Operation extension policy framework for access points

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems for an operation extension policy framework for an access point (AP). An example method performed by a first wireless node includes outputting, for transmission, information indicative of at least one of: (i) one or more criteria that, when satisfied by a second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is allowed to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; obtaining a first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameter; and processing the first request based on the information.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 303,514, filed April 19, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to an operational extension policy framework for access points (APs). BACKGROUND

[0004] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices, also referred to as wireless stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN adhering to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a basic service set identifier (BSSID) that is advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STAs within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. SUMMARY

[0005] The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless node. The apparatus includes a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the first wireless node to output, for transmission, information indicating at least one of: (i) one or more criteria that, when satisfied by a second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is allowed to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; obtain a first request that requests the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters; and process the first request based on the information.

[0007] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented at a second wireless node for wireless communication. The second wireless node includes a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the second wireless node to: obtain information indicating at least one of: (i) one or more criteria that, if satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request a first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the one or more wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; and output, for transmission, a first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameter based on the information.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented at a second wireless node for wireless communication. The second wireless node includes a processor; a memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the second wireless node to: obtain information indicating at least one of: (i) one or more criteria that, if satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request a first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the one or more wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; and output, for transmission, a first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameter based on the information.

[0009] The details of one or more specific embodiments of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following drawings can not be drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 A diagram illustrating an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0011] FIG. 2 An example protocol data unit (PDU) that can be used for communication between a wireless access point (AP) and one or more wireless stations (STAs) is shown.

[0012] FIG. 3 A layered format of an example physical layer PDU (PPDU) that can be used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown.

[0013] FIG. 4 A diagram illustrating another example wireless communication network is shown.

[0014] FIG. 5A diagram illustrating various states associated with AP power saving is shown.

[0015] FIG. 6 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0016] FIG. 7 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown, where a request by the STA is denied.

[0017] FIG. 8 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown, where a request by the STA is accepted.

[0018] FIG. 9 A flow diagram illustrating an example process that can be performed by a first wireless node configured as an AP is shown.

[0019] FIG. 10 A flow diagram illustrating an example process that can be performed by a second wireless node configured as a STA is shown.

[0020] FIG. 11 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device is shown.

[0021] The same reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate the same elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description relates to certain specific examples and is not meant to limit the inventive aspects in any way. A person skilled in the art would readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of ways. Some or all of the examples described can be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, the IEEE 802.15 standards, the Bluetooth® standards as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), or the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), among others. The examples described can be implemented in any device, system or network that is capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), rate division multiple access (RSMA), multi-user shared access (MUSA), single-user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and multi-user (MU) MIMO. The examples described can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or an internet of things (IOT) network.

[0023] Various aspects generally relate to wireless communication. Some aspects more specifically relate to techniques for an operating extension policy framework for APs.

[0024] Power saving (PS) features are an increasingly important consideration for wireless network deployments. For example, AP power saving (PS) is a feature in ultra-high reliability (UHR) wireless communications. In some cases, an AP, such as an AP multi-link device (MLD), can use one or more tools to save power. For example, an AP can use bandwidth (BW) reduction, number of spatial streams (NSS) reduction, link disabling via traffic identifier (TID) to link mapping (T2LM), or link deletion via multi-link (ML) reconfiguration, among other tools, to achieve power saving.

[0025] In some cases, implementing PS mode can face challenges in certain situations, such as when a station (STA) has urgent traffic to send. In such cases, certain measures taken by the AP to save power can impact the performance of the STA. In such cases, the STA can request the AP to modify the operating parameters to extend its operation (e.g., to enable (or alternatively, add) a disabled (or deleted) link). The STA can or can not have the current parameters of the AP due to prior knowledge of the AP PS. In some cases, the STA can request an extension even if it does not have urgent need to transmit. For example, a non-AP STA can also want to save its power. Thus, the non-AP STA can want to flush its uplink (UL) traffic (transmit all of the uplink (UL) traffic in its uplink (UL) traffic) as soon as possible in order to return to a low power state. For example, if the AP operates in 20 MHz, the non-AP STA can request an extension to 80 MHz even if the UL traffic is not urgent.

[0026] Aspects of the disclosure provide a framework that enables a wireless node (e.g., a non-AP STA) to flexibly request an operating change, such as an extension. The framework can provide certain criteria that, if met, allow the STA to transmit a request to modify the operating parameters. The framework can allow the AP / non-AP STA to save power in the presence of other clients / STAs (e.g., greedy clients with respect to wireless resources), but also allow the clients to deliver urgent traffic such that their performance is not impacted.

[0027] Aspects of the disclosure provide techniques that can allow an AP (e.g., or an AP MLD) to define a policy (e.g., a power saving (PS) policy). In some aspects, the policy can be announced / broadcast by the AP (e.g., via a beacon / probe response or during association). In some aspects, the AP can transmit the policy information only when a STA (e.g., a non-AP STA or a non-AP MLD) requests the policy of the AP or when the STA requests an extension of the operation. According to certain aspects, the policy can include extension options, criteria for requesting an extension, a penalty for violating the criteria, a duration of the extension, and / or any additional conditions. In some aspects, the AP and the STA can use a request frame and a response frame to agree (e.g., negotiate) on an operation extension. In some aspects, in response to the request, the AP can accept, reject, or suggest an alternative (e.g., negotiate).

[0028] Significant advantages can be provided with the techniques disclosed herein, enabling an AP to define and / or broadcast a policy to help optimize power saving in the presence of greedy or malicious clients, while also allowing sincere / compliant clients to request and / or negotiate an operation extension in order to deliver urgent traffic such that their performance is not impacted.

[0029] Example wireless communication network

[0030] FIG. 1 A block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 is shown. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as a Wi-Fi network) (and will be referred to as WLAN 100 hereinafter). For example, the WLAN 100 can be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (such as the standards defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or revisions thereof, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11 revisions associated with Wi-Fi 8). The WLAN 100 can include a number of wireless communication devices, such as a wireless access point (AP) 102 and a number of wireless stations (STAs) 104. Although six STAs 104 are shown in the example of FIG. 1, the WLAN 100 can include more or fewer STAs 104. The STAs 104 can be, for example, user devices (e.g., mobile devices, laptops, etc.) that connect to the AP 102 using wireless communication links. The AP 102 can be, for example, a wired or wireless device (or access point) that provides a connection for one or more devices to access a network, such as the Internet or a private network. FIG. 1 Only one AP 102 is shown in FIG. 1, but the WLAN network 100 can include multiple APs 102. FIG. 1 The AP 102 shown can represent various different types of APs, including but not limited to enterprise APs, single-band APs, dual-band APs, standalone APs, software-enabled APs (soft-APs), and multi-link APs. The coverage area and capacity of a cellular network (such as LTE, 5G NR, etc.) can be further improved by small cells supported by APs acting as micro base stations. In addition, a private cellular network can also be established over a wireless area network using small cells.

[0031] Each of the STAs 104 can also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 104 can represent various devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, Chromebooks, extended reality (XR) headsets, wearable devices, display devices (e.g., TVs (including smart TVs), computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices (“remotes”), printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators), or other home appliances, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, vehicles, etc. The various STAs 104 in the network are able to communicate with one another via the AP 102.

[0032] A single AP 102 and the associated set of STAs 104 can be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102. FIG. 1 An example coverage area 108 of an AP 102 is additionally shown, which can represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. A BSS can be identified or indicated to users by a service set identifier (SSID) and to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which can be a medium access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 can periodically broadcast a beacon frame (“beacon”) that includes the BSSID to enable any STAs 104 within wireless range of the AP 102 to “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish or maintain a respective communication link 106 (also referred to hereinafter as a “Wi-Fi link”) with the AP 102. For example, the beacon can include an identification or indication of a primary channel used by the respective AP 102 and a timing synchronization function to establish or maintain timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 can provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the WLAN via the respective communication links 106.

[0033] To establish a communication link 106 with an AP 102, each of the STAs 104 is configured to perform a passive or active scanning operation (“scanning”) on a frequency channel in one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, a STA 104 listens for beacons transmitted by respective APs 102 at periodic time intervals, referred to as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs), measured in time units (TUs), where one TU can equal 1024 microseconds (µs). To perform active scanning, a STA 104 generates and transmits probe requests in sequence on each channel to be scanned and listens for probe responses from APs 102. Each STA 104 can identify, determine, discover, or select an AP 102 to associate with according to scanning information obtained through passive or active scanning and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operations, which the AP 102 uses to track the STA 104.

[0034] As wireless networks become more ubiquitous, a STA 104 can have the opportunity to choose among many BSSs within range of the STA or among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS), including multiple connected BSSs. An extended network station associated with the WLAN 100 can be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that can allow for multiple APs 102 to be connected in such an ESS. Thus, a STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can associate with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. In addition, a STA 104, after associating with an AP 102, can also periodically scan its surroundings to find a more appropriate AP 102 to associate with. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 can perform a “roaming” scan to find another AP 102 with more desirable network characteristics, such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a reduced traffic load.

[0035] In some cases, STAs 104 can form networks that do not have an AP 102 or that do not have any equipment other than the STAs 104 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network can alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, an ad hoc network can be implemented within a larger wireless network, such as the WLAN 100. In such examples, while the STAs 104 can be able to communicate with each other through the AP 102 using the communication links 106, the STAs 104 can also communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication links 110. Additionally, two STAs 104 can communicate via a direct communication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and being served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104 can assume the role filled by the AP 102 in a BSS. Such a STA 104 can be referred to as a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established by using a Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) link, and other P2P group connections.

[0036] The APs 102 and STAs 104 can operate and communicate (via respective communication links 106) according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocol for the PHY and MAC layers. The APs 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications” or “wireless packets”) to and from each other in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs). The APs 102 and STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of the spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 60 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, and the 900 MHz band. Some examples of the APs 102 and STAs 104 described herein can also communicate in other frequency bands that can support both licensed and unlicensed communications, such as the 5.9 GHz band and the 6 GHz band. The APs 102 and STAs 104 can also communicate over other frequency bands, such as a shared licensed band, where multiple operators can have licenses to operate in one or more of the same or overlapping bands.

[0037] Each of the frequency bands can include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs conforming to the IEEE 802.11η, 802.1 lac, 802.1 lax, and 802.1 lbe standard revisions can be transmitted over a 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz band, where each band is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are transmitted over physical channels having a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs can be transmitted over physical channels having 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz bandwidths by bonding together multiple 20 MHz channels.

[0038] Each PPDU is a composite structure including a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble can be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances where a PPDU is transmitted over a bonded channel, the preamble fields can be duplicated and transmitted in each of the multiple component channels. The PHY preamble can include both a legacy portion (or “legacy preamble”) and a non-legacy portion (or “non-legacy preamble”). The legacy preamble can be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation, among other uses. The legacy preamble can also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, coding, and information provided in the non-legacy portion of the preamble are associated with the particular IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0039] FIG. 2 An example protocol data unit (PDU) 200 that can be used for wireless communication between a wireless AP 102 and one or more wireless STAs 104 is shown. For example, the PDU 200 can be configured as a PPDU. As shown, the PDU 200 includes a PHY preamble 202 and a PHY payload 204. For example, the preamble 202 can include a legacy portion that itself includes a legacy short training field (L-STF) 206, which can consist of two symbols, a legacy long training field (L-LTF) 208, which can consist of two symbols, and a legacy signal field (L-SIG) 210, which can consist of two symbols. The legacy portion of the preamble 202 can be configured according to the IEEE 802.1 la wireless communication protocol standard. The preamble 202 can also include a non-legacy portion that includes one or more non-legacy fields 212, e.g., that comply with one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.

[0040] The L-STF 206 generally enables a receiving device to perform coarse timing and frequency tracking, as well as automatic gain control (AGC). The L-LTF 208 generally enables a receiving device to perform fine timing and frequency tracking, and also to perform an initial estimate of the wireless channel. The L-SIG 210 generally enables a receiving device to determine (e.g., obtain, select, identify, detect, ascertain, derive, or calculate) a duration of the PDU and to use the determined duration to refrain from transmitting over the PDU. The legacy portion of the preamble, including the L-STF 206, the L-LTF 208, and the L-SIG 210, can be modulated according to a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation scheme. The payload 204 can be modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme, a quadrature BPSK (Q-BPSK) modulation scheme, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme, or another appropriate modulation scheme. The payload 204 can include a PSDU that includes a data field (DATA) 214, which in turn can carry higher layer data, e.g., in the form of a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) or an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU).

[0041] FIG. 3A layered format of example PPDUs that can be used for communication between a wireless AP 102 and one or more wireless STAs 104 is shown. As described, each PPDU 300 includes a PHY preamble 302 and a PSDU 304. Each PSDU 304 can represent (or "carry") one or more MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) 316. For example, each PSDU 304 can carry an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU) 306 that includes an aggregation of multiple A-MPDU subframes 308. Each A-MPDU subframe 306 can include an MPDU frame 310 that includes a MAC delimiter 312 and a MAC header 314 before an accompanying MPDU 316 that includes a data portion ("payload" or "frame body") of the MPDU frame 310. Each MPDU frame 310 can also include a frame check sequence (FCS) field 318 for error detection (e.g., the FCS field can include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)) and padding bits 320. The MPDU 316 can carry one or more MAC service data units (MSDUs) 316. For example, the MPDU 316 can carry an aggregated MSDU (A-MSDU) 322 that includes multiple A-MSDU subframes 324. Each A-MSDU subframe 324 contains a corresponding MSDU 330 preceded by a subframe header 328 and, in some cases, followed by padding bits 332.

[0042] Referring back to the MPDU frame 310, the MAC delimiter 312 can act as a marker of the start of the associated MPDU 316 and indicate the length of the associated MPDU 316. The MAC header 314 can include multiple fields containing information that defines or indicates characteristics or properties of the data encapsulated within the frame body 316. The MAC header 314 includes a duration field that indicates a duration that continues at least from the end of the PPDU to the end of an acknowledgement (ACK) or block ACK (BA) to be sent by a receiving wireless communication device for the PPDU. The use of the duration field serves to reserve the wireless medium for the indicated duration and enables the receiving device to establish its network allocation vector (NAV). The MAC header 314 also includes one or more fields that indicate addresses of the data encapsulated within the frame body 316. For example, the MAC header 314 can include a combination of source address, transmitter address, receiver address, or destination address. The MAC header 314 can also include a frame control field that contains control information. The frame control field can specify a frame type, such as a data frame, a control frame, or a management frame.

[0043] Some APs and STAs can implement spatial reuse techniques that involve participating in a coordinated communication scheme. According to such techniques, an AP can contend for access to a wireless medium to gain control of the medium for a TXOP. The AP that wins contention (hereinafter also referred to as a “sharing AP”) can select one or more other APs (hereinafter also referred to as “shared APs”) to share resources of the TXOP. The sharing AP and the shared APs can be located in proximity to one another such that at least some of their wireless coverage areas at least partially overlap. Some examples can specifically involve coordinated AP TDMA or OFDMA techniques for sharing time or frequency resources of a TXOP. To share their time or frequency resources, the sharing AP can divide the TXOP into a plurality of time segments or frequency segments, each including respective time or frequency resources representing a portion of the TXOP, which the sharing AP can allocate to itself or to one or more of the shared APs. For example, each shared AP can utilize the portion of the TXOP assigned by the sharing AP for uplink or downlink communications with STAs associated therewith.

[0044] In some examples of such TDMA techniques, each of the plurality of portions of the TXOP includes a set of time resources that do not overlap with any time resources of any other portion of the plurality of portions. In such examples, the scheduling information can include an indication of time resources of the plurality of time resources of the TXOP that are associated with each portion of the TXOP. For example, the scheduling information can include an indication of time segments of the TXOP, such as an indication of one or more slots or sets of symbol periods associated with each portion of the TXOP, such as for multi-user TDMA.

[0045] In some other examples of OFDMA techniques, each of the plurality of portions of the TXOP includes a set of frequency resources that do not overlap with any frequency resources of any other portion of the plurality of portions. In such implementations, the scheduling information can include an indication of frequency resources of the plurality of frequency resources of the TXOP that are associated with each portion of the TXOP. For example, the scheduling information can include an indication of bandwidth portions of a wireless channel, such as an indication of one or more sub-channels or resource units (RUs) associated with each portion of the TXOP, such as for multi-user OFDMA.

[0046] In this way, the shared AP's acquisition of the TXOP enables communication between one or more additional shared APs and their respective BSSs with proper power control and link adaptation. For example, the shared AP can limit the transmit power of the selected shared APs such that interference from the selected APs does not prevent STAs associated with the TXOP owner from successfully decoding packets transmitted by the shared APs. Such techniques can be used to reduce latency, as the other APs can be able to transmit and receive data according to regular CSMA / CA or EDCA techniques without having to wait to win contention for the TXOP. Additionally, by enabling a group of APs associated with different BSSs to participate in a coordinated AP transmit session during which the group of APs can share at least a portion of a single TXOP acquired by any of the participating APs, such techniques can increase throughput on the BSSs associated with the participating APs and can also enable improvements in throughput fairness. Furthermore, by proper selection of the shared APs and scheduling of their respective time or frequency resources, medium utilization can be maximized or otherwise increased while packet loss due to OBSS interference is minimized or otherwise reduced. Various implementations can achieve these and other advantages without requiring the shared AP or the shared APs to know the STAs associated with other BSSs, without requiring a pre-designated or dedicated master AP or group of pre-designated APs, and without requiring backhaul coordination between the APs participating in the TXOP.

[0047] In some examples in which the signal strength or interference level associated with the selected AP is relatively low, such as less than a given value, or when the decoding error rate of the selected AP is relatively low, such as less than a threshold, the start time of the communication between the different BSSs can be synchronized. Conversely, when the signal strength or interference level associated with the selected AP is relatively high, such as greater than a given value, or when the decoding error rate of the selected AP is relatively high, such as greater than a threshold, the start time can be offset from each other by a time period associated with decoding the preamble of a wireless packet and determining from the decoded preamble whether the wireless packet is an intra-BSS packet or an OBSS packet. For example, the time period between the transmission of an intra-BSS packet and the transmission of an OBSS packet can allow the respective APs (or their associated STAs) to decode the preamble of the wireless packet and obtain the BSS color value carried in the wireless packet to determine whether the wireless packet is an intra-BSS packet or an OBSS packet. In this way, each of the participating APs and their associated STAs can be able to receive and decode intra-BSS packets in the presence of OBSS interference.

[0048] In some examples, the sharing AP can perform a poll of a set of non- managed or non-co-managed APs that support coordinated reuse to identify candidates for future spatial reuse opportunities. For example, the sharing AP can transmit one or more spatial reuse poll frames as part of determining one or more spatial reuse criteria and selecting one or more other APs to be part of the shared AP. From the poll, the sharing AP can receive a response from one or more of the polled APs. In some particular examples, the sharing AP can transmit a coordinated AP TXOP indication (CTI) frame to the other APs, which indicates the time and frequency of resources of a TXOP that can be shared. The sharing AP can select one or more candidate APs upon receiving a coordinated AP TXOP request (CTR) frame from a respective candidate AP indicating that the respective AP desires to participate in the TXOP. The poll response or CTR frame can include a power indication, e.g., a RX power or RSSI measured by the respective AP. In some other examples, the sharing AP can directly measure potential interference of services supported at one or more APs, such as UL transmissions, and select the shared AP based on the measured potential interference. The sharing AP generally selects APs to participate in the coordinated spatial reuse such that it still protects its own transmissions to and from STAs in its BSS, which can be referred to as primary transmissions. Then, as described above, resources can be allocated to the selected APs during the TXOP.

[0049] Retransmission protocols such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) can also provide performance gains. HARQ protocols can support various HARQ signaling between a transmitting wireless communication device and a receiving wireless communication device, as well as signaling between the PHY layer and the MAC layer, to improve retransmission operations in WLANs. HARQ uses a combination of error detection and error correction. For example, a HARQ transmission can include error detection bits added to data to be transmitted using an error detection (ED) code, such as a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The error detection bits can be used by a receiving device to determine whether the receiving device has correctly decoded a received HARQ transmission. In some examples, the original data (information bits) to be transmitted can be encoded with a forward error correction (FEC) code, such as a low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding scheme that uses systematic encoding of information bits to produce parity bits. The transmitting device can transmit both the original information bits and the parity bits to the receiving device in the HARQ transmission. The receiving device can be able to correct errors in the information bits using the parity bits, thereby avoiding retransmission.

[0050] Implementing a HARQ protocol in a WLAN can improve the reliability of data communicated from a transmitting device to a receiving device. The HARQ protocol can support the establishment of a HARQ session between two devices. Once a HARQ session is established, if a receiving device fails to properly decode a first HARQ transmission received from a transmitting device (and fails to correct the error), the receiving device can send a HARQ feedback message (e.g., a negative acknowledgement (NACK)) to the transmitting device indicating that at least a portion of the first HARQ transmission was not properly decoded. Such a HARQ feedback message can be different from the traditional block ACK feedback message type associated with a conventional ARQ. In response to receiving the HARQ feedback message, the transmitting device can send a second HARQ transmission to the receiving device to convey at least a portion that further assists the receiving device in decoding the first HARQ transmission. For example, the transmitting device can include some or all of the original information bits, some or all of the original parity bits, and other different parity bits in the second HARQ transmission. The combined HARQ transmissions can be processed for decoding and error correction such that a complete signal associated with the HARQ transmissions can be obtained.

[0051] In some examples, the receiving device can be enabled to control whether to continue with a HARQ procedure or to revert to a non-HARQ retransmission scheme, such as an ARQ protocol. By allowing a device to dynamically switch between an ARQ protocol and a HARQ protocol during a frame exchange, such switching can reduce feedback overhead and increase flexibility of retransmissions. Some implementations can also allow multiplexing of communications employing ARQ with communications employing HARQ.

[0052] Some wireless communication devices, including both APs and STAs, are capable of multi-link operation (MLO). In some examples, MLO supports the establishment of multiple different communication links between a STA and an AP, such as a first link over a 2.4 GHz frequency band, a second link over a 5 GHz frequency band, and a third link over a 6 GHz frequency band. Each communication link can support one or more sets of channels or logical entities. In some cases, each communication link associated with a given wireless communication device can be associated with a respective radio of the wireless communication device, which can include one or more transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) chains, including one or more physical antennas or being coupled therewith, or including signal processing components, among other components. A device that is MLO capable can be referred to as a multi-link device (MLD). For example, an AP MLD can include multiple APs that are each configured to communicate with a respective one of multiple STAs of a non-AP MLD (also referred to as a “STA MLD”) over a respective communication link. A STA MLD can communicate with an AP MLD through one or more of multiple communication links at a given time.

[0053] One type of MLO is multi-link aggregation (MLA), in which traffic associated with a single STA is simultaneously sent across multiple communication links in parallel to maximize utilization of available resources, enabling higher throughput. That is, during at least some time durations, transmission or portions of transmission can occur on two or more links simultaneously and in parallel. In some examples, the parallel wireless communication links can support synchronous transmission. In some other examples, or during some other time durations, transmission on the links can be parallel but not synchronous or concurrent. In some examples or time durations, two or more of the links can be used for communication in the same direction between the wireless communication devices (such as all uplink or all downlink). In some other examples or time durations, two or more of the links can be used for communication in different directions. For example, one or more links can support uplink communication and one or more links can support downlink communication. In such examples, at least one of the wireless communication devices operates in a full-duplex mode. Generally, full-duplex operation enables bidirectional communication in which at least one of the wireless communication devices can transmit and receive simultaneously.

[0054] MLA can be implemented in several ways. In some examples, MLA can be packet-based. For packet-based aggregation, frames of a single traffic stream (such as all traffic associated with a given traffic identifier (TID)) can be transmitted concurrently across multiple communication links. In some other examples, MLA can be stream-based. For stream-based aggregation, each traffic stream (such as all traffic associated with a given TID) can be transmitted using a single one of the multiple available communication links. As an example, a single STA MLD can access a web browser while streaming a video in parallel. Traffic associated with the web browser access can be communicated on a first communication link, while traffic associated with the video stream can be communicated on a second communication link in parallel (such that at least some of the data can be transmitted on the first channel concurrently with data transmitted on the second channel).

[0055] In some other examples, MLA can be implemented as a hybrid of stream-based aggregation and packet-based aggregation. For example, an MLD can employ stream-based aggregation where multiple traffic streams are created, and can employ packet-based aggregation in other cases. Determination to switch among MLA techniques or modes can additionally or alternatively be associated with other metrics, such as time of day, traffic load within the network, or battery power of the wireless communication devices, among other factors or considerations.

[0056] To support MLO techniques, an AP MLD and a STA MLD can exchange supported MLO capability information, such as supported aggregation types or supported frequency bands, among other information. In some examples, the information exchange can occur via a beacon signal, a probe request or probe response, an association request or association response frame, a dedicated action frame, or an operation mode indicator (OMI), among other possibilities. In some examples, an AP MLD can designate a given channel in a given frequency band as an anchor channel, such as a channel on which the AP MLD transmits beacons and other management frames. In such examples, the AP MLD can also transmit beacons on other channels, such as beacons that can contain less information, for discovery purposes.

[0057] MLO techniques can provide a number of benefits to a WLAN. For example, MLO can improve user perceived throughput (UPT), such as by quickly flushing per-user transmit queues. Similarly, MLO can improve throughput by improving utilization of available channels, and can increase spectral utilization, such as increasing the bandwidth-time product. Further, MLO can enable smooth transitions between multi-band radio components, such as where each radio component can be associated with a given RF band, or enable a separate framework for setting up control and data channels. Other benefits of MLO include reducing modem on-time, which can be beneficial to wireless communication devices in terms of power consumption. Another benefit of MLO is increased multiplexing opportunities in the case of a single BSS. For example, multi-link aggregation can increase the number of users per multiplexed transmission served by a multi-link AP MLD.

[0058] FIG. 4 A diagram illustrating another example wireless communication network 400 is shown. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 400 can be an example of a mesh network, an IoT network, or a sensor network according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, including the 802.11 ah amendment. The wireless network 400 can include a plurality of wireless communication devices 414. The wireless communication devices 414 can represent various devices, such as display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo equipment, remote control devices (“remotes”), printers, kitchen or other household appliances, and so on.

[0059] In some examples, the wireless communication device 414 senses, measures, collects, or otherwise obtains and processes data, which it then transmits to the intermediary device 412 for subsequent processing or distribution of such raw or processed data. Additionally or alternatively, the intermediary device 412 can transmit control information, digital content (e.g., audio or video data), configuration information, or other instructions to the wireless communication device 414. The intermediary device 412 and the wireless communication device 414 can communicate with each other via a wireless communication link 416. In some examples, the wireless communication link 416 includes a Bluetooth link or other PAN or short-range communication link.

[0060] In some examples, the intermediary device 412 can also be configured for wireless communication with other networks, such as with a Wi-Fi WLAN or a wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area network (WW AN), which in turn can provide access to external networks, including the Internet. For example, the intermediary device 412 can associate with and communicate with an AP 402 of a WLAN network through a Wi-Fi link 418, which can also serve various STAs 404. In some examples, the intermediary device 412 is an example of a network gateway (e.g., an IoT gateway). In this way, the intermediary device 412 can act as an edge bridge providing Wi-Fi core backhaul for an IoT network including the wireless communication device 414. In some examples, the intermediary device 412 can analyze, pre-process, and aggregate data received from the wireless communication device 414 that is local at the edge before transmitting the data to other devices or external networks via the Wi-Fi link 418. The intermediary device 412 can also provide additional security for the IoT network and the data it transmits.

[0061] Example AP power saving (PS)

[0062] As mentioned above, AP power save (PS) mechanisms can be a key feature in current and upcoming wireless networks, but PS mechanisms can come at the expense of associated STAs’ performance. However, aspects of the present disclosure provide a flexible framework that provides a balance between AP targets, such as power saving, and STA performance targets.

[0063] In some cases, an AP can be expected to generally be in active mode, operating with maximum BW and NSS, so that associated STAs can obtain the highest possible throughput and fastest service. In such cases, AP power consumption can not be considered a problem or weighted less heavily (e.g., because the AP can be mains powered). However, the amount of power consumed by an AP is significant and that energy needs to be generated somewhere, which increases the maintenance cost of the network, the battery life of the device hosting the network (e.g., if battery powered), the ecological footprint of the wireless network. These power considerations can be even more important for multi-link and multi-AP networks, as the power consumption increases linearly with the number of links and APs in the same network. Thus, various types of AP power saving (PS) mechanisms can be deployed.

[0064] FIG. 5 A diagram illustrating various states associated with one example of a target wake time (TWT) based AP power saving (PS) framework is shown. In such deployments, a STA can negotiate an individual or broadcast TWT agreement with an AP. For example, if an AP intends to enter a sleep state outside of a TWT service period (SP), the AP can set a responder power management (PM) bit to 1. In some cases, the responder PM bit can only be set to 1 if all associated STAs support TWT and the TWT required in an information element (IE) (e.g., HE operation IE) is 1. Generally, a STA should not transmit outside of its TWT SP (e.g., because no one can be receiving).

[0065] As FIG. 5 illustrated, an AP can transition to a sleep state 504 outside of the negotiated TWT SP. The AP can still transmit a beacon 502 at each target beacon transmit time (TBTT). In some cases, when the AP transitions from a sleep state to a wake state 506 on a channel, the AP can be considered to be “blind” to the channel. Blindness can generally refer to a situation where there can be an ongoing transmission on a channel (e.g., due to a sleep state) that the AP missed its preamble for. Thus, the AP can not be aware (e.g., or can not have a record) of its duration. In some cases, the AP can perform energy detection to sense whether there is an ongoing transmission. However, according to certain wireless communication standards (e.g., 802.11), energy detection can not be sufficient because the energy detection threshold can be 20 dB higher than the preamble detection threshold. Certain wireless communication standards (e.g., 802.11be) can include certain rules to facilitate recovery from blindness. For example, in some cases, if a blind STA receives a frame from another STA, the STA can be able to achieve synchronization to the channel.

[0066] Some STAs can have additional AP power saving functionality / features. For example, in some cases, an AP can explicitly indicate during which beacon intervals (BIs) the AP can enter a sleep state outside of SP (e.g., by setting a PM bit to 1 in a beacon frame corresponding to the BI). The SP can be a negotiated TWT SP or a restricted access window (RAW). In some cases, a STA can specify to the AP a maximum leave duration for which the AP is allowed to enter sleep. This can be useful in cases where the STA has latency sensitive traffic.

[0067] In some cases, an AP can be temporarily disabled (e.g., link disabled) under the AP MLD framework. STAs on the disabled link can move to another BSS (e.g., if single link) or simply suspend their operation (e.g., if multi-link). In some cases, at least one link can remain open to serve all associated STAs after disabling one or more links. Disabling one or more links of an AP MLD can result in long term changes, which can impact all STAs operating in the disabled link. Additionally, disabling one or more links of an AP MLD can impact the enabled link(s) as the load of the BSS on that enabled link(s) can increase.

[0068] Some AP PS mechanisms that can be utilized include static AP PS on a link (e.g., TWT based on-off duty cycle of the AP). This can impact all STAs operating on the link. Other AP PS mechanisms can be used (such as dynamic APPS on a link), which can have minimal (e.g., and / or short term) impact on STAs operating on the link. In some cases, the APPS mechanism can include a reduction in bandwidth (BW) or a reduction in number of spatial streams (NSS).

[0069] In some cases, an AP MLD can use one or a combination of the mechanisms described above in order to maximize power saving while minimizing negative impact on key performance indicators of associated STAs.

[0070] Example operation extension policy framework

[0071] As mentioned above, implementing PS mode can face challenges in certain situations, such as when a station (STA) has urgent traffic to send. In such cases, certain measures taken by the AP to save power can impact the performance of the STA. In such cases, the STA can request the AP to extend the operating parameters. The STA can or can not have the current parameters of the AP due to prior knowledge of the AP PS. In some cases, the STA can request extension even if it does not have an urgent need to transmit. For example, a non-AP STA can also want to save its power. In such cases, the STA can want to flush its UL traffic as soon as possible in order to return to a low power state. For example, if the AP is operating at 20 MHz, even if the UL traffic is not urgent, a non-AP STA can request extension to 80 MHz.

[0072] Aspects of the disclosure provide a framework that enables a wireless node to flexibly request an operating change, such as extension. As used herein, the term wireless node can refer to an AP, a non-AP STA, an MLD, or a non-MLD. In some cases, techniques described as being performed by or at an AP or a STA can be performed by a wireless node.

[0073] The framework can provide certain criteria that, if met, allow a wireless node, such as a STA, to transmit a request to modify operating parameters (e.g., by an AP STA). The framework can allow APs / non-AP STAs to save power in the presence of other STAs (e.g., which can be greedy with respect to wireless resources), but also allow STAs to deliver urgent traffic such that their performance is not impacted.

[0074] Aspects of the disclosure provide techniques that can allow an AP (e.g., or an AP MLD) to define a policy (e.g., a PS policy).

[0075] FIG. 6 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA in accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure is shown. The operation of the AP policy framework presented herein can be understood with reference to the call flow diagram 600 of FIG. 6 .

[0076] As illustrated at 602, the AP can transmit policy information indicating at least one of: one or more criteria or one or more options for modifying a wireless operating parameter.

[0077] In some aspects, the policy can be announced / broadcast by the AP (e.g., via a beacon / probe response or during association). In some aspects, the AP can transmit the policy information only when a STA (e.g., a non-AP STA or a non-AP MLD) requests the policy of the AP or when the STA requests an extension of the operation. According to certain aspects, the policy can include extension options, criteria for requesting an extension, a penalty for violating the criteria, a duration of the extension, and / or any additional conditions. In some aspects, the AP and the STA can use a request frame and a response frame to agree (e.g., negotiate) on an operation extension. In some aspects, in response to the request, the AP can accept, reject, or suggest an alternative (e.g., negotiate).

[0078] As illustrated at 604, the STA can evaluate the criteria and / or the one or more options. For example, the STA can determine whether it satisfies the criteria indicated in the policy information.

[0079] For example, in some aspects, the one or more criteria can depend on an amount of traffic the STA must transmit or has transmitted, a type of traffic the STA must transmit or has transmitted, a type of the STA, a capability of the STA, a battery status of the STA, and / or a number of requests the STA has transmitted in a period of time.

[0080] As illustrated at 606, the STA can send a request to the AP to modify one or more wireless operation parameters (e.g., according to the one or more options).

[0081] As illustrated at 608, the AP can process the request and send a response to the STA. As will be described in further detail below, processing the request can include performing one or more actions based on whether the criteria are satisfied, and the response can thus accept or reject the request and can include additional information.

[0082] As illustrated at 610 and 612, the AP and the STA can communicate according to the modified operation parameters. For example, in the case of an extended operation, the bandwidth can be increased, the number of links and / or the number of spatial streams can be increased.

[0083] In some cases, the STA can send the request only if the criteria are satisfied. In other cases, the STA can send the request even if the criteria are not satisfied. As will be described in further detail below, in some cases, the STA can be penalized for transmitting the request when the criteria are not satisfied and / or can be rewarded for transmitting the request when the criteria are satisfied.

[0084] FIG. 7 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA in which a request by the STA to modify a wireless operation parameter is denied, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0085] As described above with reference toFIG. 6 As mentioned, the AP can send policy information to the STA, and the STA can send a request to the AP.

[0086] As illustrated at 702, the AP can determine that the criteria for modifying the operating parameter is not satisfied. Thus, as illustrated at 704, the AP can send a response denying / rejecting the request.

[0087] As mentioned above, in some aspects, the AP can perform one or more additional actions based on whether the criteria is satisfied. In FIG. 7 In the illustrated example, the criteria is not satisfied. Thus, as illustrated at 706, the AP can penalize the STA. For example, the AP can reduce the frequency of service and / or decrement a credit, which can affect the manner in which the STA is served.

[0088] FIG. 8 A call flow diagram illustrating example communications between an AP and a STA, where a request by the STA to modify a wireless operating parameter is accepted, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0089] As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 6 As mentioned, the AP can send policy information to the STA, and the STA can send a request to the AP.

[0090] As illustrated at 802, the AP can determine that the criteria for modifying the operating parameter is satisfied. Thus, as illustrated at 804, the AP can send a response accepting / granting the request. As mentioned above, in some aspects, the AP can perform one or more additional actions based on whether the criteria is satisfied. In FIG. 8 In the illustrated example, the criteria is satisfied. Thus, as illustrated at 806, the AP can reward the STA. For example, the AP can increase the frequency of its service of the STA and / or can increment a credit.

[0091] According to certain aspects, the policy can include an extension option, a criterion for requesting an extension, a penalty for violating the criterion, a duration of the extension, and / or any additional conditions.

[0092] In some cases, the AP and the STA can use a request frame and a response frame to agree (e.g., negotiate) on an operating extension. In response to the request, the AP can accept, reject, or suggest an alternative (e.g., negotiate).

[0093] According to certain aspects, the extension options can include steps that the AP can take in response to a request for extension of operation by a non-AP. As noted above, some examples of extension options include increasing BW, increasing NSS, enabling additional (e.g., disabled) links, enabling additional (e.g., primary) channels, adding dropped links, adding new links, increasing transmit power (e.g., to increase range or signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR)), decreasing BW or decreasing resource unit (RU) size (e.g., to increase power spectral density (PSD) and SINR), and / or transitioning to a predefined mode (e.g., active mode, PS mode awake state, enhanced multi-link single radio mode, etc.).

[0094] In some cases, a wireless communication standard can allow multiple primary channels. In such cases, as noted above, an extension option can be to increase the number of primary channels (e.g., enable additional primary channels).

[0095] According to certain aspects, the criteria for requesting extension can include conditions under which a non-AP STA is allowed to request extension.

[0096] In some cases, such conditions can depend on the amount or type of traffic that the STA must transmit or has transmitted. For example, if a non-AP STA has traffic that exceeds a threshold amount (e.g., exceeds X bits, where X can be specified by the AP), has low latency traffic, or has high reliability traffic, the non-AP STA can request extension (e.g., any of the extension options described above).

[0097] In some cases, one or more conditions can be met if the STA has less than Y% battery power, if the client is a differentiated user (e.g., that has paid for access), or if the client has sufficient credit, if the client has a certain type or capability (e.g., a mixed reality (XR) device can request BW extension, but an Internet of Things (IoT) device cannot request any extension), and / or if the client has not requested extension more than “z” times in a past time interval. An example of how credit can be managed is described in further detail below with reference to penalties for violating criteria.

[0098] In some cases, the various conditions / criteria (e.g., and thresholds associated with the conditions / criteria) can be configured (e.g., and / or negotiated between the AP and the non-AP STA). In some cases, the policy information can be updated, and the AP can advertise the updated policy information. For example, network conditions can change, which warrants an update to one or more criteria or one or more options for modifying wireless parameters.

[0099] Depending on certain aspects, different extension options may be associated with different standards. In such cases, there may be a mapping between one or more extension options and one or more standards used to request extensions. For example, in some aspects, a non-APSTA may need to meet a standard with low-latency services in order to request the enabling of a disabled link, but may need to meet different standards (e.g., with UL services exceeding X bytes) in order to request an increased BW or an increased NSS.

[0100] Depending on some aspects, penalties for violating standards (e.g., transmitting a request when the standard is not met) may include penalty actions that the AP can impose on the client. For example, if the AP has a standard for X Mb of BW extension service, and a client requests BW extension when its service volume is <X Mb, then the STA has violated the AP's extension standard, and therefore the AP may impose a penalty. In this case, the AP can detect whether the standard is met by monitoring the traffic volume from the STA (e.g., over a given time period).

[0101] Violations of standards can result in various potential penalties. For example, penalties may involve reducing or decreasing one or more credit points associated with the STA (e.g., the STA may have a fixed credit start), and the AP may impose more severe penalties if the credit points reach 0 (e.g., or a configured threshold). Alternatively or additionally, penalties may involve one or more of the following: rejecting future requests from the violating STA / client (e.g., until a configured time duration or timeout expires, where the time duration / timeout can be infinity), reducing the frequency of serving clients (e.g., transmission triggers) until the time duration expires (e.g., the time duration can be infinity), or unassociating the violating STA / client.

[0102] In some respects, AP can increase penalties (or increase the duration of penalties) for each violation.

[0103] As mentioned above, the AP can reward STAs for adhering to policies (e.g., if the STA meets the extended criteria). For example, if a client meets the extended criteria, the AP can increment or increase the credit points associated with the STA. In some respects, as mentioned above, the AP can increase the frequency of service to clients until the time period expires (e.g., the time period can be infinite).

[0104] Additional conditions / standards may be declared / broadcast by the AP (e.g., as part of a policy, response, or other signaling). For example, in some aspects, the AP may declare (e.g., for operational extensions) whether a request should be transmitted via a subfield in a management frame or a data frame and / or control frame. In some cases, such declarations may be based on the AP's ability to act on the request. For example, if the AP can therefore perform an action and / or respond to the request within a time duration (e.g., a short inter-frame interval (SIFS)), the AP may allow the request via a subfield in a data frame / control frame (e.g., an aggregation control subfield). However, if the AP is therefore unable to perform an action and / or respond to the request within a time duration (e.g., if the AP needs more time), the AP may require (e.g., a non-AP) STA to send the request in a management frame (e.g., an action frame). In some aspects, the conditions may be the same for all extension options, or they may be different for different extension options. In some aspects, if a non-AP STA does not transmit the request according to the additional information / standards announced by the AP, the AP may impose a penalty on that non-AP STA.

[0105] In some respects, the AP may declare (e.g., as part of a policy, response, or other signaling) whether the STA wants to protect the request frame (e.g., via Message Integrity Verification (MIC) or encryption) and the type of protection required. In other respects, the AP may declare (e.g., as part of a policy, response, or other signaling) whether the STA wants to send the request frame, whether it is unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

[0106] In some respects, the AP may declare (e.g., as part of a policy, response, or other signaling) the duration of an operational extension. This duration may indicate the length of time a requested (e.g., and / or accepted / granted) extension can remain valid. For example, in some cases, the duration may be defined based on the current transmission opportunity (TXOP), in which case the extension ends when the current TXOP ends. In some cases, the duration may be defined as a specific beacon interval, during which the extension is applied. This specific beacon interval may be the current beacon interval, the next beacon interval, or a beacon interval explicitly specified by the AP. In some cases, the extension may begin and end at a specific timing synchronization function (TSF) value, which may be specified by the AP. In some cases, the duration may be specified in a response frame or based on a triggering event (e.g., the extension may be valid until the AP transmits a frame with certain configurations (e.g., More Data = 0, End of Service Period (EOSP) = 1, and / or Power Management (PM) = 1)). In some cases, the duration can be announced by the AP in management frames (e.g., probe response frames or beacon frames).

[0107] In some respects, the duration of the extension can be periodic. For example, periodic extensions can be similarly configured as a Target Wake Time (TWT). For example, there might be a service period that extends every X milliseconds and / or the extension duration could be Y milliseconds. In some cases, this could be a variant / type of TWT. In some respects, the duration of the extension can be requested by the STA in a request frame or can be negotiated via multiple request and response frames.

[0108] Depending on some aspects, request and response signaling may be transmitted via management frames (e.g., action frames) or through a subfield (e.g., the A control field) in control frames or data frames. In some cases, if the frames (e.g., those transmitting request and response signaling) are unprotected, an attacker could cause the AP to wake up frequently, thereby compromising the AP's PS.

[0109] Depending on certain aspects, some or all of the request frames and / or response frames / signaling / subfields may be protected. In some cases, such protection may be encouraged or required by policy or other signaling. A non-AP STA may then protect the request, as indicated. In some cases, if a non-AP STA does not protect the request, the AP may impose a penalty action on that non-AP STA (e.g., as described above). In some aspects, this protection may be implemented via Message Integrity Verification (MIC). In this case, all STAs in the Basic Service Set (BSS) are aware of the impending AP expansion. In some aspects, this protection may be implemented via encryption. For example, one or more frames / subfields may be encrypted using a single key, which can prevent certain attacks from unauthorized or malicious users (e.g., replay attacks). In some aspects, frames / signals / subfields may be encrypted using a group key. Otherwise, a spoofed, unauthorized, or malicious device could impersonate the AP's Media Access Control (MAC) address and announce incorrect usage of parameters.

[0110] Depending on certain aspects, additional information may be provided by the AP (e.g., as part of a policy, response, or other signaling). For example, in some cases, the AP may provide the STA with additional information including instructions for transmitting frames, allowing the AP or another STA to recover from blindness. The non-AP STA can then transmit the frame as instructed. In some cases, if a non-AP STA does not transmit a frame, the AP may impose a penalty action on that non-AP STA (e.g., as described above). As mentioned above, blindness typically refers to a situation where there may be ongoing transmission on a channel where the AP has not detected its preamble (e.g., due to a dormant state). The transmission of frames (via response prompts) allows a blind node (AP or non-AP STA) to synchronize with the channel.

[0111] In some respects, the expansion or contraction of operations (e.g., operating parameters) can be a UHR or a Wi-Fi (e.g., 11bn) framework and may not be tied to AP power saving (PS) operations.

[0112] In some respects, an AP can declare (e.g., without prompting or upon request) why it operates with certain (e.g., operational) parameters. For example, if a link is disabled, the AP can declare that it is disabling or has disabled the link due to PS reasons.

[0113] In some respects, in response to an extension request, the AP may provide additional information in the response frame. In some cases, this additional information may indicate the reason for rejecting the extension request. For example, if the AP operates at a 40MHz BW but is capable of operating at 80MHz, the AP may reject the request to extend to 80MHz and inform the client in the response that the reason for rejecting the STA's request is due to PS reasons or other reasons (e.g., regulatory), because the STA has violated the standard, and / or that another request will be accepted after a certain time duration or timeout interval.

[0114] In some cases, as mentioned above, the AP may provide additional information in its response to a request, including instructions to the STA to send frames, enabling the AP or another STA to recover from blindness. In some cases, the AP may provide additional information in its response to a request, including updates to policy information (e.g., updates to the extension options described herein, the criteria for requesting extensions, penalties for violating criteria, the duration of extensions, and / or any additional conditions / considerations).

[0115] In some respects, an AP may not be allowed to completely veto a STA's request. For example, in some cases, if a STA has already requested to enable a new link, the AP may be required to enable the link. However, in such cases, the AP may choose to operate in a minimum power consumption state (e.g., PS mode with a wake-up state), which could be a restricted operating mode that supports low BW and low NSS, among other parameters. For example, in some cases, wireless communication standards may require such a request, and / or the AP may declare such a request as part of its policy.

[0116] In some respects, an extension (e.g., a contraction) based on an operation or parameter requested from a STA may be applicable to / applied to other STAs. For example, in some respects, a STA may receive (detect) a request frame / response frame transmitted by / to another non-AP STA. In such respects, the AP may transmit a response frame to a broadcast address, making all(or more) STAs aware of the extension. In some cases, the response frame may carry an indication of the set of STAs to which the extension is applied. For example, in some respects, the response frame may also include an association identifier (AID) bitmap or similar indication specifying the associated STAs / clients to which the extension is applied. In some respects, the response frame may also include an explicit or implicit indication that the extension applies to all(or more) STAs / clients. In some respects, the response frame may also include an indication that the extension applies only to STAs supporting a certain capability (e.g., support for 320MHz BW) or a certain generation of STAs (e.g., Very High Throughput (VHT) or its successors).

[0117] Depending on some aspects, each extension can be a service provided by an AP with an identifier. For example, in some aspects, an extension may be applied only to the requesting STA by default, but other STAs can send a request to subscribe to the extension by requesting the identifier associated with the service / extension.

[0118] In some respects, if a STA that cannot transmit an extension request receives an extension response, and if the extension is applied to that STA, then that STA can also extend its operation to match the AP's operation (e.g., to refresh its UL packets more quickly). Doing so avoids frame exchange between the receiving STA and the AP.

[0119] FIG. 9 A flowchart illustrating a process 900 that can be executed at a first wireless node according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of process 900 may be implemented by the first wireless node or its components as described herein. For example, process 900 may be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference _____) operating as or within the first wireless node. FIG. 11 The described wireless communication device 1100) performs the process. In some examples, process 900 may be performed by a first wireless node (such as a reference 1100). FIG. 1 The described wireless AP 102 is performed by a wireless AP. The operation of process 900 and the subject matter of this disclosure are applicable to different systems. For example, the operation of process 900 and the subject matter of this disclosure are applicable to 802.11s mesh systems (as defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11), simple mesh systems (as defined by the WiFi Alliance), and / or other mesh-based network systems.

[0120] At 910, process 900 includes the first wireless node outputting information indicating at least one of the following for transmission: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node.

[0121] At 920, process 900 includes the first wireless node receiving a first request that requests the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters.

[0122] At 930, process 900 includes the first wireless node processing the first request based on the information.

[0123] In some respects, method 900 also includes outputting additional information for transmission, which indicates an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option.

[0124] In some respects, the operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmit power, or resource unit (RU) size.

[0125] In some respects, the option includes one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active master channels or the number of active links.

[0126] In some respects, at least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode.

[0127] In some respects, at least one of the one or more standards depends on at least one of the following: the amount of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of the second wireless node, the capabilities of the second wireless node, the battery status of the second wireless node, or the number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted in a time period.

[0128] In some respects, the standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

[0129] In some respects, processing the request includes performing one or more actions if the second wireless node does not meet at least one of the criteria in the standard.

[0130] In some respects, the one or more actions include at least one of the following: reducing the credit allocated to the second wireless node; rejecting one or more requests from the second wireless node for a period of time; reducing the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node for a period of time; or disconnecting the second wireless node from the first wireless node.

[0131] In some respects, method 900 also includes selecting one or more actions based on previous actions.

[0132] In some aspects, method 900 also includes performing one or more actions if the second wireless node satisfies at least one of the criteria in the standard.

[0133] In some respects, the one or more actions include at least one of the following: increasing the credit allocated to the second wireless node; or increasing the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node.

[0134] In some respects, the information further indicates at least one of the following: the type of frame used to signal the first request, the first request being used to enable the first radio node to modify the radio operational capability; whether the frame should be protected; the type of protection for the frame; or whether the frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

[0135] In some respects, the modification of the wireless operational capability indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and the at least one duration is at least one of the following: indicated in the information, indicated in the first request, negotiated with the second wireless node, or periodic.

[0136] In some respects, method 900 also includes at least one of the following: decrypting the first request.

[0137] In some respects, method 900 also includes verifying the first request based on message integrity verification (MIC).

[0138] In some respects, method 900 also includes outputting a response to the first request for sending.

[0139] In some respects, method 900 also includes encrypting the content of the response to the first request.

[0140] In some respects, method 900 also includes, or via MIC, protecting the content of the response to the first request.

[0141] In some aspects, method 900 further includes outputting a response to the first request for transmission, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: whether the first request is granted or denied, the reason for the denial of the first request, or additional information not previously indicated in the information.

[0142] In some respects, the additional information indicates at least one of the following: the one or more wireless nodes to which the modification indicated in the first request applies, or one or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node.

[0143] In one aspect, method 900 or any aspect thereof may be made by means of a device (such as...) FIG. 11 The wireless communication device 1100 performs the method 900, which includes various components capable of operating, being configured, or adapted to perform the method. The communication device 1100 is described in more detail below.

[0144] It should be noted that FIG. 9 This is merely one example of a method, and other methods consistent with this disclosure, including fewer, additional, or alternative steps, are possible.

[0145] FIG. 10 A flowchart illustrating a process 1000 that can be executed at a first wireless node according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown. The operation of process 1000 may be implemented by a first wireless node or its components as described herein. For example, process 1000 may be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as a reference cipher) operating as or within a first wireless node. FIG. 11 The described wireless communication device 1100) performs the process. In some examples, process 1000 may be performed by a first wireless node (such as a reference 1100). FIG. 1 The described wireless AP 1002 is performed by a wireless AP. The operation of process 1000 and the subject matter of this disclosure are applicable to different systems. For example, the operation of process 1000 and the subject matter of this disclosure are applicable to 802.11s mesh systems (as defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11), simple mesh systems (as defined by the WiFi Alliance), and / or other mesh-based network systems.

[0146] At 1010, process 1000 includes a first wireless node receiving information indicating at least one of the following: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by a second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node.

[0147] At 1020, process 1000 includes the first wireless node outputting a first request for transmission, the first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operational capability based on the information.

[0148] In some respects, method 1000 also includes obtaining additional information indicating an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option.

[0149] In some aspects, method 1000 further includes outputting a second request for transmission, the second request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operational capability based on the additional information.

[0150] In some respects, the operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmit power, or resource unit (RU) size.

[0151] In some respects, the option includes one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active master channels or the number of active links.

[0152] In some respects, at least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode.

[0153] In some respects, at least one of the one or more standards depends on at least one of the following: the amount of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of the second wireless node, the capabilities of the second wireless node, the battery status of the second wireless node, or, according to the standard, the number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted in a time period.

[0154] In some respects, the standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

[0155] In some respects, the information further indicates at least one of the following: the type of frame used to signal the first request, the first request being used to enable the first radio node to modify the radio operational capability; whether the frame should be protected; the type of protection for the frame; or whether the frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

[0156] In some respects, the modification of the wireless operational capability indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and the at least one duration is at least one of the following: indicated in the information, indicated in the first request, negotiated with the second wireless node, or periodic.

[0157] In some respects, method 1000 further includes at least one of the following: protecting the first request via at least one of encryption or message integrity verification (MIC).

[0158] In some respects, method 1000 also includes obtaining a response to the first request.

[0159] In some respects, method 1000 also includes decrypting the contents of the response to the first request.

[0160] In some respects, method 1000 also includes verifying, or via MIC, the content of the response to the first request.

[0161] In some aspects, method 1000 further includes obtaining a response to the first request, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: whether the first request is granted or denied, the reason for the denial of the first request, or additional information not previously indicated in the information.

[0162] In some aspects, the additional information indicates at least one of the following: one or more wireless nodes to which the modification indicated in the first request applies, or one or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node, and the method further includes at least one of the following: generating a second request based on the additional information; or performing the one or more actions.

[0163] In one aspect, method 1000 or any aspect thereof may be made by means of a device (such as...) FIG. 11 The wireless communication device 1100 performs the method, which includes various components capable of operating, being configured, or being adapted to perform the method 1000. The communication device 1100 is described in more detail below.

[0164] It should be noted that FIG. 10 This is merely one example of a method, and other methods consistent with this disclosure, including fewer, additional, or alternative steps, are possible.

[0165] FIG. 11 A block diagram of a wireless communication device 1100 (such as an AP or non-AP STA) according to some aspects of this disclosure is shown. In one example, the wireless communication device 1100 is configured or capable of operating to perform reference... FIG. 9 The process 900 is described. In another example, the wireless communication device 1100 is configured or able to operate to perform the reference. FIG. 10The process 1100 is described. In various examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device, which may include: one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem (such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem)); one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively, “processors”); one or more radio components (collectively, “radio components”); and one or more memories or storage blocks (collectively, “memory”).

[0166] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be used for use in an AP (such as a reference). FIG. 1 The device used in the described AP102). In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be an AP including a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device, and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1100 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured or be able to operate to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 series of wireless communication protocol standards. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes an application processor or may be coupled to such an application processor, which may be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes at least one external network interface that enables communication with a core network or backhaul network to obtain access to external networks, including the Internet.

[0167] The wireless communication device 1100 includes an acquisition component 1102, an output component 1104, an encryption component 1106, a processing component 1108, a selection component 1110, an execution component 1112, a decryption component 1114, an authentication component 1116, a protection component 1118, a reduction component 1120, a rejection component 1122, a reduction component 1124, a deassociation component 1126, an addition component 1128, and / or a generation component 1130.

[0168] A portion of one or more of components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, and / or 1130 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the acquisition component 1102 and the output component 1104 may be implemented at least partially by a modem. In some examples, at least some of components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, and / or 1130 are implemented at least partially by a processor and are implemented as software stored in memory. For example, portions of one or more of components 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, 1112, 1114, 1116, 1118, 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128 and / or 1130 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") that can be executed by a processor to perform the function or operation of the corresponding module.

[0169] In some implementations, the processor may be a component of a processing system. A processing system typically refers to a system or a series of machines or components that receive input and process that input to produce a set of outputs that can be passed to other systems or, for example, components of wireless communication device 1100. For example, the processing system of wireless communication device 1100 may refer to a system that includes various other components or sub-components of wireless communication device 1100 (such as a processor, transceiver, communication manager, or other components or combinations of components of wireless communication device 1100). The processing system of wireless communication device 1100 may interface with other components of wireless communication device 1100 and may process information received from other components (such as inputs or signals) or output that information to other components. For example, the chip or modem of wireless communication device 1100 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for receiving information. In some implementations, the first interface may refer to the interface between the processing system of the chip or modem and a transmitter, enabling wireless communication device 1100 to transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some specific implementations, the second interface may refer to the interface between the processing system of the chip or modem and the receiver, enabling the wireless communication device 1100 to receive information or signal input, and the information to be transmitted to the processing system. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the first interface can also receive information or signal input, and the second interface can also output information or signal output.

[0170] The acquiring component 1102 may be able to be configured or operated to at least acquire a first request, which requests the first wireless node to modify wireless operating parameters.

[0171] Output component 1104 may be able to be configured or operated to output information indicating at least one of the following for transmission: (i) one or more criteria that, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node.

[0172] The encryption component 1106 may be able to be configured or operated to at least encrypt the content of the response to the first request.

[0173] Processing component 1108 may be able to be configured or operated to process the first request based at least on the information.

[0174] Select component 1110 may be able to be configured or operated to select one or more actions based at least on previous actions.

[0175] The execution component 1112 may be able to be configured or operated to perform one or more actions if the second wireless node satisfies at least one of the criteria in the standard.

[0176] Decryption component 1114 may be able to be configured or operated to at least decrypt the first request.

[0177] The verification component 1116 may be able to be configured or operated to verify the first request at least based on Message Integrity Verification (MIC).

[0178] The protection component 1118 may be able to be configured or operated to protect the content of the response to the first request at least via the MIC.

[0179] The reduction component 1120 may be able to be configured or operated to at least reduce the amount of credits allocated to the second wireless node.

[0180] The rejection component 1122 may be able to be configured or operated to reject one or more requests from the second wireless node for at least a period of time.

[0181] The reduction component 1124 may be able to be configured or operated to at least reduce the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node for a period of time.

[0182] The unassociation component 1126 may be able to be configured or operated to at least unassociate the second wireless node from the first wireless node.

[0183] The added component 1128 may be able to be configured or operated to at least increase the amount of credits allocated to the second wireless node.

[0184] The generation component 1130 may be able to be configured or operated to generate a second request based at least on the additional information.

[0185] Various components of the wireless communication device 1100 can provide for performing reference FIG. 9 The described method 900, reference FIG. 10 The described method 1000 or any aspect thereof may include components. Components for receiving or obtaining may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes a transceiver and / or antenna, and / or a wireless communication device 1100, comprising component 1102. Components for transmitting, conveying, or outputting for transmission may include references. FIG. 1 The transceiver and / or antenna of the described AP 102, and / or the output component 1104 of the wireless communication device 1100.

[0186] The component used for encryption may include a reference. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the encryption component 1106 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components used for processing may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the processing component 1108 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components for selection may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or a selection component 1110 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components used for execution may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the execution component 1112 of the wireless communication device 1100. The component used for decryption may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the decryption component 1114 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components used for authentication may include references. FIG. 1The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the verification component 1116 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components for protection may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or the protection component 1118 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components for reduction may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or a reduced component 1120 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components for rejection may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or a rejection component 1122 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components used for reduction may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or a reduction component 1124 of the wireless communication device 1100. Components for decoupling may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or a decoupling component 1126 for the wireless communication device 1100. Additional components may include references. FIG. 1 The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor), and / or additional components 1128 of the wireless communication device 1100. The components used in the creation may include references. Example clauses The described AP 102 includes one or more processors (such as a receive processor, controller, and / or transmit processor) and / or the generating component 1130 of the wireless communication device 1100.

[0187] In some cases, the wireless communication device 1100 may not actually transmit, for example, signals and / or data, but may have an interface (output component) for outputting signals and / or data for transmission. For example, a processor may output signals and / or data for transmission to the radio frequency (RF) front end of the wireless communication device 1100 via a bus interface. In various aspects, the RF front end may include various components, including transmit and receive processors, transmit and receive MIMO processors, modulators, demodulators, etc.

[0188] In some cases, the wireless communication device 1100 may not actually receive signals and / or data, but may have an interface (a component for receiving) for acquiring signals and / or data received from another device. For example, a processor may acquire (or receive) signals and / or data from the RF front end of the wireless communication device 1100 via a bus interface for reception. In various aspects, the RF front end may include various components, including transmit and receive processors, transmit and receive MIMO processors, modulators, demodulators, etc.

[0189] Additional considerations

[0190] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0191] Clause 1: A method for wireless communication at a first wireless node, the method comprising: outputting information indicating at least one of the following for transmission: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by a second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; obtaining a first request, the first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters; and processing the first request based on the information.

[0192] Clause 2: The method according to Clause 1 further includes: outputting additional information for transmission, the additional information indicating an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option.

[0193] Clause 3: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 2, wherein the operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmission power, or resource unit (RU) size.

[0194] Clause 4: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the options include one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active primary channels or the number of active links.

[0195] Clause 5: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode.

[0196] Clause 6: In the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5, at least one of the one or more criteria depends on at least one of the following: the amount of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of the second wireless node, the capability of the second wireless node, the battery status of the second wireless node, or the number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted in a time period.

[0197] Clause 7: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

[0198] Clause 8: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein processing the request comprises: performing one or more actions if the second wireless node does not meet at least one of the standards.

[0199] Clause 9: The method described in Clause 8, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of the following: reducing the credit allocated to the second wireless node; rejecting one or more requests from the second wireless node for a period of time; reducing the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node for a period of time; or deassociating the second wireless node with the first wireless node.

[0200] Clause 10: The method described in Clause 8 further includes: selecting the one or more actions based on a previous action.

[0201] Clause 11: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, the method further comprising: performing one or more actions if the second wireless node satisfies at least one of the standards.

[0202] Clause 12: The method described in Clause 11, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of the following: increasing the credit allocated to the second wireless node; or increasing the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node.

[0203] Clause 13: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the information further indicates at least one of the following: for signaling the type of the frame of the first request, the first request being for the first radio node to modify the radio operational capability; whether the frame should be protected; the type of protection for the frame; or whether the frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

[0204] Clause 14: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13, wherein: the modification of the wireless operational capability indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and the at least one duration is at least one of the following: indicated in the information, indicated in the first request, negotiated with the second wireless node, or periodic.

[0205] Clause 15: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 14 further comprises at least one of the following: decrypting the first request; verifying the first request based on a message integrity check (MIC); outputting a response to the first request for transmission; encrypting the content of the response to the first request; and or protecting the content of the response to the first request via the MIC.

[0206] Clause 16: The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 15, the method further comprising: outputting a response to the first request for transmission, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: whether the first request is granted or denied, the reason for the denial of the first request, or additional information not previously indicated in the information.

[0207] Clause 17: The method according to Clause 16, wherein the additional information indicates at least one of the following: one or more wireless nodes to which the modification indicated in the first request is applied, or one or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node.

[0208] Clause 18: A method for wireless communication at a second wireless node, the method comprising: obtaining information indicating at least one of: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request a first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the one or more wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; and outputting a first request for transmission, the first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters based on the information.

[0209] Clause 19: The method according to Clause 18 further comprises: obtaining additional information indicating an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option; and outputting a second request for transmission, the second request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operational capability based on the additional information.

[0210] Clause 20: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 19, wherein the operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmit power, or resource unit (RU) size.

[0211] Clause 21: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 20, wherein the options include one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active primary channels or the number of active links.

[0212] Clause 22: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 21, wherein at least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode.

[0213] Clause 23: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 22, wherein at least one of the one or more criteria depends on at least one of the following: the amount of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has transmitted, the type of the second wireless node, the capability of the second wireless node, the battery status of the second wireless node, or the number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted in a time period according to the criteria.

[0214] Clause 24: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 23, wherein the standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

[0215] Clause 25: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 24, wherein the information further indicates at least one of the following: for signaling the type of the frame of the first request, the first request being for causing the first radio node to modify the radio operational capability; whether the frame should be protected; the type of protection for the frame; or whether the frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

[0216] Clause 26: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 25, wherein: the modification of the wireless operational capability indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and the at least one duration is at least one of the following: indicated in the information, indicated in the first request, negotiated with the second wireless node, or periodic.

[0217] Clause 27: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 26 further comprises at least one of: protecting the first request via at least one of encryption or message integrity verification (MIC); obtaining a response to the first request; decrypting the content of the response to the first request; and or verifying the content of the response to the first request via MIC.

[0218] Clause 28: The method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 27, the method further comprising: obtaining a response to the first request, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: whether the first request is granted or denied, the reason for the denial of the first request, or additional information not previously indicated in the information.

[0219] Clause 29: The method according to Clause 28, wherein: the additional information indicates at least one of the following: one or more wireless nodes to which the modification indicated in the first request is applied, or one or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node, and the method further includes at least one of the following: generating a second request based on the additional information; or performing the one or more actions.

[0220] Clause 30: An apparatus comprising: a memory including executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 29.

[0221] Clause 31: An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 29.

[0222] Clause 32: A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 29.

[0223] Clause 33: A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium, said computer-readable storage medium including code for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 29.

[0224] Clause 34: An access point comprising: at least one transceiver; a memory including executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause a UE to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 17, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to perform at least one of: transmitting the information or receiving the first request.

[0225] Clause 35: A wireless station comprising: at least one transceiver; a memory including executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the executable instructions and cause the UE to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 18 to 29, wherein the at least one transceiver is configured to perform at least one of: receiving the information or sending the first request.

[0226] ​

[0227] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and therefore, "determine" can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, searching (such as by searching in a table, database, or other data structure), reasoning, probing, and similar actions. Additionally, "determine" can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory), sending (such as sending information), etc. Furthermore, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, obtaining, choosing, building, and other similar actions.

[0228] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of the items” refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense unless otherwise expressly indicated. For example, “a or b” could include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b.

[0229] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated, “or” is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, unless otherwise expressly indicated, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “at least partially based on,” “associated with,” or “according to.” Specifically, unless the phrase in the context refers to “based on only one” or an equivalent, it may be based solely on “one” or on a combination of “one” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information, whether it is “based on one” or “at least partially based on one.”

[0230] The various exemplary components, logic units, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of its functionality and exemplified in the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0231] Various modifications to the examples described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be granted the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0232] Additionally, the various features described in this specification in the context of individual examples may also be implemented in combination in a single specific embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single specific embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple examples. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination, and even initially claimed in this way, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may involve sub-combinations or variations of sub-combinations.

[0233] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the diagrams, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the accompanying figures may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of flowcharts or flow diagrams. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all examples, but rather should be understood as meaning that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated in multiple software products.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing wireless communication at a first wireless node, the apparatus comprising: processor; A memory coupled to the processor; and Instructions, which are stored in the memory and can be executed by the processor, to cause the device to: The output indicates information for transmission of at least one of the following: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters; or (ii) one or more options, which are used to modify the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node. A first request is received, which requests the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters; as well as The first request will be processed based on the information provided.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to output additional information for transmission, the additional information indicating an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmit power, or resource unit (RU) size.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the options include one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active primary channels or the number of active links.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more standards depends on at least one of the following: The traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has already transmitted. The second wireless node must transmit or has already transmitted the type of service. The type of the second wireless node, The capabilities of the second wireless node, The battery status of the second wireless node, or The number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted within a time period.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the first request comprises: Perform one or more actions if the second wireless node does not meet at least one of the standards.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of the following: Reduce the amount of credits allocated to the second wireless node; Deny one or more requests from the second wireless node for a period of time; Reduce the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node within a certain time period; or Disconnect the second wireless node from the first wireless node.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to select the one or more actions based on a previous action.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to: If the second wireless node satisfies at least one of the criteria, one or more actions are performed, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of the following: Increase the amount of credit allocated to the second wireless node; or Increase the frequency at which the second wireless node is served by the first wireless node.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information further indicates at least one of the following: The frame is used to signal the type of the first request, which is used to cause the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters. Should the frame be protected? Regarding the protection type of the frame, or The frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The modifications to the wireless operating parameters indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and The at least one duration is at least one of the following: As indicated in the information, As indicated in the first request, Negotiated with the second wireless node, or Periodic.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: Decrypt the first request; The first request is verified based on Message Integrity Verification (MIC). Output the response to the first request for sending; Encrypt the content of the response to the first request; or The content of the response to the first request is protected via MIC.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to: Output a response to the first request for transmission, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: Is the first request granted or denied? The reason why the first request was denied, or Additional information not previously indicated in the information provided.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the additional information indicates at least one of the following: The modification indicated in the first request applies to one or more wireless nodes, or One or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver being configured to send the information or receive the first request, wherein the device is configured as an access point (AP).

18. An apparatus for wireless communication at a second wireless node, the apparatus comprising: processor; A memory coupled to the processor; and Instructions, which are stored in the memory and can be executed by the processor, to cause the device to: Obtain information indicating at least one of the following: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters, or (ii) one or more options for modifying the one or more wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node; as well as Output a first request for transmission, the first request requesting the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters based on the information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to: Obtain additional information indicating an update to at least one of the following: the standard or the option; and A second request is output for transmission, which requests the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters based on the additional information.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wireless operating parameters include at least one of the following: bandwidth, number of spatial streams, transmit power, or resource unit (RU) size.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the options include one or more options for increasing or decreasing the number of active primary channels or the number of active links.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: At least one of the wireless operating parameters is associated with an operating mode, and The standard includes different standards corresponding to different options for modifying the wireless operating parameters.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more criteria depends on at least one of the following: The traffic that the second wireless node must transmit or has already transmitted. The second wireless node must transmit or has already transmitted the type of service. The type of the second wireless node, The capabilities of the second wireless node, The battery status of the second wireless node, or According to the standard, the number of requests that the second wireless node has transmitted in a time period.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the information further indicates at least one of the following: The frame is used to signal the type of the first request, which is used to cause the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters. Should the frame be protected? Regarding the protection type of the frame, or The frame should be unicast-addressed or multicast-addressed.

25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein: The modifications to the wireless operating parameters indicated in the first request will be effective for at least one duration; and The at least one duration is at least one of the following: As indicated in the information, As indicated in the first request, Negotiated with the second wireless node, or Periodic.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: The first request is protected by at least one of encryption or message integrity verification (MIC); Receive a response to the first request; Decrypt the content of the response to the first request; or The content of the response to the first request is verified via MIC.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further enable the apparatus to obtain a response to the first request, wherein the response indicates at least one of the following: Is the first request granted or denied? The reason why the first request was denied, or Additional information not previously indicated in the information provided.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein: The additional information indicates at least one of the following: the one or more wireless nodes to which the modification indicated in the first request applies, or one or more actions to be performed by the second wireless node, and The instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor further cause the device to perform at least one of the following: A second request is generated based on the additional information; or Perform one or more of the aforementioned actions.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: At least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver being configured to receive the information or send the first request, wherein the device is configured as a wireless station.

30. A method for performing wireless communication at a first wireless node, the method comprising: The output indicates information for transmission of at least one of the following: (i) one or more criteria, which, when satisfied by the second wireless node, indicate that the second wireless node is permitted to request the first wireless node to modify one or more wireless operating parameters; or (ii) one or more options, which are used to modify the wireless operating parameters of the first wireless node. A first request is received, which requests the first wireless node to modify the wireless operating parameters; as well as The first request will be processed based on the information provided.

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