Handover criteria for non-primary channel access

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to handoff criteria for non-primary channel access. The present disclosure provides an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for handoff from a basic service set (BSS) primary channel to a non-primary channel access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an access point (AP); and in response to at least one condition for handoff back to the BSS primary channel being satisfied, handoff from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the AP. Additionally, the present disclosure provides an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for handoff from a BSS primary channel to a NPCA primary channel, the NPCA primary channel being associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions that are not triggered are not enabled; and via the NPCA primary channel, receiving an initial control frame (ICF) from the AP, the ICF including a field indicating a NPCA duration, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until handoff from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments typically involve wireless communication networks, such as Wi-Fi, in which latency-sensitive applications can be employed. Background Technology

[0002] Some applications of wireless technology rely on low latency. For example, communication systems may depend on low latency provided by stations (STAs) for latency-sensitive applications such as virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for switching from a Non-Master Channel Access (NPCA) master channel to a Basic Service Set (BSS) master channel.

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: a switch from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; and receiving an initial control frame (ICF) from the AP via the NPCA primary channel, the initial control frame including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur.

[0005] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the OBSS basic network allocation vector (NAV) duration of an overlapping BSS (OBSS) transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by: (i) via a list or array comprising the OBSS basic NAV duration for each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to one or more OBSS basic NAV durations of the corresponding one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) of the OBSS transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration corresponding to one or more durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration that the AP is configured to reserve on the NPCA master channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow the TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using the NPCA joint opcode time division multiple access (C-TDMA).

[0008] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of a service period in which a station (STA) is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within an unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time (TWT). The apparatus in some embodiments is also configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel, at least in part based on the operating mode associated with the NPCA. The apparatus in some embodiments is also configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration.

[0009] According to some embodiments, switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based at least in part on the NPCA duration includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires; or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires. In this embodiment, the NPCA duration is: (i) a single NPCA duration, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0010] In some embodiments, the apparatus is also made to: send an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating the NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the largest of the NPCA durations within the ICF and the ICR. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF if the NPCA duration received within the ICF is less than or equal to the NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-AP STA.

[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel via means for communicating with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; and receiving an Initial Control Frame (ICF) from the AP via the means and via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the OBSS basic network allocation vector (NAV) duration of an overlapping BSS (OBSS) transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by: (i) via a list or array comprising the OBSS basic NAV duration for each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to one or more OBSS basic NAV durations of the corresponding one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) of the OBSS transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration corresponding to one or more durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration that the AP is configured to reserve on the NPCA master channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using time division multiple access (C-TDMA) with the NPCA joint opcode.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of a service period in which a station (STA) is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within an unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time (TWT). Some embodiments of the method further include switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, at least in part based on the operating mode associated with the NPCA. Some embodiments of the method further include switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration.

[0016] According to some embodiments, switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based at least in part on the NPCA duration includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires, or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay expires. In this embodiment, the NPCA duration is: (i) a single NPCA duration, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0017] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include sending an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating the NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. In some embodiment sets, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the larger of the NPCA duration within the ICF and the NPCA duration within the ICR. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF if the NPCA duration received within the ICF is less than or equal to the NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-AP STA.

[0018] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: switch from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel via means for communication with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; and receive an Initial Control Frame (ICF) from the AP via the means and via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the duration of which defines a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the OBSS basic network allocation vector (NAV) duration of an overlapping BSS (OBSS) transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by: (i) via a list or array comprising the OBSS basic NAV duration for each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to one or more OBSS basic NAV durations of the corresponding one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0020] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) of the OBSS transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration corresponding to one or more durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration that the AP is configured to reserve on the NPCA master channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using time division multiple access (C-TDMA) with the NPCA joint opcode.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of a service period in which a station (STA) is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within an unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time (TWT). According to some embodiments, the computer-executable code portion includes program code instructions configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel, at least in part, based on an operating mode associated with the NPCA. According to some embodiments, the computer-executable code portion includes program code instructions configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel, at least in part, based on the NPCA duration.

[0023] According to some embodiments, switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based at least in part on the NPCA duration includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires; or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires. In this embodiment, the NPCA duration is: (i) a single NPCA duration, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to send an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating the NPCA duration determined by the device. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the device is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the device is configured to use the larger of the NPCA duration within the ICF and the NPCA duration within the ICR. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the device is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF if the NPCA duration received within the ICF is less than or equal to the NPCA duration determined by the device. According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode. In some embodiments, the device is a non-AP STA.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided comprising components for: switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which untriggered uplink (UL) transmissions are disabled; and receiving an Initial Control Frame (ICF) from the AP via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the OBSS basic network allocation vector (NAV) duration of an overlapping BSS (OBSS) transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the OBSS basic NAV duration is signaled: (i) via a list or array comprising the OBSS basic NAV durations for each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to one or more OBSS basic NAV durations of the corresponding one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) of the OBSS transmission that causes a switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In this embodiment, the duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration corresponding to one or more durations of the PPDUs of each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration that the AP is configured to reserve on the NPCA primary channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the OBSS transmission to switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using time division multiple access (C-TDMA) with NPCA joint opcode.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of a service period in which a station (STA) is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within an unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time (TWT). Some embodiments of the apparatus also include components for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based at least in part on an operating mode associated with the NPCA. Some embodiments of the apparatus also include components for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based at least in part on the NPCA duration.

[0030] According to some embodiments, switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration, includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires; or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires. In this embodiment, the NPCA duration is: (i) a single NPCA duration, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0031] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include: a component for sending an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating an NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the largest of the NPCA durations within the ICF and the NPCA durations within the ICR. In some embodiments, both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the NPCA duration, and the apparatus is configured to use the NPCA duration received within the ICF if the NPCA duration received within the ICF is less than or equal to the NPCA duration determined by the apparatus. According to some embodiments, the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-AP STA.

[0032] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; sending an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STA via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur; and switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the STA based on the NPCA duration.

[0033] According to some embodiments, if the device does not receive an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame from the STA, the device is also made to determine that the STA is unavailable for communication for at least a duration corresponding to the NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the device is an access point (AP).

[0034] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel via means for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; sending an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STA via the NPCA primary channel and via means, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur; and switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the STA via means and based on the NPCA duration.

[0035] According to some embodiments, if the device does not receive an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame from the STA, the method further includes determining that the STA is unavailable for communication for a duration corresponding at least to the NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the device is an access point (AP).

[0036] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: switch from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel via means for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; send an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STA via the NPCA primary channel and via means, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur; and switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel via means and based on the NPCA duration for communication with the STA.

[0037] According to some embodiments, when the device does not receive an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame from the STA, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to determine that the STA is unavailable for communication for at least a duration corresponding to the NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the device is an access point (AP).

[0038] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided comprising components for: switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink (UL) transmissions not triggered are disabled; sending an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STA via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, the NPCA duration defining a minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur; and switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the STA based on the NPCA duration.

[0039] According to some embodiments, if the device does not receive an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame from the STA, the device further includes components for determining that the STA is unavailable for communication for a duration corresponding at least to the NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the device is an access point (AP). Attached Figure Description

[0040] Therefore, some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in general terms. The following will refer to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0041] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of example communication systems based on some example embodiments described herein;

[0042] Figure 2 Examples of NPCA are shown below, based on some of the example embodiments described herein;

[0043] Figure 3A An example environment is shown according to some of the example embodiments described herein;

[0044] Figure 3B An example time-frequency domain is shown according to some example embodiments described herein;

[0045] Figure 4 Example flowcharts are shown according to some example embodiments described herein;

[0046] Figure 5The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (the device);

[0047] Figure 6 The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (The device).

[0048] Figure 7 The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (the device);

[0049] Figure 8 The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (the device);

[0050] Figure 9 The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (the device);

[0051] Figure 10 The following are shown operations performed at least according to the example embodiments (such as by...) Figure 10 (the device); and

[0052] Figure 11 This is a block diagram of an apparatus that can be specifically configured according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "a," "an," or "some" embodiments in several places throughout the text, this does not necessarily mean that every reference refers to the same embodiment(s), or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with some embodiments, whether explicitly described or not, applying such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments is within the guidance of those skilled in the art. It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another.

[0054] For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrases "at least one of A or B", "at least one of A and B", and "A and / or B" all refer to (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrases "A, B, and / or C" refer to (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C).

[0055] Some of the described embodiments can be implemented in a communication network (e.g., a communication network) such as any of the following radio access technologies (RATs): Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX, GSM (2G), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GRPS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System based on Basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) (UMTS (3G), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), LTE, Advanced LTE and Enhanced LTE (eLTE), 5G (also known as NR), or any future radio access technology (RAT), such as 6G. Furthermore, communications within the communication network can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and / or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM).

[0056] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example, a terminal device may be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or mobile station (MS). Terminal devices can include mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, USB dongles, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and so on.

[0057] As used herein, the term "resource" can refer to radio resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, and / or code domain. Some examples of resources include, for example, physical resource blocks (PRBs), radio frames, subframes, time slots, subbands, frequency domains, subcarriers, beams, etc. The terms "transmission" and / or "reception" can refer to wireless transmission and / or reception on radio resources via a wireless propagation channel, respectively.

[0058] In some examples, the communication system can be deployed in a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network. That is, in some examples, the communication system can be an example of a WLAN system. The WLAN system can support wireless communication between one or more communication devices according to one or more Wi-Fi protocols, such as protocols based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard and / or related drafts, such as 802.11-2020, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn and / or others.

[0059] In some examples, Wi-Fi communication can be conducted via one or more radio frequency bands, such as 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. In some such examples, each radio frequency band can support one or more channels (e.g., a 20 MHz channel) through which data can be transmitted. In some examples, multiple devices can use multiple channels simultaneously to communicate via WLAN.

[0060] A WLAN system may include one or more communication devices, such as access points (APs) and / or stations (STAs), which are also referred to herein as non-AP STAs. For example, a device configured to support one or more Wi-Fi protocols may be an example of an AP (e.g., operating according to AP mode) and / or a example of a non-AP STA (e.g., operating according to non-AP STA mode). In some examples, an AP may control Wi-Fi communication for one or more non-AP STAs. For example, an AP may be (or may be connected to) a central entity used to establish (and / or control) one or more connections between one or more STAs and another network (e.g., the Internet). In other words, in some examples, an AP may connect a wired network (e.g., the Internet) to a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN)). In some cases, a Wi-Fi network may be identified via one or more identifiers, such as a Service Set Identifier (SSID) or a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID).

[0061] In some examples, the AP in a WLAN system includes at least one distributed system access function configured to facilitate data communication outside the AP. Alternatively or additionally, STAs can be configured as terminal devices that rely on their association with the AP to communicate with devices other than the AP. The AP can be configured to connect to a wired local area network (LAN) (e.g., via Ethernet). The AP can allow one or more client devices (e.g., STAs) to access the wireless connection via WLAN. These client devices may also be referred to as "WLAN clients." WLAN clients can include various devices and / or types of devices, including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and / or other devices.

[0062] WLAN systems can support one or more architectures (types of logical relationships between devices). For example, a WLAN system can support autonomous, centralized, cooperative, and / or other types of architectures. In some examples of autonomous architectures, the AP is a standalone AP configured to operate without any dependence on other devices. In some examples of centralized architectures, a centralized network manager can manage the operation of the WLAN. In other words, the network manager can be an AP, or can be connected to one or more APs within the WLAN. For example, the AP can be connected (e.g., wirelessly and / or via wired connection) to a central entity that can be configured to act as the network manager. In some examples, the network manager is a cloud-based entity that can reside in a private or public cloud. In some examples of cooperative architectures (also known as network managerless or controllerless architectures), a virtual management (e.g., cloud-based) system can be used to control the WLAN. For example, a virtual management system can employ cooperative communication methods between one or more APs to control the WLAN. In other examples, a centralized network manager can use a wireless system to provide local connectivity to clients (e.g., STAs). For example, a centralized network manager can be a controller configured to perform operations related to authentication, authorization, accounting (e.g., via an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server) and / or other operations.

[0063] Alternatively or alternatively, a WLAN system may support one or more topologies (the types of physical connections between various devices within a WLAN system). For example, a WLAN system may support an infrastructure topology that can include a combination of wired and wireless connections. In some examples of infrastructure topologies, the infrastructure topology may include one or more wired devices (e.g., one or more access points, each connected to a switch via a cable) that utilize wired connections to the network, and these one or more wired devices may support one or more wireless connections to one or more wireless devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, mobile phones), enabling the wireless devices to wirelessly connect to the network. In other words, one or more wired devices may act as bridges between wireless and wired networks. Alternatively or alternatively, a WLAN system may support self-organizing topologies that are independent of infrastructure (e.g., cables, routers, servers, or access points). In some examples of self-organizing networks, one or more STAs (also called clients or client devices) may wirelessly connect to other devices in a peer-to-peer network. Alternatively or alternatively, a WLAN system may also support mesh topologies, where multiple network devices are interconnected wirelessly. For example, according to a mesh topology, an access point (e.g., each access point) that supports one or more wireless connections to one or more STAs may wirelessly communicate with one or more other access points.

[0064] According to one or more Wi-Fi protocols, data can be wirelessly transmitted between two devices (e.g., an AP and a STA) via packets called Protocol Data Units (PDUs). In other words, Wi-Fi communication may include the transmission and reception of one or more PDUs. For example, data can be communicated via frames (e.g., Media Access Control (MAC) frames), which may include one or more PDUs. In some cases, multiple frames may include the same PDU. In some examples, a PDU may include data (referred to as a payload), and one or more headers (e.g., a sequence of one or more fields) and / or one or more trailers (e.g., a sequence of bits appended to the PDU after the payload). In some examples, the data included in a PDU may be user data, control data, management data, and / or other types of data. In some examples, a frame may include a data type frame, a control type frame, a management type frame, and / or other types of frames. At least one frame type (e.g., each frame type) may be included in a PDU, wherein the payload of the PDU may include user data, control data, management data, and / or other data. In some examples, a WLAN system may implement one or more security protocols to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Wi-Fi communication.

[0065] In some examples, WLAN systems can support Transmission Opportunities (TXOPs) to improve throughput, such as for high-priority data, by providing contention-free channel access for a period of time. TXOPs may be available in Quality of Service (QoS) modes as part of Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), and / or may be limited periods of contention-free channel access available to a channel-owning station (e.g., a TXOP holder). During such a period, the TXOP holder (which may be a STA or AP) can transmit multiple frames that meet specific criteria, which may have been determined for the use of TXOPs. In some examples, these criteria may allow the transmission of frames belonging to an AC other than the Access Class (AC), for which the TXOP has been acquired. In some examples, TXOPs can improve throughput and / or reduce latency of QoS data frames by eliminating contention periods between transmissions. In some examples, TXOPs may be used in combination with frame aggregation and block acknowledgments to further improve throughput.

[0066] In some examples, the access class has different channel access parameters, such as Arbitration Inter-Frame Spacing (AIFS), duration, contention window size, and TXOP limit. In some examples, the values ​​of these parameters can be set in a way that increases the likelihood of higher-priority packets taking precedence over lower-priority packets. For example, the parameter value can be set such that the STA (typically) waits for a shorter duration before sending a higher-priority packet compared to the duration the STA could wait before sending a lower-priority packet. Alternatively, the parameter value can also be set such that the contention window for higher-priority packets is compared to the contention window for lower-priority packets, and / or that multiple packets can be sent in the TXOP. In some examples, the TXOP holder (which can be a STA or AP) can send frames to multiple receivers during the TXOP. In addition to QoS data frames, other frames can also be exchanged during the TXOP, such as acknowledgment frames (ACK), BlockAckReq / BlockAck frames, and / or other control and management frames.

[0067] In some examples, WLAN systems use multi-link operation (MLO) to improve data transmission (e.g., via transmission using multiple frequency bands). In some examples, MLO also includes various features, including simultaneous transmit and receive (STR), multiple channel multiple radio (MCMR), enhanced multiple access point roaming (E-MAR), non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR), multiple link multiple radio (MLMR), and / or other features.

[0068] An AP that supports MLO can be referred to as an AP Multilink Device (MLD). For example, an MLO-enabled client (such as a STA) can be referred to as a non-AP MLD. Such a client device can have two or more STAs, with which it can establish links to the AP MLD. The connection between the STA and the AP can represent a link between the AP MLD and a non-AP MLD. In some examples, an AP that does not support MLO can be a multi-band AP, having two or more APs operating on different frequency bands and / or channels. The AP can operate in one or more frequency bands and / or channels, and client devices can connect to the AP via one or more of these frequency bands and / or channels. For example, a client device can be associated with an AP on one of these channels. An AP MLD can operate as a multi-band AP while providing a component for multilink (ML)-enabled clients (non-AP MLDs) to simultaneously use their two or more radios and / or APs for communication with a single association. An AP MLD can be an MLMR, configured to communicate simultaneously with its APs that have associated non-AP MLDs. Non-AP MLDs may have limitations (e.g., NSTRs), which may indicate that simultaneous communication over an established link is not possible. Therefore, in some cases, a non-AP MLD can be associated with an AP MLD. Accordingly, a non-AP MLD can be associated with two or more frequency bands and / or channels and can communicate with the AP associated with the AP MLD over an established link.

[0069] WLAN devices configured with STR can be configured to allow simultaneous transmission and / or reception via different corresponding frequency bands, thereby reducing latency. WLAN devices configured with MCMR can be configured to allow data transmission via two or more radios and / or channels, thereby improving efficiency, reducing congestion, and / or increasing network speed. WLAN devices configured with Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (EMLSR) can be configured to allow client devices to switch between multiple corresponding APs while maintaining their connection, thereby allowing for more persistent connectivity. WLAN devices configured with NSTR can be configured to allow client devices to transmit and / or receive non-simultaneously via different corresponding frequency bands, thereby reducing latency (especially compared to single-link operation). WLAN devices configured with MLMR can be configured to allow different corresponding radios and / or channels to be used to manage the corresponding links, thereby reducing interference and / or improving network performance.

[0070] WLAN systems can be configured with various types of service sets, such as Basic Service Sets (BSS) and / or Extended Service Sets (ESS). A BSS can include an Access Point (AP) and one or more client devices (e.g., STAs) associated with that AP. These client devices can have one or more common physical layer (PHY) media access characteristics (e.g., radio frequency, modulation scheme, security settings, etc.). A BSSID can define a BSS such that one or more client devices within the BSS share the same BSSID.

[0071] In some examples, two or more BSSs may have overlapping coverage areas, and they may operate using some or all of the same radio frequency channels. In such an example of an overlapping BSS (OBSS), a client device can transmit frames from the overlapping area, and one or more other client devices can sense the transmission. In response to sensing the transmission, one or more other client devices can stop their own transmission. In some examples, if other client devices do not sense the transmission, they may become hidden terminals relative to the transmitting client device.

[0072] Figure 1 An example communication system 100, to which one or more examples disclosed herein may be applied, is illustrated. Communication system 100 may include a cloud network 105, one or more access points (APs) (e.g., AP 110-a, AP 110-b), and one or more client devices (also referred to herein as STAs) connected to one or more APs. For example, communication system 100 may include STAs 115-a and STA 115-b connected to AP 110-a, and STAs 115-c and STA 115-d connected to AP 110-b. In some examples, AP 110 may be a mobile access point (mAP) with limited functionality. In some such examples, the configuration including mAPs and STAs may be implemented as part of a point-to-point connection, for example, as in Wi-Fi Direct or Wi-FiAware. In some examples, devices may operate as both STAs and APs simultaneously. One such example is in a multi-AP or mesh network comprising two or more devices that can act as APs, and using Wi-Fi for wireless backhaul connectivity based on a STA-AP connection model.

[0073] In some wireless communication systems, an access point (AP) can provide wireless connectivity to one or more STAs according to Wi-Fi standards, such as those that are subsets of the IEEE 802 family of standards. For example, the MAC and PHY specifications for Wi-Fi access points are defined by IEEE 802.11 for transmitting and receiving data in frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. APs and STAs can communicate via transmission frames, which include data frames, management frames, and / or control frames, and can be transmitted as unicast, broadcast, or multicast messages. The 802.11 standard defines the inter-frame interval (IFS) as the nominal time (in microseconds (µs) during which the MAC and PHY receive the last symbol of a frame, process the frame, and respond with the first symbol of a response frame (e.g., the earliest possible response frame).

[0074] exist Figure 1 In the example, STA 115 can be configured to wirelessly connect to at least one Wi-Fi AP (e.g., AP 110). The functionality of at least one Wi-Fi AP can be implemented by various entities and / or types of entities, such as APs, mAPs, access nodes, hosts, servers, base stations, and / or other entities suitable for this purpose. The functionality of at least one client device can be implemented by various entities and / or types of entities, such as client-side user equipment, STAs, UEs, and / or other entities suitable for this purpose. For example, communication system 100 can support radio frequency sensing during IFS.

[0075] Communication system 100 can support latency-sensitive applications at Wi-Fi devices (e.g., AP, STA). Some such applications may include, for example, virtual reality (VR) applications, mixed reality applications, extended reality (XR) applications, and augmented reality (AR) applications. In some cases, reliable and nondeterministic channel access (such as for broadband transmission) can limit the performance of latency-sensitive applications. For example, for broadband transmission (or channel bonding), a device can use a primary 20 MHz channel to communicate control frames and management frames, and can communicate data frames by bonding the BSS primary channel (also referred to herein as the reference primary channel or simply the primary channel) to one or more other available 20 MHz channels (referred to herein as secondary channels). Channel bonding is introduced to provide transmission over multiple consecutive 20 MHz channels. In some cases, channel bonding can support transmission over a total bandwidth of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz.

[0076] In some examples, if the device assesses that the BSS primary channel is idle, it can perform wideband transmission across a bandwidth including the BSS primary channel or the BSS primary channel and one or more consecutive secondary channels (e.g., a total of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz). However, in some cases, Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) transmissions may overlap with the BSS primary channel (partially or entirely). In some such cases, the device may determine that the BSS primary channel is busy, potentially delaying wideband transmission. Therefore, secondary channels may remain idle until the BSS primary channel becomes available, which can cause degraded performance, for example, for latency-sensitive applications.

[0077] A procedure (e.g., the procedure defined in IEEE 802.11ac) allows a device (such as a STA) to adjust the transmission bandwidth of each TXOP based on channel availability, to include 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, or 160 MHz. However, in some examples, the adjustment of the transmission bandwidth may depend on the resulting bandwidth being contiguous and the primary channel being assessed as idle. For example, as long as the resulting bandwidth is contiguous and the primary channel is assessed as idle, the STA can adjust the transmission bandwidth of each TXOP based on channel availability, to include 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, or 160 MHz. However, in some cases, this limitation may result in a large amount of unused spectrum, because some discontinuous 20 MHz channels may be available but are idle because the STA is restricted to using a contiguous channel.

[0078] Some of the example implementations described herein may be related to 802.11bn, which is a new revision of the 802.11 specification and is currently being developed in task group TGbn within the 802.11 working group.

[0079] The 802.11bn revision is in the process of defining some new features, including the concept of Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA). The basic concept of NPCA is that when the primary channel of the BSS is occupied (e.g., by OBSS or other situations), an idle alternative channel is temporarily used as the primary channel of the BSS, referred to herein as the NPCA primary channel.

[0080] Figure 2 The high-level representation of NPCA is shown. As shown, the primary channel 210 for BSS is occupied by OBSS transmission 220. Therefore, the NPCA primary channel 230 can be temporarily used for transmission as an alternative primary channel.

[0081] IEEE 802.11bn has reached a consensus that the handover from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel should be based on the exchange of OBSS control frames or the detection of OBSS High Efficiency (HE) / Ultra-High Throughput (EHT) / Ultra-High Reliability (UHR) Physical Protocol Data Units (PPDUs).

[0082] The latest draft of 802.11bn states the following: "1) The STA receives a PPDU and / or a PHY-RXSTART instruction primitive for a HE / EHT / UHR PPDU on the BSS main channel, and all of the following conditions are true: a. The PPDU is classified as an inter-BSS PPDU by the STA according to the procedure defined in 26.2.2 (Classification of PPDUs within and between BSSs). b. The duration of the PPDU (determined by the MAC in the form of TBD, but necessarily involving some parameters of the RXVECTOR associated with the received PPDU) or the duration of the PPDU plus the value of the RXVECTOR parameter TXOP_DURATION of the PPDU is greater than the value indicated in the NPCA minimum duration threshold field of the most recently received or transmitted BSS to which it is a member. c. Whether the RXVECTOR parameter TXOP_DURATION of the PPDU is considered for this comparison, and whether it is indicated by the AP as TBD. d. The 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 occupancy of the PPDU." The MHz channel is identified by the bandwidth field in the PHY preamble of the PPDU by the STA and the channel allocation identifier of the corresponding frequency band, and the channel occupied by the PPDU does not overlap with the NPCA main channel. d. TBD conditions. 2) The STA receives a PPDU containing a control frame and a PPDU containing a control frame exchange initial response frame on the BSS main channel, and all of the following conditions apply: a. The (multiple) received PPDUs are classified as inter-BSS PPDUs by the STA according to the process defined in 26.2.2 (Classification of PPDUs within and between BSSs). b. The TXOP duration determined from the (multiple) received frames is greater than the value indicated in the NPCA minimum duration threshold field corresponding to its BSS. i. Whether the RXVECTOR parameter TXOP_DURATION of the (multiple) received PPDUs is considered for this comparison is TBD. c. The 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 MHz channels occupied by the received PPDUs do not overlap with the NPCA main channel, as identified by the STA based on channel allocation in the corresponding frequency band and the PPDU bandwidth identifier obtained by the RXVECTOR parameter CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT of the PPDUs received (either by signaling or from the PPDUs). i) If the control frame is an RTS frame in a non-HT (repeating) PPDU, it includes bandwidth signaling TA, and the bandwidth of the signaled PPDU is 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, or 160 MHz. ii) In non-HT (repeating) PPDUs, the identifier of the channel occupied by the received CTS frame is determined by examining the RTS frame or MU-RTS frame that triggered the CTS response. d. TBD condition.

[0083] Importantly, the conditions under which a STA should be configured to switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel have not been defined. Currently, existing solutions lack the technology to configure a STA to switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel in a consistent manner across the AP and its associated non-AP STAs. Furthermore, existing solutions lack the technology to determine how long a STA can be configured to occupy a channel for TXOP before switching back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel.

[0084] Therefore, the various example embodiments described herein provide technical solutions to these and other problems. For example, some embodiments described herein provide techniques for an NPCA-capable STA (e.g., AP or non-AP STA) belonging to an NPCA-enabled BSS to determine when to switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, thereby performing both triggered and untriggered transmissions. Some example embodiments described herein also provide techniques for an NPCA-capable STA belonging to an NPCA-enabled BSS to determine how long an STA can contend for a TXOP on the NPCA primary channel before switching back to the BSS primary channel.

[0085] Figure 3A An example environment 300 is illustrated according to some example embodiments described herein. As shown, example environment 300 includes AP 301, STA 302, and AP 303. STA 302 is associated with AP 301 for communication and is within communication range of AP 301 and AP 303.

[0086] Figure 3B An example time-frequency domain 350 is shown according to some example embodiments described herein. As shown, AP 301 is associated with BSS master channel 305 and NPCA master channel 304. OBSS 320 is an OBSS transmission associated with AP 303, which overlaps with BSS master channel 305. At 322, due to OBSS 320, AP 301 and STA 302 switch from BSS master channel 305 to NPCA master channel 304. AP 301 sends an initial control frame 310 to STA 302. In response to ICF 310, STA 302 sends an initial control response (ICR) frame 314 to AP 301. Additionally, AP 301 sends a block acknowledgment (BA) frame 312, and STA 302 sends a BS 316. NPCA duration 318 is the duration associated with the NPCA operation of AP 301 and STA 302. At 324, due to the expiration of NPCA duration 318, AP 301 and STA 302 switch back from NPCA main channel 304 to BSS main channel 305.

[0087] As described in more detail below, in some embodiments, during NPCA, various additional and / or different operations and transmissions may be associated with the AP and one or more associated non-AP STAs to determine when to switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, to determine how long to contend for acquiring a TXO on the NPCA primary channel, or to determine how long to wait for any transmission without acquiring a TXOP before switching to the BSS primary channel, if the device operates in response to the switch.

[0088] Some embodiments provide techniques for a STA to switch from the NPCA primary channel back to the BSS primary channel before successful channel contention when the STA is configured as the initiating device to acquire a TXOP. For example, once the STA has switched to the NPCA primary channel due to overlap between the OBSS and BSS primary channels, the STA can contend for the NPCA primary channel to acquire a TXOP. In some embodiments, the STA can monitor one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel and / or determine that one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel are met. In response to the satisfaction of one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel, the STA can switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel before successful channel contention for the TXOP.

[0089] In some embodiments, the conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel may include a certain duration after the expiration of the switch to the NPCA primary channel. For example, a predefined or configurable duration may define the amount of time the STA remains on the NPCA primary channel without successfully contending for the TXOP. Therefore, if the STA fails to acquire a channel for the TXOP before the predetermined duration expires, the STA may be configured to switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel in response to the expiration of the predetermined duration.

[0090] In various embodiments, the conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel may include the number of times the STA attempts to acquire TXOPs meeting a predetermined and / or configurable threshold. For example, the STA may switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel but fail to successfully contend for the NPCA primary channel for TXOPs. In this example, once the number of times the STA successfully contends for the NPCA primary channel for TXOPs meets the threshold (e.g., after a certain number of retries, after a certain number of contention intervals, etc.), the STA can switch back to the BSS primary channel in response.

[0091] In some embodiments, the conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel may include the expiration of the NPCA dwell timeout. In some embodiments, the NPCA dwell timeout may define the maximum duration for which a STA may unsuccessfully contend for a TXOP on the NPCA primary channel until the switch back to the BSS primary channel must occur. For example, a STA may switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel, and if the STA is configured to acquire a TXOP but has not yet acquired one (e.g., unsuccessful channel contention), it may switch back to the BSS primary channel before or upon the expiration of the NPCA dwell timeout.

[0092] In some embodiments, the STA may consider multiple conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel. For example, the STA may switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel and switch back to the BSS primary channel based on the number of attempts to acquire a TXOP meeting a threshold and / or at least upon the expiration of the NPCA residency timeout, as described herein.

[0093] In some embodiments, the NPCA dwell timeout may depend on one or more capabilities of the STA (e.g., the handover delay required for the STA to switch between the BSS primary channel and the NPCA primary channel). In one example, the NPCA dwell timeout may be defined as follows: NPCA-Stay-Timeout = NPCA-Duration - (NPCA-Switch-Delay + NPCA-Switch-Back-Delay + NPCA- Minimum-duration-threshold) Wherein: NPCA-duration represents the duration associated with the amount of time the STA spends on the NPCA primary channel before switching back to the BSS primary channel; NPCA-handover-delay represents the time required for the STA to switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel; NPCA-handover-back-delay represents the time required for the STA to switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel; and NPCA-minimum-duration-threshold represents the minimum duration of OBSS activity (e.g., the duration of PPDU or TXOP transmitted by OBSS) that allows the STA to switch to the NPCA primary channel.

[0094] In some embodiments, within the NPCA Operation Information field, the NPCA-Switch-Delay can be indicated in the NPCA Switch-Delay field, the NPCA Switch-Back-Delay can be indicated in the NPCA Switch-Back-Delay field, and the NPCA-Minimum-Duration-Threshold can be indicated in the NPCA Minimum Duration Threshold field.

[0095] In some embodiments, the NPCA duration (also referred to herein as “NPCA duration”) can be or corresponds to the OBSS busy duration, for example, the OBSS basic network allocation vector (NAV) duration that triggers a switch to the NPCA primary channel for OBSS transmission on the BSS primary channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the TXOP duration, for example, the TXOP duration that the STA is configured to hold on the NPCA primary channel.

[0096] In some embodiments, where the NPCA duration is or corresponds to the TXOP duration, the NPCA duration can be configured such that the NPCA duration is at most as long as the OBSS basic NAV duration, PPDU duration, or some other OBSS busy time that triggers the OBSS transmission from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel. In some embodiments, where the NPCA duration is or corresponds to the TXOP duration, the NPCA duration can be configured such that the NPCA duration is at least long enough to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission. In some embodiments, where the NPCA duration is or corresponds to the TXOP duration, the NPCA duration can be configured such that the NPCA duration is long enough to allow TXOP return transmission from the AP's perspective while the AP is using Time Division Multiple Access (C-TDMA) with the NPCA joint opcode.

[0097] In some embodiments, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the duration of a PPDU that triggers a switch from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the service period in which the STA is configured to acquire TXOPs for one or more transmissions (e.g., transmission within unrestricted and restricted target wake-up times (TWT)). In some embodiments, the NPCA duration can depend on the NPCA operating mode, such as TXOP-based NPCA, PPDU-based NPCA, or SP-based NPCA.

[0098] In some embodiments, the STA can be configured based on the NPCA operating mode. For example, the conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel can depend on the NPCA operating mode. In one example, where only a transmission is allowed (and no transmission is allowed) is triggered, the STA can switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on the number of TXOPs attempted to acquire to meet a predetermined threshold and based on the NPCA dwell timeout. In another example, where no transmission is allowed is triggered, the STA can switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel after a predetermined and / or configurable duration has expired and the STA has determined that the NPCA primary channel is busy (e.g., after unsuccessful channel contention). In yet another example, where the NPCA can be based on PPDUs or TxOPs, the STA can switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on a different set of conditions that must be met for switching back to the BSS primary channel.

[0099] In some embodiments, where the STA is not configured to contend for the TXOP, the STA may switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on the satisfaction of one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel. In some such embodiments, examples of conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel may include: determining that the NPCA residency timeout has expired and the initial control frame (ICF) has not yet been received from the TXOP holder or associated STA; determining that the ICF has not been received for a predefined and / or configurable duration since the switch to the NPCA primary channel; determining that the duration of the PPDU that caused the OBSS transmission to switch to the NPCA primary channel has expired; or determining that the duration of the OBSS basic NAV that caused the OBSS transmission to switch to the NPCA primary channel has expired.

[0100] Some embodiments can provide techniques for a STA to switch from the NPCA master channel back to the BSS master channel after contention. For example, some embodiments described herein can be applied to situations where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for the NPCA (and untriggered UL transmissions are not permitted). In some such embodiments, after switching from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel, the AP can transmit an ICF including a field for signaling information associated with the duration of the NPCA. Additionally, some embodiments can provide techniques for a STA not configured to acquire a TXOP on the NPCA master channel to switch back to the BSS master channel based on one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS master channel being met, as described herein.

[0101] In some embodiments, the information associated with the NPCA duration indicated within the ICF may be in the form of a list or array, wherein the OBSS basic NAV duration (or some other OBSS busy duration) for each OBSS overlapping the BSS main channel is provided. In some embodiments, the information associated with the NPCA duration indicated within the ICF may include a single value corresponding to the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration (or some other OBSS busy duration) among the multiple OBSSs overlapping the BSS main channel. In some embodiments, the information associated with the NPCA duration indicated within the ICF may be provided along with a BSS color relative to a particular OBSS basic NAV duration (or some other OBSS busy duration).

[0102] In various embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the OBSS basic NAV duration, the PPDU duration, or some other OBSS busy duration that triggers the OBSS transmission from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel. In some embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the service period in which the STA is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within both unrestricted and restricted TWTs.

[0103] In some embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the NPCA duration can be or corresponds to the TXOP duration that the AP is configured to retain on the NPCA primary channel. In some embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, and the NPCA duration is or corresponds to the TXOP duration, the NPCA duration can be configured such that one or more of the following conditions are met: the NPCA duration is at most as long as the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU for OBSS transmissions switching from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel; the NPCA duration is at least long enough to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmissions for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or the NPCA duration is long enough to allow TXOP return transmissions from the AP's perspective while the AP is using Time Division Multiple Access (C-TDMA) with the NPCA joint opcode.

[0104] In some embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the STA can switch from the NPCA master channel back to the BSS master channel based on the NPCA duration indicated within the ICF sent by the AP. For example, in some such embodiments, the STA can switch from the NPCA master channel back to the BSS master channel when the NPCA duration expires or for a period of time after its expiration. In another example of some such embodiments, the STA can switch from the NPCA master channel back to the BSS master channel when the largest NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations expires or for a period of time after the largest NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations expires.

[0105] In some embodiments, one or more NPCA durations may be used. For example, where only triggered UL transmissions are allowed for NPCA, for each of the multiple OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS main channel, a defined corresponding NPCA duration may exist, resulting in multiple NPCA durations. In this way, in some embodiments, the largest of the multiple NPCA durations may be used. In some embodiments, only a defined single NPCA duration may exist, sometimes referred to herein as a single NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the AP may be configured to define multiple NPCA durations, and a non-AP STA may be configured to define a single NPCA duration.

[0106] In some embodiments, the STA can switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on the NPCA duration and one or more other durations. For example, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the STA can use the NPCA duration indicated in the ICF received from the AP, and the duration corresponding to the NPCA-handback-delay duration. In another example, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the STA can switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel at the expiration of the duration corresponding to the NPCA duration minus the NPCA-handback-delay duration, or at some time after the expiration of the duration corresponding to the NPCA duration minus the NPCA-handback-delay duration. In various embodiments, the STA can switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on durations corresponding to: NPCA - Duration -NPCA-Switch-Back-Delay NPCA - Duration This indicates the duration of a single NPCA, or the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations provided by the AP.

[0107] In some embodiments, where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, a non-AP STA may send an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame including information associated with the NPCA duration after receiving the ICF. In some such embodiments, there may be modifications and / or exceptions to the NPCA duration that a non-AP STA can send within the ICR frame. For example, in some such embodiments, the NPCA duration may be configured such that it is not equal to the TXOP duration, but rather the non-AP STA can indicate the TXOP duration that the non-AP STA transmission may require, which can be used to define the NPCA duration. In some embodiments, the NPCA duration can only be included within the ICF and not within the ICR frame.

[0108] In some embodiments, a STA can be configured to always switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on the NPCA duration indicated by the AP. In some embodiments, a non-AP STA that receives the NPCA duration from the AP can update its NPCA duration to the AP's NPCA duration. In some embodiments, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch back to the BSS primary channel based on the NPCA duration of the largest of one or more NPCA durations indicated by the AP and the NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA.

[0109] In some embodiments, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch back to the BSS primary channel from the NPCA primary channel based on a single NPCA duration, determined by the non-AP STA, up to the NPCA duration indicated by the AP. For example, in cases where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, if the single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA is greater than the NPCA duration indicated by the AP, the single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA can be limited (e.g., capped) by the NPCA duration indicated by the AP.

[0110] In some embodiments, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on a single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA. In some embodiments, an AP can be configured to switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on the maximum single NPCA duration among one or more single NPCA durations corresponding to one or more non-AP STAs.

[0111] In some embodiments, the AP can be configured to determine that a non-AP STA is unavailable for transmission or reception on the NPCA main channel for the entire duration of the NPCA, which is at least as long as the duration of the NPCA indicated by the AP within the ICF. For example, in cases where only triggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA and the AP does not receive an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame from a non-AP STA, the AP can assume that the non-AP STA is unavailable for transmission or reception on the NPCA main channel for the duration of the NPCA indicated by the AP in the ICF.

[0112] Some embodiments may provide techniques for a STA to switch back from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel when a non-triggered UL transmission is permitted for NPCA. In some embodiments, where a non-triggered UL transmission is permitted, and after switching from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel, the STA may transmit an ICF including a field for signaling information associated with the NPCA duration. In some examples, where a non-triggered UL transmission is permitted for NPCA, the NPCA duration may be or correspond to the OBSS busy duration, such as the OBSS basic NAV duration, the TXOP duration configured for use on the NPCA master channel by a non-AP STA, the OBSS PPDU duration that triggers the OBSS transmission for switching to the NPCA master channel, the service period in which a non-AP STA is configured not to acquire a TXOP and transmits during unrestricted or restricted TWT operations, and / or similar as described herein.

[0113] In some embodiments, the STA may switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel based on the NPCA duration indicated in the ICF sent by the non-AP STA. In some examples, where untriggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the STA may switch back to the BSS primary channel from the NPCA primary channel in the following ways: when a single NPCA duration expires; when the maximum of one or more NPCA durations expires; when the duration based on the NPCA duration (which may be a single NPCA duration or the maximum of multiple NPCA durations) and the NPCA-switch-back-delay duration expires.

[0114] In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA and indicated within the ICF is greater than or higher than the NPCA duration determined by the AP (e.g., determined by the AP's evaluation of OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS primary channel), the AP may not send a response (e.g., an ICR frame) to the ICF. In some such embodiments, a non-AP STA may be triggered to switch back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel if it sends an ICF but does not receive an ICR frame from the associated AP.

[0115] In some embodiments, the AP may send an ICR frame including a field indicating information associated with the NPCA duration. For example, where untriggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the AP may generate the NPCA duration based on the detection of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS primary channel. In various embodiments, the signaling of the NPCA duration within the ICR frame may be independent of the inclusion of the NPCA duration within the ICF. For example, where untriggered UL transmissions are permitted for NPCA, the NPCA duration may be signaled only within the ICR frame (rather than within the ICF). In some embodiments, the interpretation or meaning of the NPCA duration may also differ regarding whether the NPCA duration is signaled within the ICF frame or the ICR frame.

[0116] In some embodiments, based on the NPCA duration carried within the ICR frame sent by the AP, the associated STA may switch back to the BSS primary channel based on one or more of the following conditions: when a single NPCA duration expires, or at least when a single NPCA duration expires; when the maximum of one or more NPCA durations expires, or at least when the maximum of one or more NPCA durations expires; when a duration based on the NPCA duration and the NPCA-handover-back-delay expires, or at least when a duration based on the NPCA duration and the NPCA-handover-back-delay expires, wherein the NPCA duration is a single NPCA duration or the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0117] In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration is signaled in both ICF and ICR frames, the STA can be configured to always switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on the NPCA duration signaled by the AP. In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration is signaled in both ICF and ICR frames, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on the maximum NPCA duration between the (multiple) NPCA durations signaled by the AP and a single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA. In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration is signaled in both ICF and ICR frames, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on a single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA, up to an NPCA duration indicated by the AP, for example, where the single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA is greater than the NPCA duration determined by the AP. In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration is signaled in both ICF and ICR frames, a non-AP STA can be configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on a single NPCA duration determined by the non-AP STA. In some embodiments, if the NPCA duration is signaled in both ICF and ICR frames, the AP can be configured to switch from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based on the maximum NPCA duration among one or more single NPCA durations determined by one or more non-AP STAs.

[0118] Figure 4 An example flowchart 400 is shown according to some example embodiments described herein. As shown, at 402, the STA switches to the NPCA master channel. For example, in some embodiments, a non-AP STA may switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel for communication with the AP, or the AP may switch from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel for communication with a non-AP STA. In various examples, the NPCA may be associated with different NPCA operating modes, untriggered UL transmissions may be enabled, or untriggered UL transmissions may be disabled.

[0119] At 404, if the STA is operating as a TXOP holder (e.g., if the STA is configured to contend for a TXOP), flowchart 400 proceeds to 406. At 406, the STA may perform one or more operations for idle channel assessment (CCA), such as determining whether the channel is idle before transmitting data. Alternatively, the STA may perform channel contention TXOP. At 408, if the channel is not idle, flowchart proceeds to 410. The STA may monitor and / or determine one or more conditions for switching back to the BSS primary channel. For example, at 410, if the NPCA residency timeout has expired, flowchart proceeds to 412, and the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0120] Alternatively, if the NPCA dwell timeout has not expired, the flowchart returns to 406, and the STA can again determine if the channel is idle. If the channel is idle, the flowchart proceeds to 414, where the STA can send an ICF including an indication of the NPCA duration. At 416, the STA can determine if an ICR frame has been received. If the ICR frame has not been received, the flowchart proceeds to 412, and the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0121] Alternatively, if an ICR frame has been received, the flowchart proceeds to 418, where the NPCA duration is determined for use. In some examples, if the STA is a non-AP STA and the ICR frame includes an NPCA duration determined by the AP, the STA can be configured to use the maximum of the NPCA duration included in the ICR frame, the NPCA duration included in the ICF, and the NPCA duration included in the ICR frame, or the NPCA duration included in the ICF (and determined by the STA). In yet another example, if the STA is a non-AP STA and the ICR frame includes an NPCA duration determined by the AP, the STA can use the NPCA duration included in the ICF until the NPCA duration included in the ICR frame.

[0122] In some other examples, if the STA is an AP and the ICR frame includes an NPCA duration determined by a non-AP STA, the AP may use the NPCA duration included in the ICF, the maximum NPCA duration among one or more NPCA durations included in the ICF, one or more NPCA durations included in the ICF and the maximum NPCA duration among the NPCA durations included in the ICR frame, one or more NPCA durations included in the ICF and the maximum NPCA duration among one or more NPCA durations included in one or more ICR frames (from the corresponding one or more non-AP STAs), and / or similar methods as described herein.

[0123] Once the duration of the NPCA for use has been determined, flowchart 400 proceeds to 420. At 420, the STA can continue transmitting and / or receiving until the NPCA duration expires. Once the NPCA duration expires, flowchart 412, where the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0124] Returning to 404, if the STA is not operating as a TXOP holder (e.g., if the STA is not configured to contend for the TXOP), flowchart 400 proceeds to 422. At 422, the STA determines whether the ICF has been received before the NPCA residency timeout expires. If the ICF has not been received and the NPCA residency timeout has expired, flowchart 400 proceeds to 412, where the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0125] Alternatively, if the STA has received the ICF and the NPCA residency timeout has not yet expired, flowchart 400 proceeds to 424. At 424, the NPCA duration is determined for use, making the NPCA duration suitable for communication. For example, the NPCA duration may need to be long enough for the corresponding TXOP as described herein. Once the NPCA duration for use has been determined, flowchart 400 proceeds to 426. At 426, the STA determines whether to send an ICR frame. In one example, if the NPCA duration included in the ICF (and determined by the non-AP STA) is greater than the NPCA duration determined by the AP, the AP may determine not to send an ICR frame. If the STA determines not to send an ICR frame, flowchart 400 proceeds to 412, and the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0126] Alternatively, if the STA determines to send an ICR frame, flowchart 400 proceeds to 420, where the STA continues transmitting and / or receiving until the NPCA duration expires. Once the NPCA duration expires, flowchart 400 proceeds to 412, and the STA switches back to the BSS primary channel.

[0127] Figure 5-10 The flowchart illustrates an operation for switching back from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, based on some embodiments disclosed herein. Figure 5 , Figure 7 as well as Figure 9 The flowchart shows (such as by) Figure 11 The device 11 in the middle, such as that embodied by a non-AP STA (e.g., STA 115), is operated to support communication with one or more other devices (e.g., AP 110). Figure 6 , Figure 8 as well as Figure 10 The flowchart shows (such as) Figure 11 The device 11 in the device, such as that embodied by an AP (e.g., AP110), is operated to support communication with one or more other devices (e.g., STA 115).

[0128] exist Figure 5 In the example flowchart, it can be such as by Figure 11 The apparatus embodied by device 11 (e.g., STA 115) includes components such as processor 10, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an Access Point (AP), as shown in block 502. This switching can be performed by device 11 based on the operation of processor 12 and via communication interface 16. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the AP in response to the satisfaction of at least one condition for switching back to the BSS primary channel, as shown in block 504. For example, the switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel can be performed by device 11 based on the operation of processor 12 via communication interface 16.

[0129] exist Figure 6 In the example flowchart, it can be composed of, for example Figure 11 The apparatus embodied in device 11 (e.g., AP 110) includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with a Station (STA), as shown in block 602. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from an NPCA primary channel to a BSS primary channel for communication with the STA in response to at least one condition for switching back to the BSS primary channel being met, as shown in block 604.

[0130] exist Figure 7 In example flowcharts, such as those by Figure 11The apparatus embodied in device 11 (e.g., STA 115) includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which untriggered uplink (UL) transmissions are disabled, as shown in block 702. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for receiving an Initial Control Frame (ICF) from the AP via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the NPCA duration, which defines the minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur, as shown in block 704.

[0131] exist Figure 8 In the example flowchart, it can be derived from... Figure 11 The apparatus embodied by device 11 (e.g., AP 110) includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which untriggered uplink (UL) transmissions are disabled, as shown in block 802. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for sending an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the STA via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the NPCA duration, which defines the minimum duration until the switch from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel must occur, as shown in block 804. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the STA based on the NPCA duration, as shown in block 806.

[0132] exist Figure 9 In the example flowchart, it can be derived from... Figure 11The apparatus embodied by device 11 (e.g., STA 115) includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with an Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which untriggered uplink (UL) transmissions are disabled, as shown in block 902. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for sending at least one Initial Control Frame (ICF) to the AP via the NPCA primary channel, as shown in block 904. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the AP in response to at least one condition for switching back to the BSS primary channel being met, as shown in block 906.

[0133] exist Figure 10 In the example flowchart, it can be derived from... Figure 11 The apparatus embodied by device 11 (e.g., AP 110) includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from a Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) primary channel for communication with a Station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which untriggered uplink (UL) transmissions are disabled, as shown in block 1002. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for receiving at least one Initial Control Frame (ICF) from the STA via the NPCA primary channel, the ICF including a field indicating the duration of a first NPCA, as shown in block 1004. The apparatus also includes components such as processor 12, communication interface 16, etc., for switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel for communication with the STA in response to at least one condition for switching back to the BSS primary channel being met, as shown in block 1006.

[0134] Figure 5-10This is a flowchart of a method according to certain example embodiments. It should be understood that each block or signal, and combinations of blocks and signals, can be implemented by various components, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more processes in the above process can be embodied by instructions (such as, for example, computer program instructions). In this regard, instructions embodying the above process can be stored in memory 14 of the apparatus 11 employing the example embodiment and executed by at least one processor 12. It should be understood that any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resulting computer or other programmable device performs the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct a computer or other programmable device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce a product whose execution performs the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable device, provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0135] Therefore, flowchart blocks support combinations of components used to perform specified functions and combinations of operations used to perform specified functions. It should also be understood that one or more blocks in a flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks in a flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions to perform the specified functions.

[0136] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, client device 115 is configured to wirelessly connect to at least one Wi-Fi AP (e.g., AP 110). The functionality of the at least one Wi-Fi AP can be implemented by various entities and / or types of entities, such as APs, mAPs, access nodes, nodes, hosts, servers, base stations, and / or other entities suitable for this purpose. Similarly, the functionality of the at least one client device can be implemented by various entities and / or types of entities, such as client user equipment, non-AP STAs, user equipment (UEs), and / or other entities suitable for this purpose.

[0137] In some examples, communication system 100 may support radio frequency sensing during IFS. In some examples, communication system 100 may include transceivers for transmitting and / or receiving signals. The transceiver may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (e.g., using a single application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA)) or as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) including different modules for implementing the functionality of the transceiver. The network manager may include a processor and / or memory (e.g., such as processor 12 and / or memory 14, further referenced). Figure 11 (As described). Processor 12 can be used to execute instructions 15 stored in memory 14 and / or store information in memory 14, such as the results of executed instructions.

[0138] The Wi-Fi AP 110 may include a transceiver for transmitting and / or receiving signals, for example, via a backbone network and / or via an access interface. The transceiver may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (e.g., using a single ASIC or FPGA) or as a SoC that includes different modules for implementing the transceiver's functionality.

[0139] Device 11 can be implemented by a user equipment, and resources on the access interface are allocated and assigned to that user equipment. Therefore, any feature of the user equipment described herein can be implemented using a corresponding device (such as device 11). Wi-Fi AP 110 may also include a processor (e.g., such as processor 12) and a memory (e.g., such as memory 14), such that device 11 can also be embodied by an AP. Processor 12 can be used to execute instructions 15 stored in memory 14 and / or store information in memory 14, such as the results of executed instructions.

[0140] Device 11 can be configured to function as a cloud network 105, AP 110, client device 115, and / or other entities. For example... Figure 11As shown, the device includes, is associated with, and / or communicates with a processor 12, a memory 14, and a communication interface 16. The processor 12 may communicate with the memory device 14 via a bus for transferring information between components of the device 11. The memory device 14 may be non-transitory, for example, and may include one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory device 14 may be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium) including gates configured to store data (e.g., bits) that can be retrieved by a machine (e.g., a computing device like the processor 12). The memory device 14 may be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., to enable the device to perform various functions (e.g., instructions 15) according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, the memory device 14 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 12. Alternatively or additionally, the memory device 14 may be configured to store instructions 15 for execution by the processor 12.

[0141] Instruction 15 may be included in a computer-readable medium or a non-transitory computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term “non-transitory” refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile) rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM).

[0142] Figure 11 Examples of simplified block diagrams depicting apparatuses according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are provided, and their implementations may differ from those shown. Figure 11 The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may differ. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes, in addition to... Figure 10 Other functions and structures besides those shown.

[0143] In some embodiments, device 11 can be embodied in various computing or communication devices as described above. However, in some embodiments, the device can be embodied as a chip or chipset. In other words, the device can include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) that include materials, components, and / or wires on a structural component (e.g., a base plate). The structural component can provide physical strength, dimensional control, and / or limit electrical interactions for the component circuitry included thereon. Thus, in some cases, the device can be configured to implement embodiments of this disclosure on a single chip or as a single system-on-a-chip (SOC). Thus, in some cases, a chip or chipset can constitute components for performing one or more operations to provide the functions described herein.

[0144] Processor 12 can be embodied in a variety of different ways. For example, processor 12 can be implemented by a processing circuitry system. For example, processor 12 can be embodied as one or more of a variety of hardware processing components, such as a coprocessor, microprocessor, controller, digital signal processor (DSP), processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other circuitry systems, including integrated circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microcontroller units (MCUs), hardware accelerators, dedicated computer chips, etc. Therefore, in some embodiments, processor 12 may include one or more processing cores configured to execute independently. Multi-core processors can enable multiprocessing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, processor 12 may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and / or multithreaded processing.

[0145] In one example embodiment, processor 12 may be configured to execute additional instructions 15 stored in memory device 14 or otherwise accessible to processor 12. Alternatively or additionally, processor 12 may also be configured to perform hard-coded functions. Thus, whether configured by a hardware approach, a software approach, or a combination of hardware and software approaches, processor 12 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in a circuit system) that, while correspondingly configured, is capable of performing operations according to embodiments of this disclosure. Thus, for example, when processor 12 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, and / or similar, processor 12 may be specifically configured as hardware for performing the operations described herein. Alternatively or additionally, as another example, when processor 12 is embodied as an executor of instructions (e.g., instruction 15), these instructions may be specifically configured to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when these instructions are executed. However, in some cases, processor 12 may be a processor of a particular device (e.g., an image or video processing system) configured to employ embodiments of this disclosure by further configuration of a processor that performs the algorithms and / or operations described herein via instructions. Processor 12 may include clocks, arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and / or logic gates configured to support the operation of processor 12.

[0146] Communication interface 16 may be a device and / or circuitry embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive and / or transmit data, including media content in the form of video or image files, one or more audio tracks, etc. In this regard, communication interface 16 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas), and hardware and / or software supporting communication with a wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, communication interface 16 may include circuitry for interacting with the antenna(s) to induce the transmission of signals via the antenna(s) or the reception of signals received via the antenna(s). In some environments, communication interface may alternatively also support wired communication. Thus, for example, communication interface may include a communication modem and / or other hardware / software for supporting communication via cable, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or other mechanisms.

[0147] In some examples, device 11 may be an access point (AP) or non-AP station (STA) (e.g., a client device) usable in a Wi-Fi network according to a wireless standard (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 standard). For example, device 11 may be a terminal device, such as... Figure 1 STA 115. As another example, device 11 can be included in a terminal device, for example, as a chipset configured to control the terminal device. As another example, device 11 can be a non-AP STA, such as... Figure 1 AP 110. Device 11 can be made or configured to at least perform Figures 5 to 10 The methods and / or any one or more of the described embodiments.

[0148] For illustrative purposes, exemplary embodiments of this application are provided below.

[0149] Example 1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: Switching from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions not triggered are disabled; and An initial control frame (ICF) is received from the AP via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur.

[0150] Example 2. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein: The NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the OBSS Basic Network Allocation Vector (NAV) of the overlapping BSS OBSS transmission, which causes the handover from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel; and The OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the OBSS basic NAV duration for each OBSS transmission in one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS main channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS main channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0151] Example 3. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein: The duration of the NPCA is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) transmitted by the OBSS, and the OBSS transmission causes the handover from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; and The duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the duration of the PPDU for each of one or more OBSS transmissions that overlap with the BSS main channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration of one or more PPDUs that overlap with the BSS main channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

[0152] Example 4. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration that the AP is configured to reserve on the NPCA main channel.

[0153] Example 5. The apparatus according to Example 4, wherein the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the handover from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using time division multiple access (C-TDMA) with the NPCA joint opcode.

[0154] Example 6. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the service period, during which the station STA is configured to acquire TXOP and transmit within the unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time TWT.

[0155] Example 7. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: switching from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel based at least in part on the operating mode associated with the NPCA.

[0156] Example 8. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: switching from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration.

[0157] Example 9. The apparatus according to Example 8, wherein: Switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration, includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires; or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires; and The NPCA duration is: (i) the duration of a single NPCA, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

[0158] Example 10. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform at least: sending an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA determined by the apparatus.

[0159] Example 11. The apparatus according to Example 10, wherein both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the apparatus is configured to use the duration of the NPCA received within the ICF.

[0160] Example 12. The apparatus according to Example 10, wherein both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the apparatus is configured to use the largest of the NPCA durations in the ICF and the NPCA durations in the ICR.

[0161] Example 13. The apparatus according to Example 10, wherein both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the apparatus is configured to use the duration of the NPCA received in the ICF if the duration of the NPCA received in the ICF is less than or the same as the duration of the NPCA determined by the apparatus.

[0162] Example 14. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode.

[0163] Example 15. The apparatus according to Example 1, wherein the apparatus is a non-AP STA.

[0164] Example 16. A method comprising: The device switches from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions not triggered are disabled; and The AP receives an initial control frame (ICF) via the device and via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the NPCA duration, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur.

[0165] Example 17. The method according to Example 16, wherein The duration of the NPCA is equal to the duration of the Overlapping BSS (OBSS) Basic Network Allocation Vector (NAV) transmission, which causes the handover from the BSS primary channel to the NPCA primary channel; and The OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the OBSS basic NAV duration for each of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to the one or more OBSS basic NAV durations of the corresponding one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS master channel; or (iii) associated with the BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

[0166] Example 18. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: Switch from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to the non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions that are not triggered are not enabled. An initial control frame (ICF) is sent to the STA via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur; and Based on the duration of the NPCA, the system switches from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel for communication with the STA.

[0167] Example 19. The apparatus according to Example 18, wherein, when the apparatus does not receive an initial control response (ICR) frame from the STA, the instruction, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to further perform at least: determining that the STA is unavailable for communication for a duration corresponding at least to the duration of the NPCA.

[0168] Example 20. The apparatus according to Example 18, wherein the apparatus is an access point (AP).

[0169] In embodiments, at least some of the processes described herein may be performed by an apparatus including components for performing at least some of the processes. Components for performing the method steps disclosed herein may include software and / or hardware components of apparatus 11. For example, at least one processor 12, memory 14, and computer program code 15 form components for performing one or more methods disclosed herein and any embodiments thereof. As used herein, the term “component” should be interpreted as either singular (e.g., referring to a single element) or plural (e.g., referring to a combination of single elements). Thus, the term “component for [performing A, B, C]” should be interpreted to encompass either a component for performing only A, B, and C, or separate components for performing A, B, and C, or partially or completely overlapping components for performing A, B, and C. Furthermore, the terms “component for performing A, component for performing B, component for performing C” should be interpreted as encompassing either a component for performing A, B, or C that exists alone, or separate components for performing A, B, and C that exist separately, or partially or completely overlapping components for performing A, B, and C.

[0170] Although this disclosure has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings in a non-limiting and illustrative manner, it is apparent that the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all wording and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways as technology advances. Furthermore, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can, but are not necessarily, combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: Switching from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to a non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the Access Point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions not triggered are disabled; and An initial control frame (ICF) is received from the AP via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The duration of the NPCA is equal to the duration of the OBSS basic network allocation vector NAV of the overlapping BSS OBSS transmission, which causes the handover from the BSS main channel to the NPCA main channel; as well as The OBSS basic NAV duration is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the OBSS basic NAV duration for each OBSS transmission in one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS main channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration corresponding to the maximum OBSS basic NAV duration of one or more OBSS transmissions overlapping with the BSS main channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the OBSS basic NAV duration.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The duration of the NPCA is equal to the duration of the Physical Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) transmitted by the OBSS, and the OBSS transmission causes the handover from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; and The duration of the PPDU is transmitted by signaling: (i) via a list or array including the duration of the PPDU for each of one or more OBSS transmissions that overlap with the BSS main channel; (ii) via a single value of the maximum duration of one or more PPDUs that overlap with the BSS main channel; or (iii) associated with a BSS color relative to the duration of the PPDU.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NPCA duration is equal to the transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration for which the AP is configured to reserve transmission opportunities on the NPCA main channel; or The NPCA duration is equal to the duration of the service period in which the station STA is configured to acquire a TXOP and transmit within the unrestricted and restricted target wake-up time (TWT).

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the NPCA duration is required to satisfy at least one of the following conditions: (i) the NPCA duration is less than or equal to the OBSS basic NAV duration or the duration of the PPDU that causes the handover from the BSS master channel to the NPCA master channel; (ii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow block acknowledgment (BA) transmission for one or more PPDUs configured for transmission; or (iii) a duration greater than or equal to a sufficiently long duration to allow TXOP return transmission, wherein the AP is using time division multiple access (C-TDMA) in conjunction with the NPCA opcode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform at least: switching from the NPCA master channel to the BSS master channel based at least in part on the operating mode associated with the NPCA; or When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor, the device also performs at least the following: switching from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: Switching from the NPCA primary channel to the BSS primary channel, at least in part based on the NPCA duration, includes: (i) when the NPCA duration expires, or after the NPCA duration expires; or (ii) when the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires, or after the duration including the NPCA duration and the NPCA handover backoff delay duration expires; and The NPCA duration is: (i) the duration of a single NPCA, or (ii) the maximum NPCA duration among multiple NPCA durations.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform at least: sending an initial control response (ICR) frame to the AP, the ICR frame including a field indicating the duration of the NPCA determined by the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein both the ICF and the ICR include a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the apparatus is configured to use the duration of the NPCA received within the ICF; Both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the device is configured to use the largest of the NPCA durations within the ICF and the NPCA durations within the ICR; or Both the ICF and ICR include fields indicating the duration of the NPCA, and the device is configured to use the duration of the NPCA received within the ICF if the duration of the NPCA received within the ICF is less than or equal to the duration of the NPCA determined by the device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the NPCA duration is at least partially based on the NPCA operating mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a non-AP STA.

12. A method for communication, comprising: The device switches from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to the non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the access point (AP), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions that are not triggered are not enabled. as well as The AP receives an initial control frame (ICF) via the device and via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the NPCA duration, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur.

13. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: Switch from the Basic Service Set (BSS) primary channel to the non-primary channel access NPCA primary channel for communication with the station (STA), wherein the NPCA primary channel is associated with an operating mode in which uplink UL transmissions that are not triggered are not enabled. An initial control frame (ICF) is sent to the STA via the NPCA main channel. The ICF includes a field indicating the duration of the NPCA, which defines the minimum duration until a switch from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel must occur; and Based on the duration of the NPCA, the system switches from the NPCA main channel to the BSS main channel for communication with the STA.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, if the apparatus does not receive an initial control response (ICR) frame from the STA, the instruction, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to further perform at least: determining that the STA is unavailable for communication for a duration corresponding at least to the duration of the NPCA.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is an access point (AP).

Images