COMMUNICATION PARAMETER SIGNALING FOR PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNICATION - Patent application

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques for signaling parameters for peer-to-peer communications in a wireless network. One aspect provides a method for wireless communications in an access point (AP). The method generally includes obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from the access point (AP) indicating a duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by a wireless station and one or more other devices, relaying information to the one or more other devices identifying parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, and communicating with the one or more other devices based on the parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and the one or more other devices during the TXOP.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]

[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 525,708, filed Nov. 12, 2021, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Technical field]

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication, and more particularly, to techniques for communicating parameters for wireless communication for peer-to-peer communication in a wireless network. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] Wireless communication networks have been widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing available network resources. Examples of such multiple-access networks include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.

[0004]

[0004] To address the problem of increasing bandwidth requirements for wireless communication systems, different schemes have been developed to enable multiple user terminals to communicate with a single access point by sharing channel resources while achieving high data throughput. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology represents one such approach that has emerged as a common technique for communication systems. MIMO technology has been adopted in several wireless communication standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. IEEE 802.11 refers to a set of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) air interface standards developed by the IEEE 802.11 committee for short-range communication (e.g., tens of meters to hundreds of meters). Summary of the Invention

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more specifically, to techniques for signaling parameters for wireless communications to a wireless communication device.

[0006]

[0006] One aspect provides a method for wireless communication in a wireless station. The method generally includes obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from an access point (AP) indicating a duration for which a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices, relaying information to the one or more other devices identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, and communicating with the one or more other devices based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices during the TXOP.

[0007]

[0007] One aspect provides a method for wireless communication in a wireless station. The method generally includes establishing a connection with a second wireless station, obtaining information from the second wireless station identifying parameters for the wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station, and communicating with the second wireless station during a transmit opportunity (TXOP) based on the parameters for the wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station.

[0008]

[0008] One aspect provides a method for wireless communication in an access point (AP), the method generally including: outputting, for transmission to the wireless station, information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, outputting, for transmission to the wireless station, a TXOP sharing trigger indicating a duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) should be shared by the wireless station and the one or more other devices, and communicating with the wireless station during at least a portion of the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0009]

[0009] Other aspects provide an apparatus operable, configured or otherwise adapted to perform the methods described above and elsewhere herein, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the methods described above and elsewhere herein, a computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium comprising code for performing the methods described above and elsewhere herein, and an apparatus comprising means for performing the methods described above and elsewhere herein. By way of example, the apparatus may comprise a processing system, a device having a processing system, or processing systems cooperating through one or more networks.

[0010]

[0010] The following description and the annexed drawings set forth certain features for purposes of illustration.

[0011]

[0011] So that the above-described features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description can be made by reference to the above briefly summarized embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the attached drawings. However, it should be noted that the attached drawings illustrate only certain exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting its scope, since the description may admit of other equally effective embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example wireless communication network in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2]

[0013] 1 is a block diagram of an example access point and an example user terminal in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless device according to certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0015] 1 illustrates a timeline for communication between a wireless station and a peer wireless station. [Diagram 5]

[0016] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example operation for wireless communication by an access point in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]

[0017] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example operation for wireless communication by a source device in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]

[0018] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example operation for wireless communication by a target device in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]

[0019] 1 illustrates aspects of an example communications device. [Figure 9]

[0020] 1 illustrates aspects of an example communications device. [Figure 10]

[0021] 1 illustrates aspects of an example communications device. Detailed Description

[0013]

[0022] Aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for signaling parameters for communications between a wireless station and one or more other devices in a peer-to-peer communications link. A peer-to-peer communications link may exist, for example, between a wireless station communicatively coupled to an access point and one or more peer wireless stations for which the wireless station serves as a soft access point (or virtual access point). In another example, a peer-to-peer communications link may exist between different access points in a wireless network.

[0014]

[0023] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein, one skilled in the art will recognize that the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently or in combination with any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects described herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such an apparatus or method implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions in addition to or other than the various aspects of the disclosure described herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

[0015]

[0024] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.

[0016]

[0025] Although specific aspects are described herein, many variations and permutations of these aspects fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Although some benefits and advantages of the preferred aspects are mentioned, the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to specific benefits, uses, or purposes. Rather, the aspects of the present disclosure are intended to be broadly applicable to different wireless technologies, system configurations, networks, and transmission protocols, some of which are illustrated by way of example in the figures and the following description of the preferred aspects. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present disclosure, rather than limiting, the scope of the present disclosure being defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0017]

[0026] Techniques described herein may be used for various broadband wireless communication systems, including communication systems based on orthogonal multiplexing schemes. Examples of such communication systems include spatial division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, etc. An SDMA system may utilize sufficiently different directions to simultaneously transmit data belonging to multiple user terminals. A TDMA system may allow multiple user terminals to share the same frequency channel by dividing a transmission signal into different time slots, each time slot being assigned to a different user terminal. An OFDMA system utilizes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which is a modulation technique that partitions the entire system bandwidth into multiple orthogonal subcarriers. These subcarriers may also be referred to as tones, bins, etc. In OFDM, each subcarrier may be independently modulated with data. An SC-FDMA system may utilize interleaved FDMA (IFDMA) to transmit on subcarriers distributed across the system bandwidth, may utilize localized FDMA (LFDMA) to transmit on blocks of adjacent subcarriers, or may utilize enhanced FDMA (EFDMA) to transmit on multiple blocks of adjacent subcarriers. In general, modulation symbols are sent in the frequency domain with OFDM and in the time domain with SC-FDMA.

[0018]

[0027] The teachings herein may be incorporated into (e.g., implemented within or performed by) various wired or wireless devices (e.g., nodes). In some aspects a wireless node implemented in accordance with the teachings herein may comprise an access point or an access terminal.

[0019]

[0028] An access point ("AP") may comprise, be implemented as, or be known as a Node B, Radio Network Controller ("RNC"), evolved Node B (eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), base station controller ("BSC"), base transceiver station ("BTS"), base station ("BS"), transceiver function ("TF"), wireless router, wireless transceiver, basic service set ("BSS"), enhanced service set ("ESS"), radio base station ("RBS"), or some other terminology.

[0020]

[0029] An access terminal ("AT") may comprise, be implemented as, or be known as a subscriber station, subscriber unit, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, user terminal (UT), user agent, user device, user equipment (UE), user station, or some other terminology. In some implementations, an access terminal may comprise a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a session initiation protocol ("SIP") telephone, a wireless local loop ("WLL") station, a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), a handheld device with wireless connectivity capabilities, a station ("STA"), or some other suitable processing device connected to a wireless modem. Thus, one or more aspects taught herein may be incorporated into a telephone (e.g., a cellular telephone or a smartphone), a computer (e.g., a laptop), a tablet, a portable communication device, a portable computing device (e.g., a personal digital assistant), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a global positioning system (GPS) device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate over a wireless or wired medium. In some aspects a node is a wireless node. Such a wireless node may provide, for example, connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a cellular network or a wide area network such as the Internet) via a wired or wireless communications link. Illustrative Wireless Communication System

[0021]

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a multiple-access multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system 100 having an access point and user terminals. For simplicity, only one access point 110 is shown in FIG. 1. An access point is generally a fixed station that communicates with user terminals and may also be referred to as a base station or some other terminology. A user terminal may be fixed or mobile and may also be referred to as a mobile station, a wireless device, or some other terminology. An access point 110 may communicate with one or more user terminals 120 (also referred to herein as stations (STAs)) at any given moment on the downlink and uplink. The downlink (i.e., forward link) is the communication link from the access point to the user terminals, and the uplink (i.e., reverse link) is the communication link from the user terminals to the access point. A user terminal may also communicate peer-to-peer with another user terminal. A system controller 130 couples to the access points and provides coordination and control for the access points.

[0022]

[0031] Although some of the following disclosure describes user terminals 120 capable of communicating via spatial division multiple access (SDMA), in certain aspects the user terminals 120 may also include some user terminals that do not support SDMA. Thus, in such aspects, the AP 110 may be configured to communicate with both SDMA and non-SDMA user terminals. This approach may advantageously allow older version user terminals ("legacy" stations) to remain deployed in the enterprise, extending their useful life, while at the same time allowing newer or future user terminals implemented with technologies such as SDMA, OFDM, or OFDMA to be introduced as deemed appropriate.

[0023]

[0032] System 100 employs multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for data transmission on the downlink and uplink. apEach of the K user terminals 120 is equipped with antennas and represents multiple-input (MI) for downlink transmissions and multiple-output (MO) for uplink transmissions. The set of K selected user terminals 120 collectively represents multiple-output for downlink transmissions and multiple-input for uplink transmissions. In the case of pure SDMA, if the data symbol streams for the K user terminals are not multiplexed in code, frequency, or time by any means, then the number of selected user terminals is N. ap ≧K≧1. If the data symbol streams can be multiplexed using TDMA techniques, different code channels with CDMA, disjoint sets of subbands with OFDM, etc., K may be greater than or equal to N ap Each selected user terminal transmits user-specific data to and / or receives user-specific data from the access point. In general, each selected user terminal may be equipped with one or more antennas (i.e., N ut ≧1). The K selected user terminals may have the same or different number of antennas.

[0024]

[0033] The SDMA system may be a time division duplex (TDD) system or a frequency division duplex (FDD) system. For a TDD system, the downlink and uplink share the same frequency band. For an FDD system, the downlink and uplink use different frequency bands. The MIMO system 100 may also utilize a single carrier or multiple carriers for transmission. Each user terminal may be equipped with a single antenna (e.g., to keep costs low) or multiple antennas (e.g., if the additional cost can be supported). The system 100 may also be a TDMA system where the user terminals 120 share the same frequency channel by dividing transmission / reception into different time slots, each time slot being assigned to a different user terminal 120.

[0025]

[0034] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an access point 110 and two user terminals 120m and 120x in a MIMO system 100. The access point 110 has N t The user terminal 120m is equipped with N antennas 224a to 224t. ut,m The user terminal 120x is equipped with N antennas 252ma to 252mu. ut,x The access point 110 is equipped with antennas 252xa through 252xu. The access point 110 is a transmitting entity for the downlink and a receiving entity for the uplink. Each user terminal 120 is a transmitting entity for the uplink and a receiving entity for the downlink. As used herein, a "transmitting entity" is an independently operated apparatus or device capable of transmitting data over a wireless channel, and a "receiving entity" is an independently operated apparatus or device capable of receiving data over a wireless channel. In the following description, the subscript "dn" refers to the downlink, the subscript "up" refers to the uplink, and the subscript "n" refers to the downlink. up user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the uplink, and N dn user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the downlink, and N up is N dn may or may not be equal to N up and N dn , may be a static value or may vary every scheduling interval. Beam-steering or some other spatial processing technique may be used at the access point and user terminal.

[0026]

[0035] On the uplink, at each user terminal 120 selected for uplink transmission, a transmit (TX) data processor 288 receives traffic data from a data source 286 and control data from controller 280. The TX data processor 288 processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the traffic data for the user terminal based on a coding and modulation scheme associated with a rate selected for the user terminal and provides a data symbol stream. A TX spatial processor 290 performs spatial processing on the data symbol stream and provides N ut,m N for antennas ut,m Each transmitter unit (TMTR) 254 receives and processes (e.g., converts to analog, amplifies, filters, and frequency upconverts) a respective transmit symbol stream to generate an uplink signal. ut,m The transmitter units 254 are ut,m N for transmission from antennas 252 to the access point ut,m The uplink signal is provided by

[0027]

[0036] N up user terminals may be scheduled for simultaneous transmission on the uplink, each of which performs spatial processing on its data symbol stream and transmits its set of transmit symbol streams on the uplink to the access point.

[0028]

[0037] At the access point 110, N ap The antennas 224a through 224ap are connected to all N up The RX spatial processor 240 receives uplink signals from N user terminals. Each antenna 224 provides a received signal to a respective receiver unit (RCVR) 222. Each receiver unit 222 performs processing complementary to that performed by the transmitter unit 254 and provides a received symbol stream. ap N from the receiver units 222ap performing receiver spatial processing on the N received symbol streams; up RX data processor 242 provides recovered uplink data symbol streams. The receiver spatial processing is performed in accordance with channel correlation matrix inversion (CCMI), minimum mean squared error (MMSE), soft interference cancellation (SIC), or some other technique. Each recovered uplink data symbol stream is an estimate of a data symbol stream transmitted by a respective user terminal. RX data processor 242 processes (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) each recovered uplink data symbol stream in accordance with the rate used for that stream to obtain decoded data. The decoded data for each user terminal may be provided to a data sink 244 for storage and / or to controller 230 for further processing.

[0029]

[0038] On the downlink, at access point 110, a TX data processor 210 processes N dn The TX data processor 210 receives traffic data for the N user terminals from a data source 208, control data from a controller 230, and possibly other data from a scheduler 234. Various types of data may be sent on different transport channels. The TX data processor 210 processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the traffic data for each user terminal based on the rate selected for that user terminal ... dn N for user terminals dn TX spatial processor 220 provides N downlink data symbol streams. dn performing spatial processing (such as precoding or beamforming as described in this disclosure) on the N downlink data symbol streams; ap N for antennas apEach transmitter unit 222 receives and processes a respective transmit symbol stream to generate a downlink signal. ap The transmitter units 222 are N ap for transmission from antennas 224 to the user terminals. ap The downlink signal is provided by

[0030]

[0039] In each user terminal 120, N ut,m The antennas 252 are connected to the access point 110 through ap Each receiver unit 254 processes a received signal from an associated antenna 252 and provides a received symbol stream. The RX spatial processor 260 receives N ut,m N from receiver units 254 ut,m The RX data processor 270 performs receiver spatial processing on the received symbol streams to provide a recovered downlink data symbol stream for the user terminal. The receiver spatial processing may be performed in accordance with CCMI, MMSE, or some other technique. The RX data processor 270 processes (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) the recovered downlink data symbol stream to obtain decoded data for the user terminal.

[0031]

[0040] At each user terminal 120, a channel estimator 278 estimates the downlink channel response and provides a downlink channel estimate, which may include a channel gain estimate, an SNR estimate, a noise variance, etc. Similarly, a channel estimator 228 estimates the uplink channel response and provides an uplink channel estimate. The controller 280 for each user terminal typically calculates the downlink channel response matrix H dn,m The controller 230 derives a spatial filter matrix for the user terminal based on an effective uplink channel response matrix H up,effThe controller 230 and 280 may also control the operation of various processing units at the access point 110 and user terminal 120, respectively.

[0032]

[0041] 3 illustrates various components that may be utilized in a wireless device 302 that may be used within the MIMO system 100. The wireless device 302 is an example of a device that may be configured to implement various methods described herein. The wireless device 302 may be an access point 110 or a user terminal 120.

[0033]

[0042] The wireless device 302 may include a processor 304 that controls operation of the wireless device 302. The processor 304 may also be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU). A memory 306, which may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), provides instructions and data to the processor 304. A portion of the memory 306 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). The processor 304 typically performs logical and arithmetic operations based on program instructions stored in the memory 306. The instructions in the memory 306 may be executable to implement the methods described herein.

[0034]

[0043] The wireless device 302 may also include a housing 308 that may include a transmitter 310 and a receiver 312 to enable transmission and reception of data between the wireless device 302 and a remote location. The transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be combined into a transceiver 314. A single or multiple transmit antennas 316 may be mounted to the housing 308 and electrically coupled to the transceiver 314. The wireless device 302 may also include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, and multiple transceivers (not shown).

[0035]

[0044] The wireless device 302 may also include a signal detector 318 that may be used to detect and quantify the level of signals received by the transceiver 314. The signal detector 318 may detect such signals as total energy, energy per subcarrier per symbol, power spectral density, and other signals. The wireless device 302 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 320 for use in processing the signals.

[0036]

[0045] The various components of the wireless device 302 may be coupled together by a bus system 322, which may include a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus in addition to a data bus. Signaling parameters for peer-to-peer communication in a wireless communication system - Patents.com

[0037]

[0046] The wireless communication system may include a system in which a wireless station, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, or the like, serves as a soft access point for one or more peer wireless stations. These peer wireless stations may be used for various real-time applications, such as extended reality or computer games, where the traffic may have stringent latency requirements (which may be referred to as "latency-sensitive traffic"). To enable transmission of latency-sensitive traffic in the wireless communication system, mechanisms such as a triggered transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing procedure may be used to enable an access point to allocate a portion of time within a TXOP to a single non-access point wireless station for transmission of data packets (e.g., PPDUs) between the non-AP wireless station and one or more peer wireless stations.

[0038]

[0047] One example of a parameter that may be defined for communication between devices in a network may include a subchannel puncturing pattern that identifies which subchannels are active and which subchannels are inactive during a TXOP. In general, the puncturing pattern may be communicated from the AP to the wireless station via a disabled subchannel bitmap field included in one or more management frames transmitted by the AP, with each bit in the bitmap corresponding to a particular subchannel and a value indicating whether the subchannel is enabled (bit value of 0) or disabled (bit value of 1). Subchannels indicated as disabled in the disabled subchannel bitmap may not be used for communication with any devices connected to the AP (e.g., any stations that are members of a basic service set (BSS) associated with the AP). Additional subchannels may, however, be punctured (and may not be used) beyond the subchannels identified in the disabled subchannel bitmap. These additional subchannels may be punctured when the AP solicits responses from connected wireless stations by allocating resource units in the unpunctured channels, such that the bandwidth used for communication may be narrower than the bandwidth identified by the AP in the disabled subchannel bitmap, but may not be wider than the bandwidth identified by the AP in the disabled subchannel bitmap.

[0039]

[0048] A peer wireless station may not be communicatively coupled to the AP that signaled the parameters to the wireless station communicatively coupled to the AP, and thus may not be aware of the parameters established for communication between the AP and the wireless station to which the peer wireless station is connected. Because the peer wireless station may not be aware of these parameters, the peer wireless station may communicate using a different set of parameters. For example, in the subchannel puncturing example discussed above, the peer wireless station may communicate on a subchannel that is indicated as disabled in the disabled subchannel bitmap, which may violate a rule for communication in a wireless network that states that communication may not be performed on a disabled subchannel.

[0040]

[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates an example timeline 400 for communication between a wireless station and a peer wireless station during a shared transmit opportunity (TXOP).

[0041]

[0050] As illustrated, to establish a transmission opportunity 402 for STA1 and STA2, which may be wireless stations communicatively coupled to the AP, the AP may transmit (e.g., broadcast) an initial control frame 410, which may include various parameters for communication by one or more connected STAs in a TXOP. During this TXOP 402, a shared TXOP duration 404 may be established for STA1 for use in communicating with one or more peer STAs (e.g., a VR headset or other wireless station that uses STA1 as a soft AP and lacks information about the communication parameters established by the AP for the basic service set (BSS)). For example, the AP may transmit a multi-user (MU) ready to send (RTS) TXOP sharing trigger message 412 to STA1. The MU-RTS TXOP sharing trigger message 412 may include information identifying a station to which the shared TXOP duration 404 has been assigned, information identifying the AP, and information identifying the duration of the shared TXOP duration 404.

[0042]

[0051] Thereafter, and prior to transmitting during the shared TXOP duration 404, STA1 may transmit a clear to send (CTS) frame 414 to the AP. A data frame 416 may be transmitted to the peer STA, in response which may transmit a block acknowledgment (BA) 418 to acknowledge receipt of the transmitted data frames from STA1 (or to indicate that certain frames should be retransmitted due to failure to receive them successfully). During the shared TXOP duration 404, STA1 may enable the peer STA to transmit data to STA1. To do so, STA1 may transmit a trigger frame 420 to the peer STA. In response to receiving the trigger frame 420, the peer STA may transmit one or more data frames 422 to STA1, and STA1 may respond with a BA 424.

[0043]

[0052] At the end of the shared TXOP duration 404, a portion of the TXOP 402 may still remain for the AP to communicate with other STAs in the AP's basic service set. From this, between the end of the shared TXOP duration 404 and the end of the TXOP 402, the AP may transmit a data frame (e.g., data frame 426) to another station (e.g., STA2) in the network.

[0044]

[0053] As discussed, the peer STA may not be aware of the parameters for wireless communication established by the AP for members of the AP's BSS. From this, it is possible for the peer STA to select transmission parameters that violate one or more transmission rules, such as transmitting on a bandwidth wider than that identified by the AP (e.g., transmitting on a channel identified by the AP as punctured). Furthermore, during peer-to-peer communication between STA1 and the peer STA, it may be possible to use a puncturing pattern that is different from the puncturing pattern identified in the subchannel puncturing pattern provided to STA1, and the AP may not be aware of this puncturing pattern. From this, the AP may also violate one or more transmission rules, such as transmitting on a bandwidth wider than that used for communication between STA1 and the peer STA during TXOP 402.

[0045]

[0054] Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for signaling parameters for wireless communications to devices with which the wireless station communicates, such that wireless devices in the network are aware of parameters that define how communications should be performed during a TXOP and do not violate rules for communications during a TXOP. By signaling these parameters to devices with which the wireless station communicates, such as APs and other peer wireless stations that use the wireless station as a virtual (or soft) AP, aspects of the present disclosure may ensure that devices in a wireless communications network are aware of parameters established for wireless communications even when they are not communicatively coupled to an AP and would not normally be aware of such parameters. From this, devices with which the wireless station communicates may perform transmissions during a TXOP without violating rules (e.g., bandwidth limitations, etc.) that define how transmissions should be performed during a TXOP.

[0046]

[0055] FIG. 5 illustrates example operations 500 that may be performed at a wireless station (e.g., user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 1) to communicate with one or more other devices during a transmission opportunity in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0047]

[0056] As illustrated, the operations 500 may begin at block 510, where the wireless station obtains a TXOP sharing trigger from an AP indicating a duration for which a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices. As discussed, the TXOP sharing trigger may indicate a duration of the shared TXOP during which the wireless station may communicate with one or more other devices, such as other APs or peer wireless stations to which the wireless station is connected and which use the wireless station as a virtual (or soft) AP.

[0048]

[0057] At block 520, the wireless station relays to the one or more other devices information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. In some aspects, the parameters for wireless communication may include, for example, a puncturing pattern associated with subchannels in the wireless communication network. The puncturing pattern may indicate which subchannels are active and which subchannels are disabled for the duration of the TXOP. Note that the wireless device need not use all of the subchannels indicated as active in the puncturing pattern, and additional subchannels beyond the subchannels identified by the AP may be punctured by the wireless device or one or more other devices. In some aspects, the parameters for wireless communication may include a maximum channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a maximum transmission power for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, or the like. Other parameters may include information about a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. Still further parameters may include a link identifier, a spatial parameter such as a number of spatial streams (NSS) or a number of space-time streams (NSTS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, timing information, and the like.

[0049]

[0058] Parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and one or more other devices may be obtained from the AP and forwarded to the one or more other stations. In some aspects, the wireless station may relay parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and one or more other devices via one or more dedicated information elements in a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices (e.g., one or more IEs in a data frame transmitted to the one or more other devices, one or more IEs in a management frame transmitted by the wireless station to the one or more other devices, a header of a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices, etc.). The information may be relayed to the one or more other devices via, for example, a quality of service (QoS) information element or a traffic specification (TSPEC) information element in the management frame. The information may also or alternatively be relayed to the one or more devices via at least one of a stream classification service (SCS) request frame or a target wake time (TWT) request frame used to indicate a time at which the one or more other devices should operate (e.g., receive and / or transmit on a link between the wireless station and the one or more other devices). In some aspects, the wireless station may relay parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and the one or more other devices by outputting this information for transmission during a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) procedure between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0050]

[0059] At block 530, during the TXOP, the wireless station communicates with the one or more other devices based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0051]

[0060] In some aspects, communication with one or more other devices may be based on the bandwidth of a frame in which one or more of a TXOP sharing trigger or clear to send (CTS) message is carried. The bandwidth may be based, for example, on an indicated maximum bandwidth supported for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. For example, the bandwidth used for communication with one or more other devices may be smaller than the bandwidth of the frame in which the TXOP or CTS message is carried (e.g., may include additional punctured channels), but may not exceed the bandwidth of the frame in which the TXOP or CTS message is carried.

[0052]

[0061] In some aspects, communication with one or more devices may be based on a temporal relationship between different portions of the TXOP. For example, the TXOP may be divided into a first portion and a second portion that is temporally subsequent to the first portion of the TXOP. The wireless station may communicate with the AP during the first portion of the TXOP and may communicate with one or more other devices during the second portion of the TXOP. In some aspects, the second portion of the TXOP may be a remainder of the TXOP after the first portion of the TXOP. In some aspects, the second portion of the TXOP may be less than the remainder in the TXOP such that other wireless stations may communicate during a third portion of the TXOP following the end of the second portion of the TXOP.

[0053]

[0062] In some aspects, a wireless station may be aware of the ability of one or more other devices (that may not be connected to the AP) to support puncturing. To enable the AP to be aware of such support and also generate parameters usable by the one or more other devices, the wireless station may signal to the AP information about the ability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels. In response to signaling information about the ability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels, the wireless station may obtain information about punctured subchannels in the network, which may be received as a bitmap having a number of bits, with each bit representing an activation or deactivation status of a particular subchannel.

[0054]

[0063] In some aspects, the information may include information about subchannels that were punctured by the AP (e.g., during a TXOP) or by the wireless station. For example, the wireless station may puncture one or more additional subchannels that may not have been previously marked as punctured. The wireless station may signal this information back to the AP so that the AP does not attempt to transmit on these nullified subchannels.

[0055]

[0064] 6 illustrates example operations 600 at a wireless station (e.g., the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 1 or another AP, such as the AP 110 illustrated in FIG. 1) for communicating with a second wireless station during a transmission opportunity in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. In general, the operations 600 may be performed at a peer wireless station to the second wireless station that is not also connected to the AP with which the second wireless station communicates. As discussed in further detail below, the operations 600 may enable a wireless station that may not be communicatively coupled to an AP to be configured with transmission parameters that may enable the wireless station to communicate with the second wireless station without violating, for example, rules defining a maximum bandwidth that may be used for communications between the wireless station and the second wireless station or other communications rules.

[0056]

[0065] As illustrated, operations 600 begin at block 610, where a wireless station establishes a connection with a second wireless station. In some aspects, the connection may be established between the wireless station and the second wireless station through a TDLS setup procedure between the wireless station and the second wireless station. The connection may be established prior to the establishment of any transmission opportunity during which the wireless station and the second wireless station can communicate with each other (e.g., transmit data to and receive data from the other).

[0057]

[0066] At block 620, the wireless station obtains from the second wireless station identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station. As discussed, these parameters may include, for example, a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel in the wireless communication network. The puncturing pattern may indicate whether the subchannel is activated or deactivated. The puncturing panel may be defined by an AP to which the second wireless station is connected or may be defined by the second wireless station (e.g., for use during a particular TXOP).

[0058]

[0067] At block 630, the wireless station communicates with the second wireless station during the TXOP based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station. Because the parameters may have been forwarded from the AP to the wireless station via the second wireless station or defined by the second wireless station, the wireless station may know appropriate parameters for communication during the TXOP and, based on obtaining these parameters, may not perform communication using parameters that would violate one or more defined rules for communication during the TXOP (e.g., exceeding a maximum bandwidth during the TXOP).

[0059]

[0068] In some aspects, a wireless station may communicate based on a subchannel punctured by an AP to which a second wireless station is connected and a subchannel punctured by the second wireless station. For example, a wireless station may communicate based on an intersection of a subchannel punctured by the AP and a subchannel punctured by the second wireless station. A subchannel may be dynamically punctured for communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station during a TXOP.

[0060]

[0069] In some aspects, a TXOP may be divided into a first portion and a second portion. The second portion may follow the first portion in time. In general, the first portion may be a portion reserved for communication between the AP and a second wireless station, and the communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station may be performed during the second portion of the TXOP.

[0061]

[0070] 7 illustrates an example operation 700 at an access point (e.g., the AP 110 illustrated in FIG. 1) for communicating with a wireless station based on parameters defined for communication between the AP and the wireless station and parameters for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices that use the wireless station as a soft (or virtual) AP. In general, by communicating these parameters to the AP, the AP may be aware of the limitations imposed by the parameters for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, and the AP may communicate with other stations in the basic service set without violating rules that restrict communication during a TXOP based on the parameters (e.g., bandwidth parameters, etc.) for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0062]

[0071] As illustrated, operations 700 begin at block 710, where the AP outputs, for transmission to the wireless station, information identifying parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and one or more other devices. As discussed, these one or more other devices may include, for example, other APs or peer stations that use the wireless station as a soft (or virtual) AP. In some aspects, these parameters may include information about subchannels in the wireless communication network, such as a channel puncturing bitmap or other puncturing pattern information that identifies channels that are punctured or disabled for communications between the AP and the wireless station (and thus should be punctured for communications between the wireless station and one or more other devices during a transmission opportunity).

[0063]

[0072] In block 720, the AP outputs a TXOP sharing trigger for transmission to the wireless station, indicating a duration for which the TXOP should be shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices. The TXOP may be divided, for example, into a first portion during which the AP may communicate with the wireless station and a second portion, temporally after the first portion, during which the wireless station may perform peer-to-peer communication with one or more other devices. The second portion may be the remainder of the TXOP or may be a portion that allows the AP to communicate with other connected wireless stations until the end of the TXOP based on identified parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices and parameters signaled to the AP and used during communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0064]

[0073] At block 730, the AP communicates with the wireless station during at least a portion of the TXOP based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0065]

[0074] In some aspects, the AP may obtain information from the wireless station about the capability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels. The information identifying parameters for wireless communication may be based on the capability of the other device to support puncturing of one or more subchannels. For example, the capability of the other device to support puncturing may indicate a maximum number of subchannels that may be punctured, and the AP may indicate up to a maximum number of punctured subframes in the parameters output for transmission to the wireless station.

[0066]

[0075] In some aspects, to determine which sub-channels are punctured and to communicate such information to the wireless station (e.g., for distribution to one or more other devices, such as peer stations, connected to the wireless station), the AP may perform a "sniffing" operation. During this sniffing operation, the AP may monitor one or more sub-channels for transmissions on each of the one or more sub-channels during a TXOP (or at least a portion of the TXOP reserved for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices). Channels having traffic may be marked as unpunctured, while channels not having traffic may be marked as punctured, and a puncturing pattern may be identified based on the results of the sniffing operation.

[0067]

[0076] In some aspects, as discussed above, the wireless station may disable (or puncture) further subchannels beyond the subchannels indicated as punctured in the signaling output for transmission to the wireless station at block 710. In such a case, the AP may obtain information identifying the one or more punctured subchannels that were punctured during the TXOP. Subsequent communications between the AP and the wireless station (and / or one or more other devices) may be further based on the identified punctured channels.

[0068]

[0077] In some aspects, the AP may further output, for transmission to the wireless station, information identifying transmission parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. These parameters may include various parameters, including channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, MCS, link identifier, spatial parameters (e.g., NSS, NSTS, etc.), and / or timing information, as discussed above. In some aspects, the link identifier may be output as a link identifier bitmap, where a bit set high in the bitmap indicates the link identifier used for communication between the AP and the wireless station. Illustrative Wireless Communication Device

[0069]

[0078] Figure 8 illustrates an example communications device 800 that includes various components operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as those illustrated and described with respect to Figure 5. In some examples, communications device 800 may be, for example, a user terminal 120 as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0070]

[0079] Communications device 800 includes a processing system 802 coupled to a transceiver 808 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 808 is configured to transmit and receive signals for communications device 800 via an antenna 810, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 802 may be configured to perform processing functions for communications device 800, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by communications device 800.

[0071]

[0080] The processing system 802 includes one or more processors 820 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 830 via a bus 806. In certain aspects, the computer-readable medium / memory 830 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by the one or more processors 820, cause the one or more processors 820 to perform operations illustrated in FIG. 5 or other operations for performing various techniques discussed herein.

[0072]

[0081] In the illustrated example, computer readable medium / memory 830 stores code 831 for obtaining, code 832 for relaying, and code 833 for communicating.

[0073]

[0082] In the illustrated example, the one or more processors 820 include circuitry configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 830, including a circuitry 821 for acquiring, a circuitry 822 for relaying, and a circuitry 823 for communicating.

[0074]

[0083] The various components of the communications device 800 may provide means for performing the methods described herein, including those with respect to FIG.

[0075]

[0084] In some examples, the means for obtaining may include the RX spatial processor 260, the RX data processor 270, the controller 280, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 820, the transceiver 808, and the antenna 810 of the communications device 800 of FIG. 8.

[0076]

[0085] In some examples, the means for relaying may include the TX spatial processor 290, the TX data processor 288, the controller 280, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 820, the transceiver 808, and the antenna 810 of the communications device 800 of FIG. 8.

[0077]

[0086] In some examples, the means for communicating may include the RX spatial processor 260, the RX data processor 270, the controller 280, the TX spatial processor 290, the TX data processor 288, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 820, the transceiver 808, and the antenna(s) 810 of the communications device 800 of FIG. 8.

[0078]

[0087] Notably, FIG. 8 is an example and many other examples and configurations of communications device 800 are possible.

[0079]

[0088] Figure 9 illustrates an example communications device 900 that includes various components operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as those illustrated and described with respect to Figure 6. In some examples, communications device 900 may be, for example, a user terminal 120 as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0080]

[0089] Communications device 900 includes a processing system 902 coupled to a transceiver 908 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 908 is configured to transmit and receive signals for communications device 900 via an antenna 910, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 902 may be configured to perform processing functions for communications device 900, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by communications device 900.

[0081]

[0090] The processing system 902 includes one or more processors 920 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 930 via a bus 906. In certain aspects, the computer-readable medium / memory 930 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by the one or more processors 920, cause the one or more processors 920 to perform operations illustrated in FIG. 6 or other operations for performing various techniques discussed herein.

[0082]

[0091] In the illustrated example, computer readable medium / memory 930 stores code 931 for establishing, code 932 for obtaining, and code 933 for communicating.

[0083]

[0092] In the illustrated example, the one or more processors 920 include circuitry configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 930, including a circuitry 921 for establishing, a circuitry 922 for obtaining, and a circuitry 923 for communicating.

[0084]

[0093] The various components of the communications device 900 may provide means for performing the methods described herein, including those with respect to FIG.

[0085]

[0094] In some examples, the means for establishing may include the RX spatial processor 260, the RX data processor 270, the controller 280, the TX spatial processor 290, the TX data processor 288, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 920, the transceiver 908, and the antenna(s) 910 of the communications device 900 of FIG. 9.

[0086]

[0095] In some examples, the means for obtaining may include the RX spatial processor 260, the RX data processor 270, the controller 280, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 920, the transceiver 908, and the antenna 910 of the communications device 900 of FIG. 9.

[0087]

[0096] In some examples, the means for communicating may include the RX spatial processor 260, the RX data processor 270, the controller 280, the TX spatial processor 290, the TX data processor 288, the transceiver 254, and / or the antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 920, the transceiver 908, and the antenna(s) 910 of the communications device 900 of FIG. 9.

[0088]

[0097] Notably, FIG. 9 is an example and many other examples and configurations of communications device 900 are possible.

[0089]

[0098] Figure 10 illustrates an example communications device 1000 that includes various components operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as those illustrated and described with respect to Figure 7. In some examples, the communications device 1000 may be, for example, an AP 110 as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0090]

[0099] The communications device 1000 includes a processing system 1002 coupled to a transceiver 1008 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 1008 is configured to transmit and receive signals for the communications device 1000 via an antenna 1010, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 1002 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communications device 1000, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by the communications device 1000.

[0091]

[0100] The processing system 1002 includes one or more processors 1020 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 1030 via a bus 1006. In certain aspects, the computer-readable medium / memory 1030 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by the one or more processors 1020, cause the one or more processors 1020 to perform operations illustrated in FIG. 7 or other operations for performing various techniques discussed herein.

[0092]

[0101] In the illustrated example, computer readable medium / memory 1030 stores code 1031 for outputting and code 1032 for communicating.

[0093]

[0102] In the illustrated example, the one or more processors 1020 include circuitry configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 1030, including circuitry 1021 for outputting and circuitry 1022 for communicating.

[0094]

[0103] The various components of the communications device 1000 may provide means for performing the methods described herein, including those with respect to FIG.

[0095]

[0104] In some examples, the means for outputting may include the TX data processor 210, the TX spatial processor 220, the controller 230, the transceiver 232, and / or the antenna(s) 224 of the AP 110 illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 1020, the transceiver 1008, and the antenna 1010 of the communication device 1000 of FIG. 10.

[0096]

[0105] In some examples, the means for communicating may include the TX data processor 210, the TX spatial processor 220, the controller 230, the RX spatial processor 242, the RX data processor 242, the transceiver 232, and / or the antenna(s) 224 of the AP illustrated in FIG. 2, and / or the processor 1020, the transceiver 1008, and the antenna 1010 of the communication device 1000 of FIG. 10.

[0097]

[0106] In some cases, for example, rather than actually transmitting signals and / or data, a device may have an interface (means for outputting) to output signals and / or data for transmission. For example, a processor may output signals and / or data to a radio frequency (RF) front end for transmission via a bus interface. Similarly, rather than actually receiving signals and / or data, a device may have an interface (means for acquiring) to acquire signals and / or data received from another device. For example, a processor may acquire (or receive) signals and / or data from an RF front end for reception via a bus interface. In various aspects, the RF front end may include various components, including transmit and receive processors, transmit and receive MIMO processors, modulators, demodulators, and the like, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 2.

[0098]

[0107] In some examples, the means for determining, the means for obtaining, the means for sending, the means for forwarding, the means for selecting, the means for exchanging, and the means for outputting may include various processing system components, such as one or more processors 1020 of FIG. 10, or aspects of the AP 110 illustrated in FIG. 2, including the receive processor 240, the transmit processor 220, the TX data processor 210, and / or the controller 230.

[0099]

[0108] Notably, FIG. 10 is an example and many other examples and configurations of communications device 1000 are possible. Illustrative Aspects

[0100]

[0109] Example implementations are described in the following numbered aspects.

[0101]

[0110] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication in a wireless station, comprising: obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from an access point (AP), indicating a duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices; relaying information to the one or more other devices identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices; and communicating with the one or more other devices during the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0102]

[0111] Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1, wherein the one or more other devices comprise one or more peer devices communicatively coupled to the wireless station.

[0103]

[0112] Example 3: The method of example 1 or 2, wherein the one or more other devices comprises a second AP.

[0104]

[0113] Aspect 4: The method of any one of aspects 1-3, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices comprise a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

[0105]

[0114] Aspect 5: The method of aspect 4, further comprising: signaling to the AP an ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels; and after the signaling, obtaining a bitmap identifying one or more subchannels punctured by the AP, wherein the information identifying a puncturing pattern associated with the subchannels comprises the obtained bitmap.

[0106]

[0115] Aspect 6: The method of any one of aspects 1-5, wherein relaying information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices comprises outputting the information for transmission during a tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) procedure.

[0107]

[0116] Aspect 7: The method of aspect 6, wherein the information comprises information identifying one or more subchannels that have been punctured by the AP.

[0108]

[0117] Aspect 8: The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein the information comprises information identifying one or more sub-channels that have been punctured by the wireless station.

[0109]

[0118] Aspect 9: The method of any one of aspects 1-8, further comprising puncturing one or more subchannels for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices during a TXOP.

[0110]

[0119] Example 10: The method of example 9, further comprising outputting information identifying one or more subchannels that were punctured during the TXOP for transmission to the AP.

[0111]

[0120] Aspect 11: The method of any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices is carried in a header of a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices.

[0112]

[0121] Aspect 12: A method according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein communicating with one or more other devices comprises communicating with the one or more other devices based on a bandwidth of a frame in which at least one of a TXOP sharing trigger or a clear to send message is carried.

[0113]

[0122] Aspect 13: The method of aspect 12, further comprising outputting an indication of a maximum bandwidth supported for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to the AP, wherein the bandwidth of the frame is based on the indicated maximum bandwidth.

[0114]

[0123] Aspect 14: The method of any one of aspects 1 to 13, further comprising communicating with the AP during a first portion of the TXOP, wherein communicating with the one or more other devices comprises communicating with the one or more other devices during a second portion of the TXOP that is temporally subsequent to the first portion of the TXOP.

[0115]

[0124] Aspect 15: The method of aspect 14, wherein the second portion of the TXOP comprises a remaining portion of the TXOP after the first portion of the TXOP.

[0116]

[0125] Aspect 16: The method of any one of aspects 1 to 15, further comprising obtaining information from the AP identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0117]

[0126] Aspect 17: The apparatus of any one of aspects 1-16, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices comprise at least one of a channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a maximum transmit power for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a link identifier for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, or timing information associated with a link between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0118]

[0127] Aspect 18: The method of any one of aspects 1 to 17, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via a dedicated information element in a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices.

[0119]

[0128] Aspect 19: The method of any one of aspects 1 to 18, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via a Quality of Service (QoS) information element or a Traffic Specification (TSPEC) information element.

[0120]

[0129] Aspect 20: A method as described in any one of aspects 1 to 19, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via at least one of a stream classification service (SCS) request frame or a target wake time (TWT) request frame.

[0121]

[0130] Aspect 21: A method for wireless communication in a wireless station, comprising: establishing a connection with a second wireless station; obtaining information from the second wireless station identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station; and communicating with the second wireless station during a transmit opportunity (TXOP) based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station.

[0122]

[0131] Aspect 22: The method of aspect 21, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station comprise a puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel, the puncturing pattern being obtained via a bitmap in a management frame.

[0123]

[0132] Aspect 23: The method of aspect 21 or 22, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and a second wireless station are obtained during a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) procedure with the second wireless station.

[0124]

[0133] Aspect 24: The method of aspect 21 or 22, further comprising dynamically puncturing one or more subchannels for wireless communication between the wireless station and a second wireless station.

[0125]

[0134] Aspect 25: The method of any one of aspects 21-24, wherein the TXOP is divided into a first portion and a second portion that is temporally subsequent to the first portion, and communicating with the second wireless station comprises communicating with the second wireless station during the second portion of the transmission opportunity (TXOP).

[0126]

[0135] Aspect 26: The method of any one of aspects 21 to 25, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by an access point (AP) to which the second wireless station is connected.

[0127]

[0136] Aspect 27: The method of any one of aspects 21-26, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by the second wireless station.

[0128]

[0137] Aspect 28: The method of any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein communicating with the second wireless station during the TXOP comprises communicating with the second wireless station based on a subchannel punctured by an access point (AP) to which the second wireless station is connected and a subchannel punctured by the second wireless station.

[0129]

[0138] Aspect 29: The method of aspect 28, wherein communicating based on a subchannel punctured by the AP and a subchannel punctured by the second wireless station comprises communicating based on an intersection of the subchannel punctured by the AP and the subchannel punctured by the second wireless station.

[0130]

[0139] Aspect 30: A method for wireless communication in an access point (AP), comprising: outputting, for transmission to the wireless station, information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices; outputting, for transmission to the wireless station, a TXOP sharing trigger indicating a duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) should be shared by the wireless station and the one or more other devices; and communicating with the wireless station during at least a portion of the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0131]

[0140] Aspect 31: The method of aspect 30, wherein the parameters for communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices comprise a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

[0132]

[0141] Aspect 32: The method of aspect 31, further comprising obtaining from the wireless station a capability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of the one or more subchannels, wherein the information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on a capability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of the one or more subchannels.

[0133]

[0142] Aspect 33: The method of aspect 31 or 32, further comprising: monitoring one or more subchannels for transmission on each of the one or more subchannels during a TXOP in which the wireless station and one or more other devices are communicating; and identifying a puncturing pattern based on monitoring the one or more subchannels.

[0134]

[0143] Aspect 34: The method of any one of aspects 30 to 33, further comprising obtaining, from the wireless station, information identifying one or more punctured sub-channels that were punctured during the TXOP for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, wherein communication between the AP and the wireless station is further based on the identified one or more punctured sub-channels.

[0135]

[0144] Aspect 35: The method of any one of aspects 30 to 34, wherein the TXOP is divided into a first portion and a second portion, and communicating with the wireless station based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices comprises communicating with the wireless station during only the first portion of the TXOP.

[0136]

[0145] Aspect 36: The method of aspect 35, wherein the second portion of the TXOP comprises a remaining portion of the TXOP that temporally follows the first portion of the TXOP.

[0137]

[0146] Aspect 37: The method of any one of aspects 30-36, further comprising outputting, for transmission to the wireless station, information identifying transmission parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0138]

[0147] Aspect 38: The method of any one of aspects 30-37, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices comprise at least one of a channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a maximum transmit power for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a modulation and coding scheme for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a link identifier for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, or timing information associated with a link between the wireless station and the one or more other devices.

[0139]

[0148] Aspect 39: The method of aspect 38, wherein the link identifier comprises a link identifier bitmap.

[0140]

[0149] Aspect 40: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a memory having instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to perform a method described in any one of aspects 1 to 39.

[0141]

[0150] Aspect 41: An access terminal comprising a transceiver, a memory having instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the access terminal to perform a method described in any one of aspects 1 to 20, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing trigger.

[0142]

[0151] Aspect 42: An access terminal comprising: a transceiver; a memory having instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the access terminal to perform a method described in any one of aspects 21-29, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and a second wireless station.

[0143]

[0152] Aspect 43: An access point (AP) comprising: a transceiver; a memory having instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the AP to perform a method described in any one of aspects 30 to 39, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a TXOP sharing trigger and information identifying the parameters.

[0144]

[0153] Aspect 44: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising means for performing the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 39.

[0145]

[0154] Aspect 45: A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of aspects 1 to 39. Further considerations

[0146]

[0155] The preceding description provides examples of techniques for increasing local area network (LAN) device privacy in a communication system. The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement various aspects described herein. The examples discussed herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or aspects described in the claims. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. For example, changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Various examples may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components, as appropriate. For example, the methods described may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described with respect to some examples may be combined in some other examples. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects described herein. Additionally, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such apparatus or methods implemented using other structures, functions, or structures and functions in addition to or other than the various aspects of the disclosure described herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

[0147]

[0156] The various example logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with this disclosure may be implemented or performed using a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, a system on a chip (SoC), or any other such configuration.

[0148]

[0157] When implemented in hardware, an illustrative hardware configuration may comprise a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system may be implemented using a bus architecture. The bus may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges depending on the particular application and overall design constraints of the processing system. The bus may link various circuits together, including a processor, a machine-readable medium, and a bus interface. The bus interface may be used to connect, among other things, a network adapter to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter may be used to implement the signal processing functions of the PHY layer. In the case of a user terminal (see FIG. 1), a user interface (e.g., keypad, display, mouse, joystick, touch screen, biosensor, proximity sensor, light emitting element, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further. The processor may be implemented using one or more general-purpose and / or special-purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuits capable of executing software. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to best implement the described functionality for a processing system depending on the particular application and the overall design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0149]

[0158] If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted through a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Software should be broadly construed to mean instructions, data, or any combination thereof, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The processor may be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including executing software modules stored on the machine-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. By way of example, the machine-readable medium may include a transmission line, a carrier wave modulated by data, and / or a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that is separate from the wireless node, all of which may be accessed by the processor through a bus interface. Alternatively or additionally, the machine-readable medium, or any portion thereof, may be integrated into the processor, such as may be the case with a cache and / or general-purpose register file. Examples of machine-readable storage media may include, by way of example, a RAM (random access memory), a flash memory, a ROM (read-only memory), a PROM (programmable read-only memory), an EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), a register, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard drive, or any other suitable storage medium, or any combination thereof. The machine-readable medium may be embodied in a computer program product.

[0150]

[0159] A software module may comprise a single instruction, or many instructions, and may be distributed across several different code segments, among different programs, and across multiple storage media. A computer-readable medium may comprise several software modules. A software module includes instructions that, when executed by a device such as a processor, cause a processing system to perform various functions. A software module may include a transmitting module and a receiving module. Each software module may reside in a single storage device or may be distributed across multiple storage devices. As an example, a software module may be loaded into RAM from a hard drive when a triggering event occurs. During execution of a software module, a processor may load some of the instructions into a cache to increase access speed. One or more cache lines may then be loaded into a general purpose register file for execution by the processor. When referring to a function of a software module below, it will be understood that such function is implemented by a processor when executing instructions from that software module.

[0151]

[0160] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. By way of example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination having multiples of the same element (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other permutation of a, b, and c).

[0152]

[0161] As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, database, or another data structure), determining, and the like. Also, "determining" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. Also, "determining" can include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and the like.

[0153]

[0162] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more steps or actions for achieving the methods. The steps and / or actions of the methods may be interchanged with one another without departing from the scope of the claims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims. Furthermore, various operations of the methods described above may be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. The means may include various hardware and / or software component(s) and / or module(s), including but not limited to circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. In general, where there are operations illustrated in a figure, those operations may have corresponding counterpart means-plus-function components with similar numbering.

[0154]

[0163] The following claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. Within the claims, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more." Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "several / some / any" refers to one or more. No element of any claim is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in the case of a method claim, unless the element is recited using the phrase "step for." All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those of skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A wireless node, comprising: at least one transceiver; one or more memories containing instructions; Executing the instructions causes the wireless node to: receiving, via the at least one transceiver, from an access point, a transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing trigger indicating a duration for which a TXOP is shared by the wireless node and one or more other devices; transmitting, via the at least one transceiver, to the access point, information identifying one or more sub-channels to be punctured and a clear to send message; transmitting, via said at least one transceiver, information identifying the parameter to said one or more other devices; During the TXOP, communicating via the at least one transceiver and with the one or more other devices (1) by using the parameters, (2) over a bandwidth that is the same as or narrower than the bandwidth over which the clear to send message was conveyed, and (3) based on the identified punctured one or more subchannels. one or more processors configured to cause A wireless node comprising:

2. The wireless node of claim 1 , wherein the one or more other devices comprise one or more peer devices communicatively coupled to the wireless node.

3. A wireless node as described in claim 1, wherein the parameters include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

4. The one or more processors may cause the wireless node to: signaling, via the at least one transceiver, an ability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more sub-channels; receiving, after the signaling, via the at least one transceiver, a bitmap identifying one or more sub-channels punctured by the second wireless node; 4. The wireless node of claim 3, further configured to:

5. 2. The wireless node of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to puncture one or more subchannels for wireless communication between the wireless node and the one or more other devices during the TXOP.

6. The wireless node of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the parameter is carried in a header of a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices.

7. the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with a second wireless node via the at least one transceiver during a first portion of the TXOP. communicating with the one or more other devices comprises communicating with the one or more other devices during a second portion of the TXOP that is temporally subsequent to the first portion of the TXOP; or The second portion of the TXOP comprises the remaining portion of the TXOP after the first portion of the TXOP.

2. The wireless node of claim 1, wherein the wireless node is at least one of:

8. The wireless node of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive, via the at least one transceiver, information identifying the parameter.

9. 2. The wireless node of claim 1, wherein the parameters for wireless communications between the wireless node and the one or more other devices comprise at least one of a channel bandwidth, a maximum transmit power, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a link identifier, a link identifier bitmap, spatial parameters, or timing information associated with a link between the wireless node and the one or more other devices.

10. The information identifying the parameter: Dedicated information elements in the frame, Quality of Service (QoS) information elements, a traffic specification (TSPEC) information element, or At least one of a stream classification service (SCS) request frame or a target wake time (TWT) request frame. The wireless node of claim 1 , wherein the wireless node is transmitted via

11. The wireless node of claim 1, wherein the parameters include at least one of a channel bandwidth, a maximum transmit power, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams.

12. 1. A wireless node, comprising: at least one transceiver; one or more memories containing instructions; Executing the instructions causes the wireless node to: receiving, via the at least one transceiver, information from a second wireless node identifying a parameter; communicating, via the at least one transceiver and with the second wireless node during a transmit opportunity (TXOP) associated with a TXOP sharing trigger received by the second wireless node, (1) by using the parameters, and (2) based on a subchannel punctured by a third wireless node to which the second wireless node is connected and based on a subchannel punctured by the second wireless node; one or more processors configured to cause A wireless node comprising:

13. 13. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to dynamically puncture one or more sub-channels.

14. the TXOP is divided into a first portion and a second portion that temporally follows the first portion; 13. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein to communicate with the wireless node, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with the second wireless node during the second portion of the TXOP.

15. 13. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein to communicate based on the sub-channel punctured by the third wireless node and the sub-channel punctured by the second wireless node, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate based on an intersection of the sub-channel punctured by the third wireless node and the sub-channel punctured by the second wireless node.

16. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein the parameters include at least one of a channel bandwidth, a maximum transmit power, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams.

17. 1. A wireless node, comprising: at least one transceiver; one or more memories containing instructions; Executing the instructions causes the wireless node to: transmitting, via the at least one transceiver, to a second wireless node, information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the second wireless node and one or more other devices, wherein the parameters include at least one of a channel bandwidth, a maximum transmit power, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams; transmitting, via the at least one transceiver, to a second wireless node, a transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing trigger indicating a duration for which a TXOP should be shared by the second wireless node and the one or more other devices; receiving, via the at least one transceiver, information from the second wireless node identifying one or more sub-channels punctured during the TXOP; communicating, during at least a portion of the TXOP, via the at least one transceiver and with the second wireless node (1) by using the parameters, and (2) based on the identified one or more punctured subchannels; one or more processors configured to cause A wireless node comprising:

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the parameters comprise a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel. the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive, via the at least one transceiver, from the second wireless node, a capability that the one or more other devices support for puncturing one or more sub-channels; or The information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the capability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of the one or more subchannels.

20. The wireless node of claim 17, wherein the wireless node is at least one of:

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the parameters comprise a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel. the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive, via the at least one transceiver, from the second wireless node, a capability that the one or more other devices support for puncturing one or more sub-channels; or the information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the capability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of the one or more subchannels.

20. The wireless node of claim 17, wherein the wireless node is at least one of:

20. The parameters comprise a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel; The one or more processors may cause the wireless node to: monitoring the one or more subchannels during the TXOP; receiving, via the at least one transceiver, the information identifying the one or more sub-channels that were punctured during the TXOP based on the monitoring of the one or more sub-channels; The wireless node of claim 17 , further configured to:

21. the TXOP is divided into a first portion and a second portion; to communicate with the second wireless node based on the parameters, the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with the second wireless node via the at least transceiver during only the first portion of the TXOP; or The second portion of the TXOP comprises a remaining portion of the TXOP that follows in time the first portion of the TXOP.

20. The wireless node of claim 17, wherein the wireless node is at least one of:

22. The wireless node of claim 17, wherein the parameters comprise at least one of a channel bandwidth, a maximum transmit power, a modulation and coding scheme, a link identifier, a link identifier bitmap, spatial parameters, or timing information associated with a link between the second wireless node and the one or more other devices.

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