Negotiation handshake method and device for dynamic sub-band operation

Abstract

The invention discloses a negotiation handshake method and device for dynamic sub-band operation, and relates to negotiation handshake technology related to dynamic sub-band operation (DSO) in wireless communication. One wireless communication device performs a negotiation handshake with respect to DSO with another device. The device then participates in DSO with another device according to the negotiation handshake. When participating in the negotiation handshake, the apparatus exchanges information about the capability to support DSO. The information about the capability includes information of at least a subband size, a subband position, a handover delay, and a handover back delay.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing of related patent applications

[0002] This disclosure is a non-provisional patent application and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 641,982, filed May 3, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to negotiation handshakes for Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO) in wireless communications. Background Technology

[0004] Unless otherwise stated herein, the methods described in this section do not constitute prior art as listed in the following claims, and are not considered recognized prior art by way of inclusion in this section.

[0005] In wireless communications, such as Wi-Fi (or WiFi) in wireless local area network (WLAN) systems conforming to the current Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, access points (APs) can support channel bandwidths up to 320MHz. However, for Wi-Fi devices (such as workstations (STAs)), only a few high-end client devices may support wider bandwidths, such as 320MHz. Most clients or STAs only support smaller bandwidths, such as 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160MHz, for cost reasons. For Wi-Fi network operation, all transmissions must include a primary 20MHz channel, regardless of the total bandwidth used. Although wideband APs can utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) to schedule resource units (RUs) among STAs, without STAs with large bandwidths, much of the bandwidth may end up being used inefficiently, resulting in reduced spectral efficiency.

[0006] In IEEE 802.11bn, a DSO operation occurs, allowing the AP to trigger STAs to switch to a subband by sending an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STAs. Upon each STA's response, its center frequency, preamble decoder, and payload decoder are switched to the target subband. Each STA then responds by sending an Initial Control Response (ICR) to the AP to begin the data transmission sequence.

[0007] At the time of this disclosure, a mechanism called Dynamic Bandwidth Extension (DBE) exists. This mechanism allows APs and STAs to use different bandwidths at different times. Specifically, it uses a smaller bandwidth to minimize the impact on other Basic Service Sets (BSSs) and switches to full bandwidth when there is no interference with other BSSs. For example, given an AP with a 320MHz capability and an STA with a 160MHz capability, DBE and DSO operations can be combined. Therefore, when the AP starts the BSS with a narrower bandwidth of 80MHz, there will be no DSO operation; when the AP extends its operating bandwidth to 160MHz, DSO operation of a DSO 80MHz subband can be enabled; when the AP extends its operating bandwidth to 320MHz, the DSO subband configuration can be changed (e.g., enabling one or more DSO subbands, such as an 80MHz DSO subband (DSO80) and a 160MHz DSO subband (DSO160)).

[0008] However, at the time of this disclosure, the IEEE specifications do not provide a clear definition of how STAs and APs negotiate their capabilities to enable DSO. Therefore, a negotiation handshake solution is needed as a negotiation mechanism for DSO in wireless communications. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The following overview is for informational purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the subject matter in any way. That is, the overview is intended to introduce the concepts, highlights, advantages, and benefits of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Selected embodiments are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following overview is not intended to determine the essential characteristics of the subject matter, nor is it intended to define the scope of the subject matter.

[0010] One objective of this disclosure is to provide schemes, concepts, designs, techniques, methods, and apparatus related to dynamic subband operation (DSO) negotiation handshakes in wireless communications. Based on the relevant information, implementation of the various schemes presented herein may solve or otherwise mitigate the aforementioned problems.

[0011] In one aspect, one approach might involve a workstation (STA) receiving a beacon frame from an access point (AP) that announces the AP's DSO capability within the Basic Service Set (BSS). Another approach might involve the STA sending a management frame to the AP to participate in a negotiation handshake with the AP regarding DSO in response to the received beacon frame. Yet another approach might involve the STA performing DSO with the AP based on the negotiation handshake.

[0012] In another aspect, one approach might involve the AP sending a beacon frame to the STA, announcing the AP's DSO capability within the BSS. Another approach might involve the AP receiving a management frame from the STA to participate in a negotiation handshake with the STA regarding DSO in response to sending the beacon frame. Yet another approach might involve the AP performing DSO with the STA based on the negotiation handshake.

[0013] In another aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver configured for wireless communication and a processor connected to the transceiver. The processor may perform a negotiation handshake with another apparatus regarding DSO. The processor may then perform DSO with the other apparatus based on the negotiation handshake. During the negotiation handshake, the processor may exchange DSO-supporting capability information with the other apparatus. The capability information may include at least information on subband size, subband location, handover delay, and handback delay.

[0014] It is worth noting that although the description provided herein may be in the context of certain radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies such as Wi-Fi, the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations / derivatives thereof can be implemented in other types of radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and 5G. th This includes 5G / New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings contain information for a further understanding of this disclosure and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual size in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an example network environment in which various solutions and schemes can be implemented according to this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an example design drawing based on a proposed solution according to this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 This is an example design drawing based on a proposed solution according to this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 This is an example design drawing based on a proposed solution according to this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 This is an example design drawing based on a proposed solution according to this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 This is an example design drawing based on a proposed solution according to this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7 This is an example scenario diagram under a proposed scheme based on this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 8 This is an example scenario diagram under a proposed scheme based on this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 9 This is an example scenario diagram under a proposed scheme based on this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of an example communication system under a proposed scheme based on this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a sample flowchart under a proposed scheme based on the content of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a sample flowchart under a proposed scheme based on the content of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] This document discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely exemplary representations of the claimed subject matter, which can be embodied in various forms. This disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the description of this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0029] Overview

[0030] Implementations of this disclosure relate to various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions for dynamic subband operation (DSO) negotiation handshakes in wireless communications. According to this disclosure, many possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions may be described separately below, two or more of these possible solutions may be implemented in one or another combination.

[0031] Figure 1An example network environment 100 is shown, in which various solutions and schemes based on this disclosure can be implemented. Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 Examples of various proposed solutions implemented according to this disclosure are shown in network environment 100. The following descriptions of the various proposed solutions refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 .

[0032] refer to Figure 1 Network environment 100 may involve wireless communication between at least one work station (STA) 110 and work station (STA) 120. Either STA 110 or STA 120 may act as an access point (AP) STA or, alternatively, a non-AP STA. In some cases, STA 110 and STA 120 may be associated with one or more Basic Service Sets (BSS) conforming to one or more IEEE 802.11 standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11bn and future standards). Each of STA 110 and STA 120 may be configured to communicate with the other through a DSO negotiation handshake utilizing the various proposed schemes described below in wireless communication. It is worth noting that while the various proposed schemes may be described individually or separately below, in actual implementation, some or all of the proposed schemes may be used in combination or otherwise implemented. Of course, each proposed scheme may be used individually or separately or otherwise implemented.

[0033] According to various proposals in this disclosure, regarding the DSO negotiation concept, DSO capability negotiation between the AP and STA may include a bandwidth (BW) size field, a subband indication field, a handover delay, a subband size, and a subband location. According to the proposals, the subband size may be limited to one type. Regarding the subband location, a bitmap may be used to indicate support for one or more locations of one or more subbands within the operating bandwidth. Furthermore, the handover delay may allow the STA more time to perform its frequency change operations to switch from one subband (e.g., the primary subband) to another subband (e.g., the target subband).

[0034] Figure 2 An example design 200 is shown under a proposed scheme according to this disclosure. Design 200 may involve DSO negotiation management frames generated and transmitted by the AP. According to the proposed scheme, the AP can use beacon frames as DSO negotiation management frames to announce its DSO capabilities within the BSS associated with the AP. Reference Figure 2 In section (A), the DSO negotiation management frame used by the AP can be configured with a "DSO Operation Parameters" field, which may include a "Subband Size" subfield and a "Subband Bitmap" subfield. The Subband Bitmap subfield can be used to indicate the location of one or more 80MHz (BW80) subbands. (See reference...) Figure 2 In part (B), the two bits of the subband size subfield can be used to indicate the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP. For example, a value of "00" might indicate that the AP supports an 80MHz subband bandwidth size, a value of "01" might indicate that the AP supports a 160MHz subband bandwidth size, and a value of "11" might indicate that the AP supports both 80MHz and 160MHz subband bandwidth sizes. When the subband size subfield value is "00" or "11", the subband bitmap subfield may have a length of four bits "xxxx", where "x" is set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz is used as the DSO in a 320MHz bandwidth (otherwise it is "0"). Conversely, when the subband size subfield value is "01", the subband bitmap subfield may not be needed, and its size may be zero bits. The subband bitmap may include both main and subbands. In some implementations, the supported subband positions may be arranged in ascending order from lowest to highest frequency, from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB).

[0035] Figure 3An example design 300 based on a scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Design 300 may involve a DSO negotiation management frame generated and transmitted by the STA. In the proposed scheme, the STA can use the DSO negotiation management frame to perform a handshake negotiation with its associated AP. For example, the STA can use the DSO negotiation management frame to request or respond to the AP to enable DSO (e.g., using a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or a new management frame as the DSO negotiation management frame). Reference Figure 3 The DSO negotiation management frame used by the STA can be configured with a "DSO Operation Parameters" field, which may include a "Subband Bandwidth Size" subfield, a "Subband Bitmap" subfield, a "DSO Handover Delay" subfield, and a "DSO Handback Delay" subfield. The DSO Handover Delay subfield may indicate the amount of time or length required for the STA to switch from its current subband (e.g., the primary 80MHz band in the operating bandwidth) to the DSO target subband. The DSO Handback Delay may indicate the amount of time or length required for the STA to switch back from the DSO target subband to the primary 80MHz band.

[0036] Figure 4 An example design 400 based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Design 400 may involve the STA instructing the DSO subband size and subband location in its DSO negotiation management frame. Specifically, Figure 4 This section presents a formatted example of an indication of the STA's DSO subband bandwidth size and handover location capability. (Reference) Figure 4 The two bits of the subband size subfield may be used to indicate the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA. For example, a value of "00" might indicate that the STA supports a subband bandwidth size of 80 MHz, while a value of "01" might indicate that the STA supports a subband bandwidth size of 160 MHz. When the subband size subfield value is "00", the subband bitmap subfield may have a length of four bits "xxxx", where "x" is set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80 MHz in the 320 MHz bandwidth is used as the DSO (otherwise it is "0"). Conversely, when the subband size subfield value is "01", the subband bitmap subfield may not be needed, and therefore its size may be zero bits. The subband bitmap may include both the main band and subbands. In some implementations, the supported subband positions may be arranged in ascending order from the lowest frequency to the highest frequency, from the LSB to the MSB of the BSS.

[0037] Figure 5 An example design 500 based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Design 500 may involve the STA indicating the DSO subband size and subband location in its DSO negotiation management frame. Reference Figure 5In part (A), with the STA having a 160MHz capability, two bits in the sub-band size sub-field may have a value of "01", and the sub-band bitmap sub-field may be unnecessary and therefore not exist. (See reference) Figure 5 In part (B), with the STA having 80MHz capability, the two bits of the subband size subfield may have a value of "00", and the four bits of the subband bitmap subfield may have a value of "1101" to indicate that in the 320MHz operating bandwidth, in addition to the third 80MHz subband, the other three 80MHz subbands (i.e., the first, second, and fourth) may be used for DSO. Furthermore, in this example, given that the fourth 80MHz subband is the primary 80MHz band, the corresponding bit in the bitmap needs to be set to "1".

[0038] Regarding DSO subband bandwidth size, when a STA supports 160MHz or 80MHz operation, there are potentially two negotiation scenarios. For example, in the first scenario, for a STA with 160MHz capability, the STA might negotiate with its associated AP to use a primary 160MHz band and a 160MHz subband. In the second scenario (e.g., coexistence scenario), for a STA with 160MHz capability, the STA might use only one 80MHz subband (instead of the total DSO subband size for all STAs) to limit its DSO operation to 80MHz. As another example, in the first scenario, for a STA with 80MHz capability, the STA might negotiate with its associated AP to use a primary 80MHz band and any 80MHz subband. In the second scenario (e.g., DBE scenario), for a STA with 80MHz capability, if the AP changes its BSS bandwidth, the STA might use a different 80MHz subband to communicate with the AP.

[0039] Figure 6 An example design 600 based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Design 600 may involve DSO handover delay and handback delay indicated by the STA. As described above, the DSO handover delay subfield may be used by the STA to indicate a time amount or length as a handover delay for the STA to switch from the main band to a subband. The DSO handback delay subfield may be used by the STA to indicate a time amount or length as a handback delay for the STA to switch back from the subband to the main band. Each of the DSO handover delay subfield and the DSO handback delay subfield may have three bits (or a different number of bits), and different values ​​in the DSO handover delay subfield and the DSO handback delay subfield may indicate the corresponding delay amount. Reference Figure 6As shown in the example, a value of 0 in the DSO switchover delay subfield and the DSO switchback delay subfield may indicate a delay of 0 microseconds (μs); a value of 1 may indicate a delay of 16 μs; a value of 2 may indicate a delay of 32 μs; a value of 3 may indicate a delay of 64 μs; a value of 4 may indicate a delay of 128 μs; a value of 5 may indicate a delay of 256 μs; and so on.

[0040] Figure 7 An example scenario 700 under the scheme proposed in this disclosure is illustrated. Scenario 700 may involve an example of a 160MHz-capable STA notifying a 320MHz-capable AP to negotiate management frames using a DSO. References Figure 7 The STA might instruct the AP that it supports a primary 160MHz band and a 160MHz subband, with the two bits of the subband bandwidth size subfield set to "01". Accordingly, the subband bitmap subfield may not be needed in the DSO operation parameter field. Additionally, the STA might also enable this by setting the DSO handover delay subfield to 2 and the DSO handover back delay subfield to 1 (e.g., using...). Figure 6 The table shown indicates that the switching delay time and the switchback delay time are 32μs and 16μs, respectively.

[0041] Figure 8 An example scenario 800 under the scheme proposed in this disclosure is illustrated. Scenario 800 may involve an example of an 80MHz-capable STA notifying a 320MHz-capable AP to negotiate management frames using a DSO. References Figure 8 The STA might instruct the AP that it supports a primary 80MHz band as well as third and fourth 80MHz subbands, with two bits of the subband bandwidth size subfield set to "00". Correspondingly, four bits of the subband bitmap subfield might be set to "1011" to indicate that the first, third, and fourth 80MHz subbands are available for the DSO. Additionally, the STA might also indicate this by setting the DSO handover delay subfield to 2 and the DSO handover back delay subfield to 1 (e.g., using...). Figure 6 The table shown indicates that the switching delay time and the switchback delay time are 32μs and 16μs, respectively.

[0042] Figure 9 An example scenario 900 is illustrated under the scheme proposed in this disclosure. Scenario 900 may involve the timing sequence of a DSO negotiation handshake between the AP and STA. Reference Figure 9Initially, the AP might send a beacon frame to announce its (and its associated BSS's) DSO capabilities. Upon receiving the beacon frame, the STA might send a DSO negotiation management frame containing a DSO operation parameter field to inform the AP of its DSO capabilities (e.g., to negotiate with the AP). Upon receiving the DSO negotiation management frame, the AP might acknowledge (ACK) the STA's DSO capabilities, check the DSO capabilities indicated by the STA in the DSO operation parameter field against its own DSO capabilities, and then send a DSO operation check frame to notify the STA of the negotiation result. Upon receiving this, the STA might acknowledge (ACK) the AP. Subsequently, DSO involving both the AP and STA may proceed.

[0043] Figure 10 An example system 1000 is shown, which includes at least one example device 1010 and one example device 1020, according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Devices 1010 and 1020 may each perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein regarding the negotiation handshake of DSO in wireless communications, including the various schemes of the proposed designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods described above, as well as the processes described below. For example, device 1010 may be implemented in STA 110, and device 1020 may be implemented in STA 120, and vice versa.

[0044] Each of devices 1010 and 1020 can be part of an electronic device, which can be a non-access point workstation (non-AP STA) or an access point workstation (AP STA), such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. When implemented in a workstation (STA), each of devices 1010 and 1020 can be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, digital camera, or computing device, such as a tablet, desktop computer, or laptop computer. Each of devices 1010 and 1020 can also be part of a machine-type device, which can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, such as a fixed or stationary device, a home appliance, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, each of devices 1010 and 1020 can be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. When implemented in or as a network device, devices 1010 and / or 1020 can be implemented in a network node, such as an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN).

[0045] In some implementations, each of devices 1010 and 1020 can be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors. In all the above-described embodiments, each of devices 1010 and 1020 can be implemented as a work station (STA) or an access point (AP). Each of devices 1010 and 1020 can include... Figure 10 At least some of the components shown are, for example, processor 1012 and processor 1022, respectively. Each of devices 1010 and 1020 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device). Therefore, for the sake of brevity and conciseness, these components of devices 1010 and 1020 are... Figure 10 It is not shown in the text, nor is it described below.

[0046] In one aspect, each of processors 1012 and 1022 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more RISC processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even though the singular term "one processor" is used herein to refer to processors 1012 and 1022, according to this disclosure, in some implementations, each of processors 1012 and 1022 may include multiple processors, and in other implementations, a single processor. In another aspect, each of processors 1012 and 1022 may be implemented in hardware (and, optionally, firmware), whose electronic components include, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more variable capacitors, which are configured and arranged to achieve a particular purpose according to this disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, processors 1012 and 1022 are special-purpose machines specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, including tasks related to DSO negotiation handshakes in wireless communications in various implementations of this disclosure.

[0047] In some implementations, device 1010 may further include a transceiver 1016 connected to processor 1012. Transceiver 1016 may include a transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, device 1020 may further include a transceiver 1026 connected to processor 1022. Transceiver 1026 may include a transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. It is worth noting that although transceivers 1016 and 1026 are shown as external and separate from processors 1012 and 1022 in the figures, in some implementations, transceiver 1016 may be an integral part of processor 1012 as a system-on-a-chip (SoC), and transceiver 1026 may be an integral part of processor 1022 as a SoC.

[0048] In some implementations, device 1010 may further include a memory 1014 connected to processor 1012 and accessible by processor 1012 to store data therein. In some implementations, device 1020 may further include a memory 1024 connected to processor 1022 and accessible by processor 1022 to store data therein. Each of memory 1014 and memory 1024 may include a random access memory (RAM) type, such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, each of memory 1014 and memory 1024 may include a read-only memory (ROM) type, such as mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, each of memory 1014 and memory 1024 may include a type of non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0049] Both device 1010 and device 1020 can be communication entities capable of communicating with each other using the various schemes proposed in this disclosure. For illustrative purposes and without limitation, the capabilities of device 1010 as STA 110 and device 1020 as STA 120 are described below in the context of example flows 1100 and 1200. For example, each of device 1010 and device 1020 can perform a negotiation handshake regarding DSO. Furthermore, each of device 1010 and device 1020 can participate in DSO with another device based on the negotiation handshake. When participating in the negotiation handshake, each of device 1010 and device 1020 can exchange capability information supporting DSO with each other. The capability information may include at least information on subband size, subband location, handover delay, and handback delay.

[0050] It is worth noting that although a detailed description of the capabilities, functions, and / or technical characteristics of device 1020 is provided below, the same applies to device 1010, although no detailed description is provided for the sake of brevity. It is also worth noting that although the example implementation described below is provided in the context of WLAN, it can also be implemented in other types of networks.

[0051] Example Process

[0052] Figure 11 and Figure 12 Example flow 1100 and example flow 1200 are shown respectively, each conforming to an implementation of this disclosure. Flow 1100 and flow 1200 may each represent an aspect of implementing the various proposed designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods described above. More specifically, flow 1100 and flow 1200 may each represent an aspect of proposed concepts and schemes relating to priority service processing in unauthorized areas of mobile communications according to this disclosure. Flow 1100 and flow 1200 may each include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in blocks 1110, 1120, and 1130 of flow 1100 and blocks 1210, 1220, and 1230 of flow 1200. Although shown in discrete blocks, the individual blocks of flow 1100 and flow 1200 may be divided into additional blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or eliminated according to the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks / sub-blocks of flow 1100 and flow 1200 may be arranged in... Figure 11 and Figure 12 The processes can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Furthermore, one or more blocks / subblocks of processes 1100 and 1200 can be executed repeatedly or iteratively. Processes 1100 and 1200 can be implemented by devices 210 and 220, and variations thereof. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, processes 1100 and 1200 are described below in the context of device 1010 as a STA (e.g., STA 110) and device 1020 as an AP (e.g., STA 120) in the BSS.

[0053] Process 1100 can start from block 1110.

[0054] At 1110, process 1100 may involve the processor 1012 of device 1010 acting as a STA, receiving a beacon frame from an AP (e.g., device 1020) via transceiver 1016, which announces the AP's DSO capability within the BSS. Process 1100 can continue from 1110 to 1120.

[0055] At 1120, process 1100 may involve processor 1012 sending a management frame to the AP via transceiver 1016 to participate in a negotiation handshake regarding the DSO in response to a received beacon frame. Process 1100 can continue from 1120 to 1130.

[0056] At 1130, process 1100 may involve processor 1012 engaging in DSO via transceiver 1016 through a negotiated handshake with AP.

[0057] In some implementations, the beacon frame may contain a DSO operation parameter field, which includes a subband size subfield and an optional subband bitmap subfield. The subband size subfield may indicate the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP. The optional subband bitmap subfield may either: (a) indicate one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands for DSO, in response to the AP supporting a subband bandwidth size including 80MHz bandwidth; or (b) may not exist if the AP-supported subband bandwidth size does not include 80MHz bandwidth.

[0058] In some implementations, the subband size subfield may include two bits, and the optional subband bitmap subfield may include four bits, in response to AP support for subband bandwidth sizes including 80MHz bandwidth.

[0059] In some implementations: (i) the first of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the AP is 80MHz; (ii) the second of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the AP is 160MHz; (iii) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is used for DSO; and (iv) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "0" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is not used for DSO.

[0060] In some implementations, the management frame may contain a DSO operation parameter field, which includes a subband bandwidth size subfield, an optional subband bitmap subfield, a DSO handover delay subfield, and a DSO handback delay subfield. The subband bandwidth size subfield may indicate the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA. The optional subband bitmap subfield may either: (a) indicate one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands used in response to STA support of a DSO containing 80MHz bandwidth; or (b) may be absent in response to a subband bandwidth size not containing 80MHz bandwidth supported by the STA.

[0061] In some implementations, the subband size subfield may contain two bits, and the optional subband bitmap subfield may contain four bits, in response to STA support for subband bandwidth sizes including 80MHz bandwidth.

[0062] In some implementations: (i) the first of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the STA is 80MHz; (ii) the second of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the STA is 160MHz; (iii) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is used for DSO; and (iv) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "0" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is not used for DSO.

[0063] In some implementations, the DSO switchover delay subfield may indicate the amount of time required for the STA to switch from the main subband to the target subband used during the DSO, while the DSO switchback delay subfield may indicate another amount of time required for the STA to switch back from the target subband to the main subband.

[0064] In some implementations, a management frame may include a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or a new management frame.

[0065] Process 1200 may start from block 1210.

[0066] At 1210, process 1200 may involve the processor 1022 of device 1020, acting as an AP, sending a beacon frame to a STA (e.g., device 1010) via transceiver 1026, announcing the AP's DSO capability within the BSS. Process 1200 may proceed from 1210 to 1220.

[0067] At 1220, process 1200 may involve processor 1022 receiving a management frame from the STA via transceiver 1026 to participate in a negotiation handshake regarding the DSO, which in response to sending a beacon frame. Process 1200 may then proceed from 1220 to 1230.

[0068] At 1230, process 1200 may involve processor 1022 participating in DSO with STA via transceiver 1026 according to the negotiated handshake.

[0069] In some implementations, the beacon frame may contain a DSO operation parameter field, which includes a subband size subfield and an optional subband bitmap subfield. The subband size subfield may indicate the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP. The optional subband bitmap subfield may either: (a) indicate one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands used in response to AP support of a DSO containing 80MHz bandwidth; or (b) may be absent in response to a subband bandwidth size supported by the AP that does not include 80MHz bandwidth.

[0070] In some implementations, the subband size subfield may contain two bits, and the optional subband bitmap subfield may contain four bits, in response to AP support for subband bandwidth sizes including 80MHz bandwidth.

[0071] In some implementations: (i) the first of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the AP is 80MHz; (ii) the second of the two bits in the subband size subfield may indicate that the subband bandwidth supported by the AP is 160MHz; (iii) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is used for DSO; and (iv) each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield may be set to "0" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is not used for DSO.

[0072] In some embodiments, the DSO handover delay subfield may indicate the amount of time required for the STA to switch from the main subband to the target subband used during the DSO, while the DSO handover back delay subfield may indicate another amount of time required for the STA to switch from the target subband back to the main subband.

[0073] In some embodiments, the management frame may include a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or a new management frame.

[0074] The topics described herein sometimes demonstrate different components contained within or connected to other components. It should be understood that the architectures depicted are merely examples, and many other architectures can actually be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is actually “associated” in order to achieve the desired function. Therefore, any two components combined in this document to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated” with each other to achieve the desired function, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operably connected” or “operably coupled” with each other to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be associated in this way can also be considered “operably coupled” with each other to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of operational coupling include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactive components.

[0075] Furthermore, regarding virtually any plural and / or singular terms used herein, those skilled in the art can translate them from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular-plural arrangements can be explicitly listed herein.

[0076] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein, especially those in the appended claims, such as the body of a claim, are generally considered "open" terms; for example, the word "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". Those skilled in the art will also further understand that if a specific number of statements introduced in a claim is intentional, such intention will be explicitly stated in the claim, and without such a statement, such intention does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may contain phrases such as "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim statements. Furthermore, even if a specific number of claim statements is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such statements should be interpreted as including at least the number stated; for example, a statement stating only "two statements" without other modifiers implies at least two statements, or two or more statements. Moreover, in the use of conventions such as "at least one A, B, and C, etc.", this construction is generally interpreted in the sense understood by those skilled in the art; for example, "a system having at least A, B, and C" will include, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or systems having A, B, and C together, etc. When using conventions such as "at least one A, B, or C," this construction is typically interpreted in the sense understood by those skilled in the art. For example, "a system having at least A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or systems having A, B, and C together. Those skilled in the art will further understand that almost any separate words and / or phrases of two or more alternative terms presented in the description, claims, or drawings should be understood to consider the possibility of including one term, either term, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" would be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

Claims

1. A negotiation handshake method for dynamic subband operations, comprising: The processor at the workstation STA receives a beacon frame from the access point (AP), which announces the AP's dynamic subband operation (DSO) capability within the basic service set (BSS). The processor sends a management frame to the AP to participate in a negotiation handshake with the AP regarding the DSO, and the negotiation handshake is in response to the receipt of the beacon frame; as well as The processor participates in the DSO (Distributed Single Operation) handshake with the AP (Application Processor) based on the negotiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon frame includes a DSO operation parameter field, the field including a subband size subfield and an optional subband bitmap subfield, wherein: The subband size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth supported by this AP; and This optional subband bitmap subfield indicates one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands used for the DSO, in response to the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP including 80MHz bandwidth; Or it may not exist, in response to the case where the subband bandwidth supported by the AP does not include the 80MHz bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subband size subfield contains two bits, and when the AP supports a subband bandwidth size including the 80MHz bandwidth, the optional subband bitmap subfield contains four bits.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein: The first of the two values ​​in the subband size subfield indicates that the AP supports a subband bandwidth of 80MHz. The second value of the two bits in the subband size subfield indicates that the AP supports a subband bandwidth of 160MHz. Setting each of the four bits in this optional subband bitmap subfield to "1" indicates that the corresponding 80MHz subband is used for this DSO. Setting each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield to "0" indicates that the corresponding 80MHz subband was not used for this DSO.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the management frame includes a DSO operation parameter field, the field comprising a subband bandwidth size subfield, an optional subband bitmap subfield, a DSO handover delay subfield, and a DSO handover back delay subfield, wherein: The subband bandwidth size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth size supported by this STA; as well as The optional sub-band bitmap subfield includes: Indicates one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands used for the DSO, in response to the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA including 80MHz bandwidth; Or it may not exist, in response to the case where the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA does not include the 80MHz bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the subband size subfield comprises two bits, and when the STA supports a subband bandwidth size including the 80MHz bandwidth, the optional subband bitmap subfield comprises four bits.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein: The first of the two values ​​in the subband size subfield indicates that the subband bandwidth supported by this STA is 80MHz. The second value of the two bits in the subband size subfield indicates that the subband bandwidth supported by this STA is 160MHz. Setting each of the four bits in this optional subband bitmap subfield to "1" indicates that the corresponding 80MHz subband is used for this DSO. Setting each of the four bits in the optional subband bitmap subfield to "0" indicates that the corresponding 80MHz subband was not used for this DSO.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the DSO switchover delay subfield indicates the amount of time required for the STA to switch from the main subband to the target subband used during the DSO, and the DSO switchback delay subfield indicates another amount of time required for the STA to switch back from the target subband to the main subband.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the management frame includes a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or a new management frame.

10. A negotiation handshake method for dynamic subband operations, comprising: A beacon frame is sent from the processor of an access point (AP) to a work station (STA), announcing the AP's dynamic subband operation (DSO) capability within a basic service set (BSS). The processor receives management frames from the STA to participate in a negotiation handshake with the STA regarding the DSO that sent the beacon frame; The processor participates in the DSO (Distributed Single Operation) handshake with the STA (Standard Operating System) based on the negotiation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the beacon frame includes a DSO operation parameter field, comprising a subband size subfield and an optional subband bitmap subfield, wherein: The subband size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP; and the optional subband bitmap subfield indicates one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands for the DSO, in response to the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP including an 80MHz bandwidth; or not present, in response to the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP not including the 80MHz bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the subband size subfield comprises two bits, and the optional subband bitmap subfield comprises four bits when the subband bandwidth size supported by the AP includes the 80MHz bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein: The first value of the two bits indicates that the subband size subfield represents a subband bandwidth size supported by the AP of 80MHz, the second value of the two bits indicates that the subband size subfield represents a subband bandwidth size supported by the AP of 160MHz, each of the four bits is set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband for the DSO is being used, and each of the four bits is set to "0" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is not being used for the DSO.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the management frame includes a DSO operation parameter field, comprising a subband bandwidth size subfield, an optional subband bitmap subfield, a DSO handover delay subfield, and a DSO handover back delay subfield, wherein: The subband bandwidth size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA; and the optional subband bitmap subfield either indicates one or more locations of one or more 80MHz subbands for use in response to the DSO containing an 80MHz bandwidth in the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA; or it is absent in response to the case where the subband bandwidth size supported by the STA does not contain the 80MHz bandwidth.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the subband size subfield comprises two bits, and the optional subband bitmap subfield comprises four bits if the STA supported by the subband bandwidth size includes the 80MHz bandwidth.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: The first value of the two bits indicates that the subband size subfield represents a subband bandwidth size supported by the STA of 80MHz, the second value of the two bits indicates that the subband size subfield represents a subband bandwidth size supported by the STA of 160MHz, each of the four bits is set to "1" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband for the DSO is being used, and each of the four bits is set to "0" to indicate that the corresponding 80MHz subband is not being used for the DSO.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the DSO switching delay subfield represents the amount of time required for the STA to switch from a primary subband to a target subband used during the DSO, and the DSO switchback delay subfield represents another amount of time required for the STA to switch back from the target subband to the primary subband.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the management frame includes a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or a new management frame.

19. A negotiation handshake device for dynamic subband operation, comprising: A transceiver configured for wireless communication; as well as A processor connected to the transceiver is configured to perform operations including: Through this transceiver, a negotiation handshake is performed with another device regarding Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO); and Through this transceiver, and based on the negotiated handshake, it participates in the DSO with the other device. Participating in this negotiation handshake includes exchanging capability information with the other device that supports the DSO. The information regarding this capability includes at least one subband size, subband location, switching delay, and switchback delay.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: When the device is used as an access point (AP), the negotiation handshake includes: Generate and send beacon frames to a work station STA; and Receive and process management frames from the STA, and in response, send the beacon frame. In response to the device acting as the STA, performing the negotiation handshake includes: Receive and process beacon frames from another device that serves as the AP. Generate and send management frames to the AP, in response to receiving the beacon frame; and The beacon frame contains a corresponding DSO operation parameter field that includes a corresponding subband size subfield and an optional corresponding subband bitmap subfield, such that: The corresponding subband size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth size supported by this AP; and The optional corresponding sub-band bitmap sub-field is either: Indicates one or more locations for one or more 80MHz subbands for the DSO, in response to the subband bandwidth size being supported by the AP and including an 80MHz bandwidth; or This does not exist, in response to the fact that the subband bandwidth size supported by this AP does not include the 80MHz bandwidth. The management frame contains a corresponding DSO operation parameter field, which includes a corresponding subband bandwidth size subfield, an optional corresponding subband bitmap subfield, a DSO handover delay subfield, and a DSO handover back delay subfield, such that: The corresponding subband bandwidth size subfield indicates the subband bandwidth size supported by this STA; and The optional corresponding sub-band bitmap sub-field is either: Indicates one or more locations for one or more 80MHz subbands for the DSO, in response to the subband bandwidth size being supported by the STA to include an 80MHz bandwidth; or This does not exist, in response to the fact that the subband bandwidth size supported by this STA does not include the 80MHz bandwidth; The DSO handover delay subfield indicates the amount of time required for the STA to switch from the primary subband to the target subband used during that DSO; and The DSO switchback delay subfield indicates the additional amount of time required for the STA to switch back from the target subband to the main subband.

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