Systems and methods for communication in network using data request or data response

Abstract

To provide actions and methods for a data request or data response corresponding to cases where certain data is not available under certain protocols.SOLUTION: In a wireless communication network or system using a protocol for requests and responses, a device 220 is an access point (AP) or station (STA) and is configured for an on-demand get data request / response (ODGDR) protocol. The device 220 includes a processing circuit 230, a neighbor report module 242, and an ODGDR module 238. The processing circuit 230 is any circuit elements or components that can perform logic and communication processing operations and can include a processor 234 and a memory 236.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Field of Disclosure The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for communication between an access point (AP) and a client device (e.g., a station (STA)) or other communication devices. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods related to data requests or responses, including, but not limited to, on-demand data request and / or response protocols.

[0002] Background of the disclosure In the past few decades, the market for wireless communication devices has grown by orders of magnitude, driven by the use of portable devices, increasing connectivity and data transfer between all aspects of the device. Digital switching technology has facilitated the large-scale deployment of affordable and easy-to-use wireless communication networks. Furthermore, improvements in digital and radio frequency (RF) circuit fabrication, as well as advances in circuit integration and other aspects, have made wireless devices smaller, cheaper and more reliable. Wireless communication can operate according to various standards, such as IEEE 802.11x, Bluetooth, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and others. As higher data throughput and other changes evolve, newer standards are constantly being developed for adoption, such as the progression from IEEE 802.11n to IEEE 802.11ac.

[0003] Certain data may not be available under a particular protocol, and some data may require waiting for its availability under a particular protocol. Unavailability of data and waiting for data may contribute to communication overhead.

[0004] Various objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent and better understood by reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout and generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network environment including one or more access points (APs) that communicate with one or more devices or stations (STAs), according to some embodiments.

[0006] [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device useful in connection with the methods and systems described herein, according to some embodiments. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device useful in connection with the methods and systems described herein, according to some embodiments.

[0007] [Figure 2A] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network including APs and STAs according to some embodiments.

[0008] [Figure 2B] 2B is a more detailed block diagram of an AP or STA of the network shown in FIG. 2A configured for data request or response operations, according to some embodiments.

[0009] [Diagram 3] 4 is a block diagram illustrating a request frame for a data request operation according to some embodiments.

[0010] [Figure 4]1 is a block diagram illustrating a response frame for a data response operation according to some embodiments.

[0011] The details of various embodiments of the methods and systems are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Detailed Description The following IEEE standard(s), including any drafts of the IEEE standard(s), namely, the Wi-Fi Alliance standard, and the IEEE 802.11 standards, including but not limited to, the IEEE 802.11a standard, the IEEE 802.11b standard, the IEEE 802.11g standard, the IEEE 802.11be standard, the IEEE P802.11n standard, the IEEE 802.11ax standard, and the IEEE 802.11ac standard, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part of this disclosure for all purposes. Although this disclosure may refer to aspects of these standard(s), this disclosure is in no way limited by these standard(s).

[0013] To read the following description of the various embodiments, the following sections on the present specification and their respective contents may be useful: Section A describes network and computing environments that may be useful for implementing the embodiments described herein; and - Section B describes embodiments of a protocol for data request / response operations and a method and apparatus for using such a protocol.

[0014] Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a protocol for data request and / or response operations for devices communicating in a network. In some embodiments, the protocol is provided for WiFi networks (e.g., IEEE 802.11 networks, etc.), cellular networks, point-to-point communications, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the protocol may be used with WiFi APs to improve data availability and reduce the time to obtain data. In some embodiments, an On-Demand Get Data Request / Response (ODGDR) may be provided according to the protocol. In some embodiments, a connected / associated WiFi client (STA) may request or query a connected AP for specific data from the AP on an on-demand basis. The requested data may be information that is useful for improving the operation of the client device. In some embodiments, the ODGDR protocol may be used with any device (e.g., any WiFi device that supports protected management frames).

[0015] The amount of data (e.g., statistical data, information, or other data) maintained on the AP side of the network is quite large. Typically, the data is related to its existing client devices, the nearby WiFi network, and / or the AP network backbone. Also, the amount of data may be so large that not all of the data can be periodically transmitted by the AP, and not all of the data is necessarily related to each device in the network. In some embodiments, the systems and methods allow a client device to request and receive specific data from an AP without requesting large amounts of data, or data that may not be relevant to the client device. In some embodiments, the systems and methods allow a client device to request and receive information provided in a beacon frame or probe response frame without waiting for the scheduled transmission of such a frame. In some embodiments, the ODGDR protocol reduces the importance of receiving a beacon frame or probe response frame in certain situations, and the ODGDR protocol allows some data to be provided that is not currently available in an existing beacon / probe response. In some embodiments, time is saved using the ODGDR protocol. This is because the data can be obtained without waiting for the next beacon frame, probe response frame, or other similar frame (e.g., control or management frame). In some embodiments, the data may contain information useful for handoff operations.

[0016] In some embodiments, a handoff operation may refer to a device transitioning from one AP to another AP. In some embodiments, a device is associated with a first AP (e.g., a connection occurs after discovery, authentication, and association operations) and, after a handoff operation, is associated with a second AP. In some embodiments, a WiFi network may refer to a wireless network having Internet access. In some embodiments, a cellular network may refer to a wireless network distributed over a land via cells, where each cell includes a transceiver (e.g., a node or base station).

[0017] In some embodiments, the system and method utilizes information from the proximity report to facilitate handoff operations or other network operations to neighboring APs. Proximity reports are provided from APs to devices in a basic service set (BSS). Proximity reports may refer to data provided from an AP indicating APs within the AP's operating range. Proximity reports may include AP address, AP availability, channel information, available band information (e.g., 2G, 5G, 6G or 60G, LTE, etc.), location information, beam steering information, channel quality for each AP (e.g., AP target) in range, etc. In some embodiments, the system and method provide an action frame that includes a request or a response to a request.

[0018] A connection, in some embodiments, may refer to a communication provided between nodes (e.g., wireless communication between nodes) to exchange data according to a protocol. In some embodiments, a connection is established using a three-way or four-way handshake mechanism (through discovery, authentication, and association operations). In some embodiments, a secure connection may refer to a connection that provides data in a format that cannot be easily obtained by another party. Various methods can establish a secure connection, including, but not limited to, data encryption methods. In some embodiments, data encryption utilizes algorithms to encrypt and decrypt information (e.g., Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)), including, but not limited to, WPA and WPA2 operations under the 802.11 standard. A connection can be a wireless connection to / from a client device (e.g., STA) and an AP, or can be between other types of communication devices. In some embodiments, the wireless network can be an 802.11 WiFi network (e.g., IEEE 802.11be). A client device or AP may be embodied in a device that includes one or more integrated circuits (ICs) packaged within an IC package.

[0019] Traffic Indication Map (TIM) may refer to a configuration used in 802.11 wireless network management frames to indicate traffic conditions in the network. In some embodiments, TIM may refer to data indicating the status of a device in the network, such as an information element according to section 7.3.2.6 of the IEEE 802.11-1999 standard. The IEEE 802.11 standard uses a bitmap to indicate to any sleeping station that the AP has buffered data waiting for it. Since a client device must listen for at least one beacon during a listen interval, the AP periodically transmits this bitmap in its beacon signal or frame as an information element. In some embodiments, TIM is a bitmask containing 2008 bits, each bit representing a station's Association Identification (AID). However, in many cases, an AP only has data for a few client devices, so only the portions of the bitmap that represent these stations need to be transmitted. In some embodiments, the partial bitmap can be referred to as a virtual bitmap, and the portion that is actually transmitted is referred to as the partial virtual bitmap. In some embodiments, a field may refer to a portion of a data structure (e.g., a frame) that pertains to data that has a particular meaning.

[0020] An authentication operation may refer to the procedure on how a client device accesses the network. Authentication provides a proof of identity to ensure that the client is allowed access to the network. An association operation may refer to the procedure where an authenticated client device associates with an AP. Association allows the network to determine where to send data intended for the client device (e.g., data is sent through the AP to which the client device is associated). Typically, a client device is only associated with a single AP.

[0021] In some embodiments, the systems and methods reduce discovery operations (e.g., discovering APs using beacon signal or probe request scans). In some embodiments, discovery operations may refer to communication of frames to discover the availability and / or identification (ID) of APs or other wireless devices. Discovery operations may include communication of probe request frames and probe response frames.

[0022] Some embodiments relate to a first device, the first device including circuitry configured to provide at least one frame over a connection to a second device, the frame including a first field indicating an identification of requested information from the second device, the requested information being one or more of timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information.

[0023] In some embodiments, the identification of the requested information may refer to the type, identity, or other characteristics of the requested information. In some embodiments, the requested information from the second device may refer to information from the second device sought by the first device. In some embodiments, the timing information may refer to data for synchronizing communications between two or more devices. The timing information may include, but is not limited to, low TSF, nextTBTT, or next DTIM TBTT under the IEEE 802.11 standard, or similar data.

[0024] In some embodiments, load information may refer to data for determining communication volume or available communication volume between two or more devices. Load information may include, but is not limited to, BSS Load under the IEEE 802.11 standard, Medium Occupancy Level, My Pending Load, Overall Pending Load, or BCMC Pending Load, or similar data.

[0025] In some embodiments, the occupancy level information may refer to data for determining the number of devices or traffic on the network. The occupancy level may include, but is not limited to, Medium Occupancy Level under the IEEE 802.11 standard, My Pending Load, Overall Pending Load, BCMC Pending Load, Number of WiFi Clients, Number of OBSS device, or Number of Neighborhood AP, or similar data.

[0026] In some embodiments, the target channel information may refer to data for indicating a new channel for communication between two or more devices. The target channel information may include, but is not limited to, an Intended Target Channel under the IEEE 802.11 standard, or similar data.

[0027] In some embodiments, signal power information may refer to data regarding signal strength or signal quality, which may include, but is not limited to, My RSSI, Transmit Power, or Interference Level under the IEEE 802.11 standard, or similar data.

[0028] In some embodiments, sequence information may refer to data relating to a sequence associated with a communication between two or more devices. Sequence information may include, but is not limited to, the Current Sequence for any TID under the IEEE 802.11 standard or the Current Sequence for BCMC, or similar data.

[0029] In some embodiments, neighboring access point information may refer to data indicative of the identity or number of APs in a communication environment, which may include, but is not limited to, the Number of Neighborhood APs under the IEEE 802.11 standard, or similar data.

[0030] In some embodiments, unicast information may refer to data indicative of unicast sequences in a communication environment, including, but not limited to, the Number of Unicasts under the IEEE 802.11 standard, or similar data.

[0031] The IEEE terminology mentioned above is further explained in connection with Table 1 below.

[0032] In some embodiments, the frames are provided according to an 802.11 protocol and the connection is established using an association or authentication operation. In some embodiments, the values ​​may indicate timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighbor access point information, and unicast information.

[0033] In some embodiments, the frame includes a second field for a value indicating multiple requests. In some embodiments, the frame includes a third field for a value indicating a get data request or a get data response. In some embodiments, the values ​​can indicate timing information, sequence information, neighbor access point information, and unicast information. In some embodiments, the get data request can refer to a request for data using an action frame that includes a category field indicating a get data category. In some embodiments, the get data response can refer to a response that includes the requested data. In some embodiments, the get data response can be an action frame that includes a category field indicating a get data category.

[0034] In some embodiments, the value is timing information, the timing information being lowTSF, nextTBTT, or nextDTIM TBTT. In some embodiments, lowTSF may refer to a synchronization parameter, such as a parameter associated with lowTSF under the IEEE 802.11 standard. In some embodiments, nextTBTT may refer to a parameter indicating a time of a next signal, such as a parameter associated with nextTBTT under the IEEE 802.11 standard. In some embodiments, nextDTIM TBTT may refer to a parameter indicating a time of a next mapping message, such as a parameter associated with nextDTIM TBTT under the IEEE 802.11 standard. In some embodiments, the value is unicast information, the unicast information being a number of pending unicast frames. In some embodiments, the circuitry is configured to receive at least one frame from the second device over the connection. The frame from the second device includes a first field including a length field, and a value field including the requested information. In some embodiments, the second device includes an access point.

[0035] Some embodiments relate to a first device, the first device including circuitry configured to provide at least one frame over a connection to a second device, the frame including a first field including a value indicative of information requested by the second device, the value may indicate one or more of timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighbor access point information, or unicast information.

[0036] In some embodiments, the frame is an action frame that includes a field indicating a type of response. In some embodiments, the frame includes a second field for a value indicating multiple requests. In some embodiments, the frame includes a third field for a value indicating a length. In some embodiments, the frame is provided according to an 802.11 protocol. In some embodiments, the length may refer to a data length for the frame. In some embodiments, the action frame may refer to some type of management frame used to trigger an action.

[0037] Some embodiments relate to a method. The method includes providing a first frame from a first device to a second device over a connection. The first frame includes a first field for indicating two types of requests and two types of responses, and a second field including a value indicative of requested information from the second device. The value can indicate timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information. The method also includes providing a second frame from the second device to the first device including a first field including a value indicative of requested information by the second device. The value can indicate timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a second field for indicating two types of requests and two types of responses. In some embodiments, the value is timing information, the timing information being low TSF, next TBTT, or next DTIM TBTT. In some embodiments, the value may indicate timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighbor access point information, or unicast information. In some embodiments, the first frame includes a third field for a value indicating a length.

[0039] A channel may refer to any portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used to communicate data. The portions may have various bandwidths and may be combined to form a wider bandwidth or channel. In some embodiments, the channels may have 5 MHz spacing around a center frequency and may occupy a band of at least 20 MHz. In some embodiments, the channel is in the 2G, 5G, 6G, or 60G band. In some embodiments, the primary control channel is a common channel of operation for all stations (STAs) that are members of a Basic Service Set (BSS). For example, in a 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 80+80 MHz, 320 MHz bandwidth BSS, the primary control channel is a 20 MHz channel. The primary control channel is used to transmit all management frames. The primary control channel may refer to any channel used to transmit and receive management frames, including, but not limited to, beacon frames, probe request / response frames, authentication request / response frames, association request / response frames, deauthentication frames, disassociation frames, etc.

[0040] In some embodiments, a frame may refer to a digital data transmission unit. For example, a frame may refer to a container for a single network packet. In some embodiments, a data frame may refer to a frame that contains data. In some embodiments, an encrypted frame may refer to a frame that is encrypted. In some embodiments, a broadcast message or a broadcast frame may refer to a message or a frame that is sent to two or more devices in a BSS that is connected to an AP or that communicates with an AP. In some embodiments, a broadcast message or a broadcast frame is sent to all devices in a BSS that is connected to an AP. In some embodiments, a unicast message or a unicast frame may refer to a message or a frame that has a single destination.

[0041] A. Computing and Network Environment Before considering specific embodiments of the present solution, it may be beneficial to describe aspects of the operating environment and associated system components (e.g., hardware elements) in the context of the methods and systems described herein. Referring to FIG. 1A, an embodiment of a network environment is shown. In overview, the network environment includes a wireless communication system including one or more access points (APs) or network devices 106, one or more client devices (e.g., STAs) or wireless communication devices 102, and network hardware components or network hardware 192. The wireless communication devices 102 may include, for example, laptops, tablets, personal computers, and / or mobile phone devices. Details of an embodiment of each station or wireless communication device 102 and APs or network devices 106 are described in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C. In one embodiment, the network environment may be an ad-hoc network environment, an infrastructure wireless network environment, a subnetwork environment, or the like. The network devices 106 or APs may be operatively coupled to the network hardware 192 via a local area network connection. In some embodiments, the network devices 106 are 5G base stations. Network hardware 192, which may include routers, gateways, switches, bridges, modems, system controllers, appliances, etc., may provide local area network connectivity to the communication system. Each of the network devices 106 or APs may have an associated antenna or antenna array for communicating with wireless communication devices in the area. A wireless communication device 102 may register with a particular network device 106 or AP to receive services from the communication system (e.g., via a SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO configuration). In the case of a direct connection (e.g., point-to-point communication), several wireless communication devices may communicate directly via an assigned channel and communication protocol. Some of the wireless communication devices 102 may be mobile or relatively stationary with respect to the network devices 106 or APs.

[0042] In some embodiments, the network device 106 or AP includes devices or modules (including combinations of hardware and software) that enable the wireless communication device 102 to connect to a wired network using Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) or other standards. The network device 106 or AP may sometimes be referred to as a wireless access point (WAP). The network device 106 or AP may be implemented (e.g., configured, designed and / or built) to operate in a wireless local area network (WLAN). In some embodiments, the network device 106 or AP may be connected to a router (e.g., via a wired network) as a stand-alone device. In other embodiments, the network device 106 or AP may be a component of a router. The network device 106 or AP may provide multiple devices access to a network. The network device 106 or AP may, for example, connect to a wired Ethernet connection and provide wireless connectivity using a radio frequency link to other devices 102 to utilize the wired connection. The network device 106 or AP may be implemented to support a standard for transmitting and receiving data using one or more radio frequencies. The standards and frequencies they use may be defined by the IEEE (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 standard). The network devices 106 or APs may be configured and / or used to support public Internet hotspots and / or to extend the Wi-Fi signal range of the network on the network.

[0043] In some embodiments, the access points or network devices 106 may be used in a (e.g., in-home, in-car, or in-building) wireless network (e.g., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, ZigBee, any other type of radio frequency based network protocol and / or variations thereof). Each of the wireless communication devices 102 may include and / or be coupled to a built-in radio. Such wireless communication devices 102 and / or access points or network devices 106 may operate according to various aspects of the disclosure as presented herein to enhance performance, reduce cost and / or size, and / or enhance broadband applications. Each wireless communication device 102 may have the capability to function as a client node seeking access to resources (e.g., data, and connections to networked nodes such as servers) via one or more access points or network devices 106.

[0044] The network connection may include any type and / or form of network, including any of the following: point-to-point network, broadcast network, telecommunications network, data communication network, computer network. The topology of the network may be a bus, star, or ring network topology. The network may be of any such network topology as known to those skilled in the art that can support the operations described herein. In some embodiments, different types of data may be transmitted via different protocols. In other embodiments, the same type of data may be transmitted via different protocols.

[0045] The communication device(s) 102 and the access point(s) or network device 106 may be arranged as and / or implemented on any type and form of computing device, such as a computer, network device, or appliance capable of communicating in any type and form of network and performing the operations described herein. FIGS. 1B and 1C show block diagrams of computing devices 100 useful for implementing an embodiment of the wireless communication device 102 or the network device 106. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, each computing device 100 includes a processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit), and a main memory 122. As shown in FIG. 1B, the computing device 100 may include a memory device 128, an installation device 116, a network interface 118, an I / O controller 123, a display device 124a-124n, a keyboard 126, and a pointing device 127, such as a mouse. The memory device 128 may include an operating system and / or software. As shown in FIG. 1C, each computing device 100 may also include additional optional elements, such as a memory port 103, a bridge 170, one or more input / output devices 130a-130n, and a cache memory 140 in communication with a central processing unit or processor 121.

[0046] Central processing unit or processor 121 is any logic circuitry that responds to and processes instructions fetched from main memory 122. In many embodiments, central processing unit or processor 121 is provided by a microprocessor device, such as those manufactured by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., International Business Machines of White Plains, New York, or Advanced Micro Devices of Sunnyvale, Calif. Computing device 100 can be based on any of these processors, or any other processor capable of operating as described herein.

[0047] The primary memory 122 can be one or more memory chips that can store data and allow any memory location to be directly accessed by the microprocessor or processor 121, such as any type or variant of static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), ferroelectric memory (FRAM), NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, and solid-state drive (SSD). The primary memory 122 can be based on any of the memory chips mentioned above, or any other available memory chip that can operate as described herein. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, the processor 121 communicates with the primary memory 122 via a system bus 150 (described in more detail below). FIG. 1C illustrates an embodiment of a computing device 100 in which the processor communicates directly with the primary memory 122 via a memory port 103. For example, in FIG. 1C, the primary memory 122 can be a DRDRAM.

[0048] FIG. 1C illustrates an embodiment in which the main processor 121 communicates directly with the cache memory 140 through a secondary side bus, sometimes referred to as a backside bus. In another embodiment, the main processor 121 communicates with the cache memory 140 using a system bus 150. The cache memory 140 generally has a faster response time than the main memory 122 and is provided by, for example, SRAM, BSRAM, or EDRAM. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1C, the processor 121 communicates with the various I / O devices 130 through a local system bus (e.g., system bus 150). Various buses can be used to connect either the central processing unit or the processor 121 to the I / O devices 130, such as, for example, a VESA VL bus, an ISA bus, an EISA bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a PCI bus, a PCI-X bus, a PCI-Express bus, or a NuBus. For embodiments in which the I / O device is a video display 124, the processor 121 may use an Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) to communicate with the display 124. Figure 1C illustrates an embodiment of a computer or computer system 100 in which the main processor 121 may communicate directly with I / O device 130b, for example, via HyperTransport, RapidIO, or InfiniBand communications technologies. Figure 1C also illustrates an embodiment in which local bus and direct communications are mixed, i.e., the processor 121 communicates directly with I / O device 130b while simultaneously using a local interconnect bus to communicate with I / O device 130a.

[0049] A wide variety of I / O devices 130a-130n may be present in computing device 100. Input devices include keyboards, mice, trackpads, trackballs, microphones, dials, touchpads, touch screens, and drawing tablets. Output devices include video displays, speakers, inkjet printers, laser printers, projectors, and dye-sublimation printers. The I / O devices may be controlled by an I / O controller 123, as shown in FIG. 1B. The I / O controller may control one or more I / O devices, such as a keyboard 126 and a pointing device 127 (e.g., a mouse or optical pen). Additionally, the I / O devices may provide storage devices and / or installation media to computing device 100. In yet another embodiment, computing device 100 may provide a USB connection (not shown) for accepting portable USB storage devices, such as the USB flash drive line of devices manufactured by Twintech Industry, Inc. of Los Alamitos, Calif.

[0050] Referring again to FIG. 1B, computing device 100 may support any suitable installation device 116, such as a disk drive, CD-ROM drive, CD-R / RW drive, DVD-ROM drive, flash memory drive, tape drives of various formats, USB device, hard drive, network interface, or any other device suitable for installing software and programs. Computing device 100 may further include storage devices, such as one or more hard disk drives or a redundant array of independent disks, for storing an operating system and other related software, and for storing application software programs, such as any program or software 120 for implementing (e.g., configured and / or designed for) the systems and methods described herein. If desired, any of installation devices 116 may also be used as storage devices. Additionally, operating systems and software may be executed from a bootable medium.

[0051] Additionally, computing device 100 may include network interface 118 for coupling to a network through various connections including, but not limited to, standard telephone lines, LAN or WAN links (e.g., 802.11, T1, T3, 56kb, X.25, SNA, DECnet), broadband connections (e.g., ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM, Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet over Sonnet), wireless connections, or some combination of any or all of the above. Connections may be established using a variety of communication protocols (e.g., TCP / IP, IPX, SPX, NetBIOS, Ethernet, ArcNet, SONET, SDH, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), RS232, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11ad, CDMA, GSM, WiMax, and direct asynchronous connections). In one embodiment, computing device 100 communicates with other computing devices 100' via any type and / or form of gateway or tunneling protocol, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). Network interface 118 may include a built-in network adapter, a network interface card, a PCMCIA network card, a card bus network adapter, a wireless network adapter, a USB network adapter, a modem, or any other device suitable for coupling computing device 100 to any type of network capable of communicating with and performing the operations described herein.

[0052] In some embodiments, computing device 100 may include or be connected to one or more display devices 124a-124n. As such, any of I / O devices 130a-130n and / or I / O controller 123 may include any type and / or form of suitable hardware, software, or combination of hardware and software to support, enable, or effect the connection and use of display device(s) 124a-124n by computing device 100. For example, computing device 100 may include any type and / or form of video adapter, video card, drivers, and / or libraries to interface with, communicate with, connect to, or otherwise use display device(s) 124a-124n. In one embodiment, the video adapter may include multiple connectors for interfacing to display device(s) 124a-124n. In other embodiments, computing device 100 may include multiple video adapters, with each video adapter connected to a display device(s) 124a-124n. In some embodiments, some portion of the operating system of computing device 100 may be configured to use multiple display devices 124a-124n. In further embodiments, I / O device 130 may be a bridge between system bus 150 and an external communications bus, such as a USB bus, an Apple Desktop bus, an RS-232 serial connection, a SCSI bus, a Firewire bus, a Firewire 800 bus, an Ethernet bus, an AppleTalk bus, a Gigabit Ethernet bus, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode bus, a Fibre Channel bus, a Fiber Optic bus, a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) bus, a USB connection, or an HDMI bus.

[0053] 1B and 1C may operate under the control of an operating system that controls the scheduling of tasks and access to system resources. Computing device 100 may be running any operating system, such as any version of the Microsoft Windows operating system, various publicly available Unix and Linux operating systems, any version of MAC OS for Macintosh computers, any embedded operating system, any real-time operating system, any open source operating system, any proprietary operating system, any operating system for mobile computing devices, or any other operating system capable of running on a computing device and performing the operations described herein. Representative operating systems include, but are not limited to, Android® produced by Google Inc.; Windows® 7, 8, and 10 produced by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington; MAC OS produced by Apple Computer of Cupertino, California; WebOS produced by Research In Motion (RIM); OS / 2 produced by International Business Machines of Armonk, New York; and Linux, a freely available operating system distributed by Caldera Corp. of Salt Lake City, Utah, or any type and / or form of Unix operating system, among others.

[0054] Computer system or computing device 100 can be any workstation, telephone, desktop computer, laptop or notebook computer, server, portable computer, mobile phone or other portable communication device, media playback device, gaming console, mobile computing device, or any other type and / or form of computing device, communication device, or media device capable of communicating. In some embodiments, computing device 100 can have a variety of processors, operating systems, and input devices compatible with the device. For example, in one embodiment, computing device 100 is a smartphone, mobile device, tablet, or personal digital assistant. Furthermore, computing device 100 can be any workstation, desktop computer, laptop or notebook computer, server, portable computer, mobile phone, any other computer, or other form of computing device or communication device capable of communicating and having sufficient processor power and memory capacity to perform the operations described herein.

[0055] Aspects of the operating environment and components described above will become apparent in the context of the systems and methods disclosed herein.

[0056] B. Protocol for Data Request / Response Operations and Method and Apparatus Using Such Protocol Disclosed herein are systems and methods that may be used in any communication system, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi and LTE networks. The systems and methods may be used with APs or STAs in a communication network, such as the devices described in connection with Figures 1A-1C. Although embodiments of data request and / or response operations for communications according to the IEEE 802.11 standard are described herein, the systems and methods may be used with other networks, including cellular and satellite networks, and in point-to-point communications.

[0057] 2A, a wireless communication network or system 200 includes client devices or STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and APs 212, 214, 216, and 222. The STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 may be used in the systems described in connection with FIGS. 1A-1C. Any number of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 may be used in the network or system 200. In some embodiments, the STA or client device may refer to any device for communicating in a communication system, including, but not limited to, a fixed, portable, or mobile laptop computer, desktop computer, personal digital assistant, workstation, wearable device, smartphone, or WiFi phone. In some embodiments, an access point or AP may refer to a device for communicatively coupling one or more "non-AP" devices (e.g., client devices or STAs) to a network. In some embodiments, an AP may enable non-AP devices to connect and communicate with a network. In some embodiments, an AP is a wireless access point (WAP) configured to enable wireless communication between non-AP devices. APs include, but are not limited to, mobile, portable or fixed hotspots, routers, bridges, gNB nodes, eNodeBs, evolved node Bs, or other communication devices. An AP may provide services to STAs, such as serving as an attachment point to another network.

[0058] Each of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 may include a wireless transceiver and various modules for communicating over the connection. The modules may be software (e.g., firmware), hardware components, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, each of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 may include IEEE 802.11 compliant medium access control (MAC) layer circuitry and physical layer (PHY) interface to the wireless medium and may be part of a larger device or system. In some embodiments, each of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 may operate according to a standard other than the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0059] A connection for wireless communication may be established between at least one of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 after authentication and association operations. For example, the STA 208 has a connection 218 to the AP 212. The STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 each include circuitry (e.g., a processor or processing circuit 221), and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 226 each include circuitry (e.g., a processing circuit 233) for establishing and canceling the connection 218 and communicating data across the connection. In another example, the STA 204 has a connection 228 to the AP 212, and the STA 206 has a connection 229 to the AP 222. Each of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 includes circuitry (e.g., a processor or processing circuit 221), and each of the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 includes circuitry (e.g., processing circuit 233) for operating in accordance with data request and response operations as described below. In some embodiments, the connections 218, 228, 229, and 226 are wireless connections that are formed using association and / or authentication operations and canceled using disassociation and / or deauthentication operations. In some embodiments, the connections 218, 228, 229, and 226 can be single-link, multi-link, or dual-link connections associated with the APs 212 and 222, and can be secure connections (e.g., using encryption). In some embodiments, connections 218, 228, 229, and 226 provide data communication and control and manage communications on one or more channels in the 5G, 6G, 60G, or 2G bands.

[0060] In some embodiments, the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 are configured to use the ODGRD protocol to facilitate communications between the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 and the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222. In some embodiments, the requested data can be used to facilitate handoff operations, reduce client device awake time, reduce transitions from sleep modes, reduce off-channel / on-channel transitions, and other communication operation times.

[0061] In some embodiments, sleep mode may refer to an operating mode in which a device communicating on a network reduces its communications (e.g., to conserve power). In some embodiments, sleep mode may include a device in a mode in which it does not transmit or receive data for a period of time or until further notice on an existing channel. In some embodiments, for example, a STA may be considered to be in sleep mode because it is not communicating on a first channel (e.g., a home channel) even if it is using power to communicate on another channel or performing channel scanning operations on other channels. In some embodiments, periodic sleep mode may refer to a sleep mode that is repeated for a period of time.

[0062] 2B, device 220 may be an AP 212 or a STA 208 (FIG. 2A) configured for the ODGDR protocol according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, device 220 includes a processing circuit 230, a proximity reporting module 242, and an ODGDR module 238. In some embodiments, processing circuit 230 may be any circuit element or component capable of performing logic and communication processing operations and may include a processor 234 and a memory 236.

[0063] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 230 is implemented as a field programmable gate array, an application specific integrated circuit, hardware, a software-implemented processor, or a state machine. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 230 is part of an equipment layer (e.g., a MAC layer, a network layer, a PHY layer) of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 230 may be configured to perform communication operations, frame construction and processing, obtain data request and response operations, discovery operations, association operations, authentication operations, connection setup, disassociation operations, handoff operations, and deauthentication operations. In some embodiments, instructions for the processing circuitry 230 are stored in a persistent medium such as memory 236. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 221 of the STA 208 and the processing circuitry 233 of the AP 212 are similar to the processing circuitry 230.

[0064] The memory 236 may be one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage) for storing data and / or computer code for implementing and / or facilitating various processes described herein. The memory 236 may be or include non-transient non-volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and persistent computer storage media. The memory 236 may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting various activities and information structures described herein. The memory 236 may be communicatively coupled to the processor 234 and may include computer code or instructions for performing one or more processes described herein. The processor 234 may be realized as one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), groups of processing components, software executing processors, state machines, or other suitable electronic processing components. Thus, the AP or network device 106 (FIG. 1A) is configured to execute various modules and / or programs and store associated data in a database in the memory 236. The modules (e.g., modules 238 and 242) may be implemented in AP software (e.g., MAC layer software or PHY layer software) or STA software (e.g., MAC layer software or PHY layer software). In some embodiments, the AP 212 or STA 208 (FIG. 2A) is configured and used to establish connections and handoff access to other computing systems and devices (e.g., wireless communication device(s) 102, network hardware 192, other access points or network devices 106) (FIGS. 1A-1C) over a network (e.g., a WAN connection, a LAN connection, a WLAN connection, etc.).

[0065] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 230 includes a proximity report module 242. The proximity report module 242 can be configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 (FIG. 2A) and can be configured to determine which APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 are available for connection to the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224. For example, the proximity report module 242 can generate proximity reports in response to information received from other STAs.

[0066] In some embodiments, the proximity report module 242 may be configured to provide proximity reports to one or more APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 in response to proximity report requests sent by one or more STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224. In some embodiments, the proximity reports include information about nearby APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 that are known candidates for the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 to reassociate with. The proximity reports provide information about nearby APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 of the APs currently associated with one or more STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224, which may be used as identification of potential candidates for a new attachment point during roaming. Proximity reports can reduce delays associated with scanning for available APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 (either reducing active probing for APs or passively listening on every channel for beacon frames). The STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 can instead narrow down the list of potential APs to known available APs using proximity reports, which is particularly useful in high density environments where multiple WLANs may be heard by the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224. In some embodiments, the use of proximity reports also reduces power consumption by the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 (e.g., due to scanning) and allows for more efficient use of the medium by the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224.

[0067] In some embodiments, the ODGDR module 238 is configured to provide responses to requests and / or requests for various types of data. In some embodiments, for example, the ODGDR module 238 is configured to provide queries after the device 220 goes off-channel operation. When the device 220 (e.g., one of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224) goes off-channel for scanning or Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) and returns to an operating channel associated with a connection to one of the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222, the device 220 determines whether the device 220 can enter a sleep mode or stay awake for data packets from that connection. In some embodiments, the ODGDR module 238 queries for a partial virtual bit IE response indicating the availability of data from the AP to the device 220 (e.g., a client device). If the partial virtual bit IE indicates that no data is available from the AP for device 220 (e.g., no data traffic is available), device 220 returns to sleep mode. In some embodiments, the query allows additional power savings for device 220 since device 220 does not need to be awake for the next beacon frame. The partial virtual bit IE can be provided in a frame (e.g., an action frame) and can be a traffic information management IE.

[0068] In some embodiments, the ODGDR module 238 is configured to cause the device 220 to provide a query when there is drift in the timeline between devices (e.g., between a STA and an AP). For example, if the device 220 (e.g., one of the STAs 204, 206, 208) always enters an awake state, the device 220 provides a request to obtain information to align with the AP's Time Synchronization Function (TSF) (timeline). In general, the STA (e.g., one of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224) generally does not have information regarding the amount of drift of the STA's clock from the AP's clock. Without providing a request, the device 220 would wait in listen mode for up to two intervals between beacon frames (to account for potential missing beacon frames), which would result in unnecessary consumption of power. Furthermore, if no request is provided, the STA needs to align the beacon frame when the AP provides an irregular beacon and the STA needs to align the beacon frame. By providing a query for information about clock alignment, the device 220 can synchronize without waiting for two beacon frames. Upon clock alignment, the device can enter a sleep mode. The information about clock alignment can be the current TSF and the next target beacon transmission time (TBTT).

[0069] In some embodiments, the ODGDR module 238 is configured to cause the device 220 to provide queries regarding information related to broadcast and multicast frames. In some embodiments, for example, one of the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 currently associated with one or more of the STAs 204, 206, 208, and 224 has broadcast or multicast packets (BCMC packets) to transmit to the device 220 (e.g., one of the STAs 204, 206, 208) and other client devices, and the AP transmits these packets after transmitting a Delivery Traffic Information Map (DTIM) beacon frame (e.g., a beacon frame with a DTIM count of zero). In general, the DTIM period is 3 seconds in most of the APs, the beacon interval is considered to be 100 timing units (thus, for example, 102.4 milliseconds), and the DTIM beacon frame is transmitted every 307.2 milliseconds. Typically, the listen interval is configured to be 20 beacon intervals, which is 2.048 seconds (considered as 100TU as a beacon interval). Thus, the device 220 can sleep up to 20 beacon intervals, and the AP buffers unicast packets. To receive broadcast or multicast packets (BCMC packets), the device needs to wake up every DTIM beacon interval. If the device 220 goes into low power mode and wakes up once every listen interval, the device 220 may lose / miss BCMC packets.

[0070] According to one example, BCMC packets are generated with some regular periodicity (e.g., 2.048 seconds) and the AP, in some embodiments, indicates in the next-DTIM beacon where the BCMC packet can be expected using an IE (similar to the next-TBTT (next Beacon Transmission Time) request described above). The device 220 can send a request when the STA should sleep for an IE indicating when the next-BCMC packet is expected and can wake up once every listen interval to avoid missing the BCMC packet.

[0071] An exemplary request may include the following IEs listed in Table 1 below. The ODGR module 238 supports requesting specific information from the APs 212, 214, 216, and 222 as needed, instead of waiting for the AP to send the detail sought by the device 220. The request may be provided in a frame. In some embodiments, a request may refer to a code, message, or frame (e.g., an action code or action frame) sent by the client device to the AP (or vice versa) to request information. In some embodiments, a request is a frame sent by the client device to the AP to request any of the information provided in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0072] The operations related to the IEs listed in Table 1 are described below. In some embodiments, the IEs may be provided in a field of an Action frame.

[0073] In response to the Low TSF IE, the AP sends back the 16 least significant bits (LSBs) of its Low TSF value, which can represent up to 65.6356 ms. This value can be used by the client to adjust for clock drift, if any.

[0074] In response to the My RSSI IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back the client device's Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) at the AP. In some embodiments, this information assists the client device in determining how well the AP is receiving the client device's signal. In some embodiments, the client device can use this information to determine channel quality or whether transitioning to another AP is desirable.

[0075] In response to the BSS Load IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back the load of the APs in its own BSS. In some embodiments, this information assists the client device in determining how loaded the AP is with client activity. Such a determination can be used by the client device to determine whether it should seek a connection with another AP.

[0076] In response to the Medium Occupancy Level IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back a medium occupancy level that takes into account its own load, other OBSS loads, and other interference. In some embodiments, this information allows the client device to assess the AP's environment and how busy the AP is. This determination can be used to determine whether the client device should seek to connect with another AP.

[0077] In response to the My Pending Load IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back how much unicast data is pending at the AP to deliver to the client device. In some embodiments, this information is used by the client device to determine whether it should stay awake for more time to get that data delivered.

[0078] In response to the Overall Pending Load IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back how much unicast data is pending at the AP to deliver to all of its clients. In some embodiments, this information is used by the client device to determine how much data the AP is about to deliver to all of its clients and decide not to put itself to sleep.

[0079] In response to the BCMC Pending Load IE, the AP, in some embodiments, sends back how much broadcast / multicast data is pending at the AP to inform the BSS, so that in some embodiments, client devices may wake up in response to this information.

[0080] In response to the Next TBTT IE, the AP, in some embodiments, provides the next target beacon transmission time in microseconds. In some embodiments, if the AP skips beacon transmissions, this value can be greater than the beacon interval, allowing the client device to determine the time to wake up for the next beacon transmission.

[0081] In response to the Intended Target Channel IE, the AP, in some embodiments, provides a preferred channel if the AP wishes to switch channels. In some embodiments, the AP may send back the existing channel or channel 0 if the AP does not wish to switch channels.

[0082] In response to the Transmit Power IE, the transmit power of the AP is provided in dBm in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a client device can use this information to determine channel quality or whether transitioning to another AP is desirable.

[0083] In response to the Interference Level IE, the AP's interference level (% of non-WiFi signal reception) is provided in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the client device can use this information to determine channel quality or whether a transition to another AP is desirable.

[0084] In response to a filed Next DTIM TBTT, the AP, in some embodiments, provides the time, in microseconds, of the next target DTIM beacon transmission time. In some embodiments, a client device can use this information to determine when to enter or exit sleep mode.

[0085] In response to Number of WiFi Clients, the AP, in some embodiments, provides the number of WiFi clients that the AP is currently serving. In some embodiments, a client device can use this information to determine channel quality or whether migration to another AP is desirable.

[0086] In response to the Number of OBSS devices IE, the number of WiFi devices, including WiFi devices that are not part of a BSS, that the AP detects on the same channel is provided. In some embodiments, the devices can be APs or client devices. In some embodiments, client devices can use this information to determine channel quality or whether transitioning to another AP is desirable.

[0087] In response to the Number of Neighborhood AP IE, the AP, in some embodiments, provides the number of neighboring APs configured with the same SSID in the vicinity of the AP. In some embodiments, a client device can use this information to determine channel quality or whether a transition to another AP is desirable.

[0088] In response to the Current pseudo-random (PN) Sequence for TID-X IE, the AP, in some embodiments, provides a PN sequence number to be communicated to the client device from a particular Traffic Identifier.

[0089] In response to Number of Pending Unicasts TID-X, the AP, in some embodiments, provides the number of TID-specific unicast packets that are pending at the AP for transmission. In some embodiments, a client device can use this information to determine when to enter or exit a sleep mode.

[0090] In response to Current PN Sequence for BCMC, in some embodiments, the PN sequence number to be conveyed to the client device for the BCMC packet is provided.

[0091] In some embodiments, the request is provided in an IEEE 802.11 action frame format by a device embodied as a WiFi client device to request an AP to provide certain information.

[0092] A device 220 connected to an AP can send an SA-Query Get Data Request to the AP whenever the device 220 needs data from the AP. In some embodiments, this action frame is a protected frame similar to a Security Association (SA) Query. In some embodiments, any unprotected action frames of this type are generally rejected and not accepted by the AP. The existing SA-Query Action frame has room for improvement and can be used for the requests described above (e.g., Get Data Request).

[0093] On the AP side, upon receiving and successfully decrypting the SA-Query Get Data Request frame, the AP can respond with the requested data using an SA-Query Get Data Response frame. In some embodiments, the SA-Query Action Frame Category is modified to have more than one action code (e.g., more than 0 SA-Query Request and 1 SA-Query Response). For example, in some embodiments, the additional action code can be an On Demand Get response or request (e.g., Query Get Data Request and / or SA-Query Get Data Response). In some embodiments, the existing 2 bytes of the Transaction Identifier IE in the normal SA-Query frame are not needed.

[0094] 3, in some embodiments, the SA-Query Get Data Request 300 includes a category field 302, an action field 304, a number of requests field 306, and a type of request field 308. In some embodiments, the type of request field 308 is a two-byte field that includes multiple type of requests in Table 1. In some embodiments, the multiple requests field 306 is a two-byte field that indicates multiple type of requests that the frame carries. In some embodiments, the type of requests fields 308 are appended one by one. For example, to request low TSF and Next DTIM TBT, the type of requests fields are 0x0000 and 0x000c. The frame size is 2+2+2+(N*2)=6+(2*N), where N is an integer.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the SA-Query Get Data Response 400 includes a Category field 402, an Action field 404, a Number of Requests field 406, a Type of Request field 408, a Length field 410, and a Value field 412. The SA-Query Get Data Response 400 fetches a value corresponding to the Type of Request. Using the requested Type of Request number in field 408, the device 220 can easily correlate values ​​when multiple outstanding single requests are pending. The length of the value being returned is conveyed in the Length field 410. Fields 408, 410, and 412 are repeated according to the Number of Requests in fields 306 and 406. In some embodiments, the frame size is 6+variable size according to the Number of Requests and the Length field of each request. In some embodiments, a value of 0 in the Number of Requests field 306 is invalid and may be ignored by the responding device or AP. In some embodiments, the maximum length of the proposed Action frame is guided by the 802.11 specification. The Value field 412 contains the requested information. In some embodiments, a length of 0 implies that the corresponding value is 0, and thus the Value field 412 is not present in the frame. The category fields 302 and 402 indicate the action frame type. Examples of different category types of action frames include, but are not limited to, those in Table 2 below. [Table 2] The IEEE 802.11 standard defines the above action field types. Additionally, in some embodiments, the action field types of fields 304 and 404 may include codes for SA-Response, SA-Request, SA-Query Get Data Response, or SA-Query Get Data Request. Codes for SA-Response and SA-Request are provided in the 802.11 standard.

[0096] It should be noted that certain passages of this disclosure may refer to terms such as "first" and "second" in connection with a subset of frames, responses, and devices to identify or distinguish one from the other(s). These terms are not intended to merely relate the entities (e.g., first device and second device) temporally or according to a sequence, although in some cases the entities may include such a relationship. Nor do these terms limit the number of possible entities (e.g., STAs, APs, beamformers, and / or beamformees) that may operate within a system or environment. It should be understood that the systems described above may provide multiples of any or each of these components, which may be provided on standalone machines or, in some embodiments, on multiple machines in a distributed system. Additionally, bit field positions may be changed and multi-bit words may be used. Additionally, the systems and methods described above may be provided as one or more computer readable programs or executable instructions embodied on one or more articles of manufacture (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, flash memory cards, PROMs, RAMs, ROMs, or magnetic tapes). The programs may be implemented in any programming language, such as LISP, PERL, C, C++, C#, or in any bytecode language, such as JAVA. The software programs or executable instructions may be stored in one or more articles of manufacture as object code. A circuit element may refer to any electronic circuit(s) or circuits.

[0097] A circuit element or circuit may refer to any electronic circuit or combination of circuits. To the extent that a claim describes or recites an apparatus, circuit, processor, or circuit element as performing or configured to perform one or more operations or functions, the implementation of the recited function(s) or operation(s) may be distributed across two or more devices, circuits, or processors without departing from the scope of the claim, unless the function or operation is expressly recited as being performed in a particular single circuit or set of circuits, processor, or device (e.g., using the phrase "in a single circuit," "in a set of circuits including," or "in a single device").

[0098] The above description of the method and system will enable one skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments, but one skilled in the art will understand and recognize the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiments, methods, and examples herein. For example, the specific values ​​of bandwidth, channels, and sub-bands provided above are exemplary. Thus, the method and system should not be limited by the embodiments, methods, and examples described above, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A first device, comprising: A first device including circuitry configured to provide at least one frame over a connection to a second device, the frame including a first field including an identification (ID) of requested information from the second device, the identification of the requested information including one or more of timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information.

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the frames are provided according to an 802.11 protocol and the connection is established by using an association or authentication operation.

3. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the requested information includes timing information, loading information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, and unicast information.

4. 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a second field for a value indicating a number of requests.

5. 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a third field for a value indicating a get data request or a get data response.

6. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the identification can indicate timing information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, and unicast information.

7. 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the requested information includes timing information, the timing information being a low Time Synchronization Function (TSF), a Target Beacon Transmission Time (nextTBTT), or a Delivery Traffic Information Map (DTIM) TBTT.

8. 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the requested information includes unicast information, the unicast information including a number of pending unicast frames.

9. 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive at least one frame from the second device over the connection, the frame from the second device including a first field including a length field and a value field, the value field including the requested information.

10. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises an access point.

11. 1. A first device, comprising: A first device including circuitry configured to provide at least one frame over a connection to a second device, the frame including a first field including a value indicating information requested by the second device, the value indicating at least one of timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information requested by the second device.

12. The first device of claim 11 , wherein the frame is an action frame that includes a field indicating a type of response.

13. 12. The first device of claim 11, wherein the frame includes a second field for a value indicating a number of requests.

14. The first apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the frame includes a third field for a value indicating a length.

15. The first device of claim 11 , wherein the frames are provided according to an 802.11 protocol.

16. 1. A method comprising: providing a first frame from a first device to a second device over a connection, the first frame including a first field for indicating two types of requests and two types of responses, and a second field including a value indicating an identity (ID) of requested information from the second device, the value indicating an identity of timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information; A method comprising: receiving at the first device a second frame from the second device, the second frame including a first field including a value indicative of the requested information from the second device, the value from the second device indicating timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, or unicast information.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second frame includes a second field for indicating two types of requests and two types of responses.

18. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the value is timing information, the timing information being a low TSF, a next TBTT, or a next Delivery Traffic Information Map (DTIM) TBTT.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the values ​​from the second device may indicate timing information, load information, occupancy level information, target channel information, signal power information, sequence information, neighboring access point information, and unicast information.

20. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first frame includes a third field for a value indicating a length.

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