Method for transmitting and receiving data in wireless communication system and wireless communication terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system and a wireless communication terminal. A method of transmitting and receiving a PPDU in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A terminal receives a frame indicating transmission of a PPDU from an access point (AP) to one or more terminals, and transmits the PPDU based on an AID12 subfield included in the frame. At this time, when the PPDU transmitted by the frame is indicated to be an Extreme High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield is set to one of a plurality of values other than at least one specific value used to allocate uplink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access Random Access (UORA) resources for at least one terminal supporting High Efficiency (HE).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 202180060642.9 (International Application No. PCT / KR2021 / 009004), filed on January 13, 2023, with an international application date of July 13, 2021, entitled "Method for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system and wireless communication terminal". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method and a wireless communication terminal for effectively signaling uplink multi-user information in a wireless communication system. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, with the expansion of mobile device supply, Wireless LAN technology, which can provide fast wireless internet services to mobile devices, has gained attention. Wireless LAN technology allows mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, portable multimedia players, embedded devices, and more, to wirelessly access the internet in their homes, offices, or other service areas based on short-range wireless communication technology.

[0004] Since using the 2.4 GHz frequency to support initial wireless LAN technology, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 has commercialized or developed various technical standards. First, IEEE 802.11b, using the 2.4 GHz band, supported a maximum communication speed of 11 Mbps. Compared to the significantly congested 2.4 GHz band, IEEE 802.11a, commercialized after IEEE 802.11b, used the 5 GHz band instead of 2.4 GHz to reduce interference and increased the communication speed to a maximum of 54 Mbps through the use of OFDM technology. However, a drawback of IEEE 802.11a is its shorter communication range compared to IEEE 802.11b. Furthermore, similar to IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g uses the 2.4 GHz frequency band to achieve a maximum communication speed of 54 Mbps and meets backward compatibility, which is of significant interest. Moreover, it is superior to IEEE 802.11a in terms of communication range.

[0005] Furthermore, IEEE 802.11n has been developed as a technical standard to overcome the limitations of communication speed, a weakness identified in wireless LANs. IEEE 802.11n aims to improve network speed and reliability and extend the operating range of wireless networks. More specifically, IEEE 802.11n supports High Throughput (HT), with data processing speeds of up to 540 Mbps or higher, and further, it is based on Multiple Inputs Multiple Outputs (MIMO) technology, where multiple antennas are used on both sides of the transmitting and receiving units to minimize transmission errors and optimize data speed. Additionally, the standard can use a compilation scheme that transmits multiple superimposed copies to increase data reliability.

[0006] With the activation of the wireless LAN supply, and further, with the diversification of applications using wireless LAN, the need for new wireless LAN systems supporting higher throughput (Very High Throughput, VHT) than those supported by IEEE 802.11n has gained attention. Among these, IEEE 802.11ac supports wide bandwidth (80 to 160 MHz) in the 5 GHz frequency band. The IEEE 802.11ac standard is defined only in the 5 GHz band, but initial 11ac chipsets even support operation in the 2.4 GHz band for backward compatibility with existing 2.4 GHz band products. Theoretically, according to this standard, wireless LAN speeds of up to 1 Gbps can be enabled for multiple stations, and a maximum single-link speed of up to 500 Mbps can be achieved. This is achieved through the concept of expanding the wireless interface received by 802.11n, such as wider wireless frequency bandwidth (up to 160 MHz), more MIMO spatial streams (up to 8), multi-user MIMO, and high-density modulation (up to 256 QAM). Furthermore, IEEE 802.11ad has been offered as a solution for transmitting data using the 60 GHz band instead of the existing 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz band. IEEE 802.11ad is a transmission standard that provides speeds up to 7 Gbps using beamforming technology and is suitable for high bit-rate motion streaming, such as large-scale data or uncompressed HD video. However, its drawback is that the 60 GHz band is difficult to penetrate obstacles, limiting its use to devices operating in close proximity.

[0007] As a wireless LAN standard following 802.11ac and 802.11ad, the IEEE 802.11ax (High-Efficiency Wireless LAN (HEW)) standard, designed to provide efficient and high-performance wireless LAN communication in high-density environments with concentrated access points (APs) and terminals, is nearing completion. In 802.11ax-based wireless LAN environments, where high-density stations and access points (APs) are present, high-frequency efficiency communication should be provided indoors / outdoors, and various technologies have been developed to achieve this.

[0008] To support new multimedia applications, such as high-definition video and real-time gaming, new wireless LAN standards are being developed to increase maximum transmission rates. The IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), a 7th generation wireless LAN standard, is under development with the aim of supporting transmission rates up to 30Gbps in the 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz band through wider bandwidth, increased spatial streaming, and multi-AP collaboration. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] As described above, one aspect of the present invention is to provide high-speed wireless LAN services for new multimedia applications.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for determining the format of a PPDU based on a frame indicating the transmission of a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU).

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for setting the value of a length field included in a PPDU differently according to the format of the PPDU indicated by the Access Point (AP).

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a method and apparatus for allocating resources for transmitting PPDUs to traditional terminals and next-generation terminals using the same trigger frame.

[0014] The technical problems to be solved in this specification are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on the following description.

[0015] Technical solution

[0016] A terminal for transmitting a Trigger Based Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU) as a response frame based on a trigger frame in a wireless communication system includes: a communication module; and a processor for controlling the communication module, wherein the processor: receives from an Access Point (AP) a frame instructing one or more terminals to transmit a PPDU, the frame including a common information field and a user information field for each of the one or more terminals, the user information field including an AID12 subfield indicating the purpose of the user information field; transmits the PPDU based on the AID12 subfield; when the PPDU instructed to be transmitted by the frame is an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield is set to one of a plurality of values ​​other than at least one specific value, the at least one specific value being used to allocate uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access for supporting at least one high-efficiency (HE) terminal. Resources with random access (UORA).

[0017] Furthermore, in this invention, the plurality of values ​​are used to identify user information fields for each terminal that supports EHT (Extremely High Throughput).

[0018] Furthermore, in this invention, of the at least one specific value, the first specific value is used to allocate resources for UORA operations of terminals unassociated with the AP.

[0019] Furthermore, in this invention, the first specific value is '2045'.

[0020] Furthermore, in this invention, a second specific value is used to allocate resources for UORA operations of the associated terminal. The second specific value is included in the at least one specific value when a specific condition is not met, and is included in the plurality of values ​​when the specific condition is met.

[0021] Furthermore, in this invention, the specific condition is that all terminals associated with the AP are not terminals that are unable to transmit the EHT PPDU but are capable of transmitting the HE PPDU.

[0022] Furthermore, in this invention, the second specific value is '0'.

[0023] Furthermore, in this invention, the specific condition is that the frame is included in the case where an EHT PPDU is transmitted.

[0024] Furthermore, in this invention, the specific condition is that among the multiple terminals associated with the AP, none can send the EHTPPDU, and all terminals capable of sending the EHTPPDU do not support UORA operation.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for transmitting frames by a terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising the following steps: receiving from an access point (AP) a frame instructing one or more terminals to transmit a PPDU, the frame including a common information field and a user information field for each of the one or more terminals, the user information field including an AID12 subfield indicating the purpose of the user information field; and transmitting the PPDU based on the AID12 subfield, wherein when the PPDU instructing transmission by the frame is an EHT (Extremely High Throughput) PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield is set to one of a plurality of values ​​other than at least one specific value, wherein the at least one specific value is used to allocate resources for at least one terminal supporting HE (High Efficiency) based on uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA).

[0026] Beneficial effects

[0027] According to embodiments of the present invention, it has the effect of efficiently notifying multi-link information with signals.

[0028] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, the transmission of PPDUs in different formats can be indicated by a single frame.

[0029] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the invention, it has the effect of indicating the transmission of a legacy PPDU for backward compatibility through a single frame.

[0030] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, the overall resource utilization rate can be increased in a contention-based channel access system, and the performance of a wireless LAN system can be improved.

[0031] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, resources can be allocated to terminals of different generations using the same frame, thereby reducing signaling overhead and enabling efficient resource allocation.

[0032] The effects that can be obtained in this invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 The illustration shows a wireless LAN system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 The illustration shows a wireless LAN system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 The illustration shows the configuration of a station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the configuration of an access point according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the process of setting up a link between a station and an access point.

[0038] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) / Collision Avoidance (CA) method used in wireless LAN communication.

[0039] Figure 7 An example of the format of the PLCP Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) for each of the various standard generations is shown.

[0040] Figure 8 Various Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU formats according to embodiments of the present invention are illustrated, along with examples of methods for indicating such formats.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a view illustrating a multi-link device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10 This illustrates a wireless LAN function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 11 This illustrates uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 12 The trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0045] Figure 13 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0046] Figure 14 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0047] Figure 15 A diagram illustrating a method for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0048] Figure 16 A trigger frame format for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 17 A trigger frame format for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format is shown according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 18 A method for determining the trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0051] Figure 19 A method for setting a length field according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0052] Figure 20 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0053] Figure 21 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0054] Figure 22This illustration shows a UL OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)-based random access (UORA) operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 23 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0056] Figure 24 This illustrates a method for indicating TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 25 This is a diagram illustrating another example of a trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 26 This illustrates a method for indicating the trigger frame format and RA-RU according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 27 This is another example illustrating an embodiment of the invention for indicating the trigger frame format and RA-RU.

[0060] Figure 28 This is another example illustrating a method for indicating TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 29 This is an example illustrating a method for instructing uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) operation and TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 30 This is another example illustrating a method for instructing uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) operation and TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 31 This illustrates the trigger frame settings according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 32This illustrates the trigger frame settings and UORA operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 33 This illustrates UL MU operation using TRS according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Figure 34 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting a PPDU according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 35 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting frames that instruct PPDU transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0068] In consideration of the functionality of this invention, the terminology used in this specification employs currently widely used and common terms; however, the terminology may change according to the intent, habits, and emergence of new technologies of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in special cases, there are terms arbitrarily chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their meaning will be explained in the corresponding descriptive section of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the terminology used in this specification should be analyzed not only based on the name of the term, but also on its substantive meaning and the content of the entire specification.

[0069] Throughout this specification, when an element is described as being "coupled" to another element, that element can be "directly coupled" to the other element or "electrically coupled" to the other element via a third element. Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the word "comprising" will be understood to implicitly include the stated element, but does not exclude any other element. Additionally, limitations based on specific thresholds, such as "or above" or "or below," can be appropriately replaced by "greater than" or "less than," respectively. Hereinafter, in this invention, fields and subfields are used interchangeably.

[0070] Figure 1 The illustration shows a wireless LAN system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] A wireless LAN system comprises one or more Basic Service Sets (BSSs), and a BSS represents a collection of devices that have successfully synchronized with each other to communicate. Typically, BSSs can be divided into infrastructure BSSs and independent BSSs (IBSSs). Figure 1 The underlying structure BSS between them is shown.

[0072] like Figure 1As shown, the infrastructure BSS (BSS1 and BSS2) includes one or more stations (STA1, STA2, STA3, STA4 and STA5), access points (AP-1 and AP-2) that serve as stations providing distribution services, and a distribution system (DS) that connects multiple access points (AP-1 and AP-2).

[0073] A station (STA) is a predetermined device comprising Medium Access Control (MAC) conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard and a Physical Layer interface for wireless media, and broadly includes both non-access point (non-AP) stations and access points (APs). Furthermore, in this specification, the term "terminal" may be used to refer to a non-AP STA or an AP, or both. A station for wireless communication includes a processor and a communication unit, and according to embodiments, may further include a user interface unit and a display unit. The processor can generate frames to be transmitted via a wireless network, or process frames to be received via a wireless network, and further performs various processes for controlling the station. Additionally, the communication unit is functionally connected to the processor and transmits and receives frames via the wireless network for the station. According to the present invention, "terminal" can be used as a term including user equipment (UE).

[0074] An Access Point (AP) is an entity that provides access to a Distributed System (DS) via wireless media used by associated stations. In an infrastructure BSS, communication between non-AP stations is generally performed via the AP; however, direct communication between non-AP stations is even permitted when a direct link is configured. In this invention, AP is used as a concept including Personal BSS Coordination Point (PCP), and broadly can include concepts such as a central controller, base station (BS), node B, base transceiver system (BTS), or site controller. In this invention, AP can also be referred to as a base station wireless communication terminal. The term base station wireless communication terminal can be used broadly to include AP, base station, eNodeB (eNB), and transport point (TP). Furthermore, a base station wireless communication terminal can include various types of wireless communication terminals that allocate communication medium resources and perform scheduling in communication with multiple wireless communication terminals.

[0075] Multiple infrastructure BSSs can be interconnected via a distributed system (DS). In this case, multiple BSSs connected via a distributed system are called an Extended Service Set (ESS).

[0076] Figure 2 The illustration shows a standalone BSS according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is a wireless LAN system. Figure 2 In the embodiments, with Figure 1 Same or corresponding Figure 1 Repeated descriptions of certain embodiments will be omitted.

[0077] Because in Figure 2 The BSS3 shown in the diagram is an independent BSS and does not include the AP. All stations STA6 and STA7 are not connected to the AP. Independent BSSs are not allowed to access the distributed system and form a self-contained network. Within an independent BSS, the corresponding stations STA6 and STA7 can be directly interconnected.

[0078] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. (As shown in...) Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a processor 110, a communication unit 120, a user interface unit 140, a display unit 150, and a memory 160.

[0079] First, the communication unit 120 transmits and receives wireless signals, such as wireless LAN packets, and can be embedded in the station 100 or provided as a peripheral. According to embodiments, the communication unit 120 may include at least one communication module using different frequency bands. For example, the communication unit 120 may include communication modules with different frequency bands (such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and 60 GHz). According to embodiments, the station 100 may include communication modules using frequency bands of 7.125 GHz or higher, and communication modules using frequency bands of 7.125 GHz or lower. Each communication module can perform wireless communication with an AP or external station according to the wireless LAN standard of the frequency band supported by the respective communication module. The communication unit 120 may operate only one communication module at a time, or multiple communication modules simultaneously, depending on the performance and requirements of the station 100. When the station 100 includes multiple communication modules, each communication module can be implemented by an independent component, or multiple modules can be integrated into a single chip. In embodiments of the invention, the communication unit 120 may represent an RF communication module for processing radio frequency (RF) signals.

[0080] Secondly, the user interface unit 140 includes various types of input / output devices provided in the station 100. That is, the user interface unit 140 can receive user input using various input devices, and the processor 110 can control the station 100 based on the received user input. Furthermore, the user interface unit 140 can execute outputs based on commands from the processor 110 using various output devices.

[0081] Next, the display unit 150 outputs an image on the display screen. The display unit 150 can output various display objects based on control commands from the processor 110, such as content executed by the processor 110 or a user interface. Furthermore, the memory 160 stores the control program and various data used in the station 100. The control program may include the access program required for the station 100 to connect to the AP or an external station.

[0082] The processor 110 of the present invention can execute various commands or programs and process data in station 100. Furthermore, the processor 110 can control various units of station 100 and control data transmission / reception within those units. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processor 110 can execute a program for accessing an AP stored in memory 160 and receive communication configuration messages sent by the AP. Furthermore, the processor 110 can read information about the priority conditions of station 100 included in the communication configuration messages and request access to the AP based on the information about the priority conditions of station 100. The processor 110 of the present invention can represent the main control unit of station 100, and according to an embodiment, the processor 110 can represent a control unit for individually controlling certain components of station 100 (e.g., communication unit 120, etc.). That is, the processor 110 can be a modem or modulator / demodulator for modulating wireless signals transmitted to communication unit 120 and demodulating wireless signals received from communication unit 120. The processor 110 controls various operations of wireless signal transmission / reception of station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed embodiments will be described below.

[0083] exist Figure 3 The station 100 illustrated in the diagram is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the separate blocks are illustrated as logically distinct device elements. Therefore, the device elements can be installed on a single chip or multiple chips depending on the device design. For example, the processor 110 and the communication unit 120 can be implemented as a single chip or as separate chips. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention, certain components of the station 100, such as the user interface unit 140 and the display unit 150, can be selectively provided in the station 100.

[0084] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an AP 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. (As shown in...) Figure 4 As illustrated in the figure, the AP 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a processor 210, a communication unit 220, and a memory 260. Figure 4 In the AP200 components, and... Figure 2 The components of station 100 are the same or correspond to Figure 2 Repeated descriptions of parts of station 100 will be omitted.

[0085] Reference Figure 4 The AP 200 according to the invention includes a communication unit 220 that operates a BSS in at least one frequency band. (As in...) Figure 3 As illustrated in the embodiments, the communication unit 220 of AP 200 may also include multiple communication modules using different frequency bands. That is, AP 200 according to embodiments of the present invention may together include two or more communication modules in different frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and 60 GHz). Preferably, AP 200 may include communication modules using frequency bands of 7.125 GHz or higher, and communication modules using frequency bands of 7.125 GHz or lower. Each communication module can perform wireless communication with the station according to the wireless LAN standard of the frequency band supported by the respective communication module. Communication unit 220 may operate only one communication module at a time, or operate multiple communication modules simultaneously, depending on the performance and requirements of AP 200. In embodiments of the present invention, communication unit 220 may represent a radio frequency (RF) communication module for processing RF signals.

[0086] Next, memory 260 stores control programs and various result data used in AP 200. The control program may include an access program for managing station access. Furthermore, processor 210 can control the various units of AP 200 and control data transmission / reception within the units. According to an embodiment of the invention, processor 210 can execute programs stored in memory 260 for access stations and send communication configuration messages for one or more stations. In this case, the communication configuration message may include information about access priority conditions for each station. Furthermore, processor 210 performs access configuration based on the access requests of the stations. According to one embodiment, processor 210 may be a modem or modulator / demodulator for modulating wireless signals transmitted to communication unit 220 and demodulating wireless signals received from communication unit 220. Processor 210 controls various operations, such as wireless signal transmission / reception of AP 200, according to embodiments of the invention. Detailed embodiments thereof will be described below.

[0087] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the process of setting up a link between a STA and an AP.

[0088] Reference Figure 5 In a broad sense, the link between STA 100 and AP 200 is set up through three steps: scanning, authentication, and association. First, the scanning step is where STA 100 obtains access information from the BSS operated by AP 200. Methods for performing the scan include passive scanning, where AP 200 obtains information by periodically sending beacon messages (S101), and active scanning, where STA 100 sends a probe request to AP (S103) and obtains access information by receiving a probe response from AP (S105).

[0089] STA 100, having successfully received wireless access information during the scanning step, performs an authentication step by sending an authentication request (S107a) and receiving an authentication response from AP 200 (S107b). After performing the authentication step, STA 100 performs an association step by sending an association request (S109a) and receiving an association response from AP 200 (S109b). In this specification, association primarily refers to wireless association; however, the invention is not limited thereto, and association can broadly include both wireless and wired associations.

[0090] Meanwhile, the 802.1X-based authentication step (S111) and the IP address acquisition step via DHCP (S113) can be performed separately. Figure 5 In this context, authentication server 300 is the server that handles 802.1X-based authentication for STA 100, and can exist in a physical association with AP 200 or as a standalone server.

[0091] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) / Collision Avoidance (CA) method used in wireless LAN communication.

[0092] Terminals performing wireless LAN communication check if a channel is busy by performing carrier sensing before transmitting data. When a wireless signal with a preset strength or greater is sensed, the corresponding channel is determined to be busy, and the terminal delays access to that channel. This process is called Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), and the level at which a signal is sensed is called the CCA threshold. When a terminal receives a wireless signal with a CCA threshold or higher that indicates it is a receiver, the terminal processes the received wireless signal. Conversely, when no wireless signal is detected in the corresponding channel, or when a wireless signal with a strength less than the CCA threshold is detected, the channel is determined to be idle.

[0093] When the channel is determined to be idle, each terminal with data to transmit performs a back-off procedure after an inter-frame space (IFS) period, the duration of which depends on the specific terminal, such as an arbitration IFS (AIFS), PCF IFS (PIFS), etc. According to this embodiment, AIFS can be used as a component to replace the existing DCF IFS (DIFS). During the idle period of the channel, each terminal waits while reducing the slot time by a random number determined by the respective terminal, and terminals that have completely exhausted their slot time attempt to access the corresponding channel. Thus, the interval during which each terminal performs the back-off procedure is called the contention window interval.

[0094] When a specific terminal successfully accesses the channel, the corresponding terminal can transmit data through the channel. However, when a terminal attempting to access the channel conflicts with another terminal, the conflicting terminals are each assigned a new random number to perform the fallback process again. According to an embodiment, this can be done within the range (2... Within the range (CW), a new random number is determined for each terminal, which is within the range (2). The contention window (CW) is twice the range of random numbers previously allocated to the respective terminals. Simultaneously, each terminal attempts access by performing a backoff procedure again in the next contention window interval, starting the backoff procedure from the remaining time slot of the previous contention window interval. In this way, individual terminals performing wireless LAN communication can avoid conflicts with each other on specific channels.

[0095] In this invention, the terminal may be referred to as a non-AP STA, AP STA, STA, receiving device, or transmitting device, and the invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, in this invention, an AP STA may be referred to as an AP.

[0096] <Examples of various PPDU formats>

[0097] Figure 7 The illustration shows an example of the format of the PLCP Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) used in each of the various standard generations. More specifically, Figure 7 The illustration in (a) is based on an embodiment of the conventional PPDU format of 802.11a / g. Figure 7 The illustration in (b) is based on an embodiment of the HE PPDU format of 802.11ax, and Figure 7 (c) illustrates an embodiment based on a non-traditional PPDU (i.e., EHT PPDU) format of 802.11be. Figure 7 (d) shows the detailed field configuration of RL-SIG and L-SIG, which are commonly used in the PPDU format.

[0098] Reference Figure 7 (a) The preamble of a conventional PPDU includes a conventional short training field (L-STF), a conventional long training field (L-LTF), and a conventional signal field (L-SIG). In embodiments of the present invention, L-STF, L-LTF, and L-SIG may be referred to as conventional preambles.

[0099] Reference Figure 7 (b) The HE PPDU preamble also includes, in a conventional preamble, a Repeated Legacy Short Training field (RL-SIG), a High Efficiency Signal A field (HE-SIG-A), a High Efficiency Signal B field (HE-SIG-B), a High Efficiency Short Training field (HE-STF), and a High Efficiency Long Training field (HE-LTF). In embodiments of the present invention, RL-SIG, HE-SIG-A, HE-SIG-B, HE-STF, and HE-LTF can be referred to as HE preambles. The detailed configuration of the HE preamble can be modified according to the HE PPDU format. For example, HE-SIG-B can be used only in the HE MU PPDU format.

[0100] Reference Figure 7(c) The EHT PPDU also includes, in its conventional preamble, a Repeated Legacy Short Training field (RL-SIG), a Universal Signal field (U-SIG), an Extremely High Throughput Signal A field (EHT-SIG-A), an Extremely High Throughput Signal B field (EHT-SIG-B), an Extremely High Throughput Short Training field (EHT-STF), and an Extremely High Throughput Long Training field (EHT-LTF). In embodiments of the invention, RL-SIG, EHT-SIG-A, EHT-SIG-B, EHT-STF, and EHT-LTF may be referred to as EHT preambles. The specific configuration of non-conventional preambles can be modified according to the EHT PPDU format. For example, EHT-SIG-A and EHT-SIG-B may be used only in a portion of the EHT PPDU format.

[0101] 64-FFT OFDM is applied to the L-SIG field included in the preamble of the PPDU, and the L-SIG field comprises a total of 64 subcarriers. Of these 64 subcarriers, 48 ​​subcarriers other than the guard subcarrier, DC subcarrier, and pilot subcarrier are used for L-SIG data transmission. BPSK and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) with a code rate of 1 / 2 are applied to the L-SIG, so the L-SIG can include a total of 24 bits of information. Figure 7 (d) shows the configuration of the 24-bit information of L-SIG.

[0102] Reference Figure 7(d) L-SIG includes the L_RATE and L_LENGTH fields. The L_RATE field consists of 4 bits and indicates the MCS used for data transmission. Specifically, the L_RATE field indicates a value of 6 / 9 / 12 / 18 / 24 / 36 / 48 / 54 Mbps obtained by combining modulation schemes such as BPSK / QPSK / 16-QAM / 64-QAM with inefficient values ​​such as 1 / 2, 2 / 3, 3 / 4, etc. The total length of the corresponding PPDU can be indicated by combining the information from the L_RATE and L_LENGTH fields. In non-traditional PPDU formats, the L_RATE field is configured with a minimum rate of 6 Mbps.

[0103] The L_LENGTH field can be allocated a total of 12 bits per byte, can be transmitted via signaling up to 4095, and can indicate the length of the corresponding PPDU by combining it with the L_RATE field. In this case, traditional and non-traditional terminals can use different methods to interpret the L_LENGTH field.

[0104] First, the method for analyzing the length of the corresponding PPDU using the L_LENGTH field in traditional or non-traditional terminals is as follows. When the value of the L_RATE field is set to indicate 6 Mbps, 3 bytes (i.e., 24 bits) can be transmitted during the 4 μs duration of one symbol in a 64FFT. Therefore, the 3 bytes corresponding to the SVC field and the tail field are added to the value of the L_LENGTH field, and the sum is divided by the 3 bytes of transmission as one symbol to obtain the number of symbols based on 64FFT after L-SIG. The obtained number of symbols is multiplied by 4 μs (i.e., the length of one symbol), and then the transmission time of L-STF, L-LTF, and L-SIG (20 μs) is added to obtain the length of the corresponding PPDU, i.e., the reception time RXTIME. This can be expressed by Equation 1 below.

[0105] [Equation 1]

[0106] in this case, This represents the smallest natural number greater than or equal to x. Since the maximum value of the L_LENGTH field is 4095, the length of the PPDU can be set to up to 5.464 ms. Non-traditional terminals sending PPDUs should set the L_LENGTH field as shown in Equation 2 below.

[0107] [Equation 2]

[0108] Here, TXTIME is the total transmission time that makes up the corresponding PPDU, and is represented by Equation 3 below. In this case, TX represents the transmission time of X.

[0109] [Equation 3]

[0110] Referring to the equation above, the length of the PPDU is calculated based on the rounded-up value of L_LENGTH / 3. Therefore, for random values ​​of k, three different values ​​of L_LENGTH={3k+1, 3k+2, 3(k+1)} indicate the same PPDU length.

[0111] Reference Figure 7 (e) The Universal SIG (U-SIG) field continues to exist in subsequent generations of EHTPPDU and Wireless LAN PPDU, and is used to classify generations of PPDUs including 11be. U-SIG is based on 64 FFT OFDM 2 symbols and can transmit a total of 52 bits of information. Of these 52 bits, excluding the 9 bits for CRC / tail, the remaining 43 bits are primarily divided into Version Independent (VI) and Version Dependent (VD) fields.

[0112] The VI bit enables the current bit configuration to be maintained subsequently, so that even if a next-generation PPDU is defined, the current 11be terminal can obtain information about the PPDU through the VI field of the PPDU. For this purpose, the VI field includes PHY version, UL / DL, BSS color, TXOP, and a reserved field. The PHY version field is 3 bits and is used to sequentially classify 11be and subsequent generations of wireless LAN standards into versions. The value for 11be is 000b. The UL / DL field identifies whether the PPDU is an uplink / downlink PPDU. The BSS color indicates the identifier of each BSS defined in 11ax and has a value of 6 bits or more. TXOP indicates the Transmit Opportunity Duration transmitted in the MAC header. The PPDU can infer the length of the TXOP included in the PHY header by adding the TXOP, without having to decode the MPDU, and the TXOP has a value of 7 bits or more.

[0113] The VD field contains signaling information useful only for the 11be version of the PPDU and can include fields common to any PPDU format, such as the PPDU format and BW, as well as fields defined differently for each PPDU format. The PPDU format is a classifier that categorizes EHT Single User (SU), EHT Multiple User (MU), EHT Trigger-based (TB), and EHT Extended Range (ER) PPDUs. The BW field signals five basic PPDU BW options (BW, which can be set to 20 MHz) at 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz (80+80 MHz), and 320 MHz (160+160 MHz). The signaling is expressed as a power of 2 (which can be referred to as the basic BW), and various remaining PPDU BWs configured via preamble puncturing. After signaling at 320MHz, signaling can be executed in some 80MHz punctured form. The punctured and modified channel type can be signaled directly in the BW field, or it can be signaled using the BW field along with fields appearing after the BW field (e.g., fields within the EHT-SIG field). If the BW field is configured with 3 bits, a total of 8 BW signalings can be executed, and therefore up to 3 signalings can be executed in punctured mode. If the BW field is configured with 4 bits, a total of 16 BW signalings can be executed, and therefore up to 11 signalings can be executed in punctured mode.

[0114] The fields following the BW field vary depending on the type and format of the PPDU. MU PPDUs and SU PPDUs can be signaled in the same PPDU format. Fields used for classification between MU and SU PPDUs can precede the EHT-SIG field, and additional signaling can be applied to this field. Both SU and MU PPDUs include the EHT-SIG field, but some fields not needed in the SU PPDU can be compressed. Information about fields that have been compressed can be omitted or can have a smaller size than the original fields included in the MU PPDU. For example, in the case of SU PPDUs, common fields of EHT-SIG can be omitted or replaced, or the SU PPDU can have a different configuration, where user-specific fields are replaced, reduced to one, etc.

[0115] Alternatively, the SU PPDU may also include a compression field indicating whether compression is performed, and a portion of a field (e.g., the RA field, etc.) may be omitted depending on the value of the compression field.

[0116] If a portion of the EHT-SIG field of the SU PPDU is compressed, the information to be included in the compressed field can also be signaled in the uncompressed field (e.g., the common field, etc.). The MU PPDU corresponds to a PPDU format for simultaneous reception by multiple users, and therefore requires the EHT-SIG field to be transmitted after the U-SIG field, and the amount of information transmitted can vary. That is, multiple MU PPDUs are sent to multiple STAs, such that each STA should identify the location of the RU to which the MU PPDU was transmitted, the STA to which the RU is assigned, and whether the transmitted MU PPDU has been sent to the STA itself. Therefore, the AP should transmit this information by including the above information in the EHT-SIG field. For this purpose, information for valid transmission of the EHT-SIG field is signaled in the U-SIG field, and this can correspond to the MCS as a modulation method and / or the number of symbols in the EHT-SIG field. The EHT-SIG field can include information about the size and location of the RU assigned to each user.

[0117] In the case of SU PPDU, multiple RUs can be assigned to a STA, and these RUs can be consecutive or discontinuous. If the RUs assigned to the STA are discontinuous, the STA should identify the intermediate punched RUs in order to effectively receive the SUPPDU. Therefore, the AP can send a SU PPDU that includes information about the punched RUs among those assigned to the STA (e.g., the punching pattern of the RUs, etc.). That is, in the case of SU PPDU, a punching mode field can be included in the EHT-SIG field. This punching mode field includes information indicating the punching pattern in bitmap format, etc., and whether a punching mode has been applied. The punching mode field can signal the type of discontinuous channel occurring within the bandwidth.

[0118] The types of discontinuous channels notified by signals are limited, and the BW and discontinuous channel information of the SU PPDU are indicated by the combination of the BW field value and the SU PPDU. For example, the SU PPDU is a PPDU sent only to a single terminal, so that the STA can identify the bandwidth allocated to itself via the BW field contained in the PPDU, and the SU PPDU can identify the punctured resources in the allocated bandwidth via the punctured mode field of the EHT-SIG field or U-SIG field contained in the PPDU. In this case, the terminal can receive the PPDU in the remaining resource units after excluding the special channels of the punctured resource units. Multiple RUs allocated to the STA can be configured by different frequency bands or tones.

[0119] To reduce the signaling overhead of the SU PPDU, only a limited number of discontinuous channel types are signaled. Puncture can be performed on each 20MHz sub-channel. Therefore, if puncturing is performed on a BW (such as 80, 160, and 320MHz) with a large number of 20MHz sub-channels, then in the case of 320MHz, the discontinuous channel type (if puncturing only the edge 20MHz is also considered discontinuous) should be signaled by indicating whether each of the remaining 15 20MHz sub-channels after excluding the primary channel is used. Thus, considering the low transmission rate of the signaling section, allocating 15 bits to signal the discontinuous channel type transmitted by a single user could be excessive signaling overhead.

[0120] This invention proposes a technique for signaling the discontinuous channel type of a SU PPDU, and illustrates the discontinuous channel type determined according to the proposed technique. This invention also proposes a technique for signaling each of the primary 160MHz and secondary 160MHz puncture types in a 320MHz BW configuration of a SU PPDU.

[0121] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention propose a technique for configuring the PPDU indicated by the preamble piercing BW value differently based on the PPDU format notified by signaling in the PPDU format field. Assuming the BW field is 4 bits, and in the case of EHTSU PPDU or TB PPDU, EHT-SIG-A of 1 symbol can be notified by signaling after U-SIG, or EHT-SIG-A can be notified at all. Therefore, considering this, it is necessary to fully signal up to 11 piercing modes via the BW field of U-SIG alone. However, in the case of EHT MU PPDU, EHT-SIG-B is notified by signaling after U-SIG, thus allowing up to 11 piercing modes to be signaled in a different way than the SU PPDU method. In the case of EHT ER PPDU, the BW field can be configured to 1 bit to signal whether the EHT ER PPDU uses a 20MHz or 10MHz band PPDU.

[0122] Figure 7 Figure (f) illustrates the configuration of the format-specific fields of the VD field when an EHT MU PPDU is indicated in the PPDU format field of the U-SIG. In the case of a MU PPDU, SIG-B is necessary; it is a signaling field used for simultaneous reception by multiple users and can be sent after U-SIG without a separate SIG-A. Therefore, information for decoding SIG-B should be signaled in the U-SIG. These fields include SIG-B MCS, SIG-BDCM, the number of SIG-B symbols, SIG-B compression, and the number of EHT-LTF symbols, etc.

[0123] Figure 8 The illustrations show examples of various Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) formats according to embodiments of the present invention, as well as methods for indicating such formats.

[0124] Reference Figure 8 A PPDU can include a preamble and a data portion, and can be classified as an EHT PPDU format based on the U-SIG field included in the preamble. Specifically, the PPDU format field included in the U-SIG field can indicate whether the PPDU is an EHT PPDU.

[0125] Figure 8(a) shows an example of the EHT SU PPDU format for a single STA. The EHT SU PPDU is a PPDU used for single-user (SU) transmissions between an AP and a single STA, and the EHT-SIG-A field for additional signaling can be located after the U-SIG field.

[0126] Figure 8 (b) shows an example of the EHT trigger-based PPDU format corresponding to the EHT PPDU transmitted based on the trigger frame. The EHT trigger-based PPDU is an EHT PPDU transmitted based on the trigger frame and is an uplink PPDU used in response to the trigger frame. Unlike the EHT SU PPDU, the EHT-SIG-A field is not located after the U-SIG field in the EHT PPDU.

[0127] Figure 8 (c) shows an example of an EHT MU PPDU format corresponding to an EHT PPDU for multiple users. An EHT MU PPDU is a PPDU used to send PPDUs to one or more STAs. In the EHT MU PPDU format, the HE-SIG-B field may follow the U-SIG field.

[0128] Figure 8 (d) shows an example of the EHT ERSU PPDU format, which is used for transmission with a single user across an extended range of STAs. Figure 8 Compared to the EHT SU PPDU described in (a), the EHT ER SU PPDU can be used for single-user transmission with a wider range of STAs, and the U-SIG field can be repeatedly positioned on the timeline.

[0129] Figure 8 The EHT MU PPDU described in (c) can be used by the AP to perform downlink transmissions to multiple STAs. Here, the EHT MU PPDU may include scheduling information that allows multiple STAs to simultaneously receive PPDUs sent from the AP. The EHT MU PPDU may transmit the sender's and / or receiver's AID information of the PPDU sent via the user-specific field of EHT-SIG-B to the STA. Therefore, multiple terminals that have received the EHT MU PPDU can perform spatial reuse operations based on the AID information included in the user-specific field of the preamble of the received PPDU.

[0130] Specifically, the resource unit allocation (RA) field in the HE-SIG-B field included in the HE MU PPDU can include information about the configuration (e.g., the partitioning of resource units) of resource units within a specific bandwidth (e.g., 20MHz) of the frequency axis. In other words, the RA field can indicate the configuration of resource units partitioned within the bandwidth used for the transmission of the HE MU PPDU so that the STA can receive the PPDU. Information about the STA allocated (or specified) to each partitioned resource unit can be included in the user-specific fields of the EHT-SIG-B field for transmission to the STA. That is, the user-specific fields can include one or more user fields corresponding to the respective partitioned resource unit.

[0131] For example, the user field corresponding to at least one resource unit among multiple segmented resource units used for data transmission may include the AID of the receiver or transmitter, and the user field corresponding to the remaining resource units not used for data transmission may include a pre-configured null STA ID.

[0132] Figure 8 Two or more PPDUs shown can be indicated by values ​​representing the same PPDU format. That is, two or more PPDUs can be indicated by the same value in the same PPDU format. For example, an EHT SU PPDU and an EHT MU PPDU can be indicated by the same value in the U-SIG PPDU format subfield. In this case, the EHT SU PPDU and EHT MU PPDU can be distinguished by the number of STAs receiving the PPDU. For example, a PPDU that receives only one STA can be identified as an EHT SU PPDU, and when the number of STAs is set to receive two or more STAs, the PPDU can be identified as an EHT MU PPDU. In other words, they can be indicated by the same subfield value. Figure 8 The two or more PPDU formats shown.

[0133] In addition, it can be omitted Figure 8 The fields shown in the diagram may be partially or partially information of the fields, and the case where partially or partially information of the fields is omitted may be defined as compression mode or compressed mode.

[0134] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating a multi-link device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0135] Reference Figure 9The concept of a device to which one or more STAs belong can be defined. As another embodiment of the invention, devices to which more than one STA (i.e., two or more STAs) belong can be defined. In this case, the device can be a logical concept. Therefore, a device to which one or more STAs with this concept belong can be referred to as a multi-link device (MLD), a multi-band device, or a multi-link logical entity (MLLE).

[0136] Alternatively, the device described above can be referred to as a multi-link entity (MLE). Furthermore, the MLD can have a medium access control service access point (MAC SAP) to logical link control (LLC), and the MLD can have a MAC data service.

[0137] A STA included in an MLD can operate on one or more links or channels. That is, a STA included in an MLD can operate on multiple channels that are different from each other. For example, a STA included in an MLD can operate using channels in different frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. Thus, MLD can benefit from channel connectivity and can improve the performance of the entire network. In existing wireless LANs, operation is typically on a single link. MLD operation can gain more channel access opportunities by using multiple links, or, considering channel conditions, the STA can effectively operate on multiple links.

[0138] Furthermore, when the STA belonging to an MLD is an AP, the MLD to which the AP belongs can be an AP MLD. However, when the STA belonging to an MLD is a non-AP STA, the MLD to which the non-AP belongs can be a non-AP MLD.

[0139] Reference Figure 9 An MLD can exist that includes multiple STAs, and these multiple STAs within the MLD can operate on multiple links. Figure 9In this context, an MLD that includes APs (i.e., AP1, AP2, and AP3) can be called an AP MLD, and an MLD that includes non-AP STAs (i.e., non-AP STA1, non-AP STA2, and non-AP STA3) can be called a non-AP MLD. STAs included in an MLD can operate on Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, or some of the links from Link 1 to Link 3.

[0140] According to embodiments of the present invention, multi-link operation may include a multi-link setup operation. The multi-link setup operation may correspond to an association operation performed within a single link operation. To exchange frames across multiple links, multiple links can be set up first. A multi-link setup element can be used to perform the multi-link setup operation. Here, the multi-link configuration element may include capability information related to the multiple links, and the capability information may include information related to whether another STA included in the MLD can transmit frames via another link while the STA receiving frames via one link is receiving frames via another link. That is, the capability information may include information related to whether STAs (non-AP STAs and / or AP STAs) included in the MLD can simultaneously transmit / receive frames via links in different transmission directions. Furthermore, the capability information may also include information related to available links or operating channels. Multi-link setup can be set up through negotiation between peer STAs, and multi-link operation can be set up via a single link.

[0141] According to embodiments of the present invention, a mapping relationship may exist between TIDs and MLDs. For example, when a TID and a link are mapped, the TID can be transmitted through the mapped link. The mapping between TIDs and links can be implemented based on the transmission direction. For example, mapping can be performed in both directions between MLD1 and MLD2. Furthermore, a default setting may exist for the mapping between TIDs and links. For example, the mapping between TIDs and links may essentially map all TIDs to a certain link.

[0142] Figure 10 The wireless LAN function according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0143] Reference Figure 10A wireless LAN of a certain standard may include the functionality of a wireless LAN of another standard. Alternatively, in the case of a wireless LAN of a certain standard, it may also be a wireless LAN of another standard. Here, wireless LAN may mean STA. Additionally, wireless LAN here may mean MLD that includes STA. For example, a wireless LAN standard may include the functionality of a previous generation standard as well as additional functions. For example, an HT STA may be an OFDM PHY STA. Furthermore, an HT STA may perform additional functions as well as the functionality of an OFDM PHY STA. For example, a VHT STA may also be an HT STA. Furthermore, a VHT STA may perform additional functions as well as the functionality of an HT STA. For example, an HE STA may also be a VHT STA. Furthermore, an HE STA may perform additional functions as well as the functionality of a VHT STA. Furthermore, an EHT STA may also be an HE STA. Furthermore, an EHT STA may perform additional functions as well as the functionality of an HE STA. Furthermore, standards following the EHT standard may exist. In this invention, standards following the EHT standard may be referred to as NEXT standards, and STAs conforming to NEXT standards may be referred to as NEXT STAs. NEXT STAs may be EHT STAs. In addition, NEXT STA can perform additional functions as well as the functions of EHT STA.

[0144] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the STAs of each standard. (See reference...) Figure 10 EHT STA can be HE STA, VHT STA, HT STA, or OFDM PHY STA. Furthermore, NEXT STA can be EHT STA, HE STA, VHT STA, HT STA, or OFDM PHY STA.

[0145] Figure 11 This illustrates uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0146] Reference Figure 11 The AP can instruct at least one STA to send a PPDU via a special frame (e.g., a triggering frame), and at least one STA can simultaneously send PPDUs of the same or different formats based on the special frame sent from the AP.

[0147] Specifically, such as Figure 11As shown, frames can be sent that solicit or trigger multi-user (MU) transmission, and one or more STAs can send or respond to the frame based on it. In this case, when one or more STAs send a response to the frame, one or more STAs can simultaneously and immediately respond based on the frame, and the response to the frame can begin to be sent after the SIFS at the end of the PPDU including the frame. For example, when the frame solicits an immediate response, one or more STAs can immediately send a response to the frame. The frame that solicits or triggers transmission to one or more STAs can be a trigger frame or a frame that includes information in the MAC header that solicits or triggers uplink transmission to one or more STAs. In this case, the frame can include information in the MAC header that triggers or solicits uplink transmission to only one STA (e.g., a TRS control subfield).

[0148] For example, information included in the MAC header that indicates or triggers uplink transmission may be an HT control field, a control subfield, or a triggered response scheduling (TRS) or a TRS control subfield included in the A-control subfield.

[0149] Frames used to indicate or trigger uplink transmissions can be sent by the AP, and when the frame used to indicate or trigger uplink transmissions is a trigger frame, a response can be sent in the trigger-based PPDU (TB PPDU) format. Here, TB PPDUs can include not only the HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU described above, but also the NEXT TB PPDU defined in the next standard.

[0150] HE TB PPDU can consist of a preamble, data, and packet extension (PE), and the preamble can include L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, HE-SIG-A, HE-STF, and HE-LTF in sequence.

[0151] EHT TB PPDU and NEXT TB PPDU can also be composed of a preamble, data, and PE, and the preamble of EHT TB PPDU and NEXT TB PPDU can include L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, U-SIG, (EHT- / NEXT-)STF and (EHT- / NEXT-)LTF in sequence.

[0152] A frame that instructs or triggers the transmission of a PPDU to one or more STAs may include information required by one or more STAs to transmit a TB PPDU. For example, when the type subfield included in the frame is '01' (B3 B2) and the subtype subfield is '0010' (B7 B6 B5 B4), the frame including the type subfield and the subtype subfield may be a trigger frame that serves as a control frame.

[0153] When multiple STAs are instructed or triggered to respond to a TB PPDU, if the formats of the PPDUs responded to by the multiple STAs are different from each other, the AP instructing or triggering the response may have difficulty receiving the PPDUs sent as responses from multiple STAs. Alternatively, if the information included in the preamble of the PPDUs responded to by the multiple STAs differs according to the format, the AP instructing or triggering the response may have difficulty receiving the PPDUs sent as responses from multiple STAs.

[0154] Therefore, to address this issue, when multiple STAs respond to an AP frame, the format of the responding PPDU and / or the information included in the PPDU preamble can be set to the same type. For example, when multiple STAs send HE TBPPDUs in response to an AP frame, the AP can send information such that the information included in L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, and HE-SIG-A is identical, or the information included in the HE TB PPDU can be agreed upon so that the AP can successfully receive the preamble sent by multiple STAs. However, if HE TB PPDUs, EHT TB PPDUs, and NEXT TB PPDUs are sent simultaneously via overlapping subbands, the AP may have difficulty receiving them due to the different TB PPDU formats.

[0155] According to embodiments of the present invention, an HE STA can transmit an HE TB PPDU. Furthermore, an EHT STA can transmit an EHT TB PPDU or an HE TB PPDU. Additionally, a NEXT STA can transmit a NEXT TB PPDU, an EHT TB PPDU, or an HE TB PPDU. This is because some standard STAs may include functionality from previous standards, as described above. Figure 10 As stated above.

[0156] like Figure 11 As shown, when the AP sends a frame to HE STAs and EHT STAs to schedule TB PPDU transmission, and instructs or triggers TB PPDU transmission through this frame, there may not be an accurate indication or protocol for the TB PPDU format. In this case, the HE STA may respond to the frame by sending an HE TB PPDU, and the EHT STA may respond with either an EHT TB PPDU or an HE TBPPDU. In this situation, the AP may have difficulty receiving TB PPDUs sent by the STAs, and the AP may fail to successfully receive TB PPDUs from multiple STAs, making successful transmission impossible. However, the medium is occupied, thus reducing the transmission opportunities for other STAs.

[0157] In this invention, "instructing STA" can mean instructing STA to respond, and "triggering" and "instructing" can have the same meaning.

[0158] Furthermore, the HE trigger frame, EHT trigger frame, and NEXT trigger frame can be trigger frames defined in the HE, EHT, and NEXT standards, respectively. Additionally, in this invention, the HE TRS, EHT TRS, and NEXT TRS can be TRS defined in the HE, EHT, and NEXT standards, respectively.

[0159] Figure 12 The trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0160] Figure 12 (a) shows the trigger frame format, and Figure 12 Figure (b) and Figure 12 (c) respectively show the common info (information) field and the user info field included in the trigger frame.

[0161] Reference Figure 12 (a) As the triggering MAC header, the frame may include a Frame Control field, a Duration field, and an Address field, and may also include a Common Information field and a User Information List field. The Address field may include a Resource Allocation (RA) field and a Transmitter Address (TA) field.

[0162] The public information field may include information that is public to all STAs as indicated by the trigger frame. Figure 12(b) shows an example of a public information field.

[0163] The user information list field may include zero or more user information fields, and the user information list field of a trigger frame, except for special types of trigger frames, may include one or more user information fields. Figure 12 (c) shows an example of a user information field.

[0164] Trigger frames may also include a padding field and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field. The padding field can be used to increase the length of the frame to ensure that the STA receiving the trigger frame has the time required to prepare a response to the trigger frame, and can be selectively included in the trigger frame.

[0165] Reference Figure 12 (b) The public information field may include a trigger type subfield. The trigger type subfield can be used to identify trigger frame variants. Alternatively, the type of trigger frame can be indicated based on the value of the trigger frame subfield. Furthermore, based on the trigger type subfield, it can be determined that... Figure 12 The information and length contained in the Trigger Dependent Common Info subfield and the Trigger Dependent UserInfo subfield are shown. For example, the trigger type subfield can be represented by bits B0 to B3 of the common information field.

[0166] The public information field may include an uplink (UL) length subfield. The UL length subfield may include information about the length of the TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame, and may also include information about the length of the frame responding to the trigger frame. Furthermore, the UL length subfield may indicate the value contained in the length subfield of the L-SIG of the TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame. Therefore, an STA that receives the trigger frame and responds with a TB PPDU can set the value of the length subfield included in the L-SIG of the TB PPDU based on the value of the UL length subfield included in the received trigger frame. Specifically, an STA responding with a TB PPDU can set the length subfield included in the L-SIG of the TB PPDU to the value of the UL length subfield included in the received trigger frame. For example, an STA can set the length subfield included in the L-SIG of the TB PPDU based on the value of bits B4 to B15 of the public information field indicating the UL length subfield, and then send the TB PPDU.

[0167] In addition, the public information field may also include an uplink bandwidth subfield (UL Bandwidth (BW) subfield). The UL BW subfield can indicate the BW value included in the signaling field of the TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame (e.g., HE-SIG-A or U-SIG, etc.), and can indicate the maximum BW of the TB PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame. Therefore, the STA can set the BW value included in the signaling field of the TB PPDU based on the value of the UL BW subfield included in the trigger frame.

[0168] Furthermore, the public information field may also include information contained in the signaling field of the TB PPDU as a response to the trigger frame. Therefore, after receiving the trigger frame, the STA can set the information included in the TB PPDU based on the information included in the trigger frame.

[0169] Reference Figure 12(c) The user information field may include an AID12 subfield. The AID12 subfield can be used to indicate the intended recipient of the user information field that includes the AID12 subfield, or the function of the user information field. Therefore, the AID12 subfield can also serve to indicate the intended recipient of a triggering frame that includes the AID12 subfield, or the function of the triggering frame. For example, when the value of the AID12 subfield is a preset value, the user information field may indicate a Random Access Resource Unit (RA-RU). That is, the preset value of the AID12 subfield may indicate that the user information field indicates an RA-RU. Specifically, when the value of the AID12 subfield is '0', the user information field may indicate the RA-RU used for associated STAs. For example, when the value of the AID12 subfield is '0', the user information field can indicate the RA-RU for an associated STA, and when the value of the AID12 subfield is '2045', the user information field can indicate the RA-RU for unassociated STAs. The STA corresponding to the SAT ID (e.g., association ID, AID) indicated by the value of the AID12 subfield can be instructed to respond via the user information field including the AID12 subfield or a trigger frame including the AID subfield. For example, the AID12 subfield can represent the AID or 12 LSBs of the AID. The STA corresponding to the value represented by the AID12 subfield can send a TB PPDU in response to a received trigger frame. In this case, the value of the AID12 subfield can be in the range of '1' to '2007' (inclusive), and when the value of the AID12 subfield is a preset value (e.g., '2046', etc.), the RU corresponding to the preset value of the AID12 subfield may not be assigned to any STA. Furthermore, when the AID subfield is a preset value (e.g., '4095', etc.), the preset value can indicate the start of filling the trigger frame.

[0170] The information in the user information field, including the AID12 subfield, can be information corresponding to the STA indicated by the AID12 subfield. For example, the Resource Unit (RU) Allocation subfield can indicate the size and location of the RU. In this case, the value of the RU allocation subfield in the user information field, including the AID12 subfield, can be information corresponding to the STA indicated by the AID12 subfield. That is, the RU indicated by the RU allocation subfield in the AID12 subfield can be the RU assigned to the STA indicated by the AID12 subfield.

[0171] In addition, the user information field can indicate the encoding method (UL FEC encoding type), modulation method (UL HE-MCS, UL DCM), power (UL TargerRSSI), etc., used to generate the TB PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame.

[0172] Figure 13 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0173] Reference Figure 13 When the AP instructs the PPDU to be sent via a trigger frame, the STA can respond with a PPDU in a different format based on the trigger frame. Figure 13 The embodiments described herein may be used to solve Figure 10 and Figure 11 The methods for solving the problem described herein will be omitted from the content already explained above.

[0174] Specifically, the EHT STA may not send a HE TB PPDU, or may not perform an HE UL MU operation. Furthermore, the EHT STA may respond to a trigger frame or TRS (e.g., a PPDU including a TRS control subfield) in EHT TB PPDU format.

[0175] A STA can send only the TB PPDU corresponding to the latest standard supported by the STA, without sending the TB PPDU corresponding to previous standards. That is, a NEXT STA can send only the NEXT TB PPDU, without sending the HE TB PPDU corresponding to previous standards. Furthermore, a NEXT STA can perform the NEXT UL MU operation, but can choose not to perform the HE UL MU operation. That is, an EHT STA can send only the EHT TB PPDU as a response to the AP's trigger frame, and can perform only the EHT UL MU operation.

[0176] Therefore, the STA responding to the trigger frame or TRS does not need to choose which format of TB PPDU to use, and this method has the advantage of being able to easily implement the STA responding to the trigger frame or TRS.

[0177] Furthermore, STAs that indicate TB PPDU transmission by sending trigger frames or TRS may also need to be scheduled to transmit different TB PPDUs without overlap. That is, STAs sending trigger frames or TRS may not simultaneously indicate HE STA, EHT STA, and / or NEXT STA as STAs responding to trigger frames or TRS. Alternatively, STAs responding to trigger frames or TRS may not indicate HE STA, EHT STA, and / or NEXT STA through a single PPDU. Alternatively, HE trigger frames (or TRS), EHT trigger frames (or TRS), and NEXT trigger frames (or TRS) may not be included in a single PPDU, or a single trigger frame may not be used to indicate HE STA, EHT STA, and NEXT STA. Alternatively, EHT STA and NEXT STA may not be indicated as HE trigger frames. However, there may be exceptions when indicating aggregated PPDUs (PPDUs that exist in the form of frequency domain division). In this invention, HE STA can refer to a HE STA that is neither an EHT STA nor a NEXT STA. Furthermore, EHT STA can refer to an EHT STA that is not a NEXT STA.

[0178] Reference Figure 13 The AP can send a trigger frame that indicates only the HE STA. Furthermore, since the STA receiving the trigger frame is an HE STA, it can respond with an HE TB PPDU. Alternatively, the AP can send a trigger frame that indicates only the EHT STA. Again, since the STA receiving the trigger frame that indicates only the EHT STA is an EHT STA, it can respond with an EHT TB PPDU.

[0179] That is, in Figure 13 In some embodiments, this can be addressed by restricting the TB PPDU format of the STA in response to a trigger frame or TRS and scheduling the trigger frame or TRS accordingly. Figures 10 to 11 The issues explained in the text.

[0180] Figure 14 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0181] Reference Figure 14 An AP can send PPDUs of different formats to one or more non-AP STAs by sending a trigger frame.

[0182] Specifically, Figure 14 The method described can be used to solve Figure 10 and Figure 11The method described in the text, and can be Figure 13 Exceptions to the methods described herein. Figure 14 The method can be Figure 13 The exceptions to the methods described herein (i.e., the methods of sending trigger frames or TRS) are omitted hereafter, as the above can be applied equally to this method.

[0183] When the AP indicates an aggregated PPDU, all indicated PPDUs in the HE STA, EHT STA, and / or NEXT STA can be transmitted. In this case, the HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and / or NEXT TB PPDU transmitted in the response can be scheduled to be transmitted non-overlappingly in the frequency domain. Alternatively, a 20MHz sub-channel comprising a RU as a resource element of an HE TB PPDU and a 20MHz sub-channel comprising an EHT TB PPDU can be allocated to each other without overlap.

[0184] If the HE PPDU is included in the aggregated PPDU, then the HE PPDU should exist in the region that includes the main channel; however, if the aggregated PPDU is a TB PPDU, then the HE PPDU may also exist in the region that does not include the main channel.

[0185] Reference Figure 14 This allows multiple STAs to send HE TB PPDUs and EHT TB PPDUs in response to a single trigger frame. In this case, the HE TB PPDUs and EHT TB PPDUs can be sent using non-overlapping RUs. That is, a single trigger frame can instruct multiple STAs to send TB PPDUs of different formats, and the RUs used to send the different formats can be non-overlapping. Therefore, multiple STAs can use different RUs on the frequency axis to send PPDUs of different formats (e.g., HE TB PPDUs and EHT TB PPDUs) based on the sent trigger frame.

[0186] Figure 15 A diagram illustrating a method for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0187] Reference Figure 15 A STA can selectively send PPDUs of different formats based on the indication of the trigger frame that indicates the PPDU to be sent.

[0188] Specifically, EHT STAs can selectively transmit traditional PPDUs (e.g., HE TB PPDUs) and EHT TB PPDUs, and NEXT STAs can selectively transmit HE TB PPDUs, EHT TB PPDUs, and / or NEXT TB PPDUs. In this case, a single frame or a single PPDU can be used to individually schedule STAs applying various standards. This approach can be advantageous in wireless LANs where STAs applying multiple standards share common resources. For example, HE STAs (not EHT STAs) and EHT STAs can respond with HE TB PPDUs via a single frame. That is, non-AP STAs can instruct HE STAs and EHT STAs to transmit HE TB PPDUs by sending a trigger frame.

[0189] Furthermore, the information used to select the TB PPDU format can be included in the trigger frame (which serves as the trigger frame), the TRS, the PPDU including the trigger frame, or the PPDU including the TRS control subfield. That is, the AP STA can include the information for selecting the TB PPDU format in the trigger frame and send it to at least one non-AP STA, and the non-AP STA can select the PPDU format to respond to based on the information included in the transmitted trigger frame. Then, at least one non-AP STA can send the PPDU to the AP based on the selected format.

[0190] Information about the PPDU format (TB PPDU format) in response to the trigger frame can exist in the MAC layer. A trigger frame can be distinguished as an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, and a NEXT trigger frame. The response to each trigger frame can be distinguished as an HE TB PPDU, an EHT TB PPDU, and a NEXT PPDU.

[0191] Furthermore, classifying trigger frames into HE trigger frames, EHT trigger frames, and NEXT trigger frames can mean classifying the TB PPDU format that responds to the trigger frames into HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU.

[0192] The format of the trigger frame used to distinguish the TB PPDU format—whether it's an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame—can be identified based on the Frame Control field included in the MAC header. Specifically, the trigger frame format can be distinguished based on the Type subfield, the Subtype subfield, and / or the Control Frame Extension subfield. Furthermore, when the values ​​of the Type subfield, Subtype subfield, and / or Control Frame Extension subfield are preset values, the trigger frame can be identified as an HE trigger frame; when the values ​​of the Type subfield, Subtype subfield, and / or Control Frame Extension subfield are another preset value, the trigger frame can be identified as an EHT trigger frame. Additionally, when the values ​​of the Type subfield, Subtype subfield, and / or Control Frame Extension subfield are different preset values, the trigger frame can be identified as a NEXT trigger frame.

[0193] For example, when the type subfield is 01 (B3 B2) and the subtype subfield is 0010 (B7 B6 B5 B4), the format of a frame including both the type subfield and the subtype subfield can be an HE-triggered frame. In this case, entries for the type subfield (2 bits), the subtype subfield (4 bits), and / or the control frame extension subfield (4 bits) can be appended to the EHT and NEXT standards, using a finite number of bits allocated.

[0194] Alternatively, the format of the trigger frame (HE trigger frame or EHT trigger frame) can be identified based on the common information field included in the trigger frame. That is, the format of the PPDU to be sent as a response to the trigger frame can be determined based on the value of a special subfield (first subfield) included in the common information field. For example, a non-AP STA can select either an HE TB PPDU or an EHT TB PPDU based on the value of the common information field and send it via its assigned RU. In this case, in addition to the common information field, a special subfield (second subfield) using the user information field can be appended to identify the PPDU format.

[0195] That is, a variant of the PPDU format used to determine the response to the trigger frame can be determined based on the common information field of the trigger frame, and the PPDU format can be determined based on the determined variant. For example, if the variant used to determine the PPDU format is determined to be an HE variant by the common information field, a non-AP STA can respond with an HE TB PPDU. If the variant used to determine the PPDU format is determined to be an EHT variant by the common information field, a non-AP STA can respond with an EHT TB PPDU.

[0196] At this point, the variant used to determine the format of the PPDU can also include a user information field in addition to the public information field.

[0197] For example, a trigger frame can be categorized into an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame based on the trigger type subfield. For instance, when the trigger type subfield value is a preset value, the trigger frame can be an HE trigger frame. Furthermore, when the trigger type subfield value is a preset value, the trigger frame can be an EHT trigger frame. And when the trigger type subfield value is a preset value, the trigger frame can be a NEXT trigger frame.

[0198] For example, when the trigger type subfield value is 0 to 7, it can be an HE trigger frame; when the trigger type subfield value is not 0 to 7, it can be an EHT trigger frame or a NEXT trigger frame. The trigger type subfield indicates the various types of trigger frames, but in this case, there may be a drawback of needing to use a limited space for the trigger type subfield.

[0199] According to another embodiment of the invention, a trigger frame can be distinguished as an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame based on its UL length subfield. For example, the frame's type (HE, EHT, or NEXT) can be determined based on the value obtained by performing a modulo operation on the UL length subfield value. That is, the value of the UL length subfield can be used to determine whether the PPDU to be sent as a response to the trigger frame is in HE PPDU or EHT PPDU format.

[0200] More specifically, the type of frame (HE-triggered, EHT-triggered, or NEXT-triggered) can be determined based on the value obtained by performing a mod (remainder) 3 operation on the UL length subfield value (the remainder when the UL length subfield value is divided by 3). For example, if the result of performing a mod 3 operation on the UL length subfield value is not 0, the trigger frame can be an HE-triggered frame. Alternatively, if the result of performing a mod 3 operation on the UL length subfield value is 1, the trigger frame can be an HE-triggered frame. Alternatively, if the result of performing a mod 3 operation on the UL length subfield value is 0, the trigger frame may not be an HE-triggered frame. Alternatively, if the result of performing a mod 3 operation on the UL length subfield value is 0, the trigger frame can be an EHT-triggered frame or a NEXT-triggered frame.

[0201] That is, when the value of mod3 performed on the value of the UL length subfield of the trigger frame is not 0, the response to the trigger frame can be sent as an HE TBPPDU, and when the value of mod3 performed on the value of the UL length subfield is 1, the response to the trigger frame can be sent as an HETB PPDU.

[0202] Furthermore, when mod3 is performed on the value of the UL length subfield of the trigger frame and the value is 0, the format of the PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame can be EHT TB PPDU.

[0203] Furthermore, additional trigger frame differentiation methods can be used in conjunction with this method to distinguish HE trigger frames, EHT trigger frames, and NEXT trigger frames. For example, they can be used together... Figure 16 The method described distinguishes between HE trigger frames, EHT trigger frames, and NEXT trigger frames.

[0204] According to an embodiment, the format of a trigger frame can be distinguished as an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame based on the user information field of the trigger frame.

[0205] In other words, similar to the common information field mentioned above, the format of the trigger frame (HE trigger frame or EHT trigger frame) can be identified based on the user information field included in the trigger frame. Specifically, the format of the PPDU to be sent as a response to the trigger frame can be determined based on the value of a special subfield (second subfield) included in the user information field. For example, a non-AP STA can select either an HE TB PPDU or an EHT TB PPDU based on the value of the user information field and send it through the assigned RU. In this case, in addition to the user information field, a special subfield (first subfield) of the common information field can be appended to identify the PPDU format.

[0206] That is, the variant of the PPDU format used to determine the response to the trigger frame can be determined based on the user information field of the trigger frame, and the PPDU format can be determined according to the determined variant. For example, when the variant used to determine the PPDU format is determined to be the HE variant by the user information field, a non-AP STA can respond with an HE TB PPDU. When the variant used to determine the PPDU format is determined to be the EHT variant by the user information field, a non-AP STA can respond with an EHT TB PPDU.

[0207] At this point, the variant used to determine the PPDU format may additionally use the public information field in addition to the user information field.

[0208] For example, a HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame can be distinguished based on the AID12 subfield. According to an embodiment, a HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame can be distinguished based on whether or not a pre-defined AID12 subfield is included. Furthermore, in this case, there is a problem that the STA indicated by a certain user information field needs to continuously check the AID12 subfields existing after that user information field to determine the trigger frame format. To solve this problem, a user information field indicating which trigger frames have AID12 subfields can exist at the beginning of the user information list is included. Furthermore, to prevent erroneous operation by HE STAs that do not understand this signaling method, a user information field indicating which trigger frame's AID12 subfield can exist after the user information field corresponding to the HE STA is included.

[0209] Furthermore, since information from subfields other than the AID12 subfield included in the user information field is not required for the TB PPDU response at this point, the subfield of the user information field that includes the AID12 subfield indicating which triggering frame can be omitted. That is, the length of the user information field can vary depending on the AID12 subfield. (See reference...) Figure 15 The AID12 subfield can indicate the TB PPDU format of the response. For example, when the AID12 subfield has a preset value, the response to a trigger frame that includes the AID12 subfield set to the preset value can be an EHT TB PPDU. For example, when the AID12 subfield value is 2047, the response to a trigger frame that includes the AID12 subfield can be an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the AID12 subfield has a preset value, the response to a trigger frame that includes the AID12 subfield set to the preset value can be a NEXT TB PPDU. For example, when the AID12 subfield value is 2048, the response to a trigger frame that includes the AID12 subfield can be a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0210] According to another embodiment, when responding based on a user information field located at a predetermined position relative to the AID12 subfield with a predetermined value, the response can be in a TB PPDU format corresponding to the predetermined value. For example, when responding based on a user information field existing after the AID12 subfield with the predetermined value, the response can be in a TB PPDU format corresponding to the predetermined value. If there are multiple values ​​indicating TB PPDU formats, and the response is based on a user information field existing after both predetermined value 1 and predetermined value 2, the UE can respond according to the TB PPDU formats corresponding to predetermined value 1 and predetermined value 2 in a predetermined priority order. (Refer to...) Figure 15 When responding based on a user information field that exists after the AID12 subfield set to 2047, a response can be sent as an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when responding based on a user information field that exists after the AID12 subfield set to 2048, a response can be sent as a NEXT TB PPDU. Additionally, when responding based on a user information field that exists after both the AID12 subfield set to 2047 and the AID12 subfield set to 2048, a response can be sent as a NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when responding based on a user information field that exists before both the AID12 subfield set to 2047 and the AID12 subfield set to 2048, a response can be sent as an HE TB PPDU.

[0211] In this embodiment, the AID12 subfield is exemplified as indicating the type of trigger frame, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the type of trigger frame can be indicated by another subfield of the user information field.

[0212] According to one embodiment, a trigger frame can be distinguished as an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame based on the padding field of the trigger frame. For example, the type of trigger frame can be determined by whether the padding field includes a preset value indicating whether it is an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame.

[0213] According to embodiments of the present invention, HE trigger frames, EHT trigger frames, and NEXT trigger frames can be distinguished by combining multiple trigger frame differentiation methods described herein. Furthermore, the description of trigger frames in the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to TRS.

[0214] According to another embodiment of the invention, the AP cannot simultaneously instruct the transmission of both EHT PPDU and HE PPDU via a trigger frame. That is, the EHT AP cannot send a trigger frame that simultaneously instructs both HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU, and can instruct only one PPDU format.

[0215] Figure 16 The present invention illustrates a trigger frame format for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0216] Reference Figure 16 The trigger frame may include information indicating the format of the trigger frame and the format of the PPDU to be sent in response to the trigger frame, and the content and length of the trigger frame may vary depending on the indicated PPDU format.

[0217] Specifically, the trigger frame may include information indicating the format of the trigger frame. That is, the trigger frame may include information indicating whether the trigger frame is an HE trigger frame, an EHT trigger frame, or a NEXT trigger frame. Therefore, it may include information for determining the format of the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0218] Furthermore, the content and length of the trigger frame can be modified based on the information indicating the format, and the trigger frame can include information indicating which of the following—HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU—should be sent in response to the trigger frame. For example, the information indicating the format of the trigger frame or the TB PPDU format in response to the trigger frame, as described above, can be included in the Identifier subfield.

[0219] Therefore, the format of the trigger frame can be determined based on the format identifier subfield. Furthermore, the format of the TB PPDU used for the response can be determined based on the format identifier subfield. That is, the response can be in a standard TB PPDU corresponding to the value represented by the format identifier subfield. According to an embodiment, the format identifier subfield can be 3 bits. Additionally, the format identifier subfield can exist after B16 of the public information field.

[0220] For example, the format identifier subfield can exist after the UL length subfield. Furthermore, because... Figure 12The trigger frames described herein have a format that HE STA can understand, so the format identifier subfield can exist in trigger frames following the EHT standard. That is, when a trigger frame includes a format identifier subfield, the trigger frame can be an EHT trigger frame or a NEXT trigger frame. Alternatively, when a trigger frame includes a format identifier subfield, the TB PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, in this case, the value that the format identifier subfield can represent can be a value following the EHT standard.

[0221] According to one embodiment, the U-SIG field included in the TB PPDU may be based on the PPDU that indicates the TB PPDU. According to another embodiment, the U-SIG field included in the TB PPDU may be based on the trigger frame that indicates the TB PPDU. More specifically, the U-SIG field included in the TB PPDU may be based on the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame that indicates the TB PPDU.

[0222] For example, the PHY version identifier included in the U-SIG field of the TB PPDU can be based on the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame that indicates the TB PPDU. The PHY version identifier indicates the PHY version of the PPDU sent by a non-APSTA or AP-STA. For example, if the value of the PHY version identifier is set to '0', it means that the PPDU is an EHT PPDU with PHY version EHT.

[0223] The PHY version identifier can be used to identify whether the PPDU format is EHT PPDU, and it can be set based on the format identifier included in the trigger frame. For example, a non-AP STA can set the value of the PHY version field included in the PPDU to the same value as the format identifier included in the trigger frame. Therefore, a non-AP STA can determine whether the PPDU to be sent is in EHT TB PPDU format based on the value of the format identifier included in the trigger frame.

[0224] For example, the PHY version identifier value of the U-SIG field included in the TB PPDU can be set to the same value as the value of the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame indicating the TB PPDU. Alternatively, when the range of the standard indicated by the PHY version identifier subfield of the U-SIG field and the format identifier subfield of the trigger frame are different, the PHY version identifier value of the U-SIG field included in the TB PPDU can be set to a value obtained by adding or subtracting a preset value from the value of the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame indicating the TB PPDU.

[0225] The PHY version identifier subfield of the U-SIG field can be the PHY version field as described above. Furthermore, the PHY version identifier subfield of the U-SIG field can be used to indicate the format of the U-SIG field. Additionally, the PHY version identifier subfield of the U-SIG field can be used to indicate the PHY version of the PPDU that includes the U-SIG field.

[0226] Reference Figure 16 The trigger frame may include a format identifier subfield. Furthermore, based on the format identifier subfield, it can be determined which standard the trigger frame belongs to, or which format should be used as the TBPPDU format in response to the aforementioned trigger frame.

[0227] In addition, the trigger frame may include information that will be included in the U-SIG field of the TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame. For example, the trigger frame may include information in both the Version Independent and Version Dependent fields of the U-SIG field.

[0228] Information included in the version-independent field of the U-SIG field can be U-SIG version-independent content. Information included in the version-related field of the U-SIG field can be U-SIG version-related content. Furthermore, the aforementioned format identifier subfield can be one of the U-SIG version-independent contents. According to embodiments of the present invention, the content and length of information to be included in the U-SIG field of the TB PPDU included in the trigger frame can be changed based on the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame. For example, the content and length of the U-SIG version-related content of the TB PPDU included in the trigger frame can be changed based on the format identifier subfield included in the trigger frame. For example, U-SIG version-independent content can be a subfield with content and length independent of the format identifier subfield, and U-SIG version-related content can be a subfield with content and length based on the format identifier subfield. According to embodiments, information to be included in the U-SIG field can be included in the public information field of the trigger frame. Furthermore, the U-SIG version-related content included in the trigger frame can include BW, punch information, etc.

[0229] Reference Figure 16 The trigger frame can include U-SIG version-independent content and U-SIG version-related content. Furthermore, the content and length of the U-SIG version-independent content or U-SIG version-related content can be modified based on the format identifier subfield.

[0230] Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating a trigger frame format for indicating a trigger-based PPDU format according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0231] Reference Figure 17 The STA can determine the format of the PPDU to be sent based on the subfields included in the public information field and / or user information field included in the trigger frame.

[0232] Specifically, Figure 17 (a) shows an example of a public information field included in the trigger frame, and Figure 17 (b) shows an example of a user information field. Figure 17 (c) shows an example of the Special User Info field.

[0233] exist Figure 17 For fields shown in (a) to (c), those that are the same as the fields mentioned above will be omitted from the description.

[0234] As mentioned above, Figure 17 The public information field of (a) can be used to identify the format of the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame. For example, the public information field of the trigger frame can be used to identify whether the format of the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame is EHT TB PPDU or HE TB PPDU.

[0235] Specifically, in Figure 17 In the public information field shown in (a), the HE / EHT P160 subfield (first subfield) indicates the format of the PPDU transmitted on the 160MHz primary channel. For example, if the value of the HE / EHT P160 subfield is '1', an HE TB PPDU is transmitted on the 160MHz primary channel; if the value of the HE / EHT P160 subfield is '0', an EHT TB PPDU is transmitted on the 160MHz primary channel.

[0236] As mentioned above, Figure 17 The user information field in (b) can be used to identify the format of the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0237] Specifically, in Figure 17 In the user information field shown in (b), the PS160 subfield (second subfield) indicates whether the RU assigned by the RU allocation field of the user information field is located in the 160MHz main channel or in a subchannel.

[0238] PS160 subfield and Figure 17The HE / EHT P160 subfield (a) together with the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame are used to indicate the format of the PPDU. For example, when the value of the HE / EHT P160 subfield is set to '1' to indicate that an HE TB PPDU is being sent on the master channel, if the value of the PS160 subfield is set to '0', the STA will send a response to the trigger frame in the master channel as an HE TB PPDU because it means that the master channel has been allocated an RU.

[0239] However, when the value of the HE / EHT P160 subfield is set to '1' and HE TB PPDU is indicated to be sent on the primary channel, if the value of the PS160 subfield is set to '1', then the STA sends PPDU on the secondary channel because it means that the secondary channel is allocated RU. In this case, the PPDU format is EHT TB PPDU.

[0240] Table 1 below shows an example of the PPDU format based on the HE / EHT P160 and PS160 subfields.

[0241] Table 1

[0242] Referring to Table 1, bit B54 of the public information field indicates the value of the HE / EHT P160 subfield, and bit B39 indicates the value of the PS160 subfield. The variant used to determine the PPDU format is determined based on the values ​​of the HE / EHT P160 and PS160 subfields, and the type of the PPDU (HE or EHT) is determined based on the determined variant.

[0243] As described above, the STA determines whether the PPDU to be sent as a response to the trigger frame is in EHT or HE format by using the public information field and / or user information field included in the trigger frame, generates the PPDU according to the determined format, and sends the PPDU to the AP.

[0244] Figure 17 (c) shows an example of a special user information field that includes a PHY version identifier as described above, and as mentioned above, the PHY version identifier is used to identify whether the PHY version is EHT. Furthermore, the PHY version identifier can be set based on the format identifier of the trigger frame.

[0245] Figure 18 A method for determining the trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0246] Figure 18 It can be used with the above-mentioned Figures 15 to 17 The embodiments described herein are used in combination, and the content already described above is omitted.

[0247] Specifically, as referred to Figure 16 As described, the trigger frame may include a format identifier subfield. Furthermore, Figure 12 The trigger frame or HE trigger frame described herein may not include a format identifier subfield. Therefore, a method may be needed to determine whether a trigger frame includes a format identifier subfield. According to an embodiment, the trigger frame may include information indicating whether a format identifier subfield is included. For example, the public information field of the trigger frame may include information indicating whether a format identifier subfield is included. More specifically, the trigger type subfield of the trigger frame may include information indicating whether a format identifier subfield is included. For example, whether a format identifier subfield is included can be determined based on whether the trigger type subfield is a preset value. For example, when the value of the trigger type subfield is 0 to 7, the format identifier subfield may not be included. Furthermore, when the trigger type subfield is not 0 to 7 or the trigger type subfield is 8 to 15, a format identifier subfield may be included. Furthermore, when the trigger type subfield is 0 to 7, it can indicate the Basic, Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP), MU-BAR, MU-RTS, Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP), GCR MU-BAR, Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP), and NDP Feedback Report Poll (NFRP), respectively. In this case, trigger type subfields of 8 to 15 indicate the trigger frame type when the trigger type subfield is 0 to 7, but indicate the trigger frame format excluding the format identifier subfield.

[0248] According to another embodiment, whether to include a format identifier subfield can be determined based on the UL length subfield of the trigger frame. For example, it can be based on... Figure 15 The trigger frame differentiation method for the UL length subfield described herein determines whether the format identifier subfield is included. That is, as a result of performing a modulo operation on the value of the UL length subfield, or more specifically, as a result of performing a mod3 operation on the value of the UL length subfield, it can be determined whether the format identifier subfield is included.

[0249] For example, when the result of performing a mod3 operation on the value of the UL length subfield is not 0, the format identifier subfield may not be included; conversely, when the result of performing a mod3 operation on the value of the UL length subfield is 0, the format identifier subfield may be included. This can be extended to the above-described embodiments where the EHT trigger frame and the NEXT trigger frame include the format identifier subfield, and to the above-described embodiments where determining whether it is an HE trigger frame based on the result of performing a mod3 operation on the UL length subfield.

[0250] Reference Figure 18 Whether a trigger frame is an HE trigger frame or whether it includes a format identifier subfield can be determined based on the UL length subfield included in the trigger frame. For example, when the value of ((UL length subfield value) mod3) is not 0, the trigger frame can be determined to have a reference. Figure 12 The trigger frame (or HE trigger frame) specifies the public information field and user information field, but does not include the format identifier subfield. Furthermore, when responding to a trigger frame, an HE TB PPDU can be used.

[0251] Furthermore, when the value of ((UL length subfield value) mod 3) is 0, it can be determined that the trigger frame is an EHT trigger frame or a NEXT trigger frame, and includes a format identifier subfield. Additionally, the remaining information included in the trigger frame (i.e., the public information field and the user information field) can be determined based on the value represented by the format identifier subfield. Furthermore, when responding to a trigger frame, a TB PPDU of the standard indicated by the format identifier subfield can be used. That is, when the format identifier subfield indicates the EHT standard, an EHT TB PPDU can be used. Similarly, when the format identifier subfield indicates the NEXT standard, a NEXT TB PPDU can be used.

[0252] Figure 19 A method for setting a length field according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 19 In the embodiments, references may be omitted. Figures 15 to 18 The content of the explanation.

[0253] Reference Figure 19 The PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame may include a length field with different values ​​depending on the format.

[0254] Specifically, the trigger frame may include a UL length subfield, and the UL length subfield may indicate information related to the length of the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame. For example, the UL length field may indicate information related to the value of the length field contained in the L-SIG field of the PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame. The length field included in the L-SIG field may be length or duration information included in a conventional preamble. The length field included in the L-SIG field may be represented as L_LENGTH or LENGTH, which may be set by transmit or receive parameter values.

[0255] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method of setting the length field included in the L-SIG field of the TB PPDU using the UL length field included in the trigger frame may differ depending on the format of the TB PPDU sent in response to the trigger frame. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, depending on the format of the trigger frame, the length field included in the L-SIG field of the TB PPDU may be set using the UL length field included in the trigger frame. Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the method of setting the length field included in the L-SIG field of the TB PPDU using the UL length subfield included in the trigger frame may differ depending on the value of the UL length field in the trigger frame.

[0256] As mentioned above, there may be cases where the value obtained by performing mod3 as a modulo operation on the value of the UL length subfield contained in the trigger frame is not 0, and the response can be based on the trigger frame as HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU.

[0257] When the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the UL length subfield included in the trigger frame is not 0, if an HE TB PPDU is sent in response to the trigger frame, the length field of the L-SIG field included in the HE TB PPDU can be set to the same value as the value of the UL length subfield in the trigger frame. This is so that the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the length field included in the L-SIG field of the HE TB PPDU can be set to a non-zero value (e.g., 1).

[0258] Furthermore, if the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the UL length subfield included in the trigger frame is not 0, and an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU is sent in response to the trigger frame, the length field of the L-SIG field included in the HE TB PPDU can be set to the value obtained by adding the value of the UL length subfield of the trigger frame to a preset value. In this case, the preset value can be 2 or -1. This is to ensure that the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the length field included in the L-SIG field of the HE TB PPDU is 0.

[0259] That is, when the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame is in the format of HE TB PPDU and a non-AP STA sends HE TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame, the value of the length field included in the L-SIG field of the TB PPDU—that is, the value of the L_LENGTH parameter—can be set to the value indicated by the UL length field included in the common information field of the trigger frame.

[0260] However, when the PPDU indicated by the trigger frame is in the format of EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU, and a non-APSTA sends an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame, the value of the length field contained in the L-SIG field of the TB PPDU—that is, the value of the L_LENGTH parameter—can be set to the value indicated by the UL length subfield contained in the common information field of the trigger frame—that is, the value of the L_LENGTH parameter—by adding a preset value (e.g., 2 or -1).

[0261] At this point, the Length, which is the value of L_LENGTH, can be calculated using Equation 4 below.

[0262] Equation 4

[0263] As mentioned above, it is possible for the value obtained by performing mod3 on the UL length subfield value contained in the trigger frame to be 0. Furthermore, as mentioned above, a response can be made using an HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, or NEXT TB PPDU based on the trigger frame.

[0264] When the value obtained by performing mod3 on the UL length subfield value contained in the trigger frame is 0, if the response is in an HE TBPPDU, the length field contained in the L-SIG field of the aforementioned HE TBPPDU can be set to the value obtained by adding the UL length subfield value to a preset value. For example, the preset value can be -2. This is to ensure that the value obtained by performing mod3 on the length field value contained in the L-SIG field of the HE TBPPDU is a non-zero value, such as 1. In another embodiment, the aforementioned preset value can be 1.

[0265] When the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the UL length subfield contained in the trigger frame is 0, if the response is in an EHTTB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU, the length field included in the L-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU can be set to the same value as the UL length subfield. This can be used to make the value obtained by performing mod3 on the value of the length field included in the L-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU 0.

[0266] Figure 20 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0267] Figure 20 The embodiments may be used to solve the reference Figures 10 to 11 The method used to explain the problem. Furthermore... Figure 20 The embodiments can illustrate in Figure 15 Another method for distinguishing trigger frames in the described embodiments. Furthermore, the content already described above may be omitted.

[0268] According to embodiments of the present invention, an EHT STA can selectively transmit HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, a NEXT STA can selectively transmit HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU. In this case, a single frame or a single PPDU can be used to schedule STAs of multiple standards. This is an advantage because STAs of multiple standards share common resources in a wireless LAN. For example, a single frame can be used to make HE STAs (not EHT HE STAs) and EHT STAs respond with HE TB PPDUs.

[0269] In addition, information for selecting the TB PPDU format can be included in a PPDU that includes a trigger frame, a TRS, or a PPDU that includes a TRS.

[0270] According to embodiments of the present invention, information regarding the TB PPDU format of the response can be stored in the PHY layer. According to embodiments of the present invention, the HE trigger frame, EHT trigger frame, and NEXT trigger frame can be distinguished from each other. Furthermore, responses indicated by the HE trigger frame, EHT trigger frame, and NEXT frame can be responded to in HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU, respectively.

[0271] Furthermore, in this invention, distinguishing between HE trigger frames, EHT trigger frames, and NEXT trigger frames can mean that the TB PPDU format of the response trigger frame is distinguished as HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU, respectively.

[0272] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the TBPPDU format of the response trigger frame can be determined based on the PPDU format including the trigger frame. For example, the trigger frame can be responded to with a TBPPDU of the same standard as the PPDU format including the trigger frame. (Refer to...) Figure 19 When a trigger frame is transmitted via an HE PPDU, the TB PPDU responding to that trigger frame can be an HE TB PPDU. In this case, even if the trigger frame indicates both an EHT STA and a NEXT STA, an HE TB PPDU can still be used to respond. Similarly, when a trigger frame is transmitted via an EHT PPDU, the TB PPDU responding to that trigger frame can be an EHT TB PPDU. In this case, even if the trigger frame indicates a NEXT STA, an EHT TB PPDU can still be used to respond to the trigger frame.

[0273] Furthermore, when the response includes a trigger frame in the EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU, the PHY version identifier contained in the U-SIG field of the TB PPDU of the response EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU can be set to the same value as the PHY version identifier contained in the U-SIG field of the EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU. Additionally, the PHY version identifier contained in the U-SIG field of the EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU can be an RXVECTOR as a received parameter and can be transmitted from the PHY of the STA receiving the EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU to the MAC. Furthermore, the PHY version identifier contained in the U-SIG field of the TB PPDU of the response EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU can be transmitted as a TXVECTOR from the MAC of the STA sending the TB PPDU to the PHY. That is, the TXVECTOR PHY version identifier of the STA responding with the TB PPDU can be set to the value of the RXVECTOR PHY version identifier when a PPDU including a trigger frame indicating the TB PPDU is received.

[0274] According to one embodiment, Figure 15 The MAC layer differentiation method described in the document and Figure 20 The PHY layer differentiation methods described herein can be used together. For example, the MAC layer differentiation method can be used when the trigger frame is transmitted via a non-HT (duplicate) PPDU. Furthermore, when the results based on the MAC layer differentiation method and the PHY layer differentiation method (which standard of trigger frame or which standard of TB PPDU should be used to respond) do not match, a pre-defined priority order can be used.

[0275] For example, when the results of the MAC layer differentiation method are inconsistent with those of the PHY layer differentiation method, the PHY layer differentiation method can be used. For instance, when an EHT trigger frame is transmitted via an HE PPDU, it can be responded to with an HE TB PPDU. Therefore, HE STA, which cannot decode subsequent standards and their PPDUs, can still decode the PPDU and acknowledge the preamble, and can appropriately protect the PPDU or frame by receiving frames included in the PPDU, among other advantages.

[0276] Figure 21 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0277] In addition to the trigger frame described above, the TB PPDU can also be indicated via a TRS. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the TRS can be included in the HT control field. For example, when the HT control field includes an A-control field, it can include a TRS. The TRS can be transmitted via the TRS control subfield. The A-control field can have a form in which control list fields are contiguously connected. The control list field can include the TRS.

[0278] Furthermore, the identified receiver of a frame including a TRS can respond to the TRS. For example, the STA corresponding to the RA included in the frame including the TRS can respond to the TRS. The TRS may include information about the length of the PPDU or frame responding to the TRS (UL Data Symbols), the location and size of the RU to be used in response to the TRS (RUAllocation), information about the power in response to the TRS (AP Tx Power, UL Target RSSI), and information about the modulation scheme in response to the TRS (UL HE-MCS).

[0279] Figure 21 The embodiments may be used to solve Figures 10 to 11 The method described above addresses the problem. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the embodiments regarding trigger frames can be applied to TRS. Additionally, the content already described above can be omitted.

[0280] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the TRS (HE TRS) defined in the HE standard, there may also be TRS defined in the EHT standard or the NEXT standard (EHT TRS and NEXT TRS, respectively). Therefore, depending on whether the indicated TRS is HE TRS, EHT TRS, or NEXT TRS, the TB PPDU responding to the TRS can be HE TB PPDU, EHT TBPPDU, or NEXT TB PPDU, respectively. For example, the standard in which the TRS is defined can be determined by the control ID subfield of the A-control subfield. In an additional embodiment, the TRS can be divided into two types: HE TRS and non-HE TRS.

[0281] Alternatively, for example, the standard in which the TRS is defined can be determined based on whether the HT control field is an HE variant, EHT variant, or NEXT variant. Furthermore, the HE variant, EHT variant, or NEXT variant can be determined based on the value of a preset bit in the HT control field. For example, it can be an HE variant when B0 and B1 of the HT control field are 1 and 1, respectively. Additionally, it can be determined as an HE variant, EHT variant, or NEXT variant by using B0 and B1 of the HT control field along with additional bits (e.g., B31).

[0282] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the TBPPDU format responding to the TRS can be determined based on the PPDU format including the TRS, as shown in reference. Figure 20 The content described herein refers to the following: When the PPDU indicating the transmission of a PPDU includes a TRS control subfield, the format of the PPDU can be determined based on the format of the PPDU including the TRS control subfield. For example, when the format of the PPDU including the TRS control subfield is HE PPDU, the format of the indicated PPDU can be HE PPDU. However, when the format of the PPDU including the TRS control subfield is EHT PPDU, the format of the indicated PPDU can be EHT PPDU.

[0283] Reference Figure 21 When a TRS is transmitted via an HE PPDU, the TB PPDU responding to that TRS can be an HE TB PPDU. Furthermore, when a TRS is transmitted via an EHT PPDU, the TB PPDU responding to that TRS can be an EHT TB PPDU. Additionally, when a TRS is transmitted via a NEXT PPDU, the TB PPDU responding to that TRS can be a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0284] According to embodiments of the present invention, subfields included in a TRS can be interpreted differently based on the PPDU format including the TRS. For example, when the TRS is included in an HE PPDU, the UL HE-MCS subfield (or MCS-related subfield) included in the TRS can indicate a value corresponding to the HE MCS table. When the TRS is included in an EHT PPDU, the UL HE-MCS subfield (or MCS-related subfield) included in the TRS can indicate a value corresponding to the EHT MCS table. When the TRS is included in a NEXT PPDU, the UL HE-MCS subfield (or MCS-related subfield) included in the TRS can indicate a value corresponding to the NEXT MCS table. Furthermore, the RU allocation subfield can also be interpreted differently based on the PPDU format including the TRS.

[0285] Figure 22This illustrates a random access operation based on UL OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0286] According to one embodiment, a UORA operation can be an operation that responds to a trigger frame based on the RA-RUs included in the trigger frame. For example, when the OBO counter set by the STA is decreased based on the number of RA-RUs indicated by the trigger frame and the OBO counter becomes 0, the operation that responds to the trigger frame by the RA-RUs indicated by the trigger frame can be a UORA.

[0287] Figure 22 It can be used to solve Figures 10 to 11 The instructions in the text explain the operation of the problem, and the content already explained above can be omitted.

[0288] According to one embodiment of the present invention, for a RA-RU indicated by an HE trigger frame or a trigger frame included in an HE PPDU, in addition to the HE STA, the EHT STA and NEXT STA can also decrement the OBO counter and perform a UORA response. Therefore, in this case, a response may be required using an HE TB PPDU. Similarly, when responding to a RA-RU indicated by an EHT trigger frame or a trigger frame included in an EHT PPDU, an EHT TB PPDU can be used. Furthermore, when responding to a RA-RU indicated by a NEXT trigger frame or a trigger frame included in a NEXT PPDU, a NEXT PPDU can be used.

[0289] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a TB PPDU response is performed on a trigger frame including RA-RU, the response can be performed using a TB PPDU that corresponds to an earlier standard that can understand the trigger frame and the PPDU including the trigger frame.

[0290] Reference Figure 22 It shows the case where the EHT STA responds with a HETB PPDU when the OBO counter value of the HE trigger frame indicating the RA-RU is 0.

[0291] Figure 23 The operation of the UL MU according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0292] According to one embodiment of the invention, when the STA is a trigger frame or the only STA indicated by the TRS, it can respond with any TB PPDU. Alternatively, when the STA is the only STA indicated by the TRS and the trigger frame included in a PPDU including the TRS, it can respond with any TB PPDU. That is, in this case, even if no TB PPDU is applied... Figures 13 to 22 The embodiments described herein will not result in events such as... Figures 10 to 11 The issues explained in the text.

[0293] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the STA can be determined to be the only STA being indicated based on the number of user information fields included in the trigger frame. For example, a STA can only be the only STA being indicated if it has at least one user information field included in the trigger frame. That is, when the frame indicating the transmission of the TB PPDU does not include special user fields but only includes one user information field, the STA corresponding to that user information field can be the only STA indicating the transmission of the TB PPDU from the AP STA through the frame.

[0294] In addition, a STA can only be uniquely indicated if the RU received by the STA is the only RU used by the trigger frame or the PPDU including the TRS.

[0295] Furthermore, a STA can only be the sole STA instructed to send a TB PPDU from an APSTA if the RA of the frame received by the STA is a unique address indicating the STA.

[0296] Furthermore, a STA can only be the sole STA instructed to send a TB PPDU from an AP STA if the PPDU received by the STA is a SU (single-user) PPDU. In this case, the SU PPDU can be a HE SU PPDU, HE ER SU PPDU, HE MUPPDU, or EHT MU PPDU. The HE MU PPDU and EHT MU PPDU may only include a user information field or a terminal identifier (STA-ID).

[0297] According to one embodiment, when the above conditions are met simultaneously, it can be determined that the STA is the only STA that was instructed to send a TBPPDU from the AP STA.

[0298] According to one embodiment, the trigger frame, TRS, or PPDU including the trigger frame or TRS may include information that is feasible regardless of the TB PPDU format of the response.

[0299] Reference Figure 23The trigger frame included in the SU PPDU can indicate the STA corresponding to the AID12 value X. The trigger frame can include only one user information field. Furthermore, the RU including the trigger frame can be a unique RU used by the PPDU including the trigger frame. In this case, the TB PPDU responding to the aforementioned trigger frame can have any TB PPDU format without issue. For example, when the STA corresponding to the AID12 value X is an EHT STA, the trigger frame can be responded to via an HE TB PPDU, or it can also be responded to via an EHT TB PPDU.

[0300] Figure 24 This illustrates a method for indicating TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 24 As a method for indicating whether the format of the TB PPDU is VHT, HE, EHT, or a next-generation format (such as profit NEXT), it is an additional description of the above embodiments, and content identical to the above can be omitted. For example, the format of the TB PPDU can be indicated by a specific format based on the user information field of the trigger frame.

[0301] Reference Figure 24Both AP STAs and non-AP STAs can use the user information field included in the frame to indicate the format of the TB PPDU as a response to the frame. Specifically, an AP STA can indicate the format of the TB PPDU as a response to the frame by setting the value of the AID12 subfield included in the user format that triggered the frame to a specific value. For example, when the value of the AID12 subfield is preset, and the TB PPDU is triggered by the user information field following the preset value, the terminal can respond with the format of the TB PPDU indicated by the preset AID subfield value. Furthermore, in this case, when there are multiple preset AID12 subfield values, the TB PPDU can be sent according to the format of the TB PPDU indicated by the AID12 subfield located at the preset position (e.g., the last position). That is, when the preset value of the AID subfield is '1', a response using TB PPDU format 1 can be indicated, and when the preset value of the AID12 subfield is '2', a response using TB PPDU format 2 can be indicated. At this point, if a user information field exists that follows a user information field containing preset values ​​'1' and '2' respectively, the format of the TB PPDU in response to the frame can be determined from the last user information field. Alternatively, if a TB PPDU transmission is triggered by a user information field X that follows a user information field containing a preset value '1', and user information field X exists before a user information field containing a preset value '2', or if no user information field indicating the PPDU format exists after user information field X, the TB PPDU format indicated by the preset value '1' can be used as a response to the frame.

[0302] Alternatively, in the case of a user information field response that does not follow the user information field indicating the PPDU format, a pre-defined PPDU format, such as the HETB PPDU format, may be used. Alternatively, in the case of a user information field response that precedes all user information fields indicating the PPDU format, a pre-defined PPDU format, such as the HETB PPDU format, may be used.

[0303] like Figure 24As shown, a trigger frame (or a special frame indicating the transmission of a TB PPDU) may include signaling indicating the TB PPDU format to indicate the transmission of the TB PPDU. For example, the trigger frame may include a User Information 3 field indicating a response in EHT PPDU format and a User Information 6 field indicating a response in NEXT TB PPDU format. In this case, the value of the AID12 subfield contained in the User Information 3 field can be set to the value indicating the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU, and the value of the AID12 subfield contained in the User Information 6 field can be set to the value indicating the transmission of a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0304] Alternatively, when a TB PPDU transmission is triggered by a User Information 4 field or a User Information 5 field following User Information 3, the TB PPDU can be transmitted based on the TB PPDU format indicated by User Information 4 or User Information 5 field (e.g., EHT TB PPDU, etc.). Furthermore, when a TB PPDU transmission is triggered by a User Information 7 field or a User Information 8 field following User Information 6 field, the TB PPDU can be transmitted based on the TB PPDU format indicated by User Information 7 or User Information 8 field (e.g., NEXT TBPPDU, etc.).

[0305] Furthermore, when a TB PPDU is sent by a user information field preceding the user information field indicating the TB PPDU format, the format of the TB PPDU can be determined based on the user information field indicating the TB PPDU transmission. For example, when a TB PPDU is sent by... Figure 23 When the User Information 1 field or User Information 2 field is triggered, the TB PPDU sent as a response to the frame can be in the format of HE TB PPDU.

[0306] Alternatively, when a user information field indicating the HE TB PPDU format exists and TB PPDU transmission is triggered by a user information field located after the user information field indicating the HE TB PPDU format, the format TB PPDU transmitted as a response to the frame can be HE TB PPDU.

[0307] Figure 24 The User Information 7 and User Information 8 fields are located after the User Information field indicating the EHT TB PPDU and the User Information field indicating the NEXT TB PPDU. In this case, since the User Information 6 field indicating the NEXT TB PPDU is located after the User Information 3 field indicating the EHT TB PPDU, the TB PPDU triggered by either User Information 7 or User Information 8 can be in the format of NEXT TB PPDU.

[0308] Furthermore, when the transmission of a TB PPDU is indicated by either User Information Field 4 or User Information Field 5, User Information Field 4 and User Information Field 5 are located after User Information Field 3, which indicates the EHT TB PPDU, and before User Information Field 6, which indicates the NEXT TB PPDU. Accordingly, the format of the TB PPDU indicated by the User Information Field or User Information Field 5 can be an EHT TB PPDU.

[0309] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the common information fields and user information fields of the EHT and NEXT standards can be the same as the lengths of the common information fields and user information fields of the HE standard, respectively. This applies to... Figure 23 In addition to the TB PPDU format indication method based on the user information field described herein, other embodiments of the present invention, such as the TB PPDU format indication method based on the public information field, can also be applied.

[0310] This method is designed to prevent legacy terminals (e.g., STAs conforming to the HE standard or standards prior to HE) from unintentionally sending TB PPDUs that cannot decode PPDUs according to the EHT or NEXT standards. For example, when the length of the common information field or user information field in the EHT and NEXT standards differs from the length in the HE standard, an HE STA interpreting the trigger frame according to the HE standard might identify it as a trigger PPDU such as the AID12 subfield. In this case, the HE STA could send an HE TB PPDU, which is contrary to the intention of the STA sending the trigger frame. Therefore, the HE TB PPDU can act as interference with other TB PPDUs, and the HE TB PPDU itself may also fail to receive the trigger frame from the STA.

[0311] According to one embodiment, the lengths of the public information field and the user information field can be the same as those of the public information field and the user information field. Figure 12 The same as shown in the example. For example, apart from the trigger dependency public information subfield, the public information field can be 64 bits (8 octets). Furthermore, apart from the user dependency user information subfield, the user information field can be 40 bits (5 octets). Additionally, in the case of a basic trigger frame, there is no trigger dependency public information subfield, and the length of the trigger dependency user information subfield can be 8 bits (1 octet).

[0312] However, in this case, the length of the user information field following the pre-defined AID12 subfield can differ from the length of the user information field in the HE standard. For example, the pre-defined AID12 subfield value can be 4095. That is, the pre-defined AID12 subfield value can be a value where all bits are set to 1. This value can be the same as the value indicating the start of padding for triggering the frame. Therefore, the HE STA can ignore the user information field following the pre-defined AID12 subfield, thus avoiding the transmission of unintentional HETB PPDUs even if the length of the user information field differs.

[0313] As another embodiment of the present invention, when there are multiple user information fields or AID12 subfields indicating the format of a TB PPDU, the user information fields or AID12 subfields can be included in the frame in a set order. For example, the user information fields or AID12 subfields can be included in the frame in order according to the format of each indicated TB PPDU.

[0314] That is, when the TB PPDU indicated by the user information field or AID12 subfield is in the traditional format, the user information field or AID12 subfield can be placed before other user information fields or AID12 subfields.

[0315] For example, when the user information field or AID12 subfield indicates a TB PPDU in EHT TB PPDU format, the user information field or AID12 subfield may precede the user information field or AID12 subfield indicating a NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the user information field or AID12 subfield indicates a TB PPDU in HE TB PPDU format, the user information field or AID12 subfield may precede the user information field or AID12 subfield indicating an EHT TB PPDU.

[0316] The user information field can indicate additional public information fields. As mentioned above, public information fields can include information applicable to all or more STAs in the received frame. For example, when the AID12 subfield is a preset value, the user information field including the AID12 subfield can include additional public information fields. This is because the size of information that can be included in the public information fields of an existing frame may be limited.

[0317] That is, such as Figure 24 As shown, the User Information 1 field can include additional public information. In this case, the AID12 subfield included in the User Information 1 field can be set to display a pre-defined value that includes the public information.

[0318] Figure 25 This is a diagram illustrating another example of a trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0319] Reference Figure 25 When indicating a TB PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield can be set according to the different formats. Therefore, the format of the TB PPDU can be indicated using the AID12 subfield of the user information field. Specifically, Figure 24 As an embodiment of solving the above problems, the same content as described above can be omitted.

[0320] Specifically, as mentioned above, a specific value of the AID12 subfield or user information field can indicate the RA-RU. However, when the method used to indicate the TB PPDU format is designed to be the same as the method used to indicate the TB PPDU to a legacy terminal, a problem may arise where the legacy terminal interprets and responds differently to the values ​​of the user information field or AID12 subfield used to indicate the TB PPDU format to the next-generation terminal.

[0321] For example, the value of the user information field or AID12 subfield used to indicate the EHT TB PPDU can be interpreted as the value of the RA-RU used by a legacy terminal (e.g., HE STA) to indicate the UORA operation of HE, so that the legacy terminal can respond by the HETB PPDU.

[0322] Therefore, as Figure 22 The STA can respond with an HE TB PPDU when using the value of the AID12 subfield or user field indicating the RA-RU. For example, if the STA is capable of sending both an EHT TB PPDU and an HE TB PPDU, then a response to a frame that includes the AID12 subfield indicating the RA-RU or the user information field can be sent with an HE TB PPDU.

[0323] In this case, such as Figure 24 The STA sending the trigger frame can use the AID12 subfield indicating the RA-RU or the user information field to indicate the HE TB PPDU response. Therefore, when using the value of the RA-RU indicating the AID12 subfield or the user information field, additional rules or implementations may not be required to indicate the PPDU format passed through the frame. That is, when the AID12 subfield or the user information field indicates the RA-RU, the STA can recognize the response to the frame as an HE TB PPDU.

[0324] That is, a specific value of the user information field contained in the frame, or the AID12 subfield contained in the user information field, can be used to indicate the RA-RU of the STA that supports HE. In this case, the specific value indicating the RA-RU A can indicate that the response to the frame is an HE TB PPDU. Therefore, as a response to the frame, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield contained in the user information field used to indicate an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU can be set to a value other than the specific value used to indicate the UORA operation of HE.

[0325] For example, an AP STA can send a frame to one or more non-AP STAs to instruct the sending (or triggering) of a TB PPDU. In this case, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield of the user information field contained in the frame can be set differently depending on the format of the TB PPDU to be sent.

[0326] For example, when the value of the AID12 subfield indicates the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU, it can be set to a value other than a first specific value (e.g., '2045') and / or a second specific value (e.g., '0'). In this case, the second specific value can also be used to indicate the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU when certain conditions are met.

[0327] Therefore, the AID12 subfield can be set to a first specific value (e.g., '2045') or a second specific value (e.g., '0') to indicate that an HE TB PPDU is sent instead of an EHT TB PPDU. In this case, the first specific value can be used to indicate a response to an HE TB PPDU, and the second specific value can be used to indicate that an HE TB PPDU is sent if a specific condition is not met.

[0328] That is, the AP STA can set the value of the AID12 subfield to a first specific value, and include the HE variant user information field, which is used to indicate the transmission of the HETB PPDU, in the frame that can be sent to a non-AP STA. In this case, if a specific condition is not met, a second specific value can be used to indicate the transmission of the HETB PPDU.

[0329] To indicate the RA-RU for UORA operations used for HE, when the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield contained in the user information field is set to a first specific value (e.g., '2045') or a second specific value (e.g., '0'), the STA may send an HE TB PPDU in response to the frame. However, when the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield contained in the user information field is set to a value other than the first specific value or the second specific value, the STA may send an EHTTB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU in response to the frame.

[0330] The first specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are not associated with AP, and the second specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are associated with AP.

[0331] In this case, under certain conditions, the second specific value can be used to indicate the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. For example, the specific conditions could be one of the following: all STAs associated with the AP are not traditional STAs (e.g., all capable of EHT TB PPDU transmission) or are unable to transmit EHT STAs and / or HE TB PPDUs instead of traditional STAs transmitting HE PPDUs (i.e., STAs other than those that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs but can transmit HE TB PPDUs); the associated traditional STAs (terminals unable to transmit EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operations; or the frame indicating TB PPDU transmission is included in and transmitted within the EHT PPDU. In this case, the situation where traditional STAs (terminals unable to transmit EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operations includes cases where the sending STA indicates to the AP that it does not support UORA operations.

[0332] In other words, situations where traditional STAs (terminals that cannot send EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operations may include situations where the value of the capability subfield sent by the STA to the AP is set to a value that indicates that UORA operations are not supported, or situations where the STA association does not support UORA operations themselves.

[0333] That is, the situation described above, where none of the STAs associated with the AP are traditional terminals (e.g., all capable of transmitting EHT TBPPDUs), also applies to the situation where the AP is associated with a single STA capable of transmitting EHT TB PPDUs. In other words, only STAs associated with the AP can transmit EHT TB PPDUs. Therefore, in this case, the value of the AID12 subfield or user information field can be '0' as the second specific value. Thus, in this situation, it can be determined that the second specific value meets specific conditions and can be used to indicate the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0334] Furthermore, the TB PPDU indicated by the AP via a frame can only indicate one format of TB PPDU. For example, the AP can indicate only HE TB PPDU or EHT TB PPDU (or NEXT TB PPDU) via a frame, but cannot indicate both HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU simultaneously. Therefore, when a frame indicates EHT TB PPDU, it cannot indicate HE TB PPDU transmission via that frame. Consequently, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield contained in the user information field cannot be set to '2045'.

[0335] Furthermore, in embodiments where the response to the HE TB PPDU is based on the AID12 subfield or user information field of the RA-RU, the triggering frame may be limited to include non-HE PPDU, non-HT repeating PPDU, HE PPDU, VHT PPDU, or HT PPDU.

[0336] There may be a value for the AID12 subfield or user information field that indicates a response from an HE TB PPDU and also indicates the RA-RU. For example, when the value of the AID12 subfield is 0 or 2045, the value of the AID12 subfield can indicate the RA-RU used for UORA operations and simultaneously indicate that the response format for the frame is HE TB PPDU.

[0337] In addition, there may be an AID12 subfield or user information field that indicates a response from an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU and indicates a RA-RU. For example, the preset value of the AID12 subfield that indicates a response from an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU and indicates a RA-RU can be a value other than 0, 1 to 2007, 2045, 2046 and / or 4095.

[0338] That is, the values ​​of the AID12 or user information fields for RA-RU allocation and indication of EHT TB PPDU or NEXT PPDU transmission for UORA operations of STAs capable of transmitting EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU (e.g., EHT STAs that support EHT or NEXT STAs that support the NEXT standard) can be set to values ​​other than the values ​​of the AID12 subfield or user information field for RA-RU allocation for UORA operations of STAs that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU.

[0339] For example, as described above, when the frame used to trigger TB PPDU transmission indicates EHT TB PPDU transmission, the value of the AID12 subfield or user information field can be set to a value other than at least one specific value. That is, the value of the AID12 subfield or user information field can be set to a value other than at least one specific value used to indicate the RA-RU of a STA that cannot perform EHT TB PPDU transmission.

[0340] At this point, at least one specific value may include a first feature (e.g., '2045') for indicating the RA-RU to a STA not associated with the AP, and a second specific value (e.g., '0') for indicating the RA-RU to a STA associated with the AP may be included in at least one specific value, depending on whether a specific condition is met.

[0341] The specific conditions are the same as those described above, and when the specific conditions are met, the value of the AID12 subfield or user information field can be set to the STA that is capable of sending EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU to instruct the RA-RU and the EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU to be sent.

[0342] However, if certain conditions are not met, the second specific value is included in at least one specific value and is thus set to the value of the AID12 subfield or user information field used by the STA capable of sending EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU to instruct the RA-RU and the EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TBPPDU to be sent.

[0343] like Figure 15 As shown, when the value of the AID12 subfield is 0, the value of the AID12 subfield can be used to indicate one or more RA-RUs associated with the STA. Furthermore, values ​​1 through 2007 of the AID12 subfield can be used to indicate an associated STA with the corresponding AID, and 2045 can be used to indicate one or more RA-RUs of an unassociated STA. AID12 subfield value 2046 can be used to indicate an unassigned RU, and 4095 can be used to indicate the start of the frame's padding field.

[0344] like Figure 24 As shown, the padding field of the trigger frame can be located in the middle of the user information field; in this case, the padding field can be called the mid-padding field. The mid-padding field can be... Figure 12The fill field described herein is different from other fields and can be a type of user information field. For example, when the AID12 subfield has a preset value, the user information field can be a middle fill field. Specifically, a user information field that includes an AID12 subfield with a preset value can be included in the middle of a user information list field, and a user information field that includes such an AID12 subfield can be a middle fill field.

[0345] Alternatively, user information fields that include AID2 subfields with predefined values ​​can also be included in a non-last position in the user information list fields.

[0346] At this point, the preset value can be the same as the value indicating the start of the padding field. For example, the preset value could be 4095. Alternatively, the preset value could be a value where all bits are 1. According to an embodiment of the invention, the TB PPDU format can be determined based on the relative position between the user information field of the RU indicating that the STA is sending and the intermediate padding field. For example, the TB PPDU format can be determined based on the relative position between the user information field of the RA-RU indicating that the STA is sending and the intermediate padding field. For example, an intermediate padding field may be included so that the HE STA cannot recognize the user information field after the intermediate padding field.

[0347] More specifically, to prevent HE STA from recognizing user information fields indicating RA-RUs following intermediate padding fields, intermediate padding fields can be included. When intermediate padding fields are included, HE STA can recognize fields or values ​​following the intermediate padding fields as... Figure 12 The padding field is described in the documentation. Furthermore, the length of the intermediate padding field can be the same as the length of the user information field. As one embodiment, the portion of the intermediate padding field, except for the AID12 subfield, can be set to a preset value. As another embodiment, the portion of the intermediate padding field, except for the AID12 subfield, can be set to any value.

[0348] In this embodiment of the invention, the response to indicating that the user information field of a certain RA-RU refers to the case where the selected RU among the plurality of RA-RUs indicated by the trigger frame including the user information field is that certain RA-RU. For example, when the OBO counter becomes 0 in the above-described UORA operation, the process of selecting the RU to be sent from one or more RA-RUs indicated by the trigger frame may be included.

[0349] At this time, any RU for UORA operation can be arbitrarily selected from one or more RA-RUs. In this invention, responding to an RA-RU may include responding based on the user information field indicating the RA-RU, or in the case of selecting the RA-RU, or in the case of the OBO counter becoming 0 and selecting the RU as the RA-RU to be sent, etc.

[0350] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when responding based on the RA-RU indicated by the user information field preceding the intermediate padding field, or when responding by the RA-RU indicated by the user information field preceding the intermediate padding field, a pre-defined PPDU format can be used for the response. For example, the pre-defined PPDU format may be an HE TBPPDU format. Furthermore, the value of the AID12 subfield included in the user information field indicating the RA-RU may be 0 or 2045.

[0351] According to these embodiments, when an HE STA responds to an RA-RU, it will respond with an HE TB PPDU in the TBPPDU format, which is the only format that the HE STA can transmit. Furthermore, EHT STAs and NEXT STAs capable of transmitting multiple TB PPDU formats including the HE TB PPDU format can respond with HE TB PPDUs based on the relative position of the intermediate padding field indicating the user information field of the RA-RU when responding to an RA-RU.

[0352] Reference Figure 25 The trigger frame may include an intermediate padding field. Additionally, the RA-RU may be indicated by the User Information 1 field. If the STA responds to the RA-RU indicated by the User Information 1 field, it can transmit using the HE TB PPDU format. This is likely because the RA-RU responded to by the STA is indicated by the User Information field preceding the intermediate padding field.

[0353] In this invention, the case where the relative position of the RA-RU of the response and the intermediate padding field of the user information field comes first has been described. However, this invention is not limited to this and can also be defined as using the HETB PPDU format when it exists after the intermediate padding field.

[0354] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the RA-RU responds based on the user information field indicated after the intermediate padding field, or when the RA-RU responds based on the user information field indicated after the intermediate padding field, the method described above is used. Figures 15 to 24The TB PPDU format indicator or determination method can determine and send the TB PPDU format. In the user information field of the RA-RU, the value of the AID12 subfield can be set to 0 or 2045. For example, assuming using... Figure 24 When describing the TB PPDU format indication method, if the user information field indicating the sending RA-RU exists after the intermediate padding field, the TB PPDU format sent to UORA can be determined based on where the user information field indicating the sending RA-RU exists relative to the user information field indicating the TB PPDU format.

[0355] Alternatively, if the public information field contains TB PPDU format indication signaling, and the user information field indicating the RA-RU to be sent exists after the intermediate padding field, the TB PPDU format can be selected based on the TB PPDU format indication signaling.

[0356] like Figure 25 As shown, the trigger frame may include intermediate padding fields. In this case, user information field 5 can indicate RA-RU, and user information field 7 can also indicate RA-RU. Furthermore, according to... Figure 24 The illustrated embodiment may also include a user information field indicating the TBPPDU format, and the user information 2 field may indicate the EHT TBPPDU format. Furthermore, the user information 6 field may indicate the NEXT TBPPDU format.

[0357] If the STA responds to the RA-RU indicated in the User Information 5 field, it can transmit using the EHT TB PPDU format indicated in the User Information 2 field. This is because the RA-RU in the STA response is indicated by a User Information field that exists after the intermediate padding field, and the User Information field indicating the RA-RU is located after the User Information 2 field indicating the EHT TB PPDU format. Furthermore, it may be because the User Information 5 field is located before the User Information 6 field indicating a different PPDU format.

[0358] Alternatively, if the STA responds to the RA-RU indicated in User Information 7 field, the STA can send using the NEXT TB PPDU format indicated in User Information 6 field. This is because the RA-RU in the STA's response is indicated by a User Information field that exists after the intermediate padding field, and the User Information field indicating the RA-RU is located after User Information 6 field indicating the NEXT TB PPDU format. Furthermore, it could also be because the User Information field indicating a different PPDU format does not exist after User Information 7 field.

[0359] According to these embodiments, the HE STA can identify values ​​existing after the intermediate padding field as padding fields and may not understand the user information field indicating the RA-RU. Furthermore, when multiple EHT STAs and NEXT STAs in TBPPDU formats, including the HE TBPPDU format, are sent in response to the RA-RU, the response can be in a format based on the TBPPDU format indication method, based on the relative position of the intermediate padding field indicating the user information field of the RA-RU.

[0360] In this invention, the case where the relative position of the intermediate padding field of the user information of the RA-RU indicating the response is later is described, but the invention is not limited thereto. When it exists before the intermediate padding field, it can be defined and applied to use the format indicated by the TB PPDU format instead of the HE TB PPDU format.

[0361] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it may be necessary to distinguish between intermediate padding fields and padding fields. Figure 25 (The fields described above exist before the FCS). This is because the EHT STA and NEXT STA cannot ignore information after the intermediate padding fields, but can ignore the information of the padding fields. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there may be signaling indicating whether the intermediate padding fields exist.

[0362] For example, public information fields may include signaling indicating the presence of an intermediate padding field. For instance, the presence of an intermediate padding field could be indicated based on the UL length field. More specifically, the presence of an intermediate padding field could be indicated based on the UL length field mod 3 value. Alternatively, see [reference needed]. Figure 12 The presence of intermediate fill fields can be indicated based on the UL HE-SIG-A2 reserved subfields (B54 to B62) or reserved (B63) included in the public information fields.

[0363] According to another embodiment, the user information field may include signaling indicating the presence of an intermediate padding field. For example, the presence of an intermediate padding field may be indicated based on bits included in the intermediate padding field. For example, the presence of an intermediate padding field may be indicated based on predefined bits other than the AID12 subfield included in the intermediate padding field.

[0364] For example, the pre-defined bit could be a bit following the AID12 subfield (one bit of the RU allocation subfield). This could be because... Figure 12All bits in the padding field shown can be set to 1. According to another embodiment, a user information field, distinct from the intermediate padding field, can indicate the presence of the intermediate padding field. For example, the user information field indicating the presence of the intermediate padding field can exist before the intermediate padding field. More specifically, the user information field indicating the presence of the intermediate padding field can exist exactly before the intermediate padding field.

[0365] In one embodiment, the AID12 subfield in the user information field indicating the presence of the intermediate padding field can be set to a preset value. Alternatively, as an embodiment, the user information field indicating the presence of the intermediate padding field can be an indicator indicating the presence of the intermediate padding field. Figure 23 The user information field is in TB PPDU format, as described above. For example, bits other than the AID12 subfield indicating the TB PPDU format user information field can be used to indicate the presence of intermediate padding fields. See [reference]. Figure 24 The User Information 2 field, which precedes the intermediate padding field, can indicate whether the intermediate padding field exists. Additionally, the User Information 2 field can indicate a User Information field in EHT TB PPDU format.

[0366] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user information field following the user information field that includes AID12 subfield values ​​that the STA does not understand can be ignored. Alternatively, the user information field indicating the RA-RU following the user information field that includes AID12 subfield values ​​that the STA does not understand can be ignored. This may be to solve the aforementioned problem of mixed TB PPDU formats sent from multiple STAs. See also... Figure 24 The EHT STA may not understand the AID12 subfield of the User Information 5 field, which indicates the NEXT TB PPDU. Therefore, the User Information 7 field, which exists after the User Information 6 field, and the RA-RU that indicates the User Information 7 field, can be ignored.

[0367] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the invention, a range of values ​​for the AID12 subfield indicating the TB PPDU format can be preserved. For example, when defining the EHT standard, a range feasible by the NEXT standard can be defined. This embodiment is applicable to applications using... Figure 24 This describes the TB PPDU format.

[0368] According to one embodiment, the user information field indicating the RA-RU that follows the AID12 subfield, relative to the reserved value range (i.e., a value belonging to a later standard relative to the standard supported by the STA), can be ignored. See also... Figure 24The EHT STA can determine that the AID12 subfield of the User Information 6 field, which indicates the NEXT TB PPDU, is a value intended for future standards. Therefore, the User Information 7 field, which follows the User Information 6 field, and the RA-RU indicating the User Information 7 field, can be ignored.

[0369] In this invention, ignoring the user information field may mean not responding based on the user information field. Alternatively, ignoring the user information field may mean not responding to the RU indicated by the user information field. Alternatively, ignoring the user information field may mean not decrementing the OBO counter based on the user information field.

[0370] According to one embodiment, the length of the user information field that exists after the intermediate padding field may be different from the length of the user information field defined in the HE standard.

[0371] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when using Figure 24 and 25 When describing the TB PPDU format indication method, the user information field indicating the RA-RU can exist only on the side displaying a TB PPDU format. That is, it can exist only on the side displaying a TB PPDU format. Figure 24 One of the user information fields 1, 5, and 7 shown.

[0372] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when using Figure 24 and 25 When describing the TB PPDU format indication method, the user information field indicating the RA-RU can exist on one side of displaying multiple TB PPDU formats. That is, Figure 24 The User Information 1 field, User Information 5 field, and User Information 7 field shown can coexist.

[0373] Furthermore, the STA can reduce the OBO counter or select the RU to be sent based solely on the user information field indicating the RA-RU corresponding to the supported TB PPDU format. Additionally, when the STA selects the RA-RU to be sent when the OBO counter reaches 0, the user information field indicating the RA-RU follows... Figure 23 and Figure 24 When using the method described, the response can be based on which TB PPDU format is used. That is, the RU to be sent can be selected from the RA-RUs corresponding to the supported formats, and the response can be made using the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU. In another embodiment, if the RU to be sent is selected from the RA-RUs regardless of whether it is supported, and the response is made using the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU, or if the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU is not supported, no response may be made. In this case, the OBO counter may be reset.

[0374] According to one embodiment, an OBO counter may exist in the STA. Furthermore, the above embodiment can be applied to the case where an OBO counter exists in the STA.

[0375] According to another embodiment, multiple OBO counters can exist in the STA. For example, the OBO counters corresponding to various standards supported by the STA can exist independently. Furthermore, based on... Figure 23 and Figure 24 The RA-RU corresponding to the TB PPDU format indication method described herein can reduce the corresponding standard OBO counter. (Refer to...) Figure 24 Based on user information 1, the OBO counter corresponding to the HE standard is reduced; based on user information 5, the OBO counter corresponding to the EHT standard is reduced; and based on user information 7, the OBO counter corresponding to the NEXT standard is reduced. Furthermore, when the OBO counter corresponding to a certain standard becomes 0, it can be selected and transmitted from the RA-RU indicated by that standard.

[0376] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a TB PPDU can respond based on TB PPDU format information received from the AP or standard information of surrounding STAs. Furthermore, the TB PPDU format information or standard information of surrounding STAs can be included in a management frame sent by the AP. The management frame can include one of an Association Response frame, a Reassociation Response frame, a Beacon frame, and a Probe Response frame.

[0377] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the TB PPDU format can be determined based on the observation of the STA. For example, when the STA receives a frame or HE PPDU from an HE STA in the same BSS, it can respond with an HE TB PPDU. Alternatively, when the STA does not receive a frame or HE PPDU from an HE STA in the same BSS, it can respond with an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0378] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the TRS control field may include a format identifier or a version identifier. Furthermore, the 20MHz sub-channel, including the RU indicated by the TRS control sub-field as a variant of HE, may be... Figures 15 to 25The TBPPDU format indication method described herein is not indicated so that a response is given by either the EHT TBPPDU format or the NEXT TBPPDU format. Similarly, the 20MHz sub-channel of the RU, including the TRS control field indication as a variant of EHT, can be indicated by... Figures 15 to 25 The TBPPDU format indication method described herein is not indicated so that a response is made in HE TB PPDU format or NEXT TB PPDU format.

[0379] Including the 20MHz sub-channel of the RU indicated by the TRS control field as a variant of NEXT, which can be... Figures 15 to 25 The TB PPDU format indication method described herein is not indicated so that a response is made in HE TB PPDU format or EHT TB PPDU format.

[0380] Figure 26 This illustrates a method for indicating the trigger frame format and RA-RU according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0381] Reference Figure 26 The format and RA-RU of the TB PPDU can be indicated using the value of the user information field included in the aforementioned frame, or the value of the AID12 subfield included in the user information field. Figure 26 Content identical to the above can be omitted.

[0382] Specifically, as described above, the AID12 subfield or user information field indicating the RA-RU and the PPDU format of the frame response can be included in the frame.

[0383] For example, as described above, when the AID12 subfield is 0 or 2045, it indicates the RA-RU, and as a response to a frame, it can indicate the transmission of an HE TB PPDU. In this case, an AID12 subfield value of 0 can indicate the RA-RU for STAs associated with the AP, and an AID12 subfield value of 2045 can indicate the RA-RU for STAs not associated with the AP. Furthermore, there can be an AID12 subfield or a user information field indicating both the RA-RU and the response PPDU format as an EHT TB PPDU. And, in this case, the values ​​indicating the RA-RU for STAs associated with the AP and the values ​​indicating the RA-RU for STAs not associated with the AP can each exist independently.

[0384] Similarly, an AID12 subfield or a user information field may exist to indicate that the response PPDU format is NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the values ​​indicating the RA-RU for STAs associated with the AP and the values ​​indicating the RA-RU for STAs not associated with the AP can each exist independently.

[0385] According to another embodiment, when the AID12 subfield is a preset value, RA-RU is indicated and the response PPDU format is indicated as EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU (i.e., it can indicate that it is not in EHT TB PPDU format). For example, the preset value might be a value that is neither 0 nor 2045. Furthermore, the preset value could be a value from 2008 to 2044 or a value from 2047 to 4094. Additionally, in this case, the method for selecting the PPDU format from EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU can be additionally used. Figure 23 The methods described in the embodiments or other embodiments of the present invention may not cause problems.

[0386] Reference Figure 26 The trigger frame may indicate the RA-RU and include a user information field indicating that the response PPDU format is HE TB PPDU. The AID12 subfield of these user information fields can have a value of 0 or 2045. Furthermore, the trigger frame may indicate the RA-RU and include a user information field indicating that the response PPDU format is EHT TB PPDU. See reference... Figure 26 The value of the AID12 subfield in these user information fields can be X. Furthermore, the trigger frame can indicate a RA-RU and include user information fields indicating that the response PPDU format is NEXT TB PPDU. See reference... Figure 25 The value of the AID12 subfield of these user information fields can be Y. Furthermore, as mentioned above, according to one embodiment, X and Y can be the same value.

[0387] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the HE STA reduces the OBO counter and selects the RU for the RA-RU of a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045. Furthermore, the HE STA may not be able to recognize user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to X or Y, and the RA-RU indicated by it.

[0388] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the EHT STA reduces the OBO counter and selects the RU for the RA-RU in the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0, 2045, or X. In this case, the EHT STA can obtain more random access opportunities compared to the HE STA. Additionally, when the EHT STA responds to the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, it can respond via the HE TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the EHT STA responds to the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, it can respond via the EHT TB PPDU.

[0389] Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the RA-RU candidate for reducing the OBO counter or determining the UORA transmission (making the OBO counter 0) and the RA-RU candidate selected when transmitting the UORA can be different from each other.

[0390] Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the EHT STA decrements the OBO counter for the RA-RU of a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0, 2045, or X, and can select an RU in the RA-RU of the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X. Additionally, when the EHT STA responds in the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, it can respond via an EHT TB PPDU.

[0391] Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for RA-RUs with user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to 0, 2045, X, or Y, and can select RA-RUs with user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to 0, 2045, or X. In this case, the EHT STA can obtain more random access opportunities compared to the HE STA. Moreover, since the EHT STA reduces the OBO counter for RA-RUs such as NEXT STAs, it can obtain random access opportunities fairly. Furthermore, when the EHT STA responds in a RA-RU indicated by a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, it can respond via an HE TB PPDU. Similarly, when the EHT STA responds in a RA-RU indicated by a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, it can respond via an EHT TB PPDU.

[0392] Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the EHT STA reduces the OBO counter for the RA-RU of user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to X, and the RU can be selected. That is, the EHT STA may not reduce the OBO counter for the RA-RU of user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045.

[0393] However, when EHT STA decrements the OBO counter for the AID12 subfield X, it can reset the OBO counter to decrement the OBO counter for the RA-RU of the user information field based on the AID12 subfield value being set to '0' or '2045'. Similarly, when EHT STA maintains the OBO counter for the AID12 subfield set to '0' or '2045', it can reset the OBO counter to decrement the OBO counter for the RA-RU of the user information field based on the AID12 subfield value being set to 'X'.

[0394] Furthermore, the EHT STA does not select an RU for the RA-RU in the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045. In this case, the fairness loss caused by the EHT STA obtaining more random access opportunities compared to the HE STA in the previous embodiment can be prevented. Additionally, when the EHT STA responds in the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, it can respond via the EHT TB PPDU.

[0395] Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the EHT STA can have and manage multiple OBO counters. For example, for a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, the RA-RU OBO counter A is reduced and RU can be selected. For a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, the RA-RU OBO counter B is reduced and RU can be selected. Additionally, for a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to Y, the RA-RU OBO counter C is reduced and RU can be selected.

[0396] In this scenario, the EHT STA may need to maintain multiple OBO counters, but it may have more random access opportunities compared to the HE STA. Furthermore, when the EHT STA responds in the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, it can respond via the HE TB PPDU. Similarly, when the EHT STA responds in the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, it can respond via the EHT TB PPDU. Finally, when the NEXT STA responds in the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to Y, it can respond via the NEXT TB PPDU.

[0397] Furthermore, the NEXT STA can perform UORA using the same method described for the EHT STA. That is, according to one embodiment, the NEXT STA decrements the OBO counter for the RA-RU of the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0, 2045, X, or Y, and can maliciously select the RU. Additionally, when sending to UORA, the TB PPDU format can be based on the AID12 subfield indicating the RA-RU of the response. For example, when responding to the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, the HE TB PPDU is used; when responding to the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to X, the EHT TB PPDU is used; and when responding to the RA-RU indicated by the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to Y, the NEXT TB PPDU can be used.

[0398] According to another embodiment, NEXT STA reduces the OBO counter for the RA-RU of the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to Y, and the RU can be selected. Furthermore, when sending to UORA, the response can be in the NEXT TB PPDU format.

[0399] According to one embodiment, X and Y can be values ​​that are not 0 or 2045, respectively, and in another embodiment, X and Y can be 0 or 2045, respectively.

[0400] See Figure 26 The EHT STA decrements the OBO counter based on the RA-RU indicated by User Information 1 (AID12 set to 0) and the RA-RU indicated by User Information 5 (AID12 set to X). When the OBO counter becomes 0, it can select and respond to either the RA-RU indicated by User Information 1 or User Information 5.

[0401] As another embodiment, see Figure 25 The EHT STA decrements the OBO counter of the RA-RU indicated by User Information 5, which is set to X based on AID12. When the OBO counter becomes 0, it can select and respond in the RA-RU indicated by User Information 5.

[0402] In embodiments of the present invention, the case where the OBO counter becomes 0 can include cases where the number of RUs indicated as RA-RU is equal to or greater than the remaining OBO counter. That is, if the OBO counter is reduced, it can include cases where it becomes less than 0.

[0403] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 26 The illustrated embodiments can be compared with Figure 24 Implementation examples Figures 15 to 20Examples of these methods are used together with the TB PPDU format determination method described in this invention. In this case, two or more methods may indicate different PPDU formats, and in this case, a pre-defined method among the two or more methods may be used. For example, it is possible to use them together. Figure 24 The embodiments described herein and Figure 25 The situation described in the embodiments.

[0404] In addition, refer to Figure 26 The AID12 subfield value of the User Information 1 field can be set to 0 or 2045, and the AID12 subfield value of the User Information 3 field can also be set to 0 or 2045. The User Information 2 field can indicate EHT TB PPDU format, and the User Information 3 field can exist after the User Information 2 field.

[0405] That is, when responding based on the User Information 3 field, the User Information 2 field indicates an EHT TB PPDU, and the AID12 subfield contained in the User Information 3 field, set to 0 or 2045, can indicate an HE TB PPDU. In this case, according to one embodiment, the HE TB PPDU can be used for the response. This is because the HE STA can recognize the User Information 3 field and the RA-RU indicated by the User Information 3 field, but cannot recognize the PPDU format indicated by the User Information 2 field. Therefore, it can be expected that the HE STA will respond with the HE TB PPDU based on the User Information 3 field.

[0406] That is, when the AID12 subfield responds to UORA based on the user information field as 0 or 2045, it can be sent by HE TB PPDU even if there are other TBPPDU format indication methods.

[0407] As another embodiment, the AID12 subfield, including a user information field of 0 or 2045, can exist at the location representing the HETB PPDU. For example, it can exist before the user information field, or before the user information field indicating the HETB PPDU and the user information field indicating the NEXT TB PPDU. Alternatively, when using... Figure 25 When including intermediate padding fields as described in the documentation, AID12 subfields, including user information fields of 0 or 2045, can exist before intermediate padding fields.

[0408] According to one embodiment, regardless of the trigger frame standard or the type of TB PPDU response indicated by the trigger frame, an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may be included. Furthermore, regardless of the trigger frame standard or the type of TB PPDU response indicated by the trigger frame, an AID12 subfield set to indicate RA-RU and the value indicated by the EHT TB PPDU response may be included. Additionally, regardless of the trigger frame standard or the type of TB PPDU response indicated by the trigger frame, an AID12 subfield set to indicate RA-RU and the value indicated by the NEXT TB PPDU response may be included.

[0409] In another embodiment, an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may be included only in the case of a trigger frame that indicates an HE TB PPDU (e.g., an HE trigger frame, a trigger frame for a variant of HE, a trigger frame indicating a response to an HE TB PPDU, or a trigger frame that indicates an HE by a format identifier).

[0410] Therefore, in the case of a trigger frame that indicates an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU (e.g., an EHT (or NEXT) trigger frame, a trigger frame for an EHT (or NEXT) variant, a trigger frame indicating a response to an EHT (or NEXT) TB PPDU, or a trigger frame whose format identifier indicates an EHT (or NEXT), the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be included.

[0411] Only in cases where a trigger frame indicating the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU (or NEXT TB PPDU) (e.g., an EHT trigger frame (or NEXT trigger frame), a trigger frame for an EHT variant (or NEXT variant), a trigger frame indicating a response to an EHT TB PPDU (or NEXT TB PPDU), or a trigger frame with a format identifier indicating an EHT (or NEXT) may include an AID12 subfield that is set to indicate a RA-RU and a value indicating a response to an EHT TB PPDU (or NEXT TB PPDU).

[0412] That is, in the case of a trigger frame indicating the transmission of a HE TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU (e.g., a HE (or NEXT) trigger frame, a trigger frame for a variant of HE (or NEXT), a trigger frame indicating a response by a HE (or NEXT) TB PPDU, or a trigger frame with a format identifier indicating HE (or NEXT), the AID12 subfield that is set to indicate RA-RU and indicate the value of a response by an EHT TB PPDU may not be included.

[0413] In the case of a trigger frame indicating the transmission of a HE TB PPDU (or EHT TB PPDU) (e.g., a HE (or EHT) trigger frame, a trigger frame for a variant of HE (or EHT), a trigger frame indicating a response to a HE (or EHT) TB PPDU, or a trigger frame with a format identifier indicating HE (or EHT), the AID12 subfield that is set to indicate RA-RU and indicate the value of a response to a NEXT TB PPDU may not be included.

[0414] For example, there may be simultaneous use Figure 25 The embodiments described herein and Figures 15 to 18 The following describes an embodiment of the determination method based on the public information field. In this case, when the public information field indicates an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU (or when the trigger frame is an EHT variant or a NEXT variant), the AID12 subfield may not include the user information field of 0 or 2045. Alternatively, when the trigger frame indicates an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU (or when the trigger frame is an EHT variant or a NEXT variant), the AID12 subfield may not include the user information field of 0 or 2045.

[0415] According to another embodiment, when the trigger frame or public information field indicates an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU (or when the trigger frame is an EHT variant or NEXT variant), the AID12 subfield includes a user information field of 0 or 2045. Based on this, when responding to UORA, an HE TB PPDU can be used instead of EHT TB PPDU and NEXT TB PPDU.

[0416] Furthermore, when the trigger frame or public information field indicates a NEXT TB PPDU (or a NEXT variant), the AID12 subfield may not include a user information field set to 0, 2045, or X. In another embodiment, when the trigger frame or public information field indicates a NEXT TB PPDU (or a NEXT variant), the AID12 subfield includes a user information field set to 0, 2045, or X. Based on this, when responding to UORA, a TB PPDU format indicated by 0, 2045, or X can be used instead of a NEXT TBPPDU.

[0417] Furthermore, when responding to a user information field indicating both RA-RU and EHT TB PPDU, if the EHT TB PPDU has a different PPDU format than those indicated by other PPDU format determination methods, a pre-set method can be used for the response. According to one embodiment, based on indicating RA-RU and the user information field indicating EHT TB PPDU independently of other PPDU format determination methods, a response can be made using the EHT TB PPDU. According to another embodiment, when responding based on both RA-RU and the user information field indicating EHT TB PPDU, a response can be made based on other PPDU format determination methods.

[0418] Alternatively, the user information field indicating the RA-RU and the EHT TB PPDU can be used to construct a trigger frame, determined according to other PPDU format determination methods, so that it can be identified as an EHT TB PPDU. See [reference]. Figure 25 The user information field that indicates RA-RU and indicates that the AID12 subfield of the response from EHT TB PPDU is set to X exists after user information 2 indicated by the response from EHT TB PPDU and before user information 6 indicated by the response from NEXT TB PPDU.

[0419] When responding to the user information field indicating both RA-RU and NEXT TB PPDU, the same method can be applied as when responding to the user information field indicating both RA-RU and EHT TB PPDU.

[0420] Figure 27 This is another example illustrating an embodiment of the invention for indicating the trigger frame format and RA-RU.

[0421] Figure 27 The described embodiments may be for... Figure 25 Additional descriptions and embodiments of the problems and solutions described herein, and content identical to that described above, are omitted. Hereinafter, the value of the AID12 subfield indicating RA-RU may include 0,2045.

[0422] Figure 24 The statement that intermediate padding fields can be included in the middle of user information list fields may mean that intermediate padding fields can be included at the beginning of user information list fields. Alternatively, it may mean that intermediate padding fields may have a different position from existing padding fields that exist after the trigger frame, or that other user information fields may exist after intermediate padding fields.

[0423] The intermediate padding field can be a user information field that includes AID12 subfields with predefined values. For example, the length of the intermediate padding field can be the same as the length of the user information field.

[0424] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the intermediate padding field may differ from the length of the user information field. For example, the length of the intermediate padding field may be shorter than the length of the user information field. Furthermore, the intermediate padding field may be a field set by a predefined value. For example, the length of the intermediate padding field may be the same as the length of the AID12 subfield. That is, the intermediate padding field may be 12 bits. Additionally, the intermediate padding field may be set to a predefined value, for example, it may be set by 4095 (a value that sets all bits of a 12-bit field to 1).

[0425] When the STA receiving the trigger frame confirms that one or more user information fields contain an AID12 subfield value, it can search for the next AID12 subfield based on the length of the user information field. At this point, if an intermediate padding field is found, the next AID12 subfield can be searched based on the length of the intermediate padding field.

[0426] For example, when the length of the intermediate padding field is the same as the length of the AID12 subfield, the intermediate padding field is found, and it can be determined that the next AID2 subfield or the next user information field will continue from the next intermediate padding field. In this case, the overhead of including the intermediate padding field in the trigger frame can be reduced, while solving the aforementioned TB PPDU format determination problem.

[0427] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the trigger frame may not include an intermediate padding field. Furthermore, the trigger frame may include a user information field indicating the RA-RU. For example... Figure 27 As shown in (a), the trigger frame may include a user information 1 field, a user information 5 field, and a user information 7 field indicating the RA-RU.

[0428] also, Figure 27 The trigger frame shown in (a) may not include the intermediate padding field. Therefore, even using the PPDU format determination method of the above embodiment, HE STA can identify the User Information 1 field, User Information 5 field, and User Information 7 field indicating the RA-RU.

[0429] Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, an HE TB PPDU can be used in response to a UORA, independent of other PPDU format determination methods. For example, when the trigger frame does not include an intermediate padding field, an HE TB PPDU can be used in response to a UORA, independent of other PPDU format determination methods. (See also...) Figure 27(a) The PPDU format can be determined based on the User Information field, which includes the AID12 subfield set to a specific value. For example, the User Information 2 field can indicate a response by an EHT TBPPDU, and the User Information 6 field can indicate a response by a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0430] However, HE STA can also recognize the user information field indicating the RA-RU included in the trigger frame. Therefore, regardless of whether it is the user information 2 field or the user information 6 field, HE TBPPDU can be used in response to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0431] Furthermore, as mentioned above, even when the TB PPDU format is determined based on the public information field or the format identifier field, the HE TB PPDU can be used in response to the RA-RU. Alternatively, when the trigger frame includes an EHT PPDU or a NEXT PPDU, or when the HE STA is included in an unreadable PPDU, the same TB PPDU format determination method can be used in response to the RA-RU when the TB PPDU format is determined based on the public information field or the format identifier field.

[0432] According to another embodiment, when the TB PPDU format is determined based on a public information field or a format identifier field, the HE STA may not be able to recognize this when indicating the EHT or NEXT standard. In this case, when responding with UORA, the TB PPDU format can be determined based on the public information field or the format identifier field. For example, when the TB PPDU format is determined based on a trigger type subfield, the HE STA may not respond to a trigger frame that includes the trigger type subfield because it cannot recognize the trigger type subfield.

[0433] As another embodiment, when the trigger frame does not include an intermediate padding field, the user information field indicating RA-RU may not be included.

[0434] As another embodiment, when the PPDU format determination method described above indicates a response from an unsupported standard TB PPDU, the OBO counter may not be decremented for the RA-RU indicated by the user information field included in these trigger frames. Furthermore, the RA-RU will not be selected as the RU to respond to the UORA. For example, if the trigger frame includes a format identifier field and the EHT STA confirms that the public information field or format identifier field indicates a NEXT TB PPDU, the OBO counter will not be decremented based on the RA-RU indicated by the user information field included in the trigger frame, and the RU to respond to the UORA may not be selected.

[0435] In this invention, the user information field indicating RA-RU can be a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045.

[0436] In this invention, an RU whose OBO counter can be reduced is called a qualified RA-RU. Furthermore, an RU that can be responded to by UORA can be called a qualified RA-RU. Additionally, when selecting an RU that responds to UORA, the selected RU can be called a qualified RA-RU. Furthermore, an RU that can reduce its OBO counter and respond to UORA is called a qualified RA-RU. Alternatively, for a qualified RA-RU, the OBO counter can be reduced, or it can be selected as an RU that responds to UORA. Furthermore, an RA-RU capable of sending can be called a qualified RA-RU. Furthermore, the meaning of being able to respond to UORA or being able to send can include supported TB PPDU formats. For example, an RA-RU indicating to EHT STA that it responds to NEXT TB PPDU may not be a qualified RA-RU.

[0437] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the trigger frame may include an intermediate padding field. This embodiment may be... Figure 24 The content described herein is omitted, and repeated content may be omitted. As mentioned above, when responding to an RA-RU, the PPDU format can be determined based on the position of the intermediate padding field of the user information field indicating the RA-RU. Alternatively, it can be determined whether the RA-RU is a qualified RU based on its relative position to the intermediate padding field of the user information field indicating the RA-RU.

[0438] As one embodiment, when responding to a UORA based on a user information field preceding the intermediate padding field, an HE TB PPDU can be used. In this case, when responding to a UORA based on a user information field preceding the intermediate padding field, an HE TB PPDU can be used regardless of other TB PPDU format indication methods. (See also...) Figure 27 (b) The trigger frame may include intermediate padding fields. Furthermore, the User Information 1 field, User Information 3 field, User Information 5 field, and User Information 7 field included in the trigger frame may indicate the RA-RU. Additionally, User Information 1 and User Information 3 fields may exist before the intermediate padding fields, and User Information 5 and User Information 7 fields may exist after the intermediate padding fields.

[0439] When the RA-RU response UORA is indicated in User Information 1 or User Information 3 fields, the HE TB PPDU can be used for the response. In this case, even if the PPDU format determination method described above indicates a PPDU other than the HE TB PPDU, the STA can still use the HE TB PPDU for the response. For example, even if used in... Figure 24 The method for determining the PPDU format is described, and the User Information 2 field, which exists before the User Information 3 field, indicates the EHT TB PPDU. When the RA-RU response UORA is indicated by the User Information 3 field, the HE TB PPDU can be used.

[0440] As another embodiment, it is indicated that the user information field of the EHT TB PPDU can exist after the intermediate padding field. Furthermore, it is indicated that the user information field of the NEXT TB PPDU can exist after the intermediate padding field.

[0441] Furthermore, as an example, when responding to a UORA based on a user information field that exists after the intermediate padding field, the response can be determined based on the other PPDU format determination methods described above. For example, refer to... Figure 27 (b) can be used Figure 24 The PPDU format determination method is described in the document. In this case, when responding to UORA in the RA-RU indicated by User Information 5 after the intermediate padding field, the EHT TB PPDU indicated by User Information 2 field can be used. Furthermore, when responding to UORA in the RA-RU indicated by User Information 7 after the intermediate padding field, the STA can use the NEXT TB PPDU indicated by User Information 6 field.

[0442] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a TB PPDU format determination method based on a user information field can be used. Alternatively, a TB PPDU format determination method based on an intermediate padding field can be used. Furthermore, there may be an RA-RU indicated as to be responded to by an HE TBPPDU format; this RA-RU may be referred to as an HE RA-RU.

[0443] There may exist RA-RUs that are instructed to respond in EHT TB PPDU format; such RA-RUs may be referred to as EHTRA-RUs.

[0444] There may exist RA-RUs that are indicated to be responded to in NEXT TB PPDU format, and such RA-RUs may be referred to as NEXT RA-RUs.

[0445] Reference Figure 27(b) The RA-RU indicated by the User Information 1 field can be an HE RA-RU. This may be because the TB PPDU format for the User Information 1 field is not indicated or is indicated as an HE TB PPDU. Furthermore, the RA-RU indicated by the User Information 3 field can be an HE RA-RU. This may be because the User Information 1 field exists before the intermediate padding fields. Additionally, the RA-RU indicated by the User Information 1 field can be an EHT RA-RU. This may be because the User Information 1 field indicates the EHT TB PPDU format for the User Information 1 field.

[0446] Furthermore, the RA-RU indicated by User Information 7 can be a NEXT RA-RU. This is likely because User Information 6 indicates the NEXT TB PPDU format for User Information 7.

[0447] As another embodiment, the HE RA-RU can be a RA-RU whose AID12 subfield value is indicated as 0 or 2045. Alternatively, the EHT RA-RU can be a RA-RU whose AID12 subfield value is indicated as a value that indicates a RA-RU and is responded to by an EHT TB PPDU. Alternatively, the NEXT RA-RU can be a RA-RU whose AID12 subfield value is indicated as a value that indicates a RA-RU and is responded to by a NEXT TBPPDU.

[0448] According to one embodiment, the STA can decrement the OBO counter or select an RU for all past, present, and future standard RA-RUs. In this case, if a future standard RA-RU is selected as the RU to be transmitted, it may not be transmitted.

[0449] According to another embodiment, the STA can reduce the OBO counter or select the RU for all past and present standard RA-RUs. Furthermore, the STA can choose not to reduce the OBO counter for future standard RA-RUs. The STA can also choose not to select the RU for future standard RA-RUs.

[0450] According to another embodiment, the STA can reduce the OBO counter or select the RU for all current standard RA-RUs. Furthermore, the STA can choose not to reduce the OBO counter for past and future standard RA-RUs. The STA can also choose not to select the RU for past and future standard RA-RUs.

[0451] According to another embodiment, the STA can reduce the OBO counter or select an RU for all current and future standard RA-RUs. Furthermore, the STA can choose not to reduce the OBO counter for past standard RA-RUs. The STA can also choose not to select an RU for past standard RA-RUs.

[0452] Furthermore, different combinations can be used to implement the criteria for reducing the OBO counter and the criteria for selecting the RU. Examples of these combinations are as follows.

[0453] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for HE RA-RU, EHT RA-RU, and NEXT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from HE RA-RU, EHT RA-RU, and NEXT RA-RU. In this case, if the EHT STA selects NEXT RA-RU, no transmission is required.

[0454] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for HE RA-RU, EHT RA-RU, and NEXT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from HE RA-RU and EHT RA-RU.

[0455] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for both the HE RA-RU and the EHT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from the HE RA-RU, EHT RA-RU, and NEXT RA-RU. In this case, if the EHT STA selects the NEXT RA-RU, no transmission is required.

[0456] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for both the HE RA-RU and the EHT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from both the HE RA-RU and the EHT RA-RU.

[0457] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can decrement the OBO counter for the EHT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can choose not to decrement the OBO counter for the HERA-RU and NEXT RA-RU. Additionally, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from the EHT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can also choose not to select the RU to respond to from the HERA-RU and NEXT RA-RU.

[0458] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for both the EHT RA-RU and the NEXT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from the HE RA-RU, EHT RA-RU, and NEXT RA-RU. In this case, if the EHT STA selects the NEXT RA-RU, no transmission is required.

[0459] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for both the EHT RA-RU and the NEXT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from both the HE RA-RU and the EHT RA-RU.

[0460] According to one embodiment, the EHT STA can reduce the OBO counter for both the EHT RA-RU and NEXT RA-RU. Furthermore, the EHT STA can select the RU to respond to from the EHT RA-RU.

[0461] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned TB PPDU format, reducing the OBO counter and selecting the RU can also be based on whether other transmission parameters are supported. Transmission parameters can be values ​​indicated by common information fields or corresponding user information fields. For example, when determining whether to reduce the OBO counter for a standard RA-RU, it can be based on whether other transmission parameters are supported, and reduction is possible if other transmission parameters are supported.

[0462] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an RA-RU can be determined as a qualified RA-RU based on the following conditions. For example, an RA-RU can be determined as a qualified RA-RU when all of the following conditions are met.

[0463] 1) Supports all sending parameters for public information fields.

[0464] 2) Supports all transmission parameters that indicate the user information field of the RA-RU.

[0465] 3) Supports the TB PPDU format for user information fields.

[0466] Condition 3) can be replaced by the following condition.

[0467] 3-1) Supports TB PPDU format for indication of the user information field.

[0468] Furthermore, the TB PPDU format indication method at this time may include the methods described in the above embodiments, such as indication by a trigger frame, indication by a public information field, indication by a user information field, etc.

[0469] Condition 3) can be replaced by the following conditions 3-2 or 3-3.

[0470] 3-2) Supports all sending parameters that include information from other user information fields that correspond to the user information field.

[0471] 3-3) Supports all transmission parameters including public information for the user information field (which may be applicable to multiple STAs) and other user information field indications.

[0472] Reference Figure 27 (b) is based on Figure 27 In the trigger frame shown in (b), the EHT STA can determine a qualified RA-RU. At this time, the RA-RU indicated by User Information 1, User Information 3, and User Information 5 fields can be determined as a qualified RA-RU. This is likely because the EHT STA can send both HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the RA-RU indicated by User Information 7 field may not be determined as a qualified RA-RU. When responding to the RU indicated by User Information 7 field with User Information 6 field, a NEXT TB PPDU may be sent because the EHT STA cannot send a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0473] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a user information field may include the number or length of subsequent special user information fields. For example, a user information field indicating a TB PPDU format may include the number or length of user information fields corresponding to the indicated TB PPDU format. For example, when indicating an unsupported TB PPDU format, other user information fields can be retrieved based on the number or length contained in the user information field. This is because an unsupported TB PPDU format cannot indicate a response to a trigger frame.

[0474] According to one embodiment of the invention, a preset value may exist to indicate the start of a fill field. The preset value may be a value other than 4095. Alternatively, the preset value may be a value different from the value indicating an intermediate fill field. This is because, for example, there may be situations where it is necessary to indicate that it is a fill field rather than an intermediate fill field. Alternatively, the preset value may be a value between 2008 and 2044 or a value between 2047 and 4094. Furthermore, the preset value may be a value other than 1 to 2007, a value other than 0, a value other than 2045, a value other than 2046, and a value other than 4095.

[0475] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining the UL length field included in the trigger frame may exist. For example, a method for determining the UL length field value based on a modulo operation may exist. For example, a method for determining the UL length field value based on a modulo 3 operation may exist. A method for determining whether the modulo 3 operation on the UL length field value is 0 may exist. Furthermore, the determination method may indicate the PPDU format. Alternatively, the determination method may indicate the presence (including) or absence of a special field. Alternatively, the determination method may indicate an interpretation method for a special field. Alternatively, the determination method may indicate the meaning of the value displayed by the special field. Alternatively, the determination method may indicate the length of the special field.

[0476] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an A-MPDU may include multiple trigger frames. According to one embodiment, the contents of the multiple trigger frames may be different. Furthermore, the A-MPDU or a PPDU including an A-MPDU may include signaling indicating whether the contents of the multiple trigger frames are different.

[0477] Furthermore, the STA can determine whether the content of multiple trigger frames differs based on the type of PPDU, including A-MPDUs. For example, trigger frames containing EHT PPDUs or NEXT PPDUs may contain different content. Additionally, this can be applicable to aggregated PPDUs (A-PPDUs). An A-PPDU can be multiple PPDUs frequency-division multiplexing. Furthermore, multiple PPDUs can be PPDUs from different standards.

[0478] Figure 28 This is another example illustrating a method for indicating TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0479] As mentioned above, it may be necessary to indicate the method of responding to the trigger frame in PPDU format. For example, PPDU format could represent TB PPDU format. Figure 28 The embodiments may be specific embodiments of the TB PPDU format indication method described above. Furthermore, the above content may be omitted in this embodiment.

[0480] According to embodiments of the present invention, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be determined based on the user information field included in the trigger frame. Alternatively, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be indicated by the user information field included in the trigger frame. In this invention, the user information field used to determine and indicate the format of the PPDU can be referred to as a special user information field.

[0481] According to one embodiment, a special user information field can be a user information field in which the AID12 subfield included in the special user information field is set to a preset value. For example, the preset value could be 2007. Furthermore, the preset value could be an AP value that is not assigned as an association ID (AID).

[0482] Furthermore, special user information fields may have different formats than other user information fields. That is, special user information fields may include different fields than other user information fields. Additionally, special user information fields and other user information fields may share AID12 subfields in the same location. For example, the first 12 bits of both special user information fields and non-special user information fields may be AID12 subfields. For example, B0 to B11 of both special user information fields and non-special user information fields may be AID12 subfields.

[0483] In addition, the trigger frame may include a subfield indicating whether a special user information field is included. This subfield may be called a Special User Information Field Present subfield. For example, the Special User Information Field Present subfield may exist within a common information field. For instance, bit B55 of the common information field may be a Special User Information Field Present subfield. If the Special User Information Field Present subfield is set to 1, the trigger frame may not include the special user information field.

[0484] Furthermore, if the Special User Information field Present subfield is set to 0, the triggering frame may include the Special User Information field. This is likely because the B55 value of the Public Information field is set to a pre-defined value of 1 in the 802.11ax standard.

[0485] Since the STA receiving the trigger frame can determine whether a special user information field is included based on the Present subfield of the special user information field, the determination of whether a special user information field is included is easier compared to the case where the Present subfield of the special user information field is not present. Furthermore, when an STA not associated with the AP sending the trigger frame receives the trigger frame, the AID12 subfield, based on the Present subfield of the special user information field, can determine whether the user information field, which is set to a pre-defined value indicating a special user information field, is indeed a special user information field (whether the actual AID 12 LSBs are displayed). For example, when instructing an RA-RU for an unassociated STA, if an unassociated STA of the AP sending the trigger frame receives the trigger frame, operation can be performed based on the trigger frame. Additionally, the STA can perform space reuse operations based on trigger frames or TBPPDUs from unassociated BSSs.

[0486] Furthermore, when the trigger frame includes a special user information field, the special user information field can be placed at the very beginning of the user information field. Alternatively, the special user information field can be placed after the common information field. This is likely to allow the STA receiving the trigger frame to easily parse the special user information field.

[0487] According to embodiments of the present invention, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be determined based on whether the trigger frame includes a special user information field. For example, when the trigger frame includes a special user information field, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the trigger frame does not include a special user information field, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be an HE TB PPDU. Additionally, as described above, a special user information field Present subfield may exist, which is signaling indicating whether the trigger frame includes a special user information field. Therefore, it can be considered that the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame is determined based on the special user information field Present subfield. For example, when the special user information field Present subfield is set to 0, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, when the special user information field Present subfield is set to 1, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be an HE TB PPDU.

[0488] Furthermore, when the trigger frame includes a special user information field, the user information field included in the trigger frame can be the EHT variant user information field. Conversely, when the trigger frame does not include a special user information field, the trigger frame may omit the EHT variant user information field. When the trigger frame does not include a special user information field, the trigger frame may only include the HE variant user information field.

[0489] The RU indication method may differ when the user information field is an EHT variant and a HE variant. For example, the interpretation method may differ depending on whether the RU allocation subfield included in the user information field is an EHT variant or an HE variant. For instance, in an EHT variant, the RU allocation subfield included in the user information field can be encoded to indicate the RU supported by the EHT standard. Furthermore, in an HE variant, the RU allocation subfield included in the user information field can be encoded to indicate the RU supported by the HE standard.

[0490] Furthermore, when interpreting the RU indicated by the EHT variant user information field, it can be based on two or more subfields. These two or more subfields can include an RU allocation subfield and a PS160 subfield. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the RU allocation subfield can be located after the AID12 subfield. Furthermore, the RU allocation subfield can be 8 bits. The PS160 subfield can indicate which subchannel the RU indicated by the RU allocation subfield exists in. Alternatively, the PS160 subfield can indicate which subchannel the RU indicated by the user information field exists in. In this case, the unit indicating which subchannel exists can be a 160MHz subchannel. The PS160 subfield can indicate whether the indicated RU exists in a primary 160MHz channel or a secondary 160MHz channel. The PS160 subfield can be located before the Trigger Dependent user information field. The PS160 subfield can be bit B39 of the user information field. The PS160 subfield can also be 1 bit.

[0491] Furthermore, when interpreting the RU indicated by the HE variant user information field, it can be based on a subfield. This subfield can be the RU allocation subfield. That is, the location of the RU indicated by the HE variant user information field can be determined solely based on the RU allocation subfield included in the HE variant user information field.

[0492] Reference Figure 28 The trigger frame may include a special user information field. Whether a user information field is a special user information field can be determined based on the AID12 subfields it includes. For example, if the AID12 subfield of a user information field has a pre-defined value, then that user information field can be considered a special user information field. (See reference...) Figure 27 The preset value can be 2007. Additionally, refer to... Figure 28 Special user information fields can exist after the public information fields and at the beginning of the user information fields. Additionally, a Special User Information Field Present subfield can exist, which is a signaling indication of whether the triggering frame includes special user information fields. (See also...) Figure 27The Special User Information Field Present subfield can be included within the Public Information Field. If the Special User Information Field Present subfield is set to 0, the trigger frame can include the Special User Information Field. Figure 27 As shown, when the trigger frame includes a special user information field, the response PPDU format can be EHT TB PPDU.

[0493] Furthermore, according to an additional embodiment, the format of the PPDU responding to the trigger frame can be determined based on whether the trigger frame includes a special user information field and a subfield indicating the TBPPDU format. In this invention, the subfield indicating the TB PPDU format can be referred to as the HE / EHT P160 subfield. According to a more specific embodiment, the HE / EHT P160 subfield can indicate the TB PPDU format for a pre-defined channel. For example, the HE / EHT P160 subfield can indicate the TB PPDU format for a primary 160MHz channel (P160 channel). For example, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield value is 1, it can indicate a response by an HETB PPDU. Furthermore, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield value is 0, it can indicate a response by an EHT TB PPDU. The HE / EHT P160 subfield can be 1 bit.

[0494] Reference Figure 28 The HE / EHT P160 subfield can be included in the public information field. More specifically, the HE / EHT P160 subfield can be included in bit B55 of the public information field.

[0495] Therefore, when the TB PPDU format is indicated and determined based on the special user information field and the HE / EHT P160 subfield, the following operations can be performed: When the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates an EHT TB PPDU, it can be responded to by the EHT TB PPDU in the response trigger frame. That is, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates an EHT TB PPDU, it can be responded to by the EHT TB PPDU in the response trigger frame, regardless of the assigned RU position. Furthermore, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates an EHT TB PPDU, the special user information field can always be included. That is, the Present subfield of the special user information field can also indicate the inclusion of the special user information field.

[0496] If the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates a HE TB PPDU, the TB PPDU format is determined based on the RU location indication and response trigger frame. When the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates a HE TB PPDU, a response can be made by the HE TB PPDU if the pre-defined channel (e.g., P160 channel) indicated in the HE / EHT P160 subfield includes an allocated RU. Furthermore, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates a HE TB PPDU, a response can be made by the EHT TB PPDU if the pre-defined channel (e.g., P160 channel) indicated in the HE / EHT P160 subfield does not include an allocated RU (e.g., an auxiliary 160MHz channel (S160 channel)). Additionally, whether the pre-defined channel includes an allocated RU can be determined based on the RUAllocation subfield and the PS160 subfield. More specifically, when the pre-defined channel is a P160 channel, whether the pre-defined channel includes an allocated RU can be determined based on the PS160 subfield.

[0497] Furthermore, the format of the TB PPDU, based on the HE / EHT P160 subfield and the assigned RU location indication, can be defined by whether the trigger frame includes a special user information field. When the trigger frame includes a special user information field, the trigger frame may include both the HE / EHT P160 subfield and the PS160 subfield. If the trigger frame does not include a special user information field, the HE TB PPDU can always be used in response to the trigger frame. Moreover, as mentioned above, whether a special user information field is included can be based on the Present subfield of the special user information field. Therefore, stating that the trigger frame includes or does not include a special user information field can respectively indicate whether the Present subfield of the special user information field is set to include or not include the special user information field.

[0498] In this invention, the instruction to indicate and determine the use of an EHT TB PPDU in response to a trigger frame can be replaced by an invention that indicates and determines the use of either an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the choice between an EHT TB PPDU and a NEXT TB PPDU can be determined based on the format identifier subfield. That is, the TBPPDU format indicated by the format identifier subfield can be used. For example, when the format identifier subfield indicates EHT, an EHT TB PPDU can be used.

[0499] Special user information fields may include AID12 subfields and information required in response to a trigger frame. Information required in response to a trigger frame may include information contained in the preamble of the PPDU in response to the trigger frame. For example, information required in response to a trigger frame may include information contained in the U-SIG field of the PPDU in response to the trigger frame. Figure 28 This can include examples of information contained in the U-SIG field. (See reference...) Figure 28 Special user information fields may include AID12, PHY version ID, UL bandwidth extension, space reuse 1, space reuse 2, U-SIG ignore and verify, retain and trigger related user information fields.

[0500] Furthermore, the aforementioned fields can be arranged in the order described above, and can have variable numbers of bits: 12, 3, 2, 4, 4, 12, 3. The PHY version ID field can be the aforementioned format identifier subfield, PHY version identifier subfield, or PHY version field. The STA responding to the trigger frame can be set based on the special user information field of the U-SIG field contained in the PPDU of the trigger frame. For example, the subfield values ​​included in the special user information field can be copied to the subfields including the response U-SIG field. The subfields copied to the subfields included in the U-SIG field can be PHY version ID, space reuse 1, space reuse 2, and U-SIG ignore and verify subfields.

[0501] Alternatively, the subfields included in the U-SIG field of the response PPDU can be set based on the subfield values ​​contained in the special user information field. Setting the subfields of the U-SIG field based on the subfields contained in the special user information field can be based on the UL bandwidth extension subfield. For example, based on the UL bandwidth extension subfield contained in the special user information field and the UL BW subfield contained in the public information field (see...). Figure 12 You can set the bandwidth (BW) subfield included in the U-SIG field of the response PPDU.

[0502] Furthermore, the presence and length of trigger-related user information fields included in the special user information fields can be based on the type of the trigger frame. That is, the presence and length of trigger-related user information fields included in the special user information fields can be based on the variant of the trigger frame. The type of the trigger frame can be determined by the trigger type subfield included in the public information fields (see [link to public information field]). Figure 12 ) is instructed and determined.

[0503] As described above, even when the PPDU format for the response is based on the special user information field, if the RA-RU is indicated as an AID12 subfield value of 0 or 2045, the special user information field is included in the trigger frame indicating a response by the EHT TBPPDU. Even so, a problem may occur where the HE STA cannot recognize the special user information field and respond by the HE TBPPDU. The following describes a method for resolving this problem, which may be a more specific embodiment of the above.

[0504] Figure 29 This is an example illustrating a method for instructing uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) operation and TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0505] Figure 29 The described embodiments may be for... Figures 24 to 27 The described embodiments are more specific embodiments. Figure 29 The described embodiments can be compared with Figure 28 Use the methods described above together. The above content may have been omitted.

[0506] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the value of the AID12 subfield indicating the RA-RU is 0 or 2045, it can indicate that a response is made in HE TB PPDU when sent to the RA-RU. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU may exist. AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU can indicate a response by the aforementioned EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU and can be the AID12 subfield value indicating the RA-RU. AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU can be set by a user information field included in a trigger frame that includes a special user information field. That is, AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU can be used with a TB PPDU format indication method based on a special user information field.

[0507] The AID12 subfield value indicating a RA-RU other than 0 or 2045 can be one of the values ​​2008 to 2044 or 2047 to 4094. For example, the AID12 subfield value indicating a RA-RU other than 0 or 2045 could be 2047. The AID12 subfield value indicating a RA-RU other than 0 or 2045 can have different values ​​for associated STAs and for unassociated STAs. For example, for an associated STA, the AID12 subfield value indicating a sendable RA-RU other than 0 or 2045 could be 2047. For example, for an unassociated STA, the AID12 subfield value indicating a sendable RA-RU other than 0 or 2045 could be 2048.

[0508] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the value of the AID12 subfield is 0 or 2045, the user information field including the AID12 subfield can be HE variant user information.

[0509] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the AID12 subfield value is an AID12 subfield value other than 0 or 2045 indicating RA-RU, the user information field including the AID12 subfield can be EHT variant user information.

[0510] In addition, the STA (e.g., AP) that sends the trigger frame can set up and generate the trigger frame as follows.

[0511] according to Figure 28 According to the methods described above, for channels indicating a response from an EHT TB PPDU, the trigger frame may not include a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045. For S160 channels, a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be included. That is, a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not indicate a RU included in the S160 channel. Furthermore, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates EHT, a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be included. More specifically, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates EHT, a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be included for a RU in the P160 channel.

[0512] When indicating a channel indication RA-RU in response to an EHT TB PPDU, a user information field may be included where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. That is, for an S160 channel indication RA-RU, a user information field may be included where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. Furthermore, for a P160 channel indication RA-RU, when the EHT indicates the HE / EHT P160 subfield, a user information field may be included where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. Additionally, user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU may be included in trigger frames containing special user information fields.

[0513] For according to Figure 28 The method described above indicates that for channels responding to HE TB PPDU, the trigger frame may not include a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. That is, when the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates HE, a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU may not be included for P160 channels.

[0514] Furthermore, user information fields with AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU cannot be included in trigger frames that do not include special user information fields. When indicating the RA-RU for a channel responding to a HE TB PPDU, user information fields with AID12 subfield values ​​set to 0 or 2045 can be included. When the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates HE, user information fields with AID12 subfield values ​​set to 0 or 2045 can be included for the P160 channel.

[0515] In addition, the following operations can be performed on the STA that triggers the frame response.

[0516] For STAs responding to RA-RU via trigger frame, it can be based on Figure 27The TB PPDU format is determined using the methods described above. Specifically, the STA responding to the trigger frame indication of the RA-RU can determine the TB PPDU format based on the special user information field, the HE / EHT P160 subfield, and the PS160 subfield. Furthermore, when the STA responds to a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, the HE TB PPDU can be used. When the STA responds to a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU, the EHT TB PPDU can be used.

[0517] More specifically, when the trigger frame includes a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field for the EHT, the STA may use an EHT TB PPDU when responding to a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. More specifically, when the trigger frame includes a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field other than the EHT standard (value), the STA may not use an EHT TB PPDU when responding to a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. Alternatively, when the trigger frame includes a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field for the EHT, the STA may decrement the OBO counter or select the RA-RU to be sent when responding to a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. Furthermore, if the trigger frame includes a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field other than the EHT standard (value), the STA does not decrement the OBO counter for user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU, and does not select the RA-RU to be transmitted. Alternatively, if the trigger frame does not include a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field for the EHT, the STA may not use the EHT TB PPDU when responding to user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. Alternatively, if the trigger frame does not include a PHY version ID field indicating a special user information field for the EHT, the STA does not decrement the OBO counter for user information fields where the AID12 subfield is set to a value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU, and does not select the RA-RU to be transmitted.

[0518] According to one embodiment, the STA that triggers the frame response can maintain an OBO counter. The STA can use the same OBO counter for 1) RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​of 0 or 2045 and 2) RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045. Furthermore, when the OBO counter becomes 0 or the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs, the STA can select the RU to be used for UORA transmission from among the RA-RUs indicated by 1) AID12 subfield values ​​of 0 or 2045 and 2) AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045.

[0519] Furthermore, it can be based on Figure 27 The method described herein selects the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU. Alternatively, the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU can be determined based on the AID12 subfield value included in the user information field indicating the selected RU. When the selected RU is indicated by AID12 subfield 0 or 2045, the HE TB PPDU format can be used in response. When the selected RU is indicated by an AID12 subfield value other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU, the EHT TB PPDU format can be used in response.

[0520] According to another embodiment, for the EHT STA triggering the frame response, an OBO counter can be used for RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. An OBO counter may not be used for RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​of 0 or 2045. Furthermore, when the OBO counter becomes 0 or the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs, the STA can select RUs for UORA transmission from among the RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​other than 0 or 2045 indicating the RA-RU. An RU for UORA transmission may not be selected from among the RA-RUs indicated by AID12 subfield values ​​of 0 or 2045.

[0521] According to another embodiment, the STA responding to the trigger frame can maintain multiple OBO counters. Furthermore, each of the multiple OBO counters can correspond to a TB PPDU of each standard. For example, two OBO counters can be maintained. The two OBO counters can respectively correspond to 1) RA-RUs indicated by an AID12 subfield value of 0 or 2045, and 2) RA-RUs indicated by an AID12 subfield value other than 0 or 2045. Each OBO counter is decremented for each RA-RU, and when an OBO counter becomes 0 or is less than or equal to the indicated number of RA-RUs, the RU to be transmitted can be selected from the RA-RUs corresponding to the OBO counters. If multiple OBO counters are 0 for the same trigger frame or the OBO counters are less than or equal to the indicated number of RA-RUs, then the RU to be transmitted is selected from the RA-RUs corresponding to the multiple OBO counters.

[0522] In the above embodiments, the case where the OBO counter becomes 0 can include situations where the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs, even without reducing the actual OBO counter. Furthermore, the OBO counter is reset when UORA operation begins or after a PPDU is sent via UORA operation. In this case, the OBO counter can be arbitrarily selected from integers greater than or equal to 0 within a set range for reset. The set range can be determined based on the UORA parameter set element. This set range can be the orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) contention window (OCW) range. Alternatively, the set range can be the OCW.

[0523] The user information field, whose AID12 subfield value is set by a value other than 0 or 2045 of the RA-RU, can exist after the user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to 1 to 2007.

[0524] Reference Figure 29 The trigger frame may include a special user information field. This special user information field can be a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a predefined value (e.g., 2007). The special user information field can be present at the very beginning of the user information fields.

[0525] Whether a special user information field is included in the trigger frame can be indicated by the Present subfield of the special user information field contained within the public information field. If the value of the Present subfield of the special user information field is 0, it indicates that the trigger frame includes a special user information field.

[0526] If the Present subfield of the Special User Information field has a value of 1, it indicates that the trigger frame does not contain a Special User Information field. A STA responding to a trigger frame that includes a Special User Information field can use an EHT TB PPDU. Additionally, the trigger frame can indicate a RA-RU. If the trigger frame indicates a RA-RU responded to by an EHT TB PPDU, the AID12 subfield of the User Information field (User Information 3) indicating the RA-RU can be set to a preset value. The preset value can be a value other than 0 and 2045. The User Information field including the preset value indicates a RA-RU, and in response to a RA-RU, the preset value can indicate the use of an EHT TB PPDU.

[0527] When responding to a RA-RU, the STA can determine the TBPPDU format based on the AID12 subfield value indicating the selected RA-RU. If the AID12 subfield value indicating the selected RA-RU is 0 or 2045, the STA can respond using the HE TB PPDU format. If the AID12 subfield value indicating the selected RA-RU is neither 0 nor 2045, the STA can respond using the EHT TB PPDU format. Furthermore, to determine whether to use the EHT TB PPDU format, the PHY Version ID field included in the special user information field can be used. For example, when the PHY Version ID field indicates EHT, the EHT TB PPDU format can be used to respond from the RA-RU. If the PHY Version ID field indicates a value other than EHT, the EHT TB PPDU format cannot be used to respond from the RA-RU.

[0528] Figure 30 This is another example illustrating a method for instructing uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) operation and TB PPDU format according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0529] Figure 30 The described embodiments may be Figures 24 to 27More specific embodiments of the described embodiments. Figure 30 The described embodiments can be compared with Figure 28 Use the methods described above together. The above content may have been omitted.

[0530] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the trigger frame may include a user information field in which the AID12 subfield is set to a preset value. The preset value may be 4095. Furthermore, the user information field in which the AID12 subfield is set to a preset value may be the aforementioned intermediate padding field. Additionally, the AID12 subfield may be the first 12 bits of the intermediate padding field. That is, bits B0 to B11 of the intermediate padding field may represent the AID12 subfield.

[0531] The intermediate padding field may have the same length as other user information fields included in the trigger frame. Alternatively, except when the trigger frame is a MU-BAR trigger frame, the intermediate padding field may have the same length as other user information fields included in the trigger frame. Alternatively, the intermediate padding field may have the same length as a special user information field included in the trigger frame. Alternatively, except when the trigger frame is a MU-BAR trigger frame, the intermediate padding field may not contain any trigger-related user information fields included in the intermediate padding field.

[0532] Alternatively, except when the trigger frame is a MU-BAR trigger frame, the intermediate padding field can be 40 bits. Trigger frames that are not MU-BAR trigger frames can include Basic trigger frames, Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP) trigger frames, MU-RTS trigger frames, Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) trigger frames, GCR MU-BAR trigger frames, Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP) trigger frames, and NDP Feedback Report Poll (NFRP) trigger frames. The trigger type subfield values ​​in the trigger frame, from 0 to 7, can be used to represent the following trigger frames: Basic trigger frame, Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP) trigger frame, MU-BAR trigger frame, MU-RTS trigger frame, Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) trigger frame, GCR MU-BAR trigger frame, Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP) trigger frame, and NDP Feedback Report Poll (NFRP) trigger frame.

[0533] Therefore, the intermediate padding field included in the GCR MU-BAR trigger frame can be 40 bits, excluding the trigger-dependent user information field. Furthermore, the intermediate padding field can have the same length as the special user information field. The special user information field included in the GCR MU-BAR trigger frame can be 40 bits, excluding the trigger-dependent user information field.

[0534] Furthermore, the special user information field included in the basic trigger frame or BFRP trigger frame can have a length of 1 octet. Additionally, all subfields can be retained in the special user information field included in the basic trigger frame or BFRP trigger frame. If subfields are retained, all bits can be set to 0.

[0535] Furthermore, the Trigger Dependent user information field, which is included in the special user information field of the MU-BAR trigger frame, can be 4-octet. Additionally, the BAR Type subfield included in the Trigger Dependent user information field can indicate a Compressed Block AckReq request; the remaining subfields can be retained.

[0536] Alternatively, the Trigger Dependent user information field, which is included in the special user information field of the MU-BAR trigger frame, can be 6-octet. Furthermore, the BAR Type subfield included in the Trigger Dependent user information field can indicate Multi-TID BlockAckReq, and the BAR Control subfield can indicate the number of TIDs (1). The number of TIDs can be indicated by the TID_INFO subfield. Subfields other than the BAR Type and TID_INFO subfields included in the Trigger Dependent user information field can be retained.

[0537] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the STA can perform different operations based on whether the user information field of the RA-RU contained in the received trigger frame is located before or after the intermediate padding field.

[0538] For example, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame precedes the intermediate padding field, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the HE TB PPDU format. Alternatively, for example, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame precedes the intermediate padding field, the user information field can be an HE variant user information field.

[0539] Furthermore, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame is present after the intermediate padding field, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the EHT TB PPDU format. Alternatively, for example, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame is present after the intermediate padding field, the user information field can be an EHT variant user information field.

[0540] According to another embodiment, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame exists before the intermediate padding field, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the HE TB PPDU format. Alternatively, for example, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame exists before the intermediate padding field, the user information field can be an HE variant user information field. Furthermore, when the user information field of the RA-RU included in the received trigger frame exists after the intermediate padding field, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using a format based on... Figure 27 The method described herein determines the TB PPDU format for the response.

[0541] Alternatively, for example, when the user information field of the RA-RU contained in the received trigger frame exists after the intermediate padding field, the STA, according to... Figure 27 The method described herein determines whether a user information field is an HE variant user information field or an EHT variant user information field. Figure 27 The methods described may refer to methods based on the presence or absence of special user information fields, the Present subfield of special user information fields, the HE / EHT P160 subfield, the PS160 subfield, etc.

[0542] For example, when the user information field indicating the RA-RU exists after the intermediate padding field, the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates the HE, and the user information field indicates the RU existing in the P160 channel (included in the P160 channel), the user information field is the HE variant user information field, and the HE TB PPDU can be used in response to the user information field.

[0543] When the user information field indicating the RA-RU is present after the intermediate padding field, the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates HE. When the user information field indicates the RU present in the S160 channel, the user information field is an EHT variant user information field, and an EHT TB PPDU can be used in response to the user information field. When the user information field indicating the RA-RU is present after the intermediate padding field, if the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates EHT, the user information field is an EHT variant user information field, and an EHT TB PPDU can be used in response to the user information field.

[0544] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the user information field is recorded as an EHT variant user information field, and an EHT TB PPDU can be used when responding to the user information field. This can be extended to each user information field being either an EHT variant user information field or a NEXT variant user information field, and an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TBPPDU can be used when responding to the user information field. In this case, if the PHY version ID field contained in a special user information field indicates EHT, then the user information field is an EHT variant user information field, and an EHT TB PPDU can be used when responding to the user information field. Furthermore, in this case, if the PHY version ID field contained in a special user information field indicates NEXT, then the user information field is a NEXT variant user information field, and a NEXT TB PPDU can be used when responding to the user information field.

[0545] In addition, the STA (e.g., AP) that sends the trigger frame can set up and generate the trigger frame as follows.

[0546] According to one embodiment, the user information field instructing the RA-RU can be located after the intermediate padding field to instruct the RA-RU to respond by the EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the user information field for a HE STA (including dedicated, scheduled STAs) that triggers an HE STA instead of an EHT STA can be located before the intermediate padding field, but not necessarily after it. Additionally, the user information field located after the intermediate padding field can be the user information field that triggers the EHT STA (including dedicated, scheduled STAs).

[0547] In addition, the STA that responds to the trigger frame can perform the following operations.

[0548] According to one embodiment, the STA responding to the trigger frame can maintain an OBO counter. The STA can use the same OBO counter for 1) RA-RUs indicated by the user information field before the intermediate padding field and 2) RA-RUs indicated by the user information field after the intermediate padding field. Furthermore, when the OBO counter becomes 0 or when the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs, the STA can select the RU to be used for the UORA occurrence from the RA-RUs indicated by the user information field before the intermediate padding field and the RA-RUs indicated by the user information field after the intermediate padding field. Additionally, it can be based on... Figure 28 and Figure 30 The method described in the document selects the TB PPDU format corresponding to the selected RU.

[0549] Alternatively, the TBPPDU format corresponding to the selected RU can be determined based on the position of the user information field indicating the selected RU. When the user information field indicating the selected RU exists before the intermediate padding field, the HE TBPPDU format can be used in the response. When the user information field indicating the selected RU exists after the intermediate padding field, the EHT TBPPDU format can be used in the response.

[0550] According to another embodiment, the EHT STA responding to the trigger frame may use an OBO counter for the RA-RUs indicated in the user information field following the intermediate padding field. For RA-RUs indicated in the user information field preceding the intermediate padding field, the OBO counter may not be used. Furthermore, when the OBO counter becomes 0, or when the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs, the STA may select RUs for UORA transmission from the RA-RUs indicated in the user information field following the intermediate padding field. RUs for UORA transmission may not be selected from the RA-RUs indicated in the user information field preceding the intermediate padding field.

[0551] According to another embodiment, the STA responding to the trigger frame can maintain multiple OBO counters. Furthermore, each of the multiple OBO counters can correspond to each standard TB PPDU. For example, two OBO counters can be maintained. The two OBO counters can correspond to 1) RA-RUs indicated in the user information field before the intermediate padding field and 2) RA-RUs indicated in the user information field after the intermediate padding field. Each OBO counter is decremented for each RA-RU, and when the OBO counter becomes 0 or the OBO counter is less than or equal to the indicated number of RA-RUs, the RU to be sent can be selected from the corresponding RA-RUs of the corresponding OBO counter.

[0552] If multiple OBO counters become 0 for the same trigger frame, or if the number of OBO counters is less than or equal to the indicated number of RA-RUs, then the RU to be sent can be selected from the RA-RUs corresponding to the multiple OBO counters.

[0553] In the above embodiments, the case where the OBO counter becomes 0 can include situations where the OBO counter is less than or equal to the number of qualified RA-RUs even if the OBO counter is not actually reduced. Furthermore, the OBO counter can be reset at the start of UORA operation or after a PPDU is sent via UORA operation. In this case, the OBO counter can be arbitrarily selected from integers greater than or equal to 0 within the set range for reset. The set range can be determined based on the UORA parameter set element. This set range can be the orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) contention window (OCW) range. Alternatively, the set range can be the OCW.

[0554] According to embodiments of the invention, a method may be needed to distinguish between intermediate padding fields and padding fields. This is because both intermediate padding fields and padding fields can have the first few bits set to the same value. For example, the first 12 bits of both intermediate padding fields and padding fields can be set to 1. The padding field can be a field preceding the FCS (Fixed Cross Section) contained in the trigger frame. Alternatively, the padding field can be the last field contained in the trigger frame, excluding the FCS. The FCS might be the last 4-octet contained in the trigger frame.

[0555] According to one embodiment, all bits in the padding field can be set to 1. Furthermore, the padding field can provide the STA receiving the trigger frame with the time required to prepare a response. Additionally, the padding field can be at least 2 octets.

[0556] The intermediate padding field may include bits set to values ​​other than 1. For example, at least one pre-defined bit in the intermediate padding field may be set to a value other than 1. More specifically, at least one pre-defined bit in the bits other than the AID12 subfield of the intermediate padding field may be set to a value other than 1. This at least one pre-defined bit may be the 13th bit from the beginning of the intermediate padding field or a bit as bit index B12. Therefore, the STA receiving the intermediate padding field can distinguish between an intermediate padding field and a padding field based on at least one pre-defined bit value. If the first 12 bits (B0 to B11) of the AID12 subfield position of the user information in the trigger frame received by the STA are all set to 1, then if the pre-defined bits after these 12 bits are 0, it may be an intermediate padding field received. If the pre-defined bits after these 12 bits are 1, it may be a padding field received.

[0557] According to another embodiment, when all bits of the STA at the AID12 subfield position are set to 1, assuming there exists a User Information Field 1 containing all bits set to 1, the next User Information Field after User Information Field 1 can be User Information Field 2. If there is no User Information Field 2 after User Information Field 1, then User Information Field 1 can be a padding field. Alternatively, if there is a User Information Field 2 after User Information Field 1, and the value of the AID12 subfield contained in User Information Field 2 is 4095 (4095 if all bits are set to 1), then User Information Field 1 and User Information Field 2 can be padding fields. Alternatively, if there is a User Information Field 2 after User Information Field 1, and the value of the AID12 subfield contained in User Information Field 2 is not 4095 (4095 if all bits are set to 1), then User Information Field 1 is an intermediate padding field.

[0558] According to embodiments of the present invention, a trigger frame may include multiple intermediate padding fields. All of the intermediate padding fields included in the trigger frame may be set to the AID12 subfield position, i.e., the first 12 bits are 1. In the multiple intermediate padding fields included in the trigger frame, the bits other than the AID12 subfield position may be set to different values. For example, in one of the intermediate padding fields included in the trigger frame, the first bit other than the AID12 subfield position is set to 0. In another intermediate padding field included in the trigger frame, the second bit other than the AID12 subfield position is set to 0.

[0559] Reference Figure 30The trigger frame may include a special user information field. This special user information field can be a user information field where the AID12 subfield is set to a pre-defined value of 2007. The special user information field may be present at the beginning of the user information fields. Whether a special user information field is included in the trigger frame can be indicated by the Present subfield of the special user information field contained in the public information field. If the Present subfield value is 0, it indicates that the trigger frame includes a special user information field. If the Present subfield value is 1, it indicates that the trigger frame does not include a special user information field. A STA responding to a trigger frame that includes a special user information field can use an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the trigger frame may indicate a RA-RU. The AID12 subfield contained in the user information field indicating a RA-RU can be set to 0 or 2045. The trigger frame may include intermediate padding fields. The TB PPDU format can be determined based on the position of the user information field indicating a RA-RU included in the trigger frame. If the user information field indicating RA-RU in the trigger frame exists before the intermediate padding field, an HE TB PPDU can be used to respond to RA-R. If the user information field indicating RA-RU in the trigger frame exists after the intermediate padding field, an EHT TB PPDU can be used to respond to RA-RU. Furthermore, to determine whether to use the EHT TB PPDU format for the response, it can be based on the PHY version ID field contained in the special user information field. For example, when the PHY version ID field indicates EHT, the EHT TB PPDU format can be used to respond to RA-RU. If the PHY version ID field indicates a value other than EHT, the EHT TB PPDU format cannot be used to respond to RA-RU.

[0560] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the position of the user information field in which the AID12 subfield is set to the value of the AID based on the STA can be preset. Setting the AID12 subfield to the value of the AID based on the STA can trigger an STA.

[0561] In one embodiment, the AID12 subfield is set to be based on the STA's AID value. User information fields can all exist before intermediate padding fields. In this case, STAs that do not use UORA may have the advantage of not having to distinguish between intermediate padding fields and padding fields.

[0562] As another embodiment, the AID12 subfield is set in the user information field based on the AID value of the STA. Except for 1) EHT STA or 2) HE STA, the user information fields that trigger the STA can all exist after the intermediate padding field. In this case, the intermediate padding field may not be recognized as an intermediate padding field, and the HE STA that is recognized as a padding field may not parse the user information fields after the intermediate padding field. Therefore, the HE STA can perform power saving.

[0563] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate padding field may be included in the NFRP trigger frame. The NFRP trigger frame may be a frame indicating the AID range of the STAs to which the user information field should respond. For example, the user information field included in the NFRP trigger frame may indicate a starting AID. Furthermore, the user information field included in the NFRP trigger frame may indicate the number of STAs capable of responding. The number of STAs capable of responding may be based on the bandwidth (UL BW of the trigger frame) and the multiplexing flag (number of Spatially Multiplexed Users subfields) included in the user information field. Additionally, the response to the NFRP trigger frame may be an NDP. The NDP may be a PPDU consisting only of a PPDU preamble. According to one embodiment, AID values ​​may be randomly assigned to multiple STAs. Therefore, when the NFRP trigger frame indicates an AID range, STAs with AIDs in that range may support different standards. Therefore, it may be difficult to obtain a response to the NFRP trigger frame that is consistent with the same standard. Therefore, an intermediate padding field may be included to spoof STAs that only support which standard the NFRP trigger frame supports. For example, to obtain an NDP response formed by an EHT PPDE to an NFRP trigger frame, an intermediate padding field may be included. Therefore, the HE STA recognizes the intermediate padding field as padding and does not respond. Which part of the EHT PPDU or NEXT PPDU should respond can be determined by following... Figures 27 to 29The method described herein. For example, if the user information field contained in the NFRP trigger frame exists before the intermediate padding field, the response to the user information field can be provided by an NDP as an HE PPDU. Furthermore, if the user information field contained in the NFRP trigger frame exists after the intermediate padding field, the response to the user information field can be provided by an NDP as an EHT PPDU or a NEXT PPDU. The choice between an EHT PPDU and a NEXT PPDU can be based on the format identifier contained in the trigger frame. More specifically, the choice between an EHT PPDU and a NEXT PPDU can be based on the PHY version ID field contained in the special user information field.

[0564] Figure 31 This illustrates the trigger frame settings according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0565] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the trigger frame may include multiple special user information fields. These special user information fields may be the special user information fields described in the above embodiments. Furthermore, Figure 31 The described embodiments can be compared with Figures 28 to 30 Used together with the illustrated embodiments.

[0566] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the multiple special user information fields included in the trigger frame, the PHY version ID field included in each special user information field can be set with different values. In the multiple special user information fields included in the trigger frame, the PHY version ID field included in one special user information field can be set to a value corresponding to EHT, and the PHY version ID field included in another special user information field can be set to a value corresponding to NEXT.

[0567] Reference Figure 31 (a) The PHY version ID field is set to a special user information field corresponding to the value of the EHT, which may exist next to the public information field.

[0568] If the trigger frame includes multiple special user information fields, these fields can exist in the order of the PHY version ID field values ​​contained in each special user information field. When the trigger frame includes multiple special user information fields, these fields can exist after the common information field.

[0569] Reference Figure 31 (a) After the PHY version ID field is set to a special user information field corresponding to the value of EHT, the PHY version ID field can be set to a special user information field corresponding to the value of NEXT.

[0570] According to an embodiment of the present invention, STA can be based on Figures 28 to 30 The method described herein receives an instruction RA-RU and instructs the user information field to respond in the form of an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. The operation in this case is explained below. The ability to respond to an RA-RU or the inability to respond to an RA-RU, as described below, can respectively mean that the RA-RU can be determined as a qualified RA-RU or not. Furthermore, for a qualified RA-RU, the OBO counter can be decremented or it can be selected as the RU to be sent, while for a non-qualified RA-RU, the OBO counter cannot be decremented or it cannot be selected as the RU to be sent.

[0571] According to one embodiment, when the trigger frame received by the STA does not include any special user information fields, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using an HE TB PPDU.

[0572] According to one embodiment, if the trigger frame received by the STA includes a special user information field, and the value indicated by the PHY version ID field in the special user information field is a standard supported by the STA, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the standard TB PPDU displayed by the value indicated by the PHY version ID field. If the trigger frame received by the STA includes a special user information field, and the value indicated by the PHY version ID field in the special user information field is a standard not supported by the STA, the STA cannot fail to respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame. Furthermore, the special user information field received by the STA in this case can be a field located below the common information field. That is, based on the PHY version ID field contained in the special user information field located below the common information field received by the STA, it can be determined whether a response to the RA-RU is possible. For example, if the trigger frame received by an EHT STA includes a special user information field, and the value indicated by the PHY version ID field in the special user information field is EHT, the EHT STA can respond to the RA-RU using an EHT TB PPDU. If the trigger frame received by the EHT STA contains a special user information field, and the value indicated by the PHY version ID field in the special user information field is not EHT, the EHT STA cannot respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0573] Reference Figure 31 (b) The trigger frame may include a special user information field. The PHY version ID field included in the special user information field can indicate the NEXT standard. Furthermore, the trigger frame may include user information 2 and user information 3. Additionally, according to... Figures 28 to 30 The method described herein allows user information 2 to instruct the RA-RU to respond via HE TB PPDU.

[0574] In addition, according to Figures 28 to 30 The method described herein allows the User Information 3 field to indicate the RA-RU that responds via an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. Therefore, the EHT STA receiving the trigger frame can respond to the User Information 2 field, in which case an EHT TB PPDU can be used.

[0575] Furthermore, the EHT STA receiving the trigger frame is unable to respond to User Information 3. This inability to respond to User Information 3 may be because the EHT STA does not support the standard indicated by the PHY Version ID field included in the special User Information field contained in the trigger frame.

[0576] According to one embodiment, if the trigger frame received by the STA includes multiple special user information fields, and at least one of the PHY version ID fields within these fields indicates a standard supported by the SAT, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the indicated value to display a standard TB PPDU. If the trigger frame received by the STA includes multiple special user information fields, and the PHY version ID fields within these fields all indicate standards not supported by the STA, the STA cannot respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0577] Alternatively, if the trigger frame received by the STA includes multiple special user information fields, and the PHY version ID field in the special user information field located after the common information field indicates a standard supported by the STA, the STA can respond to the RA-RU using the TB PPDU representing that standard. If the trigger frame received by the STA includes multiple special user information fields, and the PHY version ID field in the special user information field located after the common information field indicates a standard not supported by the STA, the STA cannot respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0578] Reference Figure 31 (a) The user information field contained in the trigger frame can be based on (a) Figures 27 to 30 The method described herein indicates that the RA-RU should be responded to by an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the trigger frame may include Special User Info with the PHY Version ID field set to EHT. The Special User Info field with the PHY Version ID field set to EHT may exist below the Common Information field.

[0579] In addition, the trigger frame may include a special user information field where the PHY version ID field is set to NEXT. This special user information field can exist after the PHY version ID field is set to EHT's special user information field. In this case, the EHT STA receiving the trigger frame may respond to the user information 3 field because the trigger frame includes the special user information field where the PHY version ID field is set to EHT's special user information field.

[0580] According to one embodiment, if the trigger frame received by the STA contains multiple special user information fields, and at least one of the PHY version ID fields in the multiple special user information fields indicates a value that the STA does not support, the STA may respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame. If the trigger frame received by the STA contains multiple special user information fields, and the PHY version ID fields in the multiple special user information fields all indicate values ​​that the STA supports, the STA may respond to the RA-RU indicated by the trigger frame.

[0581] According to another embodiment, a trigger frame including multiple special user information fields may not include a user information field indicating the RA-RU. Accordingly, in this case, the user information field indicating the RA-RU may be included in the trigger frame only when the trigger frame does not include a special user information field or includes only one special user information field. Furthermore, in this case, it can be determined whether the RA-RU can respond according to the above embodiment. That is, when the trigger frame does not include a special user information field, the HE TB PPDU can respond to the indicated RA-RU. If the trigger frame includes only one special user information field, then according to... Figures 28 to 30 The method described herein indicates that, in the case of a response by the HE TB PPDU, the HE TB PPDU can respond to the indicated RA-RU.

[0582] If the trigger frame includes only one special user information field, then according to Figures 28 to 30 The method described herein indicates that, in the case of a response from an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU, it is possible to determine whether the indicated RU is a responsive RA-RU based on the PHY version ID field indicated by the special user information field.

[0583] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the PHY version ID subfield in the special user information field of the received trigger frame indicates an unsupported standard, the STA can ignore the content following the special user information field. Alternatively, when the PHY version ID subfield values ​​in multiple special user information fields of the received trigger frame all indicate an unsupported standard, the STA can ignore the other content of the trigger frame. Therefore, the STA can perform power saving.

[0584] According to one embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the special user information field is located below the public information field and can exist at the beginning of the user information field, but as an exception, the intermediate padding field can exist before the special user information field. That is, the intermediate padding field can exist below the public information field. In this case, regardless of the trigger type, the special user information field may not include the Trigger Dependent user information field. That is, the special user information field can be 40 bits.

[0585] Figure 32 This illustrates the trigger frame settings and UORA operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0586] According to one embodiment of the present invention, based on the multiple sub-fields included in the trigger frame, it is possible to indicate and determine which variant of the TB PPDU the user information field indicates or which TB PPDU format is used in response to the trigger frame. In this invention, the above-mentioned content can be omitted. Furthermore, this embodiment can be described differently. Figure 28 The content explained above.

[0587] according to Figure 28 In the embodiments described herein, the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicating the EHT TB PPDU (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 0) can be responded to by the EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, 1) the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicating the HE TB PPDU (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 1), and 2) the PS160 subfield indicating the P160 (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 0) can be responded to by the HE TB PPDU. Additionally, 1) the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicating the HE TB PPDU (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 1), and 2) the PS160 subfield indicating the S160 (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 1) can be responded to by the EHT TB PPDU.

[0588] Furthermore, the above-described response using an HE TB PPDU is the same as the case where the corresponding user information field indicates the transmission of the HE TB PPDU in the HE variant user information field. Similarly, the above-described response using an EHT TB PPDU is the same as the case where the corresponding user information field is an EHT variant user information field.

[0589] Alternatively, when responding to the HE variant user information field, the EHT variant user information field, and the NEXT variant user information field, the HE TB PPDU, EHT TB PPDU, and NEXT TB PPDU can be used respectively.

[0590] In the following embodiments, 1) the HE / EHT P160 subfield indicates HE TB PPDU (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 1), and 2) the PS160 subfield of the user information field indicates P160 (i.e., when the subfield value is set to 0), the user information field can be an HE variant user information field. In other cases (i.e., when the HE / EHT P160 subfield and PS160 subfield 1 are set to 1 and 1 respectively, or 2) when they are set to 0 and 1 respectively, or 3) when they are set to 0 and 0 respectively), the user information field can be an EHT variant user information field.

[0591] Reference Figure 28 The HE / EHT P160 subfield can be included in the public information field. More specifically, the HE / EHT P160 subfield can be included in bit position B54 of the public information field. Furthermore, refer to... Figure 28 Special user information subfields can be included within the public information field. More specifically, special user information subfields can be included in bit B55 of the public information field.

[0592] This embodiment can be compared with Figure 28 This relates to the TB PPDU format indication method described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, a user information field with its AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be set as an EHT variant user information field. That is, a user information field with its AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 may not be indicated as responding with an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, a user information field with its AID12 subfield set to indicate an AID12 subfield value other than 0 or 2045 for the RA-RU may not be set as an HE variant user information field. That is, a user information field with its AID12 subfield set to indicate an AID12 subfield value other than 0 or 2045 for the RA-RU may not be indicated as responding with an HE TB PPDU.

[0593] Furthermore, even with limitations on the above-described setting and indication methods, there may be response methods to situations where the STA (AP) sending the trigger frame cannot correctly implement this. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the user information field in the received trigger frame, where the AID12 subfield is set to 0 or 2045, is set to the EHT variant user information field, this user information field can be ignored. Alternatively, the RU indicated by the user information field may not be determined as a qualified RA-RU. Alternatively, the OBO counter can be reduced for the RA-RU corresponding to the user information field, but it is not used for setting the OBO counter to 0 or for RA-RUs selected for transmission.

[0594] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the user information field in the received trigger frame, which sets the AID12 subfield to indicate the RA-RU value other than 0 or 2045, is set to the HE variant user information field, the user information field can be ignored. Alternatively, the RU indicated by the user information field may not be determined as a qualified RA-RU. Alternatively, the OBO counter can be reduced for the RA-RU corresponding to the user information field, but it is not used as an RA-RU for setting the OBO counter to 0 or for selection for transmission.

[0595] An embodiment of the present invention may involve Figure 30 The TB PPDU format indication method described herein. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a user information field with an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set as an EHT variant user information field, the user information field may not be located before the mid-padding field. That is, when a user information field with an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set as an EHT variant user information field, the user information field may not be located at the position where the HE TB PPDU responds. Furthermore, when a user information field with an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set as an HE variant user information field, the user information field may not be located after the mid-padding field. That is, when a user information field with an AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set as an HE variant user information field, the user information field may not be located at the position where the EHT TB PPDU responds.

[0596] Furthermore, even with limitations on the above-described setting and indication methods, there may be response methods to situations where the STA (AP) sending the trigger frame cannot correctly implement this. According to one embodiment of the invention, when a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set to an EHT variant user information field in a received trigger frame, it is possible to place the user information field before the intermediate padding field. Alternatively, when a user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 is set to an HE variant user information field in a received trigger frame, it is possible to place the user information field after the intermediate padding field. In this case, the user information field can be ignored. Alternatively, the RU indicated by the user information field may not be judged as a qualified RA-RU. Alternatively, the OBO counter can be reduced for the RA-RU corresponding to the user information field, but it is not used as an RA-RU for setting the OBO counter to 0 or for transmission.

[0597] Figure 32 The trigger frame and the EHT TB PPDU in response to it are shown. (See reference...) Figure 32 The trigger frame may include a public information field. Additionally, the trigger frame may include one or more user information fields. (See reference...) Figure 31 One or more user information fields may include a special user information field, a user information 2 field, and a user information 3 field. Public information fields may include a special user information field Present subfield. Furthermore, setting the value of the special user information field Present subfield to 0 indicates that the trigger frame contains a special user information field. (See reference...) Figure 32 Both User Information 2 and User Information 3 can be EHT variant user information fields. The method for displaying EHT variant user information fields can be based on the above-described embodiments.

[0598] Additionally, an AID12 subfield value of 0 or 2045 can be an indicator of the RA-RU to which the HE TB PPDU should respond. (See reference...) Figure 31 The User Information 2 field is set to the EHT variant User Information field, and the AID12 subfield contained in the User Information 2 field is set to either 0 or 2045. Therefore, the User Information 2 field indicates two types of PPDUs to specify which PPDU format to use when responding to the User Information 2 field.

[0599] The variant indicated by the User Information field is EHT, and the AID12 subfield can indicate HE. Therefore, these settings may not be allowed. However, if a trigger frame is set in this way, and the STA (non-AP STA) receives a trigger frame with this setting, the User Information 2 field can be ignored. Alternatively, the RU indicated by the User Information 2 field may not be judged as a qualified RA-RU. Alternatively, the RU indicated by the User Information 2 field may not respond with UORA. Alternatively, for the RU indicated by the User Information 2 field, the OBO counter may not be decremented, or it may not be selected as an RU that responds with UORA. Therefore, refer to... Figure 32 Even if the TBPPDU format indicated by the trigger frame is set to cause a conflict, the conflicting user information field is ignored, so the PPDU is not sent to the RU indicated by the user information 2 field, thus successfully forming a UL MU operation.

[0600] According to embodiments of the present invention, there may be STAs (or APs) with limited capabilities. An STA with limited capabilities may be an STA that only implements baseline features. Limited capability can be indicated by the management information base (MIB) setting dot11EHTBaseLineFeaturesImplementedOnly. For example, an STA with limited capabilities can set dot11EHTBaseLineFeaturesImplementedOnly to true.

[0601] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a STA with limited capabilities may not solicit multiple TB PPDU formats in a single trigger frame. More specifically, a STA with limited capabilities may not solicit both HETB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU in a single trigger frame.

[0602] According to embodiments of the present invention, a STA with limited capabilities (which may be an AP) may not indicate a RA-RU responding with an EHT TB PPDU. Alternatively, a STA with limited capabilities may not be able to indicate a RA-RU responding with an EHT TB PPDU. Therefore, according to embodiments of the present invention, a STA with limited capabilities may not set the user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 to the EHT variant user information field. Furthermore, a STA with limited capabilities may only set the user information field with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 to the HE variant user information field.

[0603] Furthermore, STAs with limited capabilities may exclude user information fields with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 from the trigger frame indicating the EHT TB PPDU. That is, STAs with limited capabilities may only include user information fields with the AID12 subfield set to 0 or 2045 in the trigger frame indicating the EHT TB PPDU.

[0604] A trigger frame indicating an EHT TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that includes at least one EHT variant user information field. Alternatively, a trigger frame indicating an EHT TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that includes a special user information field. Alternatively, a trigger frame indicating an EHT TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that indicates the Present subfield of the special user information field is present. A trigger frame indicating an HE TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that includes all of its user information fields as HE variant user information fields. Alternatively, a trigger frame indicating an HE TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that does not include a special user information field. Alternatively, a trigger frame indicating an HE TB PPDU may be a trigger frame that indicates the Present subfield of the special user information field is not present.

[0605] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a STA with limited capabilities may exclude 1) a trigger frame or TRS indicating an HE TB PPDU, and 2) a trigger frame or TRS indicating an EHT TB PPDU in a PPDU. Alternatively, a STA with limited capabilities may exclude 1) a trigger frame or TRS indicating an HE TB PPDU, and 2) a trigger frame or TRS indicating an EHT TB PPDU in an A-MPDU.

[0606] According to embodiments of the present invention, capability signaling may exist for transmitting capability information indicating whether RA-RU or UORA is supported in response by EHT TB PPDU. This signaling may exist independently of the capability signaling indicating whether RA-RU or UORA is supported in response by EHT TB PPDU. The capability signaling indicating whether RA-RU or UORA is supported in response by EHT TB PPDU may be included in the EHT capabilities element.

[0607] Capability signaling indicating whether a RA-RU or UORA responding via an HE TB PPDU is supported can be included in the HE capability element. EHT or HE capability elements can be included in beacon frames, probe request frames, probe response frames, association request frames, association response frames, reassociation request frames, reassociation response frames, etc. Furthermore, when an AP sends such signaling, it can indicate whether a RA-RU can be designated or assigned. Additionally, when a non-AP STA sends such signaling, it can indicate the response to the designated or assigned RA-RU or whether UORA participation is involved.

[0608] Figure 33 This illustrates UL MU operation using TRS according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0609] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the RU to which the TRS is allocated or indicated can be determined based on the location or bandwidth of the RU to which the TRS is sent.

[0610] For example, there might be cases where the RU transmitted by TRS is less than or equal to a pre-defined bandwidth. In this case, the RU indicated by TRS can be included within a sub-channel of the pre-defined bandwidth, which includes the RU transmitted by TRS. For example, the pre-defined bandwidth could be 160MHz. If the RU transmitted by TRS is transmitted on a sub-channel of the P160 (primary 160MHz) channel, the RU indicated by TRS can be included within P160. Furthermore, if the RU transmitted by TRS is transmitted on a sub-channel of the S160 (secondary 160MHz) channel, the RU indicated by TRS can be included within S160. Therefore, when TRS indicates an RU, it may not specify which pre-defined bandwidth sub-channel the RU is included in. That is, for example, a RU within 320MHz can be indicated by TRS without requiring signaling that functions the same as the PS160 subfield previously included in the trigger frame.

[0611] Reference Figure 33 The PPDU can include TRS1 and TRS2. TRS1 and TRS2 can be TRS requesting an EHT TB PPDU. TRS1 can be transmitted from within the P160 channel. In this case, the RU indicated by TRS1 can be an RU within the P160 channel. Therefore, the STA responding to TRS1 can use an RU within the P160 channel. Furthermore, TRS2 can be transmitted from within the S160 channel. In this case, the RU indicated by TRS2 can be an RU within the S160 channel. Therefore, the STA responding to TRS2 can use an RU within the S160 channel.

[0612] However, these rules may become ambiguous if the TRS is transmitted in a RU with a bandwidth greater than the preset limit (e.g., 160 MHz).

[0613] Therefore, according to one embodiment, the RU including the TRS can not exceed a preset bandwidth. Specifically, for example, the RU including the TRS can not exceed 160MHz. Furthermore, if the RU including the TRS received by the STA exceeds the preset bandwidth, the received TRS can be ignored and no response can be made.

[0614] According to another embodiment, the RU including the TRS can exceed a preset bandwidth, and rules for interpreting the assigned RU can be defined at this time. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the RU including the TRS exceeds a preset bandwidth, the assigned RU can be indicated as an RU located in the interval exceeding the preset bandwidth. Alternatively, a response can only be made to the RU located in the interval exceeding the preset bandwidth when the RU including the TRS exceeds the preset bandwidth. Alternatively, when the RU including the TRS exceeds the preset bandwidth, the assigned RU can be one that exceeds the preset bandwidth. Alternatively, a response can only be made to the RU exceeding the preset bandwidth when the RU including the TRS exceeds the preset bandwidth.

[0615] More specifically, when the RU including TRS exceeds 160 MHz, it can be an RU indicating the sub-channels of P160 and S160. Alternatively, if the RU including TRS exceeds 160 MHz, it can respond to the RUs of the sub-channels of P160 and S160.

[0616] Furthermore, when the number of RUs including TRS exceeds the preset bandwidth, only the RUs exceeding the preset bandwidth can be indicated. Conversely, when the number of RUs including TRS is equal to or less than the preset bandwidth, only the RUs equal to or less than the preset bandwidth can be indicated.

[0617] Alternatively, when the number of RUs including the TRS exceeds a preset bandwidth, the RU indicated by the TRS can be located in a sub-channel with a preset bandwidth at a preset location. For example, the preset bandwidth could be 160MHz. If the number of RUs including the TRS exceeds 160MHz, the RU indicated by the TRS can be located in channel P160.

[0618] Alternatively, when the RU indicated by the TRS is greater than 160MHz, the 160MHz of the indicated RU can be located in the 160MHz channel that includes the RU transmitted by the TRS. That is, when the RU indicated by the TRS is greater than 160MHz, the two 996-tones in the indicated RU can be located in the 160MHz channel that includes the RU transmitted by the TRS.

[0619] Reference Figure 33 TRS3 can request an EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, the bandwidth of the RU including TRS3 may exceed 160MHz. For example, the bandwidth of the RU including TRS3 could be 320MHz. In this case, the RU indicated by TRS3 or the RU used to respond to TRS3 can exceed 160MHz. Alternatively, the RU indicated by TRS3 or the RU used to respond to TRS3 can exist via both the P160 and S160 channels.

[0620] Figure 34 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting a PPDU according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0621] Reference Figure 34 Non-AP STAs can send TB PPDUs in a specific format based on trigger frames that indicate the transmission from AP STAs to TB PPDUs.

[0622] Specifically, a non-AP STA can receive frames (S34010) indicating the transmission of PPDU to one or more terminals.

[0623] At this time, the frame can have in Figures 13 to 33 The frame used to indicate the transmission of TB PPDUs is in the same format as described in the document. For example, the frame may have a common information field and a user information field for each of one or more terminals. In this case, the user information field may include an AID12 subfield indicating the purpose of the user information field.

[0624] like Figures 13 to 33 As explained, the AID12 subfield can be set to different values ​​depending on the TB PPDU indicated. For example, if the frame indicates that the PPDU to be sent is an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield can be set to one of several values ​​other than at least one specific value.

[0625] At this point, at least one specific value can be used to allocate resources for at least one terminal supporting High Efficiency (HE) based on uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) random access (UORA).

[0626] That is, a specific value included in the user information field of the frame, or in the AID12 subfield included in the user information field, can be used to indicate the RA-RU of the STA that supports HE. In this case, the specific value used to indicate the RA-RU can indicate that the response to the frame is an HE TB PPDU. Therefore, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field, used as a response to the frame to indicate an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU, is set to a value other than the specific value used to indicate the UORA operation for HE.

[0627] For example, if the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field is set to a first specific value (e.g., '2045') or a second specific value (e.g., '0') to indicate that the RA-RU is used for UORA operations related to HE, the STA may send an HE TB PPDU in response to the frame. However, when the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field is set to a value other than the first or second specific value, the STA may send an EHTTB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU in response to the frame.

[0628] The first specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are not associated with AP, and the second specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are associated with AP.

[0629] At this point, a second specific value is used to instruct the transmission of EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU when certain conditions are met. For example, the specific conditions could be one of the following: none of the STAs associated with the AP are traditional STAs (e.g., all can transmit EHT TB PPDUs); STAs that cannot transmit EHT STAs and / or HE TB PPDUs but are not traditional STAs (i.e., STAs other than traditional STAs that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs but can transmit HE TB PPDUs); none of the associated traditional STAs (terminals that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs) support UORA operation; or the frame instructing the transmission of TB PPDUs is included in and is transmitted as an EHT PPDU. In this case, the situation where traditional STAs (terminals that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operation includes situations where the STA sends a value to the AP indicating that it does not support UORA operation in the capability subfield.

[0630] In other words, situations where traditional STAs (terminals that cannot send EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operations may include situations where the value of the capability subfield sent by the STA to the AP is set to a value that does not support UORA operations, or situations where the STA is associated with a STA that does not support UORA operations themselves.

[0631] That is, the situation described above, where none of the STAs associated with the AP are traditional terminals (e.g., all capable of sending EHT TBPPDUs), also applies to the situation where the AP is associated with a single STA capable of sending EHT TB PPDUs. In other words, since only one STA associated with the AP can send EHT TB PPDUs, the second specific value '0' can be used as the value of the AID12 subfield or the user information field. Therefore, in this case, the second specific value can be determined as meeting a specific condition and can be used to indicate the transmission of an EHT TB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU.

[0632] Furthermore, the AP can only indicate one format of TB PPDU through the frame indication. For example, the AP can only indicate HE TB PPDU or EHT TB PPDU (or NEXT TB PPDU) through the frame, and cannot indicate both HE TB PPDU and EHT TB PPDU simultaneously. Therefore, when the frame indicates EHT TB PPDU, the transmission of HE TB PPDU cannot be indicated through the frame, and thus, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field cannot be set to '2045'.

[0633] Subsequently, non-AP STAs can send PPDUs based on the AID12 subfield as a response to the frame (S34020).

[0634] Figure 35 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting frames that instruct PPDU transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0635] Reference Figure 35 AP STAs can send trigger frames to non-AP STAs indicating the transmission of special TB PPDUs, and can receive TB PPDUs of a specific format from non-AP STAs based on the frames.

[0636] Specifically, the AP STA can send a frame (S35010) to one or more terminals indicating the transmission of PPDU.

[0637] At this point, the frame can have the same Figures 13 to 33 The frame used to indicate the transmission of TB PPDUs is in the same format as described in the document. For example, the frame may have a common information field and a user information field for each of one or more terminals. In this case, the user information field may include an AID12 subfield indicating the purpose of the user information field.

[0638] like Figures 13 to 33 As explained, the AID12 subfield can be set to different values ​​depending on the TB PPDU indicated. For example, if the frame indicates that the PPDU to be sent is an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, the value of the AID12 subfield can be set to one of several values ​​other than at least one specific value.

[0639] At this point, at least one specific value can be used to allocate resources for at least one terminal supporting High Efficiency (HE) based on uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) random access (UORA).

[0640] That is, a specific value included in the user information field of the frame, or in the AID12 subfield included in the user information field, can be used to indicate the RA-RU of the STA that supports HE. In this case, the specific value used to indicate the RA-RU can indicate that the response to the frame is an HE TB PPDU. Therefore, the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field, used as a response to the frame to indicate an EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU, is set to a value other than the specific value used to indicate the UORA operation for HE.

[0641] For example, if the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field is set to a first specific value (e.g., '2045') or a second specific value (e.g., '0') to indicate that the RA-RU is used for UORA operations related to HE, the STA may send an HE TB PPDU in response to the frame. However, when the value of the user information field or the AID12 subfield included in the user information field is set to a value other than the first or second specific value, the STA may send an EHTTB PPDU or a NEXT TB PPDU in response to the frame.

[0642] The first specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are not associated with AP, and the second specific value can be used to indicate RA-RU to STAs that are associated with AP.

[0643] At this point, a second specific value is used to instruct the transmission of EHT TB PPDU or NEXT TB PPDU when certain conditions are met. For example, the specific conditions could be one of the following: none of the STAs associated with the AP are traditional STAs (e.g., all can transmit EHT TB PPDUs); STAs that cannot transmit EHT STAs and / or HE TB PPDUs but are not traditional STAs (i.e., STAs other than traditional STAs that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs but can transmit HE TB PPDUs); none of the associated traditional STAs (terminals that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs) support UORA operation; or the frame instructing the transmission of TB PPDUs is included in and is transmitted as an EHT PPDU. In this case, the situation where traditional STAs (terminals that cannot transmit EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operation includes situations where the STA sends a value to the AP indicating that it does not support UORA operation in the capability subfield.

[0644] In other words, situations where traditional STAs (terminals that cannot send EHT TB PPDUs) do not support UORA operations may include situations where the value of the capability subfield sent by the STA to the AP is set to a value that does not support UORA operations, or situations where the ST...

Claims

1. A terminal configured to operate in a wireless communication system, comprising: Communication module; as well as A processor configured to control the communication module. The processor is configured as follows: The trigger frame indicating uplink transmission from the access point (AP) to one or more terminals is received, and In response to the trigger frame, a trigger-based Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU) is sent to the AP. The trigger frame includes a public information field and one or more user information fields for the one or more terminals. Specifically, based on i) the public information field and ii) the combination of user information fields corresponding to the terminal from one or more user information fields, the type of the TB PPDU is identified as either traditional or non-traditional. The public information field includes an uplink length field, which is used to set the value of the length field included in the TB PPDU.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the non-traditional type, the TB PPDU is an EHT TBPPDU, and Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the conventional type, the TB PPDU is an HE TB PPDU.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, in, Each of the one or more user information fields includes an association identifier 12 AID12 subfield used to identify the resource unit assigned to the corresponding terminal among the one or more terminals.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is specified as the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is not set to one of the AID values ​​associated with the resource unit used for random access.

5. The terminal according to claim 3, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set to one of a plurality of values ​​different from at least one specific value, and Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the traditional type, the at least one specific value is used to indicate the resource for random access.

6. The terminal according to claim 5, in, The at least one specific value includes "0" and "2045".

7. The terminal according to claim 3, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set within the first range. Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is the traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set in the second range, and The first range is included in the second range.

8. The terminal according to claim 1, in, The trigger frame includes specific user information fields. Specifically, when the trigger frame type is a Multi-User Block Acknowledgment Request (MU-BAR), the specific user information field includes a trigger-dependent user information field with a length of 4 octets, and Wherein, when the type of the trigger frame is a multicast GCR MU-BAR with retry, the specific user information field does not include the trigger-dependent user information field.

9. The terminal according to claim 1, in, Based on the value of the uplink length field included in the public information field, the value of the length field included in the TBPPDU is set differently depending on whether the type of the TBPPDU is the traditional type or the non-traditional type.

10. A method for transmitting frames through a terminal configured to operate in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: Receive a trigger frame from the access point (AP) indicating uplink transmission to one or more terminals; as well as In response to the trigger frame, a trigger-based Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (TB PPDU) is sent to the AP. The trigger frame includes a public information field and one or more user information fields for the one or more terminals. Specifically, based on i) the public information field and ii) the combination of user information fields corresponding to the terminal from one or more user information fields, the type of the TB PPDU is identified as either traditional or non-traditional. The public information field includes an uplink length field, which is used to set the value of the length field included in the TB PPDU.

11. The method according to claim 10, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the non-traditional type, the TB PPDU is an EHT TBPPDU, and Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the conventional type, the TB PPDU is an HE TB PPDU.

12. The method according to claim 10, in, Each of the one or more user information fields includes an association identifier 12 AID12 subfield used to identify the resource unit assigned to the corresponding terminal among the one or more terminals.

13. The method according to claim 12, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is specified as the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is not set to one of the AID values ​​associated with the resource unit used for random access.

14. The method according to claim 12, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set to one of a plurality of values ​​different from at least one specific value, and Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is indicated as the traditional type, the at least one specific value is used to indicate the resource for random access.

15. The method according to claim 14, in, The at least one specific value includes "0" and "2045".

16. The method according to claim 12, in, When the type of the TB PPDU is the non-traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set within the first range. Wherein, when the type of the TB PPDU is the traditional type, the AID12 subfield is set in the second range, and The first range is included in the second range.

17. The method according to claim 10, in, The trigger frame includes specific user information fields. Specifically, when the trigger frame type is a Multi-User Block Acknowledgment Request (MU-BAR), the specific user information field includes a trigger-dependent user information field with a length of 4 octets, and Wherein, when the type of the trigger frame is a multicast GCR MU-BAR with retry, the specific user information field does not include the trigger-dependent user information field.

18. The method according to claim 10, in, Based on the value of the uplink length field included in the public information field, the value of the length field included in the TBPPDU is set differently depending on whether the type of the TBPPDU is the traditional type or the non-traditional type.

Images