to use a very robust (possibly dedicated) transport format for the resource sharing trigger packet, which may also enable transport range extension.

[0114] At least, the resource sharing triggering packet includes a configuration identifier.Thereby, the resource sharing triggering packet identifies the resource sharing configuration to be used.

[0115] In some embodiments, the resource sharing triggering packet may include an AP identifier for the shared AP.

[0116] For example, when a packet (e.g., PPDU) is configured to include an identifier of the transmitter of the packet (e.g., in the form of a MAC address such as for IEEE 802.11), this identifier of the transmitter can also serve as an AP identifier for the shared AP. Thus, the AP identifier of the shared AP can be used together with the configuration identifier to uniquely identify the resource sharing configuration among all resource sharing configurations, and the size of the configuration identifier can be reduced.

[0117] Furthermore, the resource sharing triggering packet is configured to provide synchronization (in time and / or frequency) with respect to the shared AP. This may be accomplished in any suitable manner (eg, by applying known synchronization methods).

[0118] The resource sharing trigger packet may also be configured to indicate (e.g., via a MAC header) the TXOP duration and / or the network allocation vector (NAV) duration. This has the benefit of enabling collision avoidance (e.g., by non-scheduled STAs setting their NAVs accordingly).

[0119] The resource sharing triggering packet is further configured to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs.

[0120] In response to receiving the resource sharing trigger packet in step 460, the potential participating AP determines whether it will participate in the corresponding resource sharing session as one of the shared session APs based on the resource sharing configuration in step 470. When it is determined that the potential participating AP will not participate in the corresponding resource sharing session (N path out of 470), method 400 returns to step 460. When it is determined that the potential participating AP will participate in the corresponding resource sharing session (Y path out of 470), the potential participating AP becomes a participating AP, and method 400 proceeds to step 480.

[0121] In steps 380 and 480, the shared AP and the participating AP (and possibly one or more other participating APs) communicate with one or more STAs using wireless signaling. Thus, the shared AP and the participating AP (and possibly one or more other participating APs) participate in the corresponding resource sharing session as shared session APs based on the identified resource sharing configuration. When the resource sharing session ends, methods 300 and 400 return to steps 360 and 460, respectively.

[0122] For example, the uplink (UL) communication in steps 380 and 480 may include transmission of a basic trigger frame, reception of a UL physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), and transmission of an acknowledgment, and the downlink (DL) communication in steps 380 and 480 may include transmission of a DL PPDU and reception of an acknowledgment.

[0123] In some embodiments, two or more resource sharing trigger packets are transmitted (for the same or different resource sharing configurations) to initiate two or more corresponding resource sharing sessions. For example, the two or more resource sharing trigger packets may be transmitted at different points in time (e.g., repeatedly, as scheduled, when the sharing AP deems it appropriate, etc.).

[0124] An example that is particularly useful in this context is one in which two or more resource sharing sessions correspond to a target wake time (TWT) service period (SP); each resource sharing session corresponds to a respective TWT SP. Thus, since the resource sharing configuration is determined in advance, the TWT concept can be applied together with resource sharing.

[0125] Therefore, the method presented in this article can be applied to TWT scheduling scenarios, where TWT scheduling for delivering low latency sensitive services is applied to one or more APs in a set of APs. The resources of the TWT scheduling of one AP can be shared among the APs in the set to enhance the TWT service. Figure 3 and Figure 4 340 and 440) as a single setup procedure for several service periods (SPs), wherein each SP corresponds to a resource sharing session and is triggered by a resource sharing triggering packet (compared to steps 340 and 440 of FIG. 1 ), provides for efficient use of the allocated service periods (SPs). Figure 3 and Figure 4 360 and 460). Therefore, the amount of signaling overhead required to implement "coordinated multi-AP target wake-up time" is reduced.

[0126] According to some embodiments, the resource sharing configuration instructs one or more relay APs to retransmit the resource sharing trigger packet. In other words, the resource sharing configuration may include one or more relay AP identifiers (e.g., in the form of (one or more) MAC addresses). Thus, when an AP receives a resource sharing trigger packet identifying a resource sharing configuration (wherein the AP is a relay AP), that AP retransmits the resource sharing trigger packet.

[0127] This is beneficial when the shared AP cannot directly reach a certain AP (or some APs) via wireless signaling and / or when the wireless signaling between the shared AP and a certain AP (or some APs) cannot be made sufficiently robust. Figure 2 , when AP 201 is a shared AP, AP 205 may be instructed to act as a relay AP so that the resource sharing trigger packet can reliably reach AP 204.

[0128] To determine which AP(s) should act as the relay AP(s) for a particular shared AP, the following process may be applied.

[0129] As illustrated by steps 310 and 410, the shared AP instructs one or more (e.g., all) other APs included in the set of APs to perform measurements (e.g., signal strength, SNR, or the like) on the reference packet. This instruction is preferably conveyed by means of signaling through a wired network. The (one or more) APs instructed to perform measurements may be denoted as "(one or more) measuring APs."

[0130] As illustrated by steps 320 and 420 , the shared AP transmits the reference packet through wireless signaling, and the measurements are performed by the measuring AP(s).

[0131] The shared AP receives the respective measurement report(s) transmitted from the measuring AP(s), as illustrated by steps 330 and 430. The measurement report(s) should preferably be communicated by means of signaling over a wired network.

[0132] Based on the measurement report(s), it may be determined whether all APs in the set of APs are directly reachable via wireless signaling from the shared AP. If so, then no relay AP(s) are required for the shared AP.

[0133] If not all APs in the set of APs are directly reachable via wireless signaling from the shared AP, wireless signaling routing paths from the shared AP to such unreachable AP(s) may be determined based on measurement reports (one or more) for the shared AP and based on measurement reports (one or more) related to other AP(s) acting as the shared AP. Any determined routing path contains one or more potential relay APs, and the appropriate determined routing path may be selected for inclusion in the resource sharing configuration.

[0134] exist Figure 2, AP 201 can instruct other APs to perform measurements, transmit reference packets, and receive corresponding measurement reports. Based on the reports, it can be concluded that AP 204 is unreachable by AP 201. To determine a routing path from AP 201 to AP 204, measurement reports associated with reference packets transmitted from one or more of APs 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, and 208 can be evaluated. It can then be discovered that AP 204 is reachable from AP 203 and from AP 205 (both of which are reachable from AP 201). Therefore, two routing paths (201-203-204 and 201-205-204) can be determined, and either or both AP 203 and AP 205 can be identified as relay APs for use in a resource sharing configuration in which AP 201 is a shared AP. For example, AP 203 or AP 205 may be selected as a relay AP based on the signal quality indicated by the corresponding measurement reports (eg, the routing path including the weakest link may be discarded).

[0135] Additionally or alternatively, the resource sharing configuration may indicate how many hops should be applied to retransmissions of the resource sharing trigger packet. For example, the resource sharing configuration may indicate that the resource sharing trigger packet is to be retransmitted by all APs that received it directly from a shared AP, while APs that received the resource sharing trigger packet via retransmission should not retransmit it (i.e., one hop). A counter may be included in the resource sharing trigger packet to keep track of the number of retransmission hops that have been performed.

[0136] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As indicated in , the measurement process may occur at a point in time that does not directly precede the establishment of the resource sharing configuration.

[0137] It should be noted that even in Figure 3 and Figure 4 Although not explicitly shown, the measurement process (steps 310, 410, 320, 420, 330, 430) may also be related to other shared APs and / or be repeatedly performed. Therefore, method 300 can return to step 310 from any of steps 330, 340, and 380, and method 400 can return to step 410 from any of steps 430, 440, and 480.

[0138] It should also be noted that even in Figure 3 and Figure 4Although not explicitly shown in FIG, the establishment of a resource sharing configuration (steps 340, 440) may also be repeated to establish several resource sharing configurations. Therefore, method 300 may return to step 340 from any of steps 340 and 380, and method 400 may return to step 440 from any of steps 440 and 480.

[0139] Figure 5 Schematically illustrates example signaling for coordination of resource sharing between APs in a set of APs according to resource sharing type.Signaling over the wired network is illustrated by thick arrows.

[0140] For example, Figure 5 The signaling shown in the figure can be done by Figure 3 The method 300 is performed and / or by Figure 4 caused by the execution of method 400.

[0141] exist Figure 5 In the example, the set of APs is illustrated as including three APs (AP1, AP2, AP3) 591, 592, 593 (with Figure 1 In practice, the set of APs typically includes more APs.

[0142] Figure 5 The first part of the signaling in involves the process of determining which AP(s) should be the relay AP(s) for a particular shared AP (in this case AP 591 acting as a shared AP).

[0143] In this process, the shared AP 591 instructs other APs 592, 593 included in the set of APs to perform measurements on the reference group by means of signaling through the wired network, as illustrated by the instruction signaling 501 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 310 and 410).

[0144] The shared AP 591 then transmits the reference packet via wireless signaling, as illustrated by reference signaling 502, and the measurements are performed by the measuring APs 592, 593 (with Figure 3 and Figure 4 320 and 420).

[0145] The shared AP 591 receives corresponding measurement reports 503 (with Figure 3 and Figure 4 330 and 430).

[0146] Based on measurement report 503, it may be determined whether all APs in the set of APs are directly reachable via wireless signaling from shared AP 591. For example, if AP 593 is not directly reachable via wireless signaling from shared AP 591, a relay AP (e.g., AP 592) may be identified for retransmission of the resource sharing trigger packet from shared AP 591.

[0147] Figure 5 The second part of the signaling in the embodiment involves the establishment of one or more resource sharing configurations between APs 591, 592, 593 by means of signaling over the wired network, as illustrated by 511 (with Figure 3 and Figure 4 340 and 440).

[0148] Typically, signaling for establishment of resource sharing configuration(s) includes transmission of a configuration message 512 by the coordinating AP (in this case AP 591 acts as the coordinating AP), and corresponding confirmation messages 513 from the other APs.

[0149] Figure 5 The third part of the signaling in

[0054] relates to a resource sharing session 522. To initiate a resource sharing session 522, the sharing AP (AP 591 in this case) transmits a resource sharing trigger packet 521 (with the AP 591) to potential participating APs 592, 593 via wireless signaling. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 360 and 460).

[0150] If the configuration identified by the resource sharing trigger packet 521 so indicates, the resource sharing trigger packet 521 is retransmitted by the relay AP(s).

[0151] One or more of the potential participating APs (in this case, AP 592) may decide to participate in resource sharing session 522 and thereby become participating APs (with Figure 4 470).

[0152] Then, during the resource sharing session 522, the sharing session APs (i.e., sharing AP 591 and participating AP 592) communicate with one or more STAs using wireless signaling while sharing resources (with the STAs) according to the identified resource sharing configuration. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 380 and 480).

[0153] Figure 5The fourth part of the signaling in relates to another resource sharing session 532. To initiate the resource sharing session 532, the sharing AP (AP 593 in this case) transmits a resource sharing trigger packet 531 (with the AP 593) to the potential participating APs 591, 592 via wireless signaling. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 360 and 460).

[0154] If the configuration identified by the resource sharing trigger packet 531 so indicates, the resource sharing trigger packet 531 is retransmitted by the relay AP(s).

[0155] One or more of the potential participating APs (in this case, AP 592) may decide to participate in resource sharing session 532 and thereby become participating APs (with Figure 4 470).

[0156] Then, during the resource sharing session 532, the sharing session APs (i.e., sharing AP 593 and participating AP 592) communicate with one or more STAs using wireless signaling while sharing resources (with the STAs) according to the identified resource sharing configuration. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 380 and 480).

[0157] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The signaling diagram of FIG. 1 illustrates the coordination of resource sharing according to the prior art by means of a "Coordinated Multi-AP OFDMA" example ( Figure 6 ) and coordination of resource sharing according to some embodiments of the proposed method ( Figure 7 The channel acquisition process (e.g., winning the competition according to the IEEE 802.11 backoff process) is different between Figure 6 and Figure 7 Indicated by grey blocks 600 , 700 .

[0158] The "Coordinated Multi-AP OFDMA" example involves UL communication from a station (STA2) to a shared access point (AP2) and UL communication from a station (STA1) to a participating access point (AP1). In this example, the shared access point AP2 reserves only the upper portion 692, 792 of the available bandwidth for communication between STA2 and AP2, and provides the lower portion 691, 791 of the available bandwidth for communication between STA1 and AP1 (e.g., the shared access point AP2 permits the use of certain resource units (RUs) by the participating access point(s) AP1 for communication within the corresponding BSS(s)).

[0159] In the first phase 610, 710, the stations STA1, STA2 transmit respective measurement frames 611, 612, 711, 712 to the access points AP1, AP2. Thus, a preferred frequency resource may be identified for each of the communication pairs STA1-AP1 and STA2-AP2.

[0160] In the second phase 620 , 720 , the access points AP1 , AP2 exchange information on preferred frequency resources as a preparation for resource sharing.

[0161] According to the prior art, this information exchange is implemented through wireless transmission of AP-to-AP frames 621, 622, which incurs wireless signaling overhead. In addition, AP-to-AP frames 621, 622 typically require a robust transmission format, and there is a risk that AP-to-AP frames 621, 622 cannot be reliably transmitted when the wireless signaling conditions between AP1 and AP2 are poor.

[0162] According to some embodiments, this information exchange is achieved by means of signaling 723 over a wired network, which constitutes a reliable communication and does not incur any wireless signaling overhead.

[0163] To illustrate signaling 723, AP2 might first announce the resource sharing type ("Coordinated Multi-AP OFDMA"), along with its wireless MAC address and a configuration identifier (e.g., a randomly selected number). AP2 might then announce that it intends to use the upper half 792 of the spectrum for triggered uplink transmissions within its BSS, but intends to reserve the lower half 791 for use by other AP(s). Upon receiving this information, AP1 might reply by indicating that it will join the coordinated transmission of the resource sharing session and use the entire lower half 791 of the spectrum. This might be followed by an acknowledgement from the AP. Thus, all required parameters are exchanged between the APs using signaling over the wired network; except for the point in time at which the resource sharing session is started, which remains open.

[0164] The first and second phases can be viewed as setup phases before the TXOP, and the information exchange is not subject to any strict timing requirements.

[0165] It should be noted that signaling 723 may generally include any suitable non-time-critical information to be used for coordination of the resource sharing session.

[0166] In the third phase 630, 730 (which corresponds to the shared session of the TXOP), resources are shared as agreed. Thus, communication between AP2 and STA2 uses only the upper portion 692, 762 of the available bandwidth (wherein AP2 sends a basic trigger frame 632, 732 to STA2; STA2 sends an ULPPDU 634, 734 to AP2; and AP2 sends an acknowledgment frame 636, 736 to STA2), and communication between AP1 and STA1 uses only the lower portion 691, 791 of the available bandwidth (wherein AP1 sends a basic trigger frame 633, 733 to STA1; STA1 sends an ULPPDU 635, 735 to AP1; and AP1 sends an acknowledgment frame 637, 737 to STA1).

[0167] According to the prior art, a resource sharing session is initiated by AP2 transmitting a multi-AP trigger frame 631 to AP1. The multi-AP trigger frame 631 indicates a synchronization point for subsequent operations and generally also includes information related to the resource sharing session (eg, all parameters for the upcoming transmission).

[0168] According to some embodiments, a resource sharing session is initiated by AP2 transmitting a resource sharing trigger packet 739 to AP1. When AP1 receives the resource sharing trigger packet 739, it can determine (e.g., based on the MAC address and / or configuration identifier of the sender (AP2)) which established resource sharing configuration to use for the initiated resource sharing session. The resource sharing trigger packet 739 also provides synchronization for the resource sharing session, but typically includes minimal information (e.g., only time-critical information related to the resource sharing session; non-time-critical information may have been previously communicated in an information exchange implemented via signaling 723 over a wired network). Thus, triggering of the resource sharing session can be implemented using a robust transport format and / or may involve less signaling overhead than in prior art approaches.

[0169] Figure 8 An example apparatus 800 is schematically illustrated according to some embodiments. The apparatus 800 is for an access point (AP) 810 (e.g., included in or may be included in the AP 810). The AP 810 is configured to be included in a set of APs, and the apparatus 800 is used to coordinate resource sharing between the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type.

[0170] To this end, the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other over a wired network (e.g., via each AP's wired interface (WIF) 840), and the APs in the set are configured for wireless communication (e.g., using each AP's wireless transceiver (TX / RX) 830).

[0171] In general, AP 810 may assume any suitable role(s) as described herein. For example, AP 810 may be configured to act as one or more of the following roles: shared AP, potential participating AP, participating AP, shared session AP, coordinating AP, measuring AP, and relay AP.

[0172] In some embodiments, the apparatus 800 may be adapted to be included in Figure 1 One of APs 101, 102, 103 and / or Figure 1 Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 800 may be configured to cause the execution of the following steps (eg, configured to execute the following steps): Figure 3 and Figure 4 One or more method steps described.

[0173] The apparatus 800 includes a controller (CNTR; eg, a control circuit module or a control module) 820 .

[0174] The controller 820 is configured to cause the establishment of one or more resource sharing configurations between the APs in the set by means of signaling over the wired network (with Figure 3 and Figure 4 340 and 440).

[0175] To this end, the controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (e.g., connected or connectable to) a resource sharing configuration establisher (EST; e.g., an establishment circuit module or an establishment module) 821. The establisher 821 may be configured to use the wired interface 840 to collaborate with other APs in the set of APs to establish (one or more) resource sharing configurations.

[0176] The controller 820 is further configured to cause the transmission / reception of a resource sharing trigger packet via wireless signaling (with Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 360 and 460).

[0177] To this end, the controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (eg, connected or connectable to) a resource sharing trigger packet handler (TPH; eg, a handling circuit module or a handling module) 822 .

[0178] The handler 822 may be configured to generate a resource sharing trigger packet for transmission via the transceiver 830. When there are several established resource sharing configurations, the controller 820 may be configured to cause selection of one of the established resource sharing configurations (with Figure 3350 ), and the resource sharing triggering packet includes a configuration identifier of the selected resource sharing configuration. To this end, the controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (e.g., connected or connectable to) a resource sharing configuration selector (SEL; e.g., a selection circuit module or a selection module) 823.

[0179] Additionally or alternatively, handler 822 may be configured to process a resource sharing trigger packet received via transceiver 830. Processing of the received resource sharing trigger packet may, for example, include determining whether AP 810 is to participate in the resource sharing session initiated by the resource sharing trigger packet (with Figure 4 4. Compare to step 470 of FIG. 4. Processing of the received resource sharing triggering packet may additionally or alternatively include retransmitting the received resource sharing triggering packet when AP 810 acts as a relay AP.

[0180] The controller 820 is further configured to cause participation (with the AP) as a sharing session AP in a resource sharing session initiated according to the resource sharing configuration and through the transmitted / received resource sharing trigger packet. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Compare steps 380 and 480).

[0181] In some embodiments, the controller 820 may be configured to cause the indication of the measurement AP(s) to perform measurements on the reference packets (via signaling over the wired network) and the transmission of the reference packets via wireless signaling (with the aid of the wireless signaling). Figure 3 Controller 820 may also be configured to cause receipt of corresponding measurement report(s) from the measuring AP(s) (compare to steps 310 and 320). Figure 3 compared to step 330).

[0182] To this end, the controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (e.g., connected or connectable to) an indicator (INST; e.g., an indication circuit module or an indication module) 824. The indicator 824 may be configured to generate an indication message for transmission via the wired interface 840, trigger the transmission of a reference packet via the transceiver 830, and monitor the receipt of (one or more) measurement reports via the wired interface 840.

[0183] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 820 may be configured to cause measurements (with respect to the reference packets) to be performed on the reference packets received via the transceiver 830 in response to being instructed (by means of signaling over the wired network). Figure 4 Controller 820 may also be configured to cause the transmission of a measurement report (compare to steps 410 and 420). Figure 4 430).

[0184] To this end, the controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (e.g., connected to or connectable to) a measurer (MEAS; e.g., a measurement circuit module or a measurement module) 825. The measurer 825 may be configured to perform measurements on reference packets received via the transceiver 830 in response to receipt of an indication message via the wired interface 840, and to generate a measurement report for transmission via the wired interface 840.

[0185] The measurement report(s) are used to determine a wireless signaling routing path that includes a relay AP. In some embodiments, the controller 820 may be configured to cause an evaluation of the measurement reports to determine a routing path and / or a relay AP.

[0186] To this end, controller 820 may include or otherwise be associated with (eg, connected or connectable to) an evaluator (EV; eg, evaluation circuitry or evaluation module) 826. Evaluator 826 may be configured to evaluate measurement reports to determine routing paths and / or relay APs.

[0187] In general, it should be noted that features and / or advantages described and / or illustrated in relation to one of the Figures herein may be equally applicable (mutatismutandis) in the context of one or more of the other Figures; even if not explicitly mentioned in relation thereto.

[0188] The described embodiments and their equivalents may be implemented in software or hardware, or a combination thereof. The embodiments may be implemented by general-purpose circuit modules. Examples of general-purpose circuit modules include digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), coprocessor units, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other programmable hardware. Additionally or alternatively, the embodiments may be implemented by dedicated circuit modules, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The general-purpose circuit modules and / or dedicated circuit modules may be associated with or included in a device, such as an access point, for example.

[0189] The embodiments may occur within an electronic device (such as an access point) that includes an arrangement, circuit modules, and / or logic according to any of the embodiments described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic device (such as an access point) may be configured to perform a method according to any of the embodiments described herein.

[0190] According to some embodiments, the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a plug-in card, an embedded drive, or a Read Only Memory (ROM). Figure 9An example computer readable medium in the form of a compact disk (CD) ROM 900 is illustrated. The computer readable medium has stored thereon a computer program including program instructions. The computer program is loadable into a data processor (PROC; e.g., a data processing unit) 920, which may, for example, be included in an access point 910. When loaded into the data processor, the computer program may be stored in a memory (MEM) 930 associated with or included in the data processor. According to some embodiments, the computer program, when loaded into and executed by the data processor, may cause an operation according to, for example, Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 Execution of the method steps and / or signaling of any of the examples illustrated in or otherwise described herein.

[0191] Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and / or implied from the context in which they are used.

[0192] Various embodiments have been mentioned herein. However, one skilled in the art will recognize numerous variations of the described embodiments that will still fall within the scope of the claims.

[0193] For example, the method embodiments described herein disclose example methods by steps that are performed in a certain order. However, it is recognized that these sequences of events can occur in another order without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition, some method steps can be performed in parallel, even though they have been described as being performed sequentially. Therefore, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step, and / or it is implied that a step must follow or precede another step.

[0194] In the same manner, it should be noted that in the description of the embodiments, the division of functional blocks into specific units is by no means intended to be limiting. On the contrary, these divisions are merely examples. The functional blocks described herein as one unit may be divided into two or more units. In addition, the functional blocks described herein as being implemented as two or more units may be merged into fewer (e.g., single) units.

[0195] Any feature of any embodiment disclosed in this article can be applied to any other embodiment (as long as it is appropriate).Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment in the embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa.

[0196] Therefore, it should be understood that the details of the described embodiments are merely examples set forth for illustrative purposes and that all variations coming within the scope of the claims are intended to be included therein.

Claims

1. A method for sharing an access point (AP), wherein the shared access point (AP) is included in a set of APs, the method being used to coordinate resource sharing between the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type, wherein: The APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network, the method comprising: establishing (340, 511) a resource sharing configuration between the APs in the set by means of signaling over the wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and A resource sharing trigger packet (521, 531) is transmitted (360) via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier, and wherein the resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization with respect to the shared AP and to initiate a resource sharing session (522, 532) between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein A time duration between the start of the signaling through the wired network and the start of the wireless signaling is greater than a round trip time of the signaling through the wired network.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein The resource sharing configuration also includes the resource sharing type.

4. The method according to claims 1 to 3, wherein: The resource sharing type is defined by one or more of the following: The shared session AP uses different time parts of a transmit opportunity TXOP; The shared session AP uses different orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM subcarriers; The shared session AP uses different spatial resources; as well as Joint transmission and / or joint reception by the shared session AP.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The resource sharing configuration further includes an AP identifier for the shared AP, and / or wherein the resource sharing triggering packet further includes the AP identifier for the shared AP.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The configuration parameters indicate an overall communication resource allocation for the resource sharing.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The configuration parameter indicates communication resource reservation of the shared AP.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The resource sharing triggering packet is further configured to indicate a transmit opportunity TXOP duration and / or a network allocation vector NAV duration.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The resource sharing trigger packet has a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) format corresponding to one or more of the following: Wake-up Radio WUR PPDU format; PPDU formats with extended preamble and / or reduced coding rate compared to the primary channel bandwidth PPDU format; as well as A PPDU format for transmission at a lower bandwidth than the primary channel bandwidth PPDU.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein Establishing the resource sharing configuration includes establishing a plurality of resource sharing configurations, wherein the method further includes selecting (350) one of the established resource sharing configurations, and wherein the resource sharing triggering packet includes the configuration identifier of the selected resource sharing configuration.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein Transmitting the resource sharing triggering packet includes transmitting two or more resource sharing triggering packets to initiate corresponding two or more resource sharing sessions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: Each of the two or more resource sharing sessions corresponds to a target wake time TWT service period SP.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein The set of APs includes a relay AP, and wherein the resource sharing configuration instructs the relay AP to retransmit the resource sharing trigger packet.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: instructing (310) one or more measurement APs included in the set of APs to perform measurements on a reference packet by means of signaling (501) through the wired network; transmitting (320) the reference packet (502) via wireless signaling; as well as Respective measurement report(s) (503) are received (330) from the one or more measurement APs, the measurement report(s) being used to determine a wireless signaling routing path, the wireless signaling routing path including the relay AP.

15. A method for an access point (AP), said access point (AP) being included in a set of APs, said method being for coordinating resource sharing among said APs in said set according to a resource sharing type, wherein: The APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network, the method comprising: establishing (440, 511) a resource sharing configuration between the APs in the set by means of signaling over the wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; receiving (460) a resource sharing triggering packet (521, 531) from a shared AP included in the set of APs via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing triggering packet includes the configuration identifier, and wherein the resource sharing triggering packet is configured to provide synchronization with respect to the shared AP and to initiate a resource sharing session (522, 532) between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs; and Participating (470) in the resource sharing session (522, 532) as one of the shared session APs according to the resource sharing configuration.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium (900) having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a data processing unit and being configured to cause the execution of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 when the computer program is run by the data processing unit.

17. A device for sharing an access point AP, wherein: The shared AP is configured to be included in a set of APs, wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other through a wired network, the apparatus is configured to coordinate resource sharing between the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type, and the apparatus includes a control circuit module (820) configured to cause the following operations: establishing a resource sharing configuration among the APs in the set by signaling over the wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration comprises a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; and Transmission of a resource sharing trigger packet (521, 531) via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier, and wherein the resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization with respect to the shared AP and to initiate a resource sharing session (522, 532) between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein: The control circuit module is further configured to cause a time duration between the start of the signaling through the wired network and the start of the wireless signaling to be greater than a round trip time of the signaling through the wired network.

19. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 18, wherein The resource sharing configuration also includes the resource sharing type.

20. The device according to claims 17 to 19, wherein The resource sharing type is defined by one or more of the following: The shared session AP uses different time parts of a transmit opportunity TXOP; The shared session AP uses different orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM subcarriers; The shared session AP uses different spatial resources; as well as Joint transmission and / or joint reception by the shared session AP.

21. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein The resource sharing configuration further includes an AP identifier for the shared AP, and / or wherein the resource sharing triggering packet further includes the AP identifier for the shared AP.

22. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein The configuration parameters indicate an overall communication resource allocation for the resource sharing.

23. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein The configuration parameter indicates communication resource reservation of the shared AP.

24. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein The resource sharing triggering packet is further configured to indicate a transmit opportunity TXOP duration and / or a network allocation vector NAV duration.

25. The device of any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein The resource sharing trigger packet has a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) format corresponding to one or more of the following: Wake-up Radio WUR PPDU format; PPDU formats with extended preamble and / or reduced coding rate compared to the primary channel bandwidth PPDU format; as well as A PPDU format for transmission at a lower bandwidth than the primary channel bandwidth PPDU.

26. The device of any one of claims 17 to 25, wherein The control circuit module is configured to cause establishment of a resource sharing configuration by causing establishment of a plurality of resource sharing configurations, wherein the control circuit module is further configured to cause selection of one of the established resource sharing configurations, and wherein the resource sharing triggering packet includes the configuration identifier of the selected resource sharing configuration.

27. The device of any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein The control circuit module is configured to cause transmission of a resource-sharing trigger packet by causing transmission of two or more resource-sharing trigger packets to initiate corresponding two or more resource-sharing sessions.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein: Each of the two or more resource sharing sessions corresponds to a target wake time TWT service period SP.

29. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 28, wherein The set of APs includes a relay AP, and wherein the resource sharing configuration instructs the relay AP to retransmit the resource sharing trigger packet.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein: The control circuit module is further configured to cause the following operations: indication of one or more measurement APs included in said set of APs for performing measurements on a reference packet by means of signaling (501) over said wired network; transmitting said reference packet (502) by wireless signaling; as well as Receipt of corresponding measurement report(s) (503) from the one or more measurement APs, the measurement report(s) used to determine a wireless signaling routing path, the wireless signaling routing path including the relay AP.

31. A device for an access point AP, wherein: The AP is configured to be included in a set of APs, wherein the APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other through a wired network, the apparatus is configured to coordinate resource sharing between the APs in the set according to a resource sharing type, and the apparatus includes a control circuit module (820) configured to cause the following operations: establishing a resource sharing configuration among the APs in the set by signaling over the wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; reception of a resource sharing triggering packet (521, 531) from a shared AP included in the set of APs via wireless signaling, wherein the resource sharing triggering packet includes the configuration identifier, and wherein the resource sharing triggering packet is configured to provide synchronization with respect to the shared AP and to initiate a resource sharing session (522, 532) between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs; and Participation in the resource sharing session (522, 532) as one of the sharing session APs according to the resource sharing configuration.

32. An access point (AP), comprising the apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 30 and / or the apparatus according to claim 31.

33. A communication system (100) comprising a set of access points (APs), wherein: The APs in the set are connected for direct communication with each other via a wired network, and wherein the system is adapted to coordinate resource sharing among the APs according to resource sharing types by: establishing a resource sharing configuration among the APs in the set by signaling over the wired network, wherein the resource sharing configuration includes a configuration identifier and configuration parameters; transmission of a resource sharing trigger packet via wireless signaling by a shared AP included in the set of APs, wherein the resource sharing trigger packet includes the configuration identifier, and wherein the resource sharing trigger packet is configured to provide synchronization with respect to the shared AP and to initiate a resource sharing session between two or more shared session APs included in the set of APs; and Participation in the resource sharing session by another AP in the set of APs other than the sharing AP as one of the sharing session APs in accordance with the resource sharing configuration and in response to receipt of the resource sharing trigger packet.

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