Flexible beacon spacing in wireless networks

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, assemblies, devices, and systems for flexible beacon interval operation. Some aspects more specifically relate to including indications of static and dynamic beacon intervals in beacon frames and other frames. In some examples, an AP may transmit a frame including a plurality of indications of a plurality of beacon intervals, such as an indication of a static beacon interval and an indication of a dynamic beacon interval. The AP may then transmit a frame, such as a beacon frame, at a time associated with the beacon interval.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 502,946, filed November 6, 2023, entitled “FLEXIBLE BEACON INTERVALS IN AWIRELESS NETWORK,” which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates in general to wireless communications, and more specifically to supporting flexible beacon spacing in wireless networks.

[0004] Related technical descriptions

[0005] A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices (also known as wireless stations (STAs)). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard family is the Basic Service Set (BSS) managed by the AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within the AP's wireless range to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0006] Beacon frames sent by an AP to one or more STAs within its wireless range can be sent at regular intervals (referred to as beacon intervals). For example, such intervals can be set when a BSS associated with a beacon frame is established by the AP. Using such beacon intervals to send beacon frames associated with a BSS allows STAs to predict when the AP will send a beacon frame associated with that BSS. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein each have several innovative aspects, and no single aspect is solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0008] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication at an access point (AP). The apparatus includes a processing system comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry storing code, the processing system being configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; transmit a second frame at a first time associated with the first indication; and transmit a third frame at a second time associated with the second indication.

[0009] In some examples, the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication. In some examples, the first frame includes a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval.

[0010] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication at an access point (AP). The method includes: transmitting a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; transmitting a second frame at a first time associated with the first indication; and transmitting a third frame at a second time associated with the second indication.

[0011] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication at a station. The apparatus includes a processing system comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry storing code, the processing system being configured to cause the apparatus to: receive from an access point a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; and receive a second frame from the access point at a first time associated with the second indication.

[0012] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication at a station. The method includes: receiving from an access point a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; and receiving a second frame from the access point at a first time associated with the second indication.

[0013] Details of one or more specific embodiments of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions in the following drawings may not be drawn to scale. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 An example Protocol Data Unit (PDU) is shown that can be used for communication between a wireless access point (AP) and one or more wireless stations (STA).

[0016] Figure 3 An example physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) capable of being used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 A hierarchical format of an example PPDU that can be used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another example wireless communication network 500 is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 A timing diagram of frames transmitted by an AP that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0020] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless AP that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0021] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless AP that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0022] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless AP that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0023] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless STA that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0024] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless STA that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0025] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by or at a wireless STA that supports flexible beacon interval operation is shown.

[0026] Figure 13 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports flexible beacon spacing operation is shown.

[0027] Figure 14 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports flexible beacon spacing operation is shown.

[0028] The same reference numerals and names in the various figures indicate the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following description refers to certain specific examples in order to illustrate the innovative aspects of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. Some or all of the examples described can be applied in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, or Bluetooth as defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).® This can be implemented in any device, system, or network that transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the standards or those published by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)). The described examples can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA), Rate Split Multiple Access (RSMA), Multi-User Shared Access (MUSA), Single-User (SU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU)-MIMO (MU-MIMO). The described examples can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of the following networks: Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), or Internet of Things (IoT).

[0030] The various aspects generally relate to wireless communication, and more specifically to flexible beacon interval operation. Some aspects more specifically relate to an AP using flexible beacon intervals to transmit beacon frames. In some examples, the AP may transmit frames (such as beacon frames, probe response frames, association response frames, authentication response frames, or other frames) that include a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval. The AP may then transmit frames, such as beacon frames, based on the first indication of the first interval and the second indication of the second interval. The first beacon interval may be static to allow the AP to communicate with STAs supporting static beacon intervals, and the other beacon interval may be dynamic to allow for dynamic adjustment of the beacon interval. In some aspects, the second beacon interval may be defined relative to the first beacon interval. For example, the second beacon interval may be a multiple of the first beacon interval. In some examples, the first frame may include an indication of an update to the second beacon interval. For example, the first frame may include an indication of the current value of the second beacon interval and an indication of an updated value for the second beacon interval. In some aspects, the first frame may also include an indication of when the second beacon interval will be updated from a first value to a second value, such as a counter indicating the time at which the AP will transmit a beacon frame based on the update of the second beacon interval. The transmission time period used to transmit the beacon frame may be updated similarly. Therefore, a frame (such as a beacon frame) may include multiple indications of multiple beacon intervals, information about updates to the beacon intervals, and other information related to the beacon intervals, and may transmit the beacon frame at the time associated with the indicated beacon interval.

[0031] Specific aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. Including multiple beacon interval indications in a frame allows the AP to support communication with STAs that do not support dynamic beacon intervals, while also supporting the use of dynamic beacon intervals when communicating with STAs that do support them. Support for dynamic beacon intervals (such as updates to beacon intervals) can enhance network efficiency, allowing the AP to better adapt to changes in downlink traffic. For example, network efficiency can be enhanced by reducing the beacon interval during periods of high downlink traffic. As another example, dynamic beacon intervals can allow for enhanced adaptability to discoverability and radio medium conditions. For example, the beacon interval can be increased if the AP is not interested in rapid discovery, relies on active scanning for discovery, or if the radio medium is busy with other traffic. As yet another example, using dynamic beacon intervals can allow for reduced power consumption, as the beacon interval can be increased during periods of low BSS utilization to reduce power consumption. As another example, using flexible beacon intervals allows an AP to avoid sending beacon frames after a dynamic beacon interval when there is no STA associated with the AP that supports dynamic beacon intervals, thereby reducing AP power consumption and transmission pollution. Similarly, when a STA supporting dynamic beacon intervals is determined to be within the AP's predetermined range, such as when the STA has already discovered the AP through active scanning, using flexible beacon intervals allows the AP to start or resume sending beacon frames using dynamic beacon intervals. Therefore, including multiple beacon interval indications in a frame allows support for a wide range of device configurations, and using dynamic beacon intervals allows for enhanced adaptability in network resource usage and reduced power consumption.

[0032] Figure 1A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network 100 is shown. Depending on some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as a Wi-Fi network). For example, the wireless communication network 100 may be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or its revisions, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn). In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a cellular radio access network (RAN), such as a 5G RAN or 6G RAN implementing one or more cellular protocols (such as those specified in one or more 3GPP standards). In some other examples, the wireless communication network 100 may include a WLAN that operates in an interoperable or converged manner with one or more cellular RANs to provide greater or enhanced network coverage to wireless communication devices within the wireless communication network 100, or to enable these devices to connect to the core of the cellular network, such as to access network management capabilities and functionality provided by the cellular network core.

[0033] The wireless communication network 100 may include numerous wireless communication devices, including at least one wireless access point (AP) 102 and any number of wireless stations (STA) 104. Although Figure 1 Only one AP 102 is shown, but the wireless communication network 100 may include multiple APs 102. AP 102 may be or represent various different types of network entities, including but not limited to home networking APs, enterprise APs, single-band APs, dual-band synchronous (DBS) APs, tri-band synchronous (TBS) APs, standalone APs, non-standalone APs, software-enabled APs (software APs), and multi-link APs (also known as AP multi-link devices (MLDs)), as well as cellular (such as 3GPP, 4G LTE, 5G, or 6G) base stations or other cellular network nodes (such as Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), gNB, Transmit Receive Point (TRP)) or another type of equipment or apparatus included in the radio access network (RAN), including open RAN (O-RAN) network entities such as central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), or radio units (RUs).

[0034] Each STA in STA 104 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile phone, wireless phone, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or subscriber unit, etc. STA 104 can represent a variety of devices such as mobile phones, other handheld or wearable communication devices, netbooks, laptops, tablets, laptops, Chromebooks, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), or extended reality (XR) wireless headsets or other peripherals, wireless earbuds, other wearable devices, display devices (e.g., televisions, computer monitors, or video game consoles), video game controllers, navigation systems, music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices, printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators) or other household appliances, remote keys (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, vehicles, etc.

[0035] A single AP 102 and its associated set of STA 104s may be referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS), which is managed by the respective AP 102. Figure 1 An example coverage area 108 of AP 102 is also shown, which may represent the Basic Service Area (BSA) of wireless communication network 100. The BSA can be identified by STA 104 and other devices through a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), which may be the Media Access Control (MAC) address of AP 102. AP 102 may periodically broadcast beacon frames (“beacons”) including the BSSID to enable any STA 104 within the wireless range of AP 102 to “associate” or reassociate with AP 102 to establish or maintain a corresponding communication link 106 (also referred to hereinafter as a “Wi-Fi link”) with AP 102. For example, the beacon may include an identifier or indication of the primary channel used by the corresponding AP 102, and a Timing Synchronization Function (TSF) for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with AP 102. AP 102 can provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the wireless communication network 100 via the corresponding communication link 106.

[0036] To establish a communication link 106 with AP 102, each STA 104 is configured to perform a passive or active scanning operation (“scan”) on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform a passive scan, STA 104 listens for beacons transmitted by the corresponding AP 102 at periodic time intervals called Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT). To perform an active scan, STA 104 generates probe requests and transmits these probe requests sequentially on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from AP 102. Each STA 104 can identify, determine, detect, or select an AP 102 to associate with based on the scanning information obtained through passive or active scanning, and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. When the association operation is completed, the selected AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to STA 104, and AP 102 uses the association identifier (AID) to track STA 104.

[0037] As wireless networks become increasingly prevalent, STA 104 may have the opportunity to choose from one of many BSSs within its range or from multiple APs 102 that together form an Extended Service Set (ESS) (comprising multiple connected BSSs). For example, wireless communication network 100 may connect to a wired or wireless distribution system that enables multiple APs 102 to connect within such an ESS. Therefore, STA 104 may be covered by more than one AP 102 and may be associated with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after associating with an AP 102, STA 104 may periodically scan its surroundings to find a more suitable AP 102 to associate with. For example, STA 104 moving relative to its associated AP 102 may perform a “roaming” scan to find another AP 102 with more desirable network characteristics, such as a larger Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or reduced traffic load.

[0038] In some cases, STA 104 can form a network without AP 102 or other equipment besides STA 104 itself. An example of such a network is a self-organizing network (or wireless self-organizing network). A self-organizing network may also be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, a self-organizing network can be implemented within a larger network, such as wireless communication network 100. In such examples, while STA 104 may be able to communicate with each other via communication link 106 through AP 102, STA 104 can also communicate directly with each other via direct wireless communication link 110. Additionally, two STA 104 can communicate via direct communication link 110, regardless of whether the two STA 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such a self-organizing system, one or more STAs among STA 104 can assume the role played by AP 102 in the BSS. Such STA 104 may be referred to as the group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the self-organizing network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 110 include Wi-Fi direct connections, connections established by using Wi-Fi Tunneling Direct Link Establishment (TDLS) links, and other P2P group connections.

[0039] In some networks, AP 102 or STA 104, or both, can support applications associated with high throughput or low latency requirements, or can provide lossless audio to one or more other devices. For example, AP 102 or STA 104 can support applications and use cases associated with ultra-low latency (ULL), such as ULL gaming, or streaming lossless audio and video to one or more personal audio devices (such as peripherals) or AR / VR / MR / XR headsets. In scenarios where users use two or more peripherals, AP 102 or STA 104 can support extended personal audio networks that enable communication with two or more peripherals. Additionally, AP 102 and STA 104 can support additional ULL applications, such as cloud-based applications with both ULL and high throughput requirements (such as VR cloud gaming).

[0040] As indicated above, in some implementations, AP 102 and STA 104 may operate and communicate according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family (via the corresponding communication link 106). These standards define WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the physical (PHY) layer and MAC layer. AP 102 and STA 104 transmit and receive wireless communications to and from each other in the form of PHY Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) (also referred to below as "Wi-Fi communication" or "wireless packets").

[0041] Each PPDU is a composite structure comprising a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY Service Data Unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble can be used by the receiving device to decode subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances where PPDUs are transmitted via bonded or wideband channels, the preamble field can be copied and transmitted in each of the multiple component channels. The PHY preamble may include both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble can be used for other purposes such as packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation. The legacy preamble is also typically used to maintain compatibility with legacy equipment. The format, decoding, and information provided in the non-legacy portion of the preamble are associated with the specific IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0042] AP 102 and STA 104 in WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs on unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of a spectrum that includes bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technologies, such as the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, 45 GHz band, and 60 GHz band. Some examples of AP 102 and STA 104 described herein can also communicate in other bands that can support licensed or unlicensed communication. For example, AP 102 or STA 104, or both, may also be able to communicate in unlicensed operating bands where multiple operators may have corresponding licenses to operate within the same or overlapping frequency ranges. Such licensed operating bands may be mapped to or associated with the frequency ranges specified for FR1 (410MHz-7.125GHz), FR2 (24.25GHz-52.6GHz), FR3 (7.125GHz-24.25GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6GHz-71GHz), FR4 (52.6GHz-114.25GHz), and FR5 (114.25GHz-300GHz).

[0043] Each frequency band can include multiple sub-bands and frequency channels (also referred to as sub-channels). For example, PPDUs conforming to revisions of the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, and 802.11bn standards can be transmitted on one or more frequency bands in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands, each of which is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Therefore, these PPDUs are transmitted on physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, by bonding multiple 20 MHz channels together, PPDUs can be transmitted on physical channels with bandwidths of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 240 MHz, 320 MHz, 480 MHz, or 640 MHz.

[0044] Figure 2 An example protocol data unit (PDU) 200 capable of wireless communication between a wireless access point (AP) and one or more wireless STAs is shown. For example, the AP and STA can be reference... Figure 1 Examples of AP 102 and STA 104 are described. PDU 200 can be configured as a PPDU. As shown, PDU 200 includes a PHY preamble 202 and a PHY payload 204. For example, the preamble 202 may include a legacy portion, which itself includes a legacy short training field (L-STF) 206 consisting of two symbols, a legacy long training field (L-LTF) 208 consisting of two symbols, and a legacy signal field (L-SIG) 210 consisting of two symbols. The legacy portion of the preamble 202 may be configured according to the IEEE 802.11a wireless communication protocol standard. The preamble 202 may also include a non-legacy portion, which includes one or more non-legacy fields 212, for example, conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family.

[0045] L-STF 206 generally enables receiving devices (such as AP 102 or STA 104) to perform coarse timing and frequency tracking, as well as automatic gain control (AGC). L-LTF 208 generally enables receiving devices to perform fine timing and frequency tracking, and also to perform initial estimation of the radio channel. L-SIG 210 generally enables receiving devices to determine (e.g., acquire, select, identify, detect, determine, calculate, or compute) the duration of the PDU and use the determined duration to avoid transmission over the PDU. The legacy portion of the preamble can be modulated according to a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation scheme, including L-STF 206, L-LTF 208, and L-SIG 210. The payload 204 can be modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme, a quadrature BPSK (Q-BPSK) modulation scheme, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme, or another suitable modulation scheme. Payload 204 may include a PSDU containing a data field (DATA) 214, which in turn may carry higher-level data in the form of, for example, MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) or Aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU).

[0046] Figure 3 An example physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) 350 capable of being used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown. For example, the AP and STA can be reference... Figure 1Examples of AP 102 and STA 104 are described below. As shown, PPDU 350 includes a PHY preamble (which includes a legacy portion 352 and a non-legacy portion 354) and a payload 356 (which includes a data field 374). The legacy portion 352 of the preamble includes L-STF 358, L-LTF 360, and L-SIG 362. The non-legacy portion 354 of the preamble includes a repetition of L-SIG (RL-SIG) 364 and multiple wireless communication protocol version-related signal fields following RL-SIG 364. For example, the non-legacy portion 354 may include a general signal field 366 (referred to herein as "U-SIG 366") and an EHT signal field 368 (referred to herein as "EHT-SIG 368"). The presence of RL-SIG 364 and U-SIG366 indicates to STA 104, which is compatible with EHT or later versions, that PPDU 350 is an EHT PPDU or any later (post-EHT) version of a PPDU conforming to a new wireless communication protocol (conforming to the future IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard). One or both of U-SIG366 and EHT-SIG 368 can be constructed as other wireless communication protocol versions associated with revisions to the IEEE standards series above EHT and carry version-related information for those protocol versions. For example, U-SIG 366 can be used by receiving devices (such as AP 102 and STA 104) to interpret bits in one or more of EHT-SIG 368 or data field 374. Similar to L-STF 358, L-LTF 360, and L-SIG 362, in instances involving the use of bound channels, the information in U-SIG366 and EHT-SIG 368 can be repeated and transmitted in each of the component 20MHz channels.

[0047] The non-legacy portion 354 also includes an additional short training field 370 (referred to herein as "EHT-STF 370," but which can be constructed for other wireless communication protocol versions above EHT and carries version-related information for those protocols) and one or more additional long training fields 372 (referred to herein as "EHT-LTF 372," but which can be constructed for other wireless communication protocol versions above EHT and carry version-related information for those protocols). EHT-STF 370 can be used for timing and frequency tracking as well as AGC, and EHT-LTF 372 can be used for more refined channel estimation.

[0048] EHT-SIG 368 can be used by AP 102 to identify one or more STAs 104 and notify those STAs that AP 102 has scheduled uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) resources for them. EHT-SIG 368 can be decoded by each compatible STA 104 served by AP 102. EHT-SIG 368 can generally be used by the receiving device to interpret the bits in data field 374. For example, EHT-SIG 368 may include resource element (RU) allocation information, spatial flow configuration information, and per-user (e.g., STA-specific) signaling information. Each EHT-SIG 368 may include a common field and at least one user-specific field. In the context of OFDMA, the common field may indicate the RU distribution across multiple STAs 104, indicate RU assignment in the frequency domain, indicate which RUs are allocated for MU-MIMO transmission and which RUs correspond to OFDMA transmission, and the number of users in the allocation, etc. The user-specific field is assigned to a specific STA 104 and carries STA-specific scheduling information, such as user-specific MCS values ​​and user-specific RU allocation information. This information enables the corresponding STA 104 to identify and decode the corresponding RU in the associated data field 374.

[0049] Figure 4 A hierarchical format of an example PPDU capable of being used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown. For example, the AP and STA can be references. Figure 1Examples of AP 102 and STA 104 described. As described, each PPDU 400 includes a PHY preamble 402 and a PSDU 404. Each PSDU 404 may represent (or "carry") one or more MAC Protocol Data Units (MPDUs) 416. For example, each PSDU 404 may carry an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU) 406, which includes an aggregation of multiple A-MPDU subframes 408. Each A-MPDU subframe 406 may include an MPDU frame 410 that includes a MAC delimiter 412 and a MAC header 414 preceding the accompanying MPDU 416, which includes the data portion ("payload" or "frame body") of the MPDU frame 410. Each MPDU frame 410 may also include a Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field 418 for error detection (e.g., the FCS field may include Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)) and padding bits 420. MPDU 416 may carry one or more MAC Service Data Units (MSDUs) 416. For example, MPDU 416 may carry an aggregated MSDU (A-MSDU) 422, which comprises multiple A-MSDU subframes 424. Each A-MSDU subframe 424 contains a corresponding MSDU 430, which is preceded by a subframe header 428 and, in some cases, followed by padding bits 432.

[0050] Returning to reference MPDU frame 410, MAC delimiter 412 can be used as a marker for the start of associated MPDU 416 and to indicate the length of associated MPDU 416. MAC header 414 may include multiple fields containing information defining or indicating the characteristics or attributes of the data encapsulated within frame body 416. MAC header 414 includes a duration field indicating the duration from the end of the PPDU to at least the end of an acknowledgment (ACK) or block ACK (BA) to be sent by the receiving wireless communication device to the PPDU. The use of the duration field is to preserve the wireless medium until the indicated duration and to enable the receiving device to establish its Network Allocation Vector (NAV). MAC header 414 also includes one or more fields indicating the address for the data encapsulated within frame body 416. For example, MAC header 414 may include a combination of source address, transmitter address, receiver address, or destination address. MAC header 414 may also include a frame control field containing control information. The frame control field may specify the frame type, such as a data frame, control frame, or management frame.

[0051] In some specific implementations, AP 102 and STA 104 can support various multi-user communications; that is, concurrent transmissions from one device to each of multiple devices (e.g., multiple simultaneous downlink communications from AP 102 to the corresponding STA 104), or concurrent transmissions from multiple devices to a single device (e.g., multiple simultaneous uplink transmissions from the corresponding STA 104 to AP 102). As an example, in addition to MU-MIMO, AP 102 and STA 104 can also support OFDMA. In some respects, OFDMA is a multi-user version of OFDM.

[0052] In the OFDMA scheme, the available spectrum of a wireless channel can be divided into multiple Resource Units (RUs), each comprising multiple frequency subcarriers (also referred to as "tones"). Different RUs can be allocated by AP 102 at specific times or assigned to different STAs 104. The size and distribution of RUs are referred to as RU allocation. In some examples, RUs can be allocated at 2MHz intervals, and therefore, a minimum RU can include 26 tones consisting of 24 data tones and 2 pilot tones. Thus, in a 20MHz channel, up to 9 RUs (such as 2MHz, 26-tone RUs) can be allocated (because some tones are reserved for other purposes). Similarly, in a 160MHz channel, up to 74 RUs can be allocated. Other tone RUs, such as 52-tone, 106-tone, 242-tone, 484-tone, and 996-tone RUs, can also be allocated. Adjacent RUs can be separated by empty subcarriers (such as DC subcarriers) to reduce interference between adjacent RUs, reduce receiver DC offset, and avoid leakage of the transmit center frequency.

[0053] For UL MU transmissions, AP 102 can send trigger frames to initiate and synchronize ULOFDMA or UL MU-MIMO transmissions from multiple STAs 104 to AP 102. Such trigger frames thus enable multiple STAs 104 to concurrently transmit UL services to AP 102 in time. The trigger frame can address one or more STAs 104 via a corresponding Association Identifier (AID), and can assign one or more RUs to each AID (and thus to each STA 104), which can be used to transmit UL services to AP 102. AP can also specify one or more Random Access (RA) RUs that are contentious for by unscheduled STAs 104.

[0054] Some wireless communication devices (including both AP and STA, such as...) Figure 1The AP 102 and STA 104 described herein are capable of multi-link operation (MLO). In some examples, MLO supports establishing multiple different communication links (such as a first link in the 2.4 GHz band, a second link in the 5 GHz band, and a third link in the 6 GHz band) between the STA 104 and the AP 102, and concurrently and dynamically exchanging packets on one or more communication links. Each communication link may support one or more sets of channels or logical entities. In some cases, each communication link associated with a given wireless communication device may be associated with a corresponding radio component of the wireless communication device, which may include one or more transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) chains, including or coupled to one or more physical antennas, or including other components such as signal processing components. A device with MLO capability may be referred to as a multi-link device (MLD). An MLD may include a single upper MAC layer and may include, for example, three independent lower MAC layers and three associated independent PHY layers for the corresponding links in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. This architecture can implement a single association process and security context. AP MLDs may include multiple APs, each configured to communicate with a corresponding STA among a plurality of STAs 104 that are not AP MLDs (also referred to as "STA MLDs") on a respective communication link. STA MLDs may communicate with AP MLDs at a given time via one or more of the multiple communication links. MLDs may independently compete for access on each of the communication links, which reduces latency by allowing the MLD to send its packets on the first communication link that becomes available.

[0055] Another feature of MLO is traffic steering and QoS characterization, which achieves latency reduction and other QoS enhancements by mapping traffic flows with different latency or other requirements to different links. For example, traffic with low latency requirements can be mapped to radio links operating in the 6 GHz band, and more latency-tolerant traffic can be mapped to radio links operating in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.

[0056] One type of MLO is Alternating Multiple Link, where an MLD can simultaneously listen to two different high-performance channels. When an MLD has traffic to transmit, it can use the first channel with access opportunities (such as TXOP). Although an MLD may only use one channel for receiving or transmitting at a time, having access opportunities on two different channels provides low latency during network congestion.

[0057] Another type of MLO is Multi-Link Aggregation (MLA), where traffic associated with a single STA 104 is transmitted simultaneously and in parallel across multiple communication links to maximize the utilization of available resources, thereby achieving higher throughput. This is similar to carrier aggregation in cellular space. That is, during at least some time duration, transmission or portions of transmission can occur simultaneously and in parallel through two or more links. In some examples, the parallel wireless communication links can support synchronous transmission. In some other examples, or during some other time duration, transmissions via links can be parallel, but not synchronous or concurrent. In some examples or time durations, two or more of these links can be used for communication between wireless communication devices in the same direction (such as all uplinks or all downlinks). In some other examples or time durations, two or more of these links can be used for communication in different directions. For example, one or more links can support uplink communication, and one or more links can support downlink communication. In such examples, at least one of the wireless communication devices operates in full-duplex mode. Generally speaking, full-duplex operation enables bidirectional communication, in which at least one wireless communication device can simultaneously transmit and receive.

[0058] MLA can be implemented in several ways. In some examples, MLA can be packet-based. For packet-based aggregation, frames of a single service stream (such as all services associated with a given service identifier (TID)) can be transmitted concurrently across multiple communication links. In some other examples, MLA can be stream-based. For stream-based aggregation, a single available communication link from multiple available communication links can be used to transmit each service stream (such as all services associated with a given TID). As an example, a single STA MLD can access a web browser while streaming video in parallel. Services associated with web browser access can be communicated via a first communication link, while services associated with the video stream can be communicated in parallel via a second communication link (such that at least some of the data can be transmitted concurrently on the first channel with the data transmitted on the second channel).

[0059] In some other examples, MLA can be implemented as a hybrid of flow-based and packet-based aggregation. For example, MLD can employ flow-based aggregation when multiple traffic flows are created, and packet-based aggregation in other cases. The determination of switching between MLA techniques or modes may additionally or alternatively be correlated with other metrics, such as time of day, traffic load within the network, or battery level of wireless communication devices, and other factors or considerations.

[0060] To support MLO technology, the AP MLD and STA MLD can exchange information about supported MLO capabilities (such as supported aggregation types or supported frequency bands, etc.). In some examples, information exchange can occur via beacon signals, probe requests or responses, association request or response frames, dedicated action frames, or Operation Mode Indicators (OMIs), etc. In some examples, the AP MLD can designate a given channel in a given frequency band as an anchor channel (such as a channel on which the AP MLD transmits beacons and other management frames). In such examples, the AP MLD can also transmit beacons (such as beacons containing less information) on other channels for discovery purposes.

[0061] MLO technology offers several benefits to WLAN 100. For example, MLO can improve user-aware throughput (UPT) (e.g., by rapidly refreshing the per-user transmit queue). Similarly, MLO can improve throughput by improving the utilization of available channels and can increase spectrum utilization (e.g., by increasing the bandwidth-time product). Furthermore, MLO can enable smooth transitions between multi-band radio components (e.g., where each radio component can be associated with a given RF band) or implement a framework for separating control and data channels. Other benefits of MLO include reduced modem power-on time, which can benefit wireless communication devices in terms of power consumption. Another benefit of MLO is increased multiplexing opportunities in the case of a single BSS. For example, multi-link aggregation can increase the number of users transmitted per multiplexed segment served by a multi-link AP MLD.

[0062] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another example wireless communication network 500 is shown. Depending on some aspects, the wireless communication network 500 may be an example of a mesh network, IoT network, or sensor network based on one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family (including the 802.11ah revision). The wireless network 500 may include multiple wireless communication devices 514. Wireless communication devices 514 may represent various devices such as display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices (“remote controllers”), printers, kitchen or other household appliances, etc.

[0063] In some examples, wireless communication device 514 senses, measures, collects, or otherwise acquires and processes data, and then transmits such raw or processed data to intermediate device 512 for further processing or distribution. Additionally or alternatively, intermediate device 512 may send control information, digital content (e.g., audio or video data), configuration information, or other instructions to wireless communication device 514. Intermediate device 512 and wireless communication device 514 may communicate with each other via wireless communication link 516. In some examples, wireless communication link 516 includes a Bluetooth link or other PAN or short-range communication link.

[0064] In some examples, intermediate device 512 may also be configured to wirelessly communicate with other networks, such as Wi-Fi WLAN 100 or wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area networks (WWAN), thereby providing access to external networks, including the Internet. For example, intermediate device 512 may associate and communicate with an AP 502 of a WLAN network via Wi-Fi link 518, which may also serve various STAs 504. In some examples, intermediate device 512 is an example of a network gateway (e.g., an IoT gateway). In this way, intermediate device 512 may act as an edge bridge providing Wi-Fi core backhaul for an IoT network that includes wireless communication device 514. In some examples, intermediate device 512 may analyze, preprocess, and aggregate data received from the wireless communication device 514 locally at the edge via Wi-Fi link 518 before sending it to other devices or external networks. Intermediate device 512 may also provide additional security for the IoT network and the data it transmits.

[0065] Figure 6 A timing diagram 600 of frames transmitted by an AP supporting flexible beacon interval operation is shown. In some aspects, the AP may be an AP of an MLD that communicates with a STA on a first link 602 and a second link 604. The AP may, for example, use the second link 604 to communicate with a STA corresponding to a first BSS, and another AP of the MLD may use the first link 602 to communicate with a STA corresponding to a second BSS.

[0066] When a BSS (such as a first BSS associated with the second link 604) is established, the AP may assign a first beacon interval (such as beacon interval 618), at which the AP will transmit beacon frames associated with the BSS. Beacon interval 618 may, for example, be set to 100 time units (TUs), where each time unit is, for example, equal to 1024 microseconds. In some aspects, frames transmitted by the AP may include an indication of the first beacon interval, such as an indication to set the first beacon interval to beacon interval 618 when the BSS is established and after the BSS is established. As a specific example, an AP (such as a first AP associated with a first BSS communicating using the second link 604) may transmit frames including a first indication of the first beacon interval (such as beacon interval 618), such as regarding... Figure 3 The PPDU described or as per the description Figure 3 The frame described is included in data field 374 of the PPDU. The frame including an indication of the first beacon interval can be, for example, a non-HT PPDU, EHT PPDU, VHT PPDU, Ultra-High Reliability (UHR) PPDU, or another format of PPDU, or be included within such PPDUs. In some aspects, the frame can be a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a (re)association response frame, an authentication response frame, or another frame. The beacon interval established when initiating the BSS can remain static throughout the BSS's lifetime. For example, the first beacon interval can be a static beacon interval set to beacon interval 618.

[0067] As a specific example, the first frame 606 (such as the first beacon frame) may include an indication of a first beacon interval, which may be a static beacon interval set to beacon interval 618. In some aspects, some STAs corresponding to the BSS may be configured to detect only beacon frames transmitted at static beacon intervals. The indication of the first beacon interval may, for example, be included in the beacon interval field of the beacon frame or another frame. A value of 0 in the beacon interval field may indicate that the AP has not yet set the beacon interval for transmitting the next beacon frame. Values ​​in the beacon interval field in the range of 1 to 65,535 may indicate the beacon interval in TUs. In addition to indicating the first beacon interval at which beacon frames can be transmitted, frame 606 or an earlier transmitted frame may also include an indication of a beacon transmission period 612. The beacon transmission period 612 may, for example, be the period during which the AP will continue to attempt to transmit beacon frames before ceasing to attempt to transmit them. For example, the AP may attempt to transmit beacon frame 606 at the first time according to the beacon interval until the beacon transmission period 612 has expired. After the beacon transmission period 612 expires, the STA monitoring the transmission of beacon frame 606 by the first AP can enter a low-power state (such as a sleep state) to conserve power. Therefore, according to the static beacon interval, the AP can be set to transmit beacon frames 606, 608, 610, and 622 at the first static beacon interval 618, and the STA configured to monitor beacon frames according to the static beacon interval can monitor beacon frames 606, 608, 610, and 622.

[0068] To allow for flexibility in beacon interval timing throughout the BSS's lifecycle, frames (such as beacon frames, probe response frames, authentication response frames, or other frames) may include indications of dynamic or flexible beacon intervals that can be adjusted throughout the BSS's lifecycle. Using dynamic beacon intervals allows for adjustments to beacon intervals based on network conditions and traffic to enhance network efficiency and reduce power consumption. As a specific example, frame 606, which may be a beacon frame, may include indications of a dynamic beacon interval set to beacon interval 618. Indications of dynamic beacon intervals may be included, for example, in a legacy beacon interval field or in an additional dynamic beacon interval field (such as a UHR beacon interval field or another dynamic beacon interval field). In some examples, frame 606 may include indications of a single dynamic beacon interval, and in some examples, frame 606 may include indications of a first static beacon interval and indications of a second dynamic beacon interval. In some aspects, indications of dynamic beacon intervals may include indications of beacon interval values ​​(such as values ​​1 to 65,535 as described herein with respect to the beacon interval field). In some respects, the indication of a dynamic beacon interval (if included in a field separate from the static beacon interval) may be defined relative to the indication of a static beacon interval. For example, a beacon interval scaling factor may be included, indicating a division or multiplication factor used to determine the static beacon interval of the dynamic beacon interval. That is, the dynamic beacon interval field may include an indication that the dynamic beacon interval is .25, .5, 1, 2, or another multiple of the static or legacy beacon interval indicated in the beacon interval field. Figure 6 In the example, the dynamic beacon interval field can indicate that the dynamic beacon interval at frame 606 is 1 times or equal to the static beacon interval.

[0069] Using a longer beacon interval for the dynamic beacon interval can reduce beacon pollution and power consumption by sending fewer beacon frames. In some examples, the dynamic beacon interval value can be set to 0 to put the AP in beacon-free mode. Using a shorter beacon interval reduces downlink traffic indication message (TIM) delivery indications, where the receiving STA wakes up more frequently to detect any pending transmissions from the sending AP.

[0070] To facilitate flexibility in dynamic beacon spacing, frame 606 may include indications of updates to the dynamic beacon spacing. In some aspects, indications of updates to the dynamic beacon spacing may be included in several frames prior to the specific implementation of the update, allowing time to notify the STA of changes to the dynamic beacon spacing. For example, in addition to indications of dynamic and static beacon spacing, frame 606 may also include indications of updates to the dynamic beacon spacing (such as new values ​​for the dynamic beacon spacing and / or new multiples of the static beacon spacing, which should be applied to determine the updated dynamic beacon spacing). As a particular example, frame 606 may include indications that the dynamic beacon spacing is currently set to beacon spacing 618 and that the dynamic beacon spacing should be updated to beacon spacing 620 with a length of 200 TUs.

[0071] In some aspects, in addition to indicating and updating the current dynamic beacon interval, the frame may also include an indication of when an update to the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented. For example, the first frame 606 may include a counter or other indicator indicating that an update to the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented after beacon 608, where the beacon interval between beacon frames transmitted according to the dynamic beacon interval increases to 200 TUs for transmitting beacon frame 622. In some aspects, the indication of when an update to the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented may include a counter for one or more Delivery Service Indication Message (DTIM) intervals between receiving a frame including the indication of when the update will be implemented and the update being implemented. Thus, the beacon frame may, for example, include a counter indicating when an update to the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented. In some aspects, including an indication of when an update to the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented may allow the STA to request that an update to the dynamic beacon interval not be implemented or to request that a static beacon interval be used for the STA.

[0072] Therefore, the AP associated with the BSS on the second link 604 can transmit beacon frame 604, which includes an indication that the static beacon interval is set to beacon interval 618, an indication that the dynamic beacon interval is set to beacon interval 618, an indication of updating the dynamic beacon interval of beacon interval 620, and an indication that the update of the dynamic beacon interval will be implemented at beacon frame 608. STAs that do not support dynamic beacon intervals can receive beacon frame 606 and can expect beacon frames 608, 610, and 622 at intervals associated with the static beacon interval, while STAs that support dynamic beacon intervals can receive beacon frame 606 and can expect to transmit beacon frame 608 according to the current flexible beacon interval and beacon frame 622 according to the update of the dynamic beacon interval. The AP can then transmit beacon frames 608, 610, and 622 according to the static beacon interval, and beacon frames 608 and 622 according to the dynamic beacon interval and the update of the dynamic beacon interval. The AP may transmit beacon frame 606 for beacon transmission period 612, beacon frame 608 for beacon transmission period 614, beacon frame 610 for beacon transmission period 616, and beacon frame 622 for beacon transmission period 624. In some aspects, such as when beacon frames transmitted according to dynamic beacon intervals are transmitted more frequently than beacon frames transmitted according to static beacon intervals, such beacon frames may include additional information specific to a particular STA (such as a UHRSTA), which is not present in beacon frames transmitted according to static beacon intervals. This additional information may include UHR operation information elements, UHR capability information elements, and other information elements. In some respects, such as when beacon frames sent according to dynamic beacon intervals are sent more frequently than beacon frames sent according to static beacon intervals, beacon frames not aligned with static beacon intervals may include only information for STAs configured to support dynamic beacon intervals, such as only information for UHR STAs, because older STAs may not wake up or decode beacon frames not sent according to static beacon intervals.

[0073] Similarly, an indication of updating beacon transmission period 612 and an indication of when such updating will occur may also be included in frame 606. In some aspects, frame 606 may include an indication of a static beacon transmission period, an indication of a dynamic beacon transmission period, an indication of updating a dynamic beacon transmission period, and an indication of the time when an update of a dynamic beacon transmission period will occur, similar to the indication of a dynamic beacon interval described herein. Therefore, beacon transmission periods 614, 616, and 624 may be updated according to updates to beacon transmission periods as discussed herein.

[0074] Therefore, to maintain backward compatibility, frames (such as beacon frames or other frames) may include indications of multiple beacon intervals, such as a first static beacon interval for communication with STAs that do not support dynamic beacon intervals (such as legacy STAs) and a second flexible beacon interval for communication with STAs that support dynamic beacon intervals (such as UHR STAs). In some aspects, if non-legacy or UHR STAs are configured to operate in legacy power-saving mode, they may continue to monitor beacon frames based on static or legacy beacon intervals. Furthermore, to provide flexibility, frames may include indications of updates to beacon intervals and / or beacon transmission periods, as well as indications of the time at which updates to beacon intervals and / or beacon transmission periods will be implemented.

[0075] In some respects, another AP associated with the first link 602 within the same MLD may also transmit frames (such as beacon frames or other frames) that include an indication of the dynamic beacon interval for the second link 604, an indication of an update to the dynamic beacon interval for the second link 604, and / or an indication of the time at which the update to the dynamic beacon interval for the second link 604 will be implemented. Such indications may be included in a reduced neighbor reporting element, a neighbor reporting element, a multi-link element, or another element of a frame transmitted by the AP on the first link 602. Transmitting such indications by another AP within the same MLD on another link allows that other AP to notify the STA corresponding to the other BSS of the update to the beacon interval and / or beacon transmission period, facilitating discovery of the AP associated with the second link 604 by other STAs. Similarly, the dynamic beacon interval for the first link 602 may be updated by another AP associated with the first link 602, and such updates may be announced by the AP associated with the second link 604 in beacon frames, probe response frames, or other frames. In some respects, an update to the beacon interval by the first AP of the MLD on the first link can be signaled by one or more other APs of the MLD on other links using one or more key update parameters (such as key update flags, one or more countdown values ​​indicating when one or more updates to one or more dynamic beacon intervals on other links will take place, and other update parameters). As another example, such updates can be signaled by adding a static beacon interval indication (such as legacy beacon interval indication), a dynamic beacon interval indication (such as UHR beacon interval indication), an indication of an update to the dynamic beacon interval, and / or an indication of when an update to the dynamic beacon interval will take place to one or more perSTA profiles associated with the AP and / or link being advertised, such as in the multi-link information element. As another example, such updates can be signaled by adding such information to a simplified neighbor report (such as adding it to the Next Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT) information element).

[0076] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating an example process 700 that can be executed by or at a wireless AP supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. The operation of process 700 can be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 700 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference _____) that acts as a wireless AP or operates within a wireless AP. Figure 13 The described wireless communication device 700 performs this process. In some examples, process 700 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as reference 1300). Figure 1 The AP described in AP102 is executed.

[0077] In some examples, in box 702, the wireless AP may transmit a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval. Using two beacon intervals provides flexibility in beacon interval signaling transmission. For example, different beacon intervals can be used to support different STAs with different beacon characteristics. The first frame may be, for example, a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, an authentication response frame, or another frame type. In some aspects, the first frame may be a PPDU (such as a VHT PPDU, HE PPDU, UHR PPDU, EHT PPDU, or another type of PPDU) or may be included in a PPDU. The first indication of the first beacon interval may, for example, be an indication of a static beacon interval (such as a legacy beacon interval), and the second indication of the second beacon interval may be an indication of a dynamic beacon interval. A static beacon interval may, for example, be a beacon interval that maintains a constant length during the presence of a BSS associated with the beacon interval, while a dynamic beacon interval may be adjusted by transmitting an indication of adjustment of the dynamic beacon interval in a frame (such as a beacon frame or other frame). The first beacon interval may be used, for example, to transmit beacon frames for STAs that do not support dynamic beacon intervals (such as legacy STAs), and the second beacon interval may be used to transmit beacon frames for STAs that support dynamic beacon intervals (such as UHR STAs). In some aspects, a first indication of the first beacon interval may be an indication of the length of the first beacon interval (such as a value from 1 to 65,535 corresponding to the length of the second beacon interval in TUs). In some aspects, a second indication of the second beacon interval may be an indication of the length of the second beacon interval (such as a value from 1 to 65,535 corresponding to the length of the second beacon interval in TUs). In some aspects, a second indication of the second beacon interval may be an indication of a multiple of the first beacon interval (such as a fraction of the first beacon interval or a multiple of 1, 2, or greater than the first beacon interval). In some aspects, both the first and second beacon intervals may correspond to a single BSS and a single link through which the AP communicates with one or more STAs.

[0078] In some aspects, in block 704, the wireless AP may transmit a second frame at a first time associated with the first indication. For example, the second frame may be a beacon frame or other frame transmitted according to the first beacon interval. In some aspects, such as when the first beacon interval is a static beacon interval, the second frame may include information for STAs configured to operate according to the static beacon interval.

[0079] In some aspects, in box 706, the wireless AP may transmit a third frame at a second time associated with the second indication. For example, the third frame may be a beacon frame or other frame transmitted according to the second beacon interval. In some aspects, such as when the second beacon interval is a dynamic beacon interval, the second frame may include information only for STAs (such as UHR STAs) configured to operate according to the dynamic beacon interval.

[0080] In some aspects, the first frame may include a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval. For example, if the second beacon interval is a dynamic beacon interval, it may be dynamically updated by the AP. The indication of an update to the second beacon interval may include an indication of an update value (such as an update value from 1 to 65,535) or an indication of an update multiple of a static beacon interval. The indication of an update to the second beacon interval may include an indication of the time at which an update to the second beacon interval will be implemented. For example, the indication of the time at which an update to the second beacon interval will be implemented may include a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, indicating the time for transmitting a fourth frame (such as a beacon frame) associated with the update to the second beacon interval. As a particular example, such as when the AP has determined to stop transmitting beacon frames and / or when the last STA leaves the BSS associated with the beacon interval, an update to the dynamic beacon interval value of 0 may be an update to the dynamic beacon interval value of 0.

[0081] In some respects, the first frame may also include an indication of an update to the beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval. For example, the first frame may include an indication of an update to the amount of time during which the AP will attempt to transmit beacon frames before ceasing transmission and entering a low-power state.

[0082] In some respects, the first frame may include an indication of an update to a first beacon interval. For example, the first frame may include multiple dynamic beacon intervals and multiple associated beacon interval updates.

[0083] In some aspects, the AP may be an AP associated with a first link of the MLD. The first frame may also include an indication of an update to a third beacon interval associated with a second AP associated with a second link of the MLD. In some aspects, the indication of an update to the second beacon interval may also be sent in another frame by a second AP associated with a second link of the MLD.

[0084] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an example process 800 that can be executed by or at a wireless AP supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. The operation of process 800 can be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 800 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference 4) operating as a wireless AP or within a wireless AP. Figure 13 The described wireless communication device 800 performs the process. In some examples, the process 800 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as reference 1300). Figure 1 The AP described in AP102 is executed.

[0085] In some respects, in box 802, the wireless AP can receive a request from the station regarding the beacon interval. The request regarding the beacon interval could, for example, be regarding... Figure 7 The process 700 refers to a request for a second beacon interval. For example, this request could be a request regarding a dynamic beacon interval. In some aspects, a request regarding a beacon interval can be sent by the STA and received by the AP in response to sending a frame including an indication of an update to the dynamic beacon interval made by the AP. Specifically, a request regarding a beacon interval could be a request to cancel an update to a beacon interval indicated in an earlier transmitted frame. As another example, a request regarding a beacon interval could include a request to update the dynamic beacon interval to a specific value. In some aspects, this request could include a request to update the beacon transmission period associated with the dynamic beacon interval.

[0086] In some respects, in box 804, the wireless AP can update the beacon spacing based on the request. For example, if the request is to cancel an update to an earlier indication of the beacon spacing, the wireless AP can avoid updating the beacon spacing, such as a dynamic beacon spacing, in association with the request. As another example, if the request is to update the beacon spacing (such as a dynamic beacon spacing), the AP can send a frame including an indication of an update to the beacon spacing based on receiving the request at box 802. For example, a frame regarding the update can be sent in response to such a request. Figure 7 The first frame described in process 700. As another example, if the request is to update the beacon transmission period associated with the dynamic beacon interval, the AP may adjust the amount of time to attempt beacon frame transmission and may include an indication of such adjustment in the transmitted beacon or other frames. In some aspects, the AP may determine whether to update the beacon interval and / or transmission time attempt period only for the STA requesting the update or for a group of STAs (such as all UHR STAs communicating with the AP). Thus, the AP may communicate with the STA to set the dynamic beacon interval to a value preferred by the AP and / or the STA.

[0087] Figure 9A flowchart illustrating an example process 900 that can be executed by or at a wireless AP supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. Operation of process 900 can be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 900 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as reference _____) operating as a wireless AP or within a wireless AP. Figure 13 The described wireless communication device 900 performs this process. In some examples, process 900 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as reference 900). Figure 1 The process described in AP102 is executed by one of the APs. In some respects, process 900 may be performed on... Figure 7 The process described in 700 is executed before the operation.

[0088] In some respects, in box 902, the AP can receive probe requests from stations when beacon frame generation is suspended. For example, the AP may be in a low-power or sleep state and may not transmit beacon frames associated with one or more beacon intervals. As a particular example, when no STA supporting dynamic beacon intervals is associated with the AP, the AP may avoid using dynamic beacon intervals to transmit beacons. Upon receiving a probe request from an STA supporting dynamic beacon intervals or other indication that the STA is within range of the AP, the AP can use dynamic beacon intervals to resume beacon frame transmission, such as to support active scanning.

[0089] In some respects, in box 904, the AP can recover beacon frame generation based on the reception of a probe request. Such recovery may, for example, include, regarding... Figure 7 The transmission of the first frame is described in box 702. Therefore, the first frame of process 700 can be transmitted based on the AP's receipt of the probe request.

[0090] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an example process 1000 that can be executed by or at a wireless STA supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. The operation of process 1000 can be implemented by a wireless STA or its components as described herein. For example, process 1000 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as a reference STA) acting as a wireless STA or operating within a wireless STA. Figure 14 The described wireless communication device 1400 performs the process. In some examples, process 1000 may be performed by a wireless STA (such as reference STA). Figure 1 The STA described in STA 104 is executed.

[0091] In some examples, in box 1002, the wireless STA can receive from the AP a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval. The first frame may, for example, be related to... Figure 7The first frame described by box 702 is the same as or similar to the first frame. For example, the first beacon interval can be a static beacon interval, and the second beacon interval can be a dynamic beacon interval.

[0092] In some examples, in box 1004, the wireless STA can receive the second frame from the AP at a first time associated with the second indication. For example, the wireless STA can be a STA configured to support dynamic beacon intervals (such as a UHR STA) and can monitor beacon frames sent by the AP at the time indicated by the second indication of the second beacon interval.

[0093] In some aspects, the wireless STA may receive the third frame at a second time associated with an update to the second beacon interval indicated by the first frame. For example, the first frame may include an indication of an update to the second beacon interval. This indication may, for example, include a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, indicating the time for receiving the third frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval.

[0094] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating an example process 1100 that can be executed by or at a wireless STA supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. Operation of process 1100 can be implemented by a wireless STA or its components as described herein. For example, process 1100 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as a reference STA) acting as or operating within a wireless STA. Figure 14 The described wireless communication device 1400 performs this process. In some examples, process 1100 may be performed by a wireless STA (such as reference STA). Figure 1 The STA described in STA 104 is executed.

[0095] In some examples, in box 1102, the wireless STA may send a request to the access point regarding the beacon interval. The request regarding the beacon interval could, for example, be regarding... Figure 10 The process 1000 refers to a request for a second beacon interval. For example, this request could be a request regarding a dynamic beacon interval. In some aspects, a request regarding a beacon interval may be sent in response to receiving a frame that includes an indication of an update to the dynamic beacon interval by the STA. Specifically, a request regarding a beacon interval could be a request to cancel an update to the beacon interval indicated in an earlier received frame. As another example, a request regarding a beacon interval could include a request to update the dynamic beacon interval to a specific value. This request could, for example, be a request to increase or decrease the dynamic beacon interval of the AP. In some aspects, the request could include a request to update the beacon transmission period associated with the dynamic beacon interval.

[0096] In some examples, in box 1104, the wireless STA can receive an acknowledgment of an update to the beacon spacing in response to a request from the access point. For example, if the request is to cancel an update to an earlier indication of the beacon spacing, the wireless AP can avoid updating the beacon spacing (such as a flexible beacon spacing) in association with the request and can send an acknowledgment that the beacon spacing has not been updated. As another example, if the request is to update the beacon spacing (such as a dynamic beacon spacing), the AP can send a frame including an indication of an update to the beacon spacing in response to receiving the request at box 1102, and the STA can receive a frame including an indication of an update to the beacon spacing in response to receiving the request. For example, information about... Figure 10 The first frame described in process 1000. As another example, if the request is to update the transmission time attempt period associated with the dynamic beacon interval, the AP may adjust the amount of time to attempt beacon frame transmission and may include an indication of such adjustment in the transmitted beacon frames or other frames received by the STA. Thus, the AP and STA can communicate to set the dynamic beacon interval to a value preferred by the AP and / or STA.

[0097] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating an example process 1200 that can be executed by or at a wireless STA supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. The operation of process 1200 can be implemented by a wireless STA or its components as described herein. For example, process 1200 can be implemented by a wireless communication device (such as a reference STA) operating as a wireless STA or within a wireless STA. Figure 14 The described wireless communication device 1400 performs this process. In some examples, process 1200 may be performed by a wireless STA (such as reference STA). Figure 1 The STA described in STA 104 is executed.

[0098] In some examples, in box 1202, the wireless STA can avoid performing passive scanning during the first time period. For example, the wireless STA can be in a sleep or low-power state and can avoid scanning beacons and other frames sent by the AP while in a sleep or low-power state.

[0099] In some examples, in box 1204, the wireless STA can determine that the distance between the STA and the AP is below a threshold distance. For example, the wireless STA can determine that it has entered the AP's predetermined range based on GPS, transmissions from the AP or other APs (such as by discovering a previously discovered SSID or BSSID with the AP), or other data. The STA can determine that it can be associated with the AP, for example, based on the determination that it has entered the AP's predetermined range.

[0100] In some examples, in box 1206, the wireless STA may send a frame to the AP after a first time period based on the determination that the distance is below a threshold distance. This frame may be, for example, a probe request frame or other frames. The AP may operate, for example, in a receive mode (such as AUX RX mode). Therefore, the AP may only be able to receive specific frames, such as non-HT PPDUs or other frames. Upon receiving a frame (such as a probe request frame), the AP may begin sending beacon frames and may resume normal operation, such as regarding... Figure 9 As described in box 904. As a specific example, due to the lack of STAs supporting dynamic beacon intervals associated with the AP, the AP may be in a state where it avoids using dynamic beacon intervals to transmit beacon frames. Upon receiving a frame from the STA, the AP can use dynamic beacon intervals to start or resume transmitting beacon frames, such as to support active scanning. Therefore, after determining that the STA is within a predetermined distance of the AP, the STA can perform an active scan. Using such active scanning can be particularly useful in scenarios where the AP is configured to support dynamic beacon intervals, since the STA may not be aware of the beacon intervals implemented by the AP.

[0101] Figure 13 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1300 supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 is configured to perform reference... Figure 7 The described process 700, reference Figure 8 The described process 800 and / or reference Figure 9 The process described is 900. Wireless communication device 1300 may include one or more chips, SoCs, chipsets, packages, components, or devices that individually or collectively constitute or include a processing system. The processing system may interface with other components of wireless communication device 1300 and typically processes information (such as inputs or signals) received from and outputs information (such as outputs or signals) to such other components. In some aspects, an example chip may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting or transmitting information, and a second interface for receiving or acquiring information. For example, the first interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a transmitting component, enabling device 1300 to transmit information output from the chip. In such an example, the second interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a receiving component, enabling device 1300 to receive information, which is then passed to the processing system. In some such examples, the first interface may also, for example, acquire information from the transmitting component, and the second interface may also, for example, output information to the receiving component.

[0102] The processing system of the wireless communication device 1300 includes processor (or “processing”) circuitry in the form of one or more processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or digital signal processor (DSP)), processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuits (all of which are generally referred to herein individually as “processors” or collectively as “processors” or “processor circuitry”). One or more of these processors may be individually or collectively configured to perform the various functions or operations described herein. The processing system may also include memory circuitry in the form of one or more memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements, or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuitry, each of which may include tangible storage media such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM) or combinations thereof (all of which are generally referred to herein individually as “memory” or collectively as “memory” or “memory circuitry”). One or more of these memories may be coupled to one or more processors and may store processor-executable code, individually or collectively, which, when executed by one or more processors, configures one or more processors to perform the various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more processors may be pre-configured to perform the various functions or operations described herein without software configuration. The processing system may also include or be coupled to one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE compliant) modem or a cellular (e.g., 3GPP 4G LTE, 5G, or 6G compliant) modem). In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more modems. The processing system may also include or be coupled to multiple radio components (collectively, “radio components”), multiple RF chains, or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the radio components, RF chains, or transceivers.

[0103] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be configured to be used for, or be configured to be used for, in an AP (such as a reference). Figure 1The described AP 102 is used. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be an AP that includes such a processing system as well as other components including multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1300 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device 1300 may be configured or be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be configured or be configured to transmit and receive signals and communications conforming to one or more 3GPP specifications, including those for 5G NR or 6G. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 also includes one or more application processors or may be coupled to one or more application processors, which may also be coupled to one or more other memories. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 also includes at least one external network interface coupled to the processing system, which enables communication with a core network or backhaul network that enables the wireless communication device 1300 to access external networks, including the Internet.

[0104] Wireless communication device 1300 includes a static beacon spacing component 1302, a dynamic beacon spacing component 1304, a low-power state component 1306, and a frame transmission component 1308. A portion of one or more of components 1302, 1304, 1306, and 1308 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the static beacon spacing component 1302 may be implemented at least partially by a processor or modem. In some examples, a portion of one or more of components 1302, 1304, 1306, and 1308 may be implemented at least partially by a processor and software in the form of processor-executable code stored in memory.

[0105] The static beacon spacing component 1302 can be configured to, or be configured to, determine a static beacon spacing indication to be included in a frame.

[0106] The dynamic beacon spacing component 1304 can be configured to or be configured to determine the dynamic beacon spacing indication to be included in the frame and / or update the dynamic beacon spacing indication to be included in the frame.

[0107] The low-power state component 1306 can be configured to, or be configured to, put AP 1300 into a low-power state (such as a state in which AP 1300 does not send beacon frames) and wake AP 1300 from that low-power state.

[0108] The frame transmission and reception component 1308 can be configured to, or be configured to, transmit and receive frames, such as beacon frames, probe response frames, association response frames, and other frames including indications of static and dynamic beacon intervals and / or requests for updates associated with beacon intervals as described herein.

[0109] Figure 14 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1400 supporting flexible beacon spacing operation is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1400 is configured to perform reference... Figure 10 The described process 1000, reference Figure 11 The described process 1100 and / or reference Figure 12 The process 1200 is described. Wireless communication device 1400 may include one or more chips, SoCs, chipsets, packages, components, or devices that individually or collectively constitute or include a processing system. The processing system may interface with other components of wireless communication device 1400 and typically processes information (such as inputs or signals) received from and outputs information (such as outputs or signals) to such other components. In some aspects, an example chip may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting or transmitting information, and a second interface for receiving or acquiring information. For example, the first interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a transmitting component, allowing device 1400 to transmit information output from the chip. In such examples, the second interface may refer to an interface between the chip's processing system and a receiving component, allowing device 1400 to receive information, which is then passed to the processing system. In some such examples, the first interface may also, for example, acquire information from the transmitting component, and the second interface may also, for example, output information to the receiving component.

[0110] The processing system includes processor (or “processing”) circuitry in the form of one or more processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or digital signal processors (DSPs)), processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuits (all of which may be individually referred to herein as “processors” or collectively as “processors” or “processor circuitry”). One or more of these processors may be individually or collectively configured to perform the various functions or operations described herein. The processing system may also include memory circuitry in the form of one or more memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements, or other discrete gate or transistor logic components or circuitry, each of which may include tangible storage media such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM) or combinations thereof (all of which may be individually referred to herein as “memory” or collectively as “memory” or “memory circuitry”). One or more of these memories may be coupled to one or more processors and may store processor-executable code, individually or collectively, which, when executed by one or more processors, configures one or more processors to perform the various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more processors may be pre-configured to perform the various functions or operations described herein without software configuration. The processing system may also include or be coupled to one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE compliant) modem or a cellular (e.g., 3GPP 4G LTE, 5G, or 6G compliant) modem). In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more modems. The processing system may also include or be coupled to multiple radio components (collectively, “radio components”), multiple RF chains, or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. In some embodiments, one or more processors of the processing system include or implement one or more of the radio components, RF chains, or transceivers.

[0111] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1400 may be configured to be used for or be configured to be used in STA (such as reference STA). Figure 1The described STA 104) is used. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1400 may be an STA that includes such a processing system and other components including multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1400 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device 1400 may be configured or be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1400 may be configured or be configured to transmit and receive signals and communications conforming to one or more 3GPP specifications, including those for 5G NR or 6G. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1400 also includes one or more application processors or may be coupled to one or more application processors, which may also be coupled to one or more other memories. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1400 also includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touchscreen or keypad) and a display that may be integrated with the UI to form a touchscreen display coupled to the processing system. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1400 may also include one or more sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors coupled to the processing system.

[0112] Wireless communication device 1400 includes a beacon spacing component 1402, a location detection component 1404, and a frame transmission and reception component 1406. A portion of one or more of components 1402, 1404, and 1406 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the beacon spacing component 1402 may be implemented at least partially by a processor or modem. In some examples, a portion of one or more of components 1402, 1404, and 1406 may be implemented at least partially by a processor and software in the form of processor-executable code stored in memory.

[0113] The beacon spacing component 1402 can be configured to or be configured to determine the beacon spacing and update the beacon spacing, which is included in frames received from the AP and / or in requests sent to the AP.

[0114] The low-power mode component 1404 can be configured to or be configured to put STA 1400 into a low-power state and to wake STA 1400 from a low-power state.

[0115] The position detection component 1406 can be configured to, or be configured to, determine the position of STA 1400 relative to one or more APs, as described herein.

[0116] The frame transmission and reception component 1408 can be configured to receive frames including indications of beacon intervals and updates to beacon intervals from one or more APs, and transmit frames (such as frames including requests for updates to dynamic beacon intervals) to one or more APs, as described herein.

[0117] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses: 1. An apparatus for wireless communication at an access point (AP), the apparatus comprising: a processing system including processor circuitry and memory circuitry storing code, the processing system being configured to cause the apparatus to: transmit a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; transmit a second frame at a first time associated with the first indication; and transmit a third frame at a second time associated with the second indication.

[0118] 2. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

[0119] 3. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the second indication includes an indication of a multiple of the first beacon interval.

[0120] 4. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of updating the second beacon interval.

[0121] 5. The apparatus according to Clause 4, wherein the third indication includes a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, the counter indicating the time for sending a fourth frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval.

[0122] 6. The apparatus according to Clause 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: receive a fifth frame from a slave station, the fifth frame indicating a request to cancel the update of the second beacon interval; and avoid updating the second beacon interval in association with the request.

[0123] 7. The apparatus according to Clause 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: receive a request for an update of the second beacon interval from a slave station, the first frame being transmitted in response to the receipt of the request.

[0124] 8. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the AP is associated with a first link of a multi-link device (MLD), and the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to a third beacon interval associated with a second link of the MLD.

[0125] 9. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: receive a probe request from a slave station when the access point has suspended beacon frame generation; and resume beacon frame generation based on the receipt of the probe request, the first frame being transmitted based on the receipt of the probe request.

[0126] 10. The apparatus according to Clause 1, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to the beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval.

[0127] 11. A method for wireless communication at an access point (AP), the method comprising: transmitting a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; transmitting a second frame at a first time associated with the first indication; and transmitting a third frame at a second time associated with the second indication.

[0128] 12. The method according to Clause 11, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

[0129] 13. The method according to Clause 11, wherein the second indication includes an indication of a multiple of the first beacon interval.

[0130] 14. The method according to Clause 11, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of updating the second beacon interval.

[0131] 15. The method according to Clause 14, wherein the third indication includes a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, the counter indicating the time for sending a fourth frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval.

[0132] 16. The method according to Clause 14, the method further comprising: receiving a fifth frame from a slave station, the fifth frame indicating a request to cancel the update of the second beacon interval; and avoiding updating the second beacon interval in association with the request.

[0133] 17. An apparatus for wireless communication at a station, the apparatus comprising: a processing system including processor circuitry and memory circuitry storing code, the processing system being configured to cause the apparatus to: receive from an access point a first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; and receive from the access point a second frame at a first time associated with the second indication.

[0134] 18. The apparatus according to Clause 17, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

[0135] 19. The apparatus according to Clause 17, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval, the third indication including a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, and the counter indicating the time for receiving the third frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval from the access point.

[0136] 20. The apparatus according to Clause 19, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: send a fifth frame to the access point, the fifth frame indicating for canceling the request for the update of the second beacon interval.

[0137] 21. The apparatus according to Clause 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: send a request to the access point for an update of the second beacon interval, the first frame being received based on the access point's receipt of the request.

[0138] 22. The apparatus according to Clause 17, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to a beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval, and the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to enter a low-power state after the beacon transmission period has expired following the time associated with the second indication, without receiving a third frame associated with the second indication.

[0139] 23. The apparatus according to Clause 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: avoid performing passive scanning during a first time period; determine that the distance between the station and the access point is less than a threshold distance; and, based on the determination that the distance between the station and the access point is less than the threshold distance, send a third frame to the access point after the first time period, the first frame being received based on the third frame.

[0140] 24. A method for conducting wireless communication at a station, the method comprising: receiving a first frame from an access point, the first frame including a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; and receiving a second frame from the access point at a first time associated with the second indication.

[0141] 25. The method according to Clause 24, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

[0142] 26. The method according to Clause 24, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval, the third indication including a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, and the counter indicating the time for receiving the third frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval from the access point.

[0143] 27. The method according to Clause 26, the method further comprising: sending a fifth frame to the access point, the fifth frame indicating for canceling the request for the update of the second beacon interval.

[0144] 28. The method according to Clause 24, the method further comprising: sending a request to the access point for an update of the second beacon interval, the first frame being received based on the access point's receipt of the request.

[0145] 29. The method according to Clause 24, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to a beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval, the method further including: entering a low-power state after the beacon transmission period has expired after the time associated with the second indication, without receiving a third frame associated with the second indication.

[0146] 30. The method according to Clause 24, the method further comprising: avoiding performing passive scanning during a first time period; determining that the distance between the station and the access point is less than a threshold distance; and sending a third frame to the access point after the first time period based on the determination that the distance between the station and the access point is less than the threshold distance, the first frame being received based on the third frame.

[0147] As used herein, the term "determine" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and therefore, "determine" can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, estimation, investigation, searching (such as by searching in a table, database, or other data structure), reasoning, probing, or measurement, among other possibilities. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory), or sending (such as sending information), among other possibilities. Additionally, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, obtaining, choosing, building, and other similar actions.

[0148] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” or “one or more of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc. As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted as inclusive unless otherwise explicitly stated. For example, “a or b” could include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase referring to “one” or “a” element means one or more such elements that act individually or collectively to perform the described function. Additionally, “set” refers to one or more items, and “subset” refers to less than the entire set but not empty.

[0149] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated, “based on” is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “at least partially based on,” “associated with,” “associated with,” or “according to.” Specifically, unless the phrase in the context means “based on only one” or an equivalent, whether it is “based on one” or “at least partially based on one”, it may be based solely on “one” or based on a combination of “one” and one or more other factors, conditions, or information.

[0150] The various exemplary components, logic units, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of its functionality and exemplified in the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether this functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0151] Various modifications to the examples described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but are to be granted the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0152] Additionally, the various features described in this specification in the context of individual examples may also be implemented in combination in a single specific embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single specific embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple examples. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination, and even initially claimed in this way, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may involve sub-combinations or variations of sub-combinations.

[0153] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order, or to perform all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of flowcharts or flow diagrams. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all examples, but rather should be understood as meaning that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated in multiple software products.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at an access point (AP), the apparatus comprising: A processing system, comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry for storing code, is configured to cause the device to: Send a first frame that includes a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; Send the second frame at the first time associated with the first instruction; as well as The third frame is sent at a second time associated with the second instruction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second indication includes an indication of a multiple of the first beacon interval.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of updating the second beacon interval.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the third indication includes a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, the counter indicating the time for sending a fourth frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: The slave station receives a fifth frame, the fifth frame indicating a cancellation of the request for the update to the second beacon interval; and The second beacon interval is avoided in connection with the request.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: The slave station receives a request for an update to the second beacon interval, and the first frame is sent in response to the receipt of the request.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AP is associated with a first link of a multi-link device (MLD), and the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to a third beacon interval associated with a second link of the MLD.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: The slave station receives a probe request when the access point has suspended beacon frame generation; and Beacon frame generation is resumed based on the receipt of the probe request, the first frame being sent based on the receipt of the probe request.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to the beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval.

11. A method for wireless communication at an access point (AP), the method comprising: Send a first frame that includes a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; Send the second frame at the first time associated with the first instruction; as well as The third frame is sent at a second time associated with the second instruction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second indication includes an indication of a multiple of the first beacon interval.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of updating the second beacon interval.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third indication includes a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, the counter indicating the time for sending a fourth frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: The slave station receives a fifth frame, the fifth frame indicating the cancellation of the request for the update of the second beacon interval; as well as The second beacon interval is avoided in connection with the request.

17. An apparatus for conducting wireless communication at a station, the apparatus comprising: A processing system, comprising processor circuitry and memory circuitry for storing code, is configured to cause the device to: Receive a first frame from the access point, which includes a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; as well as The second frame is received from the access point at the first time associated with the second instruction.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval, the third indication including a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, and the counter indicating the time for receiving the third frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval from the access point.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: A fifth frame is sent to the access point, the fifth frame indicating the cancellation of the request for the update of the second beacon interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: A request to update the second beacon interval is sent to the access point, and the first frame is received based on the access point's receipt of the request.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to a beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval, and the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: After the beacon transmission period has expired following the time associated with the second indication, it enters a low-power state and does not receive the third frame associated with the second indication.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the apparatus to: Avoid performing passive scanning during the first time period; Determine that the distance between the station and the access point is less than a threshold distance; and Based on the determination that the distance between the station and the access point is less than the threshold distance, a third frame is sent to the access point after the first time period, and the first frame is received based on the third frame.

24. A method for conducting wireless communication at a station, the method comprising: Receive a first frame from the access point, which includes a first indication of a first beacon interval and a second indication of a second beacon interval; as well as The second frame is received from the access point at the first time associated with the second instruction.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first indication includes a static beacon interval indication, and the second indication includes a dynamic beacon interval indication.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first frame further includes a third indication of an update to the second beacon interval, the third indication including a counter associated with the update to the second beacon interval, and the counter indicating the time for receiving the third frame associated with the update to the second beacon interval from the access point.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising: A fifth frame is sent to the access point, the fifth frame indicating the cancellation of the request for the update of the second beacon interval.

28. The method according to claim 24, further comprising: A request to update the second beacon interval is sent to the access point, and the first frame is received based on the access point's receipt of the request.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the first frame further includes an indication of an update to a beacon transmission period associated with the second beacon interval, the method further comprising: After the beacon transmission period has expired following the time associated with the second indication, it enters a low-power state and does not receive the third frame associated with the second indication.

30. The method according to claim 24, further comprising: Avoid performing passive scanning during the first time period; It is determined that the distance between the station and the access point is lower than a threshold distance; as well as Based on the determination that the distance between the station and the access point is less than the threshold distance, a third frame is sent to the access point after the first time period, and the first frame is received based on the third frame.

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