Wi-fi device and wi-fi non-primary channel access method

Abstract

This invention provides a Wi-Fi device and a Wi-Fi non-primary channel access method, including a wireless interface circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit receives a time profile of planned communication from the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device through the wireless interface circuit, and instructs the wireless interface circuit to send at least one frame with reference to the time profile to trigger a non-primary channel access (NPCA) mechanism between the Wi-Fi device and another Wi-Fi device.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 741,165, filed January 2, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to wireless communication, and more specifically, to a Wi-Fi device that triggers a non-master channel access (NPCA) mechanism and a related Wi-Fi NPCA method based on a time profile of planned communication of a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device. Background Technology

[0004] A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a network that uses wireless communication technologies, such as Wi-Fi, to transmit / receive data within a limited range. Therefore, a WLAN system may include multiple WLAN devices, such as Wi-Fi devices, comprising at least one access point (AP) and at least one non-AP workstation (STA). With the development of Wi-Fi technology, new features have been proposed to enhance transmit / receive (TX / RX) performance. For example, modern mobile phones can simultaneously support cellular and non-cellular wireless communication standards. This means that subsystems operate very close together within a single device (also known as intra-device coexistence (IDC)), resulting in considerable IDC interference. Therefore, an innovative design is needed to prevent or mitigate in-band collisions between Wi-Fi devices and non-Wi-Fi wireless communication devices (such as Bluetooth (BT) devices or cellular devices) coexisting in a single electronic device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a Wi-Fi device for triggering an NPCA mechanism based on a time profile of planned communication of a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device, and a related Wi-Fi NPCA method.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an exemplary Wi-Fi device is disclosed. The exemplary Wi-Fi device includes a wireless interface circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to receive a time profile of planned communication from a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device via the wireless interface circuit, and instruct the wireless interface circuit to send at least one frame with reference to the time profile to trigger an NPCA mechanism between the Wi-Fi device and another Wi-Fi device.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an exemplary Wi-Fi NPCA method is disclosed. The exemplary Wi-Fi NPCA method includes: a first Wi-Fi device receiving a time profile of planned communication from a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device; and sending at least one frame from the first Wi-Fi device with reference to the time profile to trigger an NPCA mechanism between the first Wi-Fi device and a second Wi-Fi device.

[0008] These, and other objectives of the invention, will undoubtedly become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the first-time configuration file-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the second time configuration file assisting NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the third time configuration file-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth time configuration file-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fifth time configuration file-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sixth time configuration file-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Certain terms are used in the following description and claims to refer to specific components. As those skilled in the art will understand, electronics manufacturers may use different names to refer to a component. This document is not intended to distinguish between components with different names but the same function. In the following description and claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" are used in an open-ended manner and should therefore be interpreted as "including, but not limited to...". Furthermore, the term "coupled" is intended to indicate an indirect or direct electrical connection. Thus, if one device is coupled to another device, the connection can be a direct electrical connection or an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system 100 includes an electronic device 102 and a Wi-Fi device 104. The electronic device 102 includes a Wi-Fi device 112 and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114. The Wi-Fi device 112 and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 coexist in the same electronic device 102. In this embodiment, the Wi-Fi device 112 is part of a first wireless communication subsystem of the electronic device 102, and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 is part of a second wireless communication subsystem of the electronic device 102, wherein the second wireless communication subsystem is different from the first wireless communication subsystem. For example, the second wireless communication subsystem may be a scheduling narrowband subsystem capable of operating in the 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz frequency band, while the first wireless communication subsystem is a WLAN subsystem also capable of operating in the 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz frequency band. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 may be a BT device conforming to BT specifications, such as the BT Low Energy (BLE) specification. In some embodiments of the present invention, the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 may be a cellular device conforming to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications.

[0019] Wi-Fi device 104 is located outside electronic device 102 and is a peer device of Wi-Fi device 112 included in electronic device 102. Both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 conform to Wi-Fi specifications, such as the 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8) specification or next-generation Wi-Fi specifications. Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 may have the same or similar circuit structures. Figure 1As shown, Wi-Fi device 104 includes control circuitry 122 and wireless interface circuitry 124, wherein wireless interface circuitry 124 includes transmit (TX) circuitry 126 and receive (RX) circuitry 128. Control circuitry 122 is configured to control wireless communication with Wi-Fi device 112. For example, control circuitry 122 can be implemented using a processor. In the case where Wi-Fi device 104 is an access point (AP) and Wi-Fi device 112 is a non-AP workstation (STA), control circuitry 122 controls TX circuitry 126 to handle downlink (DL) communication between the AP and the non-AP STA, and controls RX circuitry 128 to handle uplink (UL) communication between the AP and the non-AP STA. In another case where Wi-Fi device 104 is a non-AP STA and Wi-Fi device 112 is an AP, control circuitry 122 controls TX circuitry 126 to handle UL communication between the AP and the non-AP STA, and controls RX circuitry 128 to handle DL communication between the AP and the non-AP STA.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, Wi-Fi device 112 includes control circuitry 132 and wireless interface circuitry 134, wherein wireless interface circuitry 134 includes TX circuitry 136 and RX circuitry 138. Control circuitry 132 is configured to control wireless communication with Wi-Fi device 104. For example, control circuitry 132 can be implemented using a processor. In the case where Wi-Fi device 112 is an access point (AP) and Wi-Fi device 104 is a non-AP STA, control circuitry 132 controls TX circuitry 136 to handle DL communication between the AP and non-AP STA, and controls RX circuitry 138 to handle UL communication between the AP and non-AP STA. In another case where Wi-Fi device 112 is a non-AP STA and Wi-Fi device 104 is an AP, control circuitry 132 controls TX circuitry 136 to handle UL communication between the AP and non-AP STA, and controls RX circuitry 138 to handle DL communication between the AP and non-AP STA.

[0021] In this embodiment, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 support the Wi-Fi Non-Main Channel Access (NPCA) mechanism, which is triggered based on the planned communication time profile (PRF) of the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 (e.g., a BT device or a cellular device). Since the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 and the Wi-Fi device 112 coexist in the same electronic device 102, the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can exchange some system information with the Wi-Fi device 112 through a wired interface 116. For example, the wired interface 116 can be a WCI-2 coexistence interface. In some embodiments of the present invention, the Wi-Fi device 112 acts as the initiator of the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 provides the time profile (PRF) to the Wi-Fi device 112 through the wired interface 116. In some embodiments of the present invention, Wi-Fi device 104 acts as the initiator of the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. Non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 provides a time profile PRF to Wi-Fi device 112 through wired interface 116, and Wi-Fi device 112 notifies Wi-Fi device 104 of the time profile PRF by sending an initial control frame (ICF) (carrying the time profile PRF) to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0022] Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 include an access point (AP) and a non-AP workstation (STA). According to the proposed time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 is initiated / triggered by one of the Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. When the NPCA mechanism is initiated / triggered by Wi-Fi device (AP or non-AP STA) 104, control circuitry 122 is configured to receive the planned communication time profile PRF of the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device (e.g., a BT device or a cellular device) 114 via wireless interface circuitry 124 (specifically, the RX circuitry 128 of wireless interface circuitry 124), and instruct wireless interface circuitry 124 (specifically, the TX circuitry 126 of wireless interface circuitry 124) to send at least one frame FR to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, referencing the time profile PRF. In another scenario where the NPCA mechanism is initiated / triggered by Wi-Fi device (AP or non-APSTA) 112, control circuitry 132 is configured to receive a time profile (PRF) for planned communication from a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device (e.g., a BT device or a cellular device) 114 via wired interface 116, and instruct wireless interface circuitry 134 (specifically, its TX circuitry 136) to send at least one frame (FR) to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, referencing the PRF. Further details of the proposed time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of a first time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can trigger / initiate the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a BT device. Therefore, the first time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) TNPCA for both BT and Wi-Fi communication during NPCA. According to the first time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, the BT device 114 shares its time profile (PRF) with the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112, and the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can send a spoofed transmission clear (CTS) frame 202 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between the Wi-Fi device (e.g., an AP) 104 and the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112. Sending a spoofed CTS frame 202 is to create a situation where the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel is occupied by an Overlapping BSS (OBSS) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) or an OBSS Transmission Opportunity (TXOP). For example, the spoofed CTS frame 202 can be an OBSS CTS frame or a predefined NPCA CTS frame (identifiable between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112). Specifically, BT device 114 determines its BT time window (3ms-300ms) and shares its time profile PRF (carrying information indicating the BT time window) with Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112. After obtaining the BT time window from the time profile PRF, Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 determines the start time and duration TNPCA of the NPCA period based on the BT time window and sends the spoofed CTS frame 202 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, where the NPCA period TNPCA indicated by the spoofed CTS frame 202 should cover the BT communication period specified in the BT profile. Figure 2 As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel switching operations, switching from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel, and processing Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel. During NPCA (Transient NPCA), BT device 114 can transmit / receive BT communication on the BSS main channel, and Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel, thereby reducing IDC interference and improving BT / Wi-Fi performance.

[0024] about Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 is triggered by Wi-Fi device 112 sending a spoofed CTS frame 202. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., AP) 104 sending a spoofed CTS frame 202, wherein the time profile PRF of BT device 114 can be relayed from Wi-Fi device 112 to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0025] Figure 3This diagram illustrates a second time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can trigger / initiate an NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a BT device. Therefore, the second time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable FDD of BT communication and Wi-Fi communication during NPCA. In the second time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, the BT device 114 shares its time profile PRF with the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112, and the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can send a spoofed transmission request (RTS) frame 302, followed by a spoofing preamble (e.g., a spoofed data PPDU preamble) 304 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between the Wi-Fi device (e.g., an AP) 104 and the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112. Sending the spoofed RTS frame 302 and the spoofed preamble / data 304 is to create the appearance that the BSS main channel is occupied by an OBSS PPDU or OBSSTXOP. For example, the spoofed RTS frame 302 can be an OBSS RTS frame or a predefined NPCA RTS frame (identifiable between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112). Specifically, BT device 114 determines its BT time window (3ms-300ms) and shares its time profile PRF (carrying information indicating the BT time window) with Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP STA) 112. After obtaining the BT time window from the time profile PRF, Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP STA) 112 determines the start time and duration of the NPCA period based on the BT time window, and sequentially sends a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble / data 304 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. The NPCA period indicated by the spoofed RTS frame 302 should cover the BT communication period specified in the BT profile, and the interval between the spoofed RTS frame 302 and the spoofed preamble / data 304 is 2 * SIFS (Short Interframe Spacing) time plus the CTS time (depending on the rate of the spoofed RTS frame 302). Figure 3 As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel switching operations, switching from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel, and process Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel. During NPCA, BT device 114 can transmit / receive BT communication on the BSS main channel, and Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel, thereby reducing IDC interference and improving BT / Wi-Fi performance.

[0026] about Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 is triggered by Wi-Fi device 112 sending a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble / data 304. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., AP) 104 sending a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble / data 304, wherein the time profile PRF of BT device 114 can be relayed from Wi-Fi device 112 to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0027] Figure 4This is an illustration illustrating a third time-profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can trigger / initiate the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a BT device. Therefore, the third time-profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) TNPCA for both BT communication and Wi-Fi communication during NPCA. According to the third time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, BT device 114 shares its time profile PRF with Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112, and Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can send an action frame 402 followed by a transmit clear (CTS) frame 404 to Wi-Fi device (e.g., an access point (AP)) 104 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104 and Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112. The action frame 402 carries information allowing Wi-Fi device 104 to respond to the CTS 404 with NPCA behavior. Other parameters, such as the bandwidth and duration of the CTS frame 404, can also be included in the action frame 402. For example, the action frame 402 can be a predefined frame recognizable between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. Specifically, BT device 114 determines its BT time window (3ms-300ms) and shares its time profile PRF (which carries information indicating the BT time window) with Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112. After obtaining the BT time window from the time profile PRF, Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 determines the start time and duration TNPCA during the NPCA period based on the BT time window, and sequentially sends action frame 402 and CTS frame 404 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. Figure 4 As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel switching operations, switching from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel, and processing Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel. During NPCA (Transient NPCA), BT device 114 can transmit / receive BT communication on the BSS main channel, while Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel, thereby reducing IDC interference and improving BT / Wi-Fi performance.

[0028] about Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, Wi-Fi device 112 triggers the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 by sending action frame 402 and CTS frame 404. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104 sending action frame 402 and CTS frame 404, wherein the time profile PRF of BT device 114 can be relayed from Wi-Fi device 112 to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0029] Figure 5 This is an illustration illustrating a fourth time-profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can trigger / initiate the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a BT device. Therefore, the fourth time-profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) TNPCA for both BT communication and Wi-Fi communication during NPCA. According to the fourth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, BT device 114 shares its time profile PRF with Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112, and then Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can share its time profile PRF with Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104, such that the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104 and Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 triggers TNPCA through a predefined timestamp indicating the start time of the NPCA period.

[0030] In this embodiment, Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 sends an Initial Control Frame (ICF) 502 to Wi-Fi device (e.g., an Access Point (AP)) 104 and receives an Initial Control Response (ICR) 504 from Wi-Fi device (e.g., an Access Point (AP)) 104. For example, the ICF 502 may be used to carry a predefined timestamp TNPCA indicating the start time of the NPCA period. Specifically, Bluetooth (BT) device 114 determines its Bluetooth time window (3ms-300ms) and shares its time profile PRF (which carries information indicating the Bluetooth time window) with Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112. After obtaining the Bluetooth time window from the time profile PRF, the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 determines the start time and duration TNPCA of the NPCA period based on the Bluetooth time window and sends parameters to the Wi-Fi device (e.g., an access point (AP)) 104, where the parameters include a predefined timestamp, and the NPCA period TNPCA indicated by the parameters should cover the Bluetooth communication period specified by the Bluetooth profile. Figure 5 As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel switching operations, switching from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel, and handle Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel. During the NPCA period (TNPCA), Bluetooth device 114 can transmit / receive Bluetooth communication on the BSS main channel, while Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel, thereby reducing IDC interference and improving Bluetooth / Wi-Fi performance.

[0031] about Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, Wi-Fi device 112 triggers the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 by sending ICF 502. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104 sending ICR 504, wherein the time profile PRF of Bluetooth device 114 can be relayed to Wi-Fi device 104 via ICF 502 sent by Wi-Fi device 112. In other words, ICF 502 can carry the time profile PRF, while ICR 504 can be used to carry a predefined timestamp TNPCA indicating the start time of the NPCA period.

[0032] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of a fifth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can trigger / initiate the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a cellular device. Therefore, the fifth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable frequency division duplex (FDD) communication for both cellular and Wi-Fi communications during the NPCA period TNPCA. According to the fifth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, cellular device 114 shares its time profile PRF with Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 and further provides frame synchronization information to Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112. Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 can align its frame time with the frame time of cellular device 114 and send a spoofed CTS frame 202 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi device (e.g., access point (AP)) 104 and Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP workstation (STA)) 112. As mentioned above, sending the spoofed CTS frame 202 is to create a situation where the BSS main channel CH36 is occupied by OBSS PPDU or OBSS TXOP. For example, the spoofed CTS frame 202 can be an OBSS CTS frame or a predefined NPCA CTS frame (identifiable between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112). Specifically, the modem (MD) of cellular device 114 determines its time-division duplex (TDD) uplink / downlink configuration with the base station (e.g., eNodeB or gNodeB) and shares its time profile (PRF) (which carries information indicating the TDD uplink / downlink configuration) and frame synchronization information with Wi-Fi devices (e.g., non-AP workstations (STA)) 112. The cellular uplink time is obtained from the time profile (PRF)... Figure 6 After being marked with "U" and aligned with the time of cellular device 114, Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP workstation (STA)) 112 determines the start time and duration TNPCA of the NPCA cycle based on the cellular uplink time, and sends a spoofed CTS frame 202 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. Figure 6As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel handover operations, switching from the BSS main channel CH36 to the NPCA main channel CH100, and handle Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel CH100. During the NPCA period (TNPCA), cellular device 114 can transmit / receive cellular communication on the BSS main channel CH36, while Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel CH100, thereby reducing IDC interference and improving cellular / Wi-Fi performance.

[0033] about Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 is triggered by Wi-Fi device 112 sending a spoofed CTS frame 202. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., AP) 104 sending a spoofed CTS frame 202, wherein the time profile (PRF) of cellular device 114 can be relayed from Wi-Fi device 112 to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0034] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates a sixth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can trigger / initiate an NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112, and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 can be a cellular device. Therefore, the sixth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design is used to enable FDDTNPCA for both cellular and Wi-Fi communications during NPCA. According to the sixth time profile-assisted NPCA triggering design, the cellular device 114 shares its time profile PRF with the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 and further provides frame synchronization information to the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112. The Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112 can align its frame time with the frame time of the cellular device 114 and send a spoofed RTS frame 302, followed by a spoofed preamble / data 304, to trigger the NPCA mechanism between the Wi-Fi device (e.g., an AP) 104 and the Wi-Fi device (e.g., a non-AP STA) 112. As described above, sending the spoofed RTS frame 302 and the spoofed preamble / data 304 is to create the situation where the BSS main channel CH36 is occupied by the OBSS PPDU or OBSS TXOP. For example, the spoofed RTS frame 302 can be an OBSS RTS frame or a predefined NPCA RTS frame (identifiable between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112). For brevity and simplicity, Figure 7 Only the spoofing preamble 304 is shown. Specifically, the MD of cellular device 114 determines its TDD UL / DL configuration with the base station (e.g., eNodeB or gNodeB) and shares the time profile PRF (carrying information indicating the TDD UL / DL configuration) and frame synchronization information with Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP STA) 112. The cellular UL time is obtained from the time profile PRF (in... Figure 7 After being marked with "U" and aligned with the time of cellular device 114, Wi-Fi device (e.g., non-AP STA) 112 determines the start time and duration TNPCA during the NPCA period based on the cellular UL time, and sends a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble / data 304 to trigger the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112. Figure 7 As shown, both Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 perform channel switching operations, switching from the BSS main channel CH36 to the NPCA main channel CH100, and handle Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel CH100. During NPCA (Transient NPCA), cellular device 114 can transmit / receive cellular communication on the BSS main channel CH36, while Wi-Fi device 112 can transmit / receive Wi-Fi communication on the NPCA main channel CH100, thereby mitigating IDC interference and improving cellular / Wi-Fi performance.

[0035] about Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 is triggered by Wi-Fi device 112 sending a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble 304. However, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. In another design, the NPCA mechanism between Wi-Fi devices 104 and 112 can be triggered by Wi-Fi device (e.g., AP) 104 sending a spoofed RTS frame 302 and a spoofed preamble 304, wherein the time profile (PRF) of cellular device 114 can be relayed from Wi-Fi device 112 to Wi-Fi device 104.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the Wi-Fi device 112 and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device (e.g., a BT device) 114 coexist in the same electronic device 102. For example, the electronic device 102 may be a customer premises equipment (CPE) or mobile Wi-Fi (MiFi). However, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute a limitation of the present invention. In fact, the present invention does not impose any limitations on the coexistence design of the Wi-Fi device 112 and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114. In some embodiments of the present invention, the Wi-Fi device 112 and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device 114 may be integrated into the same chip. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The electronic device 102 shown can be Figure 8 The electronic device shown is replaced by 800. For example... Figure 8 As shown, electronic device 800 may include an application processor (AP) system-on-chip (SoC) 802 and a Wi-Fi / non-Wi-Fi combined SoC 804, wherein the Wi-Fi / non-Wi-Fi combined SoC 804 may include a Wi-Fi device 112 and a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device (e.g., a BT device) 114. For example, electronic device 800 may be a smartphone. In summary, any electronic device having a Wi-Fi device employing the proposed timing profile-assisted NPCA triggering design falls within the scope of this invention.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will readily observe that many modifications and changes can be made to the apparatus and methods while retaining the teachings of the present invention. Therefore, the above disclosure should be interpreted only within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A Wi-Fi device, comprising: Wireless interface circuit; as well as The control circuit is configured to receive a time profile of planned communication from a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device via the wireless interface circuit, and instruct the wireless interface circuit to send at least one frame with reference to the time profile to trigger a non-master channel access (NPCA) mechanism between the Wi-Fi device and another Wi-Fi device.

2. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame includes a spoofed send clear CTS frame.

3. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame includes a spoofed transmit request (RTS) frame followed by a spoofed preamble.

4. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame includes an action frame followed by a clear CTS frame, and the action frame carries information allowing the other Wi-Fi device to respond to the CTS with NPCA behavior.

5. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame carries a predefined timestamp indicating the start time of the NPCA mechanism.

6. The Wi-Fi device of claim 5, wherein the at least one frame includes an Initial Control Frame (ICF) or an Initial Control Response (ICR).

7. The Wi-Fi device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi device and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device coexist in the same electronic device.

8. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the other Wi-Fi device and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device coexist in the same electronic device.

9. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the Wi-Fi device is an access point (AP) and the other Wi-Fi device is a non-AP workstation (STA).

10. The Wi-Fi device of claim 1, wherein the other Wi-Fi device is an access point (AP) and the Wi-Fi device is a non-AP workstation (STA).

11. A method for accessing NPCA via a non-master channel in Wi-Fi, comprising: The first Wi-Fi device receives a time profile of planned communication from a non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device; as well as At least one frame is sent from the first Wi-Fi device with reference to the time profile to trigger the NPCA mechanism between the first Wi-Fi device and the second Wi-Fi device.

12. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the at least one frame includes a spoofed transmission clear CTS frame.

13. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the at least one frame includes a spoofed transmit request RTS frame followed by a spoofed preamble.

14. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the at least one frame includes an action frame followed by a clear CTS frame, and the action frame carries information allowing the second Wi-Fi device to respond to the CTS with NPCA behavior.

15. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the at least one frame carries a predefined timestamp indicating the start time of the NPCA mechanism.

16. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 15, wherein the at least one frame includes an initial control frame (ICF) or an initial control response (ICR).

17. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the first Wi-Fi device and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device coexist in the same electronic device.

18. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the second Wi-Fi device and the non-Wi-Fi wireless communication device coexist in the same electronic device.

19. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the first Wi-Fi device is an access point (AP) and the second Wi-Fi device is a non-AP workstation (STA).

20. The Wi-Fi NPCA method of claim 11, wherein the second Wi-Fi device is an access point (AP) and the first Wi-Fi device is a non-AP workstation (STA).

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