Communication method for resource unit allocation signaling

Abstract

To provide a communication method for resource unit allocation signaling in ultra-high-throughput wireless local area networks (EHT WLANs).SOLUTION: A communication device receives a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes two signal fields, each containing multiple resource unit (RU) allocation subfields, are allocated to each content channel per 80 MHz frequency segment. The PPDU decodes a communication device that indicates the size of the large element RU each value of the multiple RU allocation subfield or PPDU. For PPDU bandwidths (BW) of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency domain location of large element RUs depends on either (i) the RU allocation subfield index, (ii) the RU allocation subfield index, or the EHT-SIG (EHT-SIGNAL) content channel (CC) index.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication method for control signaling, and more particularly to a communication method for resource unit allocation signaling in an Extremely High Throughput Wireless Local Area Network (EHT WLAN). [Background technology]

[0002] In the standardization of next-generation wireless local area networks (WLANs), a new wireless access technology that is backward compatible with IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax technologies was discussed in the IEEE802.11 working group and named IEEE802.11be Very High Throughput (EHT) WLAN.

[0003] In order to improve spectral efficiency and provide significant peak throughput and capacity increases over 802.11ax High Efficiency (HE) WLANs, 802.11be EHT WLANs proposed increasing the maximum channel bandwidth to 320 MHz and allowing allocation of multiple contiguous and non-contiguous RUs to a single STA. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there has been insufficient discussion about a communication device and a communication method that supports efficient resource unit (RU) allocation signaling for allocating multiple RUs to one STA in an EHT PPDU with a maximum bandwidth of 320 MHz.

[0005] Therefore, what is needed is a communication apparatus and method that provides a viable technical solution for RU assignment signaling in the context of EHT WLANs.Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background of this disclosure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure contribute to providing a communication method for resource unit allocation signaling in the context of an EHT WLAN.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a communication method in which a communications device, in operation, receives a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes, for each 80 MHz frequency segment, two signal field content channels, each including a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields, where the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields indicates a size of a large-sized constituent RU; and, in operation, decodes the PPDU, where, for a PPDU bandwidth (BW) of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency domain location of the large-sized constituent RU depends on one of (i) an RU allocation subfield index and (ii) the RU allocation subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a communication method in which the frequency location of the large-sized element RU is based on both the values ​​of each of the multiple RU allocation subfields and the locations of each of the multiple RU allocation subfields in the two signal field content channels.

[0009] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any selective combination thereof.

[0010] Further benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and drawings. These benefits and / or advantages may be obtained individually by the various embodiments and features of the specification and drawings, and it is not necessary for all embodiments and features to be present in order to obtain one or more of such benefits and / or advantages. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure, by way of example only, will be better understood and readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and in conjunction with the drawings in which: [Figure 1A] Schematic diagram of uplink and downlink Single-User (SU) MIMO communication between an Access Point (AP) and a Station (STA) in a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless network. [Figure 1B] Schematic diagram of downlink multi-user (MU) communication between an AP and multiple STAs in a MIMO wireless network. [Figure 1C] Schematic diagram of trigger-based uplink MU communication between an AP and multiple STAs in a MIMO wireless network. [Figure 1D] Schematic diagram of trigger-based downlink multi-AP communication between multiple APs and STAs in a MIMO wireless network. [Figure 1E] FIG. 1 illustrates the format of a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) used for downlink multi-user (MU) communication between an AP and multiple STAs in a HE WLAN. [Figure 1F] A more detailed view of the HE-SIG-B (HE Signal B) field [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary format of an EHT basic PPDU. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 illustrates a pre-EHT modulation field of an EHT basic PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary format for an EHT-SIG content channel. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic example of a communication device according to various embodiments (the communication device may be implemented as an AP or a STA and configured for RU allocation signaling of the present disclosure). [Figure 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a communication method according to the present disclosure; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary format of the common fields of the EHT-SIG field of an EHT basic PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a communication device (e.g., an AP) according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication device (e.g., a STA) according to the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures, block diagrams, or flowcharts may be exaggerated relative to other elements to facilitate a proper understanding of the present embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which like reference numbers and letters indicate similar or equivalent elements.

[0013] In the following paragraphs, exemplary embodiments are described with particular reference to access points (APs) and stations (STAs) for uplink or downlink control signaling in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless network.

[0014] In the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, a station (also referred to as STA) is a communication device capable of using the 802.11 protocol. Based on the definition of IEEE 802.11-2016, a STA can be any device that includes an IEEE 802.11-compliant media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interface to a wireless medium (WM).

[0015] For example, a STA may be a laptop, a desktop personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an access point, or a Wi-Fi phone in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. A STA may be stationary or mobile. In a WLAN environment, the terms "STA," "wireless client," "user," "user device," and "node" are often used interchangeably.

[0016] Similarly, an AP, which may be interchangeably referred to as a Wireless Access Point (WAP) in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, is a communications device that enables STAs in a WLAN to connect to a wired network. APs typically connect to a router (via the wired network) as standalone devices, but may also be integrated with or used within a router.

[0017] As mentioned above, a STA in a WLAN may operate as an AP at other times, and vice versa. This is because a communication device in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology may include both STA and AP hardware components. In this manner, a communication device may switch between STA mode and AP mode based on the conditions and / or requirements of the actual WLAN.

[0018] In a MIMO wireless network, "multiple" refers to multiple antennas used simultaneously for transmission and multiple antennas used simultaneously for reception over a wireless channel. In this regard, "multiple-input" refers to multiple transmitter antennas that input wireless signals into the channel, and "multiple-output" refers to multiple receiver antennas that receive wireless signals from the channel to the receiver. For example, in an N×M MIMO network system, N is the number of transmitter antennas and M is the number of receiver antennas, and N may or may not be equal to M. For simplicity, the respective numbers of transmitter antennas and receiver antennas will not be further described in this disclosure.

[0019] In a MIMO wireless network, single-user (SU) and multi-user (MU) communications can be deployed for communication between communication devices such as APs and STAs. MIMO wireless networks have advantages such as spatial multiplexing and spatial diversity, which enable higher data rates and robustness through the use of multiple spatial streams. According to various embodiments, the term "spatial stream" may be used interchangeably with the term "space-time stream" (or STS).

[0020] FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of SU communication 100 between an AP 102 and a STA 104 in a MIMO wireless network. As shown, the MIMO wireless network may include one or more STAs (e.g., STA 104, STA 106, etc.). When the SU communication 100 in a channel is performed across the entire channel bandwidth, it is referred to as full-bandwidth SU communication. When the SU communication 100 in a channel is performed across a portion of the channel bandwidth (e.g., when one or more 20 MHz subchannels in the channel are punctured), it is referred to as punctured SU communication. In the SU communication 100, the AP 102 transmits multiple space-time streams using multiple antennas (e.g., four antennas as shown in FIG. 1A), with all space-time streams directed to a single communication device, i.e., the STA 104. For simplicity, the multiple space-time streams directed to the STA 104 are depicted as a grouped data transmission arrow 108 directed to the STA 104.

[0021] SU communication 100 can be configured for bidirectional transmission. As shown in FIG. 1A, in SU communication 100, STA 104 may transmit multiple space-time streams using multiple antennas (e.g., two antennas as shown in FIG. 1A), with all space-time streams directed to AP 102. For simplicity, the multiple space-time streams directed to AP 102 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 110 directed to AP 102.

[0022] Thus, the SU communication 100 shown in FIG. 1A allows for both uplink and downlink SU transmission in a MIMO wireless network.

[0023] 1B shows a schematic diagram of downlink MU communication 112 between an AP 114 and multiple STAs 116, 118, and 120 in a MIMO wireless network. The MIMO wireless network may include one or more STAs (e.g., STA 116, STA 118, STA 120, etc.). The MU communication 112 can be Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication or MU-MIMO communication. In the case of OFDMA communication in a channel, the AP 114 simultaneously transmits multiple streams to the STAs 116, 118, and 120 in the network on different resource units (RUs) within the channel bandwidth. In the case of MU-MIMO communication in a channel, the AP 114 simultaneously transmits multiple streams to the STAs 116, 118, and 120 on the same one or more RUs within the channel bandwidth using multiple antennas via spatial mapping or precoding techniques. When RUs performing OFDMA or MU-MIMO communication occupy the entire channel bandwidth, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO communication is referred to as full-bandwidth OFDMA or full-bandwidth MU-MIMO communication. When RUs performing OFDMA or MU-MIMO communication occupy a portion of the channel bandwidth (e.g., when one or more 20 MHz subchannels in the channel are punctured), the OFDMA or MU-MIMO communication is referred to as punctured OFDMA or punctured MU-MIMO communication. For example, two space-time streams may be directed to STA 118, one other space-time stream may be directed to STA 116, and yet another space-time stream may be directed to STA 120. For simplicity, the two space-time streams directed to STA 118 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 124, the space-time stream directed to STA 116 is shown as data transmission arrow 122, and the space-time stream directed to STA 120 is shown as data transmission arrow 126.

[0024] To enable uplink MU transmissions, trigger-based communication is provided in a MIMO wireless network. In this regard, Figure 1C illustrates a schematic diagram of trigger-based uplink MU communication 128 between an AP 130 and multiple STAs 132, 134, and 136 in a MIMO wireless network.

[0025] Because there are multiple STAs 132, 134, and 136 participating in trigger-based uplink MU communications, the AP 130 must coordinate the simultaneous transmissions of the multiple STAs 132, 134, and 136.

[0026] 1C , the AP 130 simultaneously transmits trigger frames 139, 141, and 143 to the STAs 132, 134, and 136 to indicate user-specific resource allocation information (e.g., the number of space-time streams, the starting STS number, and the assigned RUs) that each STA can use. In response to the trigger frames, the STAs 132, 134, and 136 may then simultaneously transmit their respective space-time streams to the AP 130 according to the user-specific resource allocation information indicated in the trigger frames 139, 141, and 143. For example, two space-time streams may be directed from the STA 134 to the AP 130, one other space-time stream may be directed from the STA 132 to the AP 130, and one other space-time stream may be directed from the STA 136 to the AP 130. For simplicity, the two space-time streams directed from STA 134 to AP 130 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 140, the space-time stream directed from STA 132 to AP 130 is shown as data transmission arrow 138, and the space-time stream directed from STA 136 to AP 130 is shown as data transmission arrow 142.

[0027] Trigger-based communication is also provided in MIMO wireless networks to enable downlink multi-AP communication. In this regard, Figure 1D shows a schematic diagram of downlink multi-AP communication 144 between a STA 150 and multiple APs 146, 148 in a MIMO wireless network.

[0028] Because there are multiple APs 146, 148 participating in trigger-based downlink multi-AP MIMO communication, the master AP 146 needs to coordinate the simultaneous transmissions of the multiple APs 146, 148.

[0029] 1D , the master AP 146 simultaneously transmits trigger frames 147, 153 to the AP 148 and the STA 150 to indicate AP-specific resource allocation information (e.g., the number of space-time streams, the starting STS stream number, and the allocated RUs) that each AP can use. In response to the trigger frames, the APs 146, 148 then transmit their respective space-time streams to the STA 150 according to the AP-specific resource allocation information indicated in the trigger frame 147, and the STA 150 may then receive all the space-time streams according to the AP-specific resource allocation information indicated in the trigger frame 153. For example, two space-time streams may be directed from the AP 146 to the STA 150, and two other space-time streams may be directed from the AP 148 to the STA 150. For simplicity, the two space-time streams directed from AP 146 to STA 150 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 152, and the two space-time streams directed from AP 148 to STA 150 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 154.

[0030] Due to the packet / PPDU (Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit) based transmission and distributed MAC (Medium Access Control) scheme in 802.11 WLAN, there is no time scheduling (e.g., TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)-like periodic time slot allocation for data transmission) in 802.11 WLAN. Frequency and spatial resource scheduling is performed on a packet basis, i.e., resource allocation information is in PPDU units.

[0031] 1E shows the format of a PPDU 160 used for downlink MU communications between an AP and multiple STAs in an HE WLAN (e.g., Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmissions, including MU-MIMO transmissions in a single RU and full-bandwidth MU-MIMO transmissions). Such a PPDU 160 is referred to as an HE MU PPDU 160. The HE MU PPDU 160 may include a non-high-throughput short training field (L-STF), a non-high-throughput long training field (L-LTF), a non-high-throughput signal (L-SIG) field, a repeated L-SIGNAL (RL-SIG) field, an HE-SIGNAL-A (HE-SIG-A) field 162, an HE-SIGNAL-B (HE-SIG-B) field 166, an HE short training field (HE-STF), an HE long training field (HE-LTF), a data field 170, and a packet extension (PE) field. In the HE MU PPDU 160, the HE-SIG-B field 166 provides OFDMA and MU-MIMO resource allocation information, as indicated by arrow 168, allowing STAs to retrieve the corresponding resources used in the data field 160. The HE-SIG-A field 162 contains information necessary to decode the HE-SIG-B field 166, such as the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the HE-SIG-B and the number of HE-SIG-B symbols, as indicated by arrow 164.

[0032] FIG. 1F shows the HE-SIG-B field 166 in more detail. The HE-SIG-B field 166 includes (or consists of) a common field 172, if present, followed by a user-specific field 174. These fields are collectively referred to as the HE-SIG-B content channel. The HE-SIG-B field 166 includes an RU assignment subfield that indicates RU information for each assignment. The RU information includes the RU location in the frequency domain, an indication of whether the RU is assigned for non-MU-MIMO or MU-MIMO assignment, and the number of users in the MU-MIMO assignment. In the case of full-bandwidth MU-MIMO transmission, the common field 172 is not present. In this case, the RU information (e.g., the number of users in the MU-MIMO assignment) is signaled in the HE-SIG-A field 162.

[0033] User-specific fields 174 include (or consist of) one or more user fields for non-MU-MIMO and / or MU-MIMO assignments. The user fields include user information (user-specific assignment information) that indicates user-specific assignments. In the example shown in FIG. 1F , user-specific fields 174 include five user fields (user field 0, ..., user field 4), where user-specific assignment information for an assignment (allocation 0) is provided by user field 0, user-specific assignment information for a further assignment (allocation 1 for 3 MU-MIMO users) is provided by user field 1, user field 2, and user field 3, and user-specific assignment information for a still further assignment (allocation 2) is provided by user field 4.

[0034] When a MIMO wireless network has extremely high throughput, such as an 802.11be EHT WLAN, the PPDU used for downlink MU transmission, downlink SU transmission, or uplink SU transmission may be referred to as an EHT basic PPDU 200, as shown in FIG. 2A.

[0035] According to various embodiments, an EHT WLAN supports non-triggered communication, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, in which a communication device transmits PPDUs to one other communication device or to one or more other communication devices in an unsolicited manner.

[0036] 2A shows an example format of an EHT basic PPDU 200 that can be used for non-trigger-based communications. The EHT basic PPDU 200 can include an L-STF, an L-LTF, an L-SIG field, an RL-SIG field 201, a U-SIG (Universal Signal) field 202, an EHT-SIGNAL (EHT-SIG) field 204, an EHT-STF, an EHT-LTF, a data field 210, and a PE field. The L-STF, L-LTF, an L-SIG field, an RL-SIG field, an U-SIG field, and an EHT-SIG field may be grouped as a pre-EHT modulation field, while the EHT-STF, EHT-LTF, a data field, and a PE field may be grouped as an EHT modulation field. Both the U-SIG field 202 and the EHT-SIG field 204 are present in an EHT basic PPDU 200 transmitted to a single STA or multiple STAs. It should be noted that if the IEEE 802.11 working group uses a new name instead of "EHT WLAN" for next-generation WLANs with extremely high throughput, the prefix "EHT" in the above fields may change accordingly. The RL-SIG field 201 is primarily used to identify any PHY version starting with 802.11be. The U-SIG field 202 contains information necessary for decoding the EHT-SIG field 204, such as the MCS for the EHT-SIG and the number of EHT-SIG symbols. The U-SIG field 202 and the EHT-SIG field 204 provide information necessary for decoding the data field 210, as indicated by arrows 207 and 208, respectively. When the EHT basic PPDU 200 is transmitted to multiple STAs, the EHT-SIG field 204 provides resource allocation information for OFDMA and MU-MIMO, allowing the STAs to search for the corresponding resources to be used in the data field 210.

[0037] According to various embodiments, the U-SIG field 202 has a duration of two Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. The data bits of the U-SIG field 202 are collectively coded and modulated similarly to the 802.11ax HE-SIG-A field. The modulated data bits of the U-SIG field 202 are mapped to 52 data tones in each of the two OFDM symbols and replicated every 20 MHz within each 80 MHz frequency segment similarly to the 802.11ax HE-SIG-A field. The U-SIG field 202 may contain different information for each 80 MHz frequency segment. According to various embodiments, the term "frequency segment" may be used interchangeably with the terms "subchannel" or "frequency subblock."

[0038] In various embodiments, the U-SIG field 202 may include two parts, U-SIG field 1 and U-SIG field 2, each containing 26 data bits. The U-SIG field 202 includes all version-independent bits and a subset of version-dependent bits. All version-independent bits are included in U-SIG field 1 and have static locations and bit definitions across different physical layer (PHY) versions. The version-independent bits include a PHY version identifier (3 bits), a bandwidth (BW) field (3 bits), an uplink / downlink (UL / DL) flag (1 bit), a basic service set (BSS) color (e.g., 6 bits), and a transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration (e.g., 7 bits). The version-independent bits, the PHY version identifier, are used to identify the exact PHY version starting with 802.11be, and the BW field is used to indicate the PPDU bandwidth. The effect of including all version-independent bits in one part of the U-SIG field 202, i.e., U-SIG field 1, is that legacy STAs only need to parse U-SIG field 1, and thus power efficiency for legacy STAs may be improved. On the other hand, the version-dependent bits may have variable bit definitions in each PHY version. Some of the version-dependent bits included in the U-SIG field 202 may comprise PPDU format, punctured channel information, pre-FEC (Forward Error Correction) padding coefficients, PE dis-ambiguity and EHT-SIG-related bits used to interpret the EHT-SIG field 204, and spatial reuse-related bits used for coexistence with unintended STAs.

[0039] The EHT-SIG field 204 of the EHT basic PPDU 200 may contain remaining version-dependent bits. The EHT-SIG field 204 has a variable MCS and a variable length. The EHT-SIG field 504 has a common field followed by a user-specific field. These fields are collectively referred to as the EHT-SIG Content Channel (CC). The user-specific field contains one or more user fields. The common field may comprise one or more RU allocation subfields that indicate RU allocation information for one or more STAs. The EHT-SIG field may be different for each 80 MHz frequency segment.

[0040] FIG. 2B illustrates a pre-EHT modulation field for an ETH basic PPDU 200 having a bandwidth of 320 MHz, according to one embodiment. The 320 MHz PPDU bandwidth comprises four 80 MHz frequency segments and sixteen 20 MHz frequency segments (each 80 MHz frequency segment has four 20 MHz frequency segments). The U-SIG field 202 may contain different information for each of the four 80 MHz frequency segments. In other words, the U-SIG1, U-SIG2, U-SIG3, and U-SIG4 fields may each be transmitted in the four 80 MHz frequency segments. The EHT-SIG field 204 may also contain different information for each of the four 80 MHz frequency segments. In other words, the EHT-SIG1, EHT-SIG2, EHT-SIG3, and EHT-SIG4 fields may each be transmitted in the four 80 MHz frequency segments. Additionally, the EHT-SIG field 204 in each 80 MHz frequency segment comprises two EHT-SIG content channels (CC1 and CC2), each of which is replicated in every other 20 MHz subchannel within the 80 MHz frequency segment, as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary EHT-SIG content channel 300 comprising a common field 302 and a user-specific field 304. In one embodiment, the user-specific field 304 may be comprised of one or more user block fields, each comprising one or two user fields. In this embodiment, user block field 1 comprises two user fields, such as user field 1 and user field 2, user block field 2 comprises two user fields, such as user field 3 and user field 4, and user block field 3 comprises one user field 5. A CRC field and tail bits are added to each of the one or two user fields in user block fields 1-3 for error detection. In one embodiment, the last user block may comprise one or two user fields, depending on whether the total number of user fields allowed in the user-specific field is odd or even.

[0042] According to various embodiments, the user-specific field may comprise multiple user fields, such as user fields 1-5, each containing transmission parameters corresponding to a STA to which the corresponding RU or STA is assigned. For a RU or STA assigned for non-MU-MIMO transmission, there is a single corresponding user field, and for a RU or STA assigned for MU-MIMO transmission with N users, there are N corresponding user fields.

[0043] The common field 302 includes one or more RU allocation subfields 310 followed by a CRC field and tail bits. The number of RU allocation subfields, N, depends on the bandwidth. For example, there is one RU allocation subfield for a PPDU with a bandwidth of 20 MHz or 40 MHz, two RU allocation subfields for a PPDU with a bandwidth of 80 MHz, four RU allocation subfields for a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, six RU allocation subfields for a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, and eight RU allocation subfields for a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz. The RU allocation subfield 310 indicates the RU allocation, including the size of the RUs or RUs used in the EHT modulation field of the PPDU and the location of the RUs in the frequency domain, as well as information necessary for calculating the number of users assigned to each RU or RU. According to this disclosure, the subcarrier index of an RU or may be within the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel or may overlap with the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel if the RU or is greater than 242-tone RU.

[0044] In one embodiment, the RU Allocation subfield is not present in an 80 MHz frequency segment where compressed mode is enabled. Such compressed mode in an 80 MHz frequency segment can be enabled if all STAs parked in the 80 MHz frequency segment are involved in non-OFDMA transmissions. Non-OFDMA transmissions refer to MU-MIMO or SU transmissions.

[0045] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a STA camps on an 80 MHz frequency segment called the listening 80 MHz frequency segment (L80). The STA's L80 may be the primary 80 MHz (P80) by default, or the STA's L80 may be an 80 MHz frequency segment other than P80 through a negotiation procedure between the STA and the AP. The STA's RU allocation information may be completely indicated in the EHT-SIG field transmitted in the STA's L80, which has the effect of reducing the STA's power consumption by requiring the STA to only process the pre-EHT modulation field transmitted in the STA's L80 to obtain all of its RU allocation information.

[0046] As mentioned above, in order to improve spectral efficiency and provide greater peak throughput and increased capacity over 802.11ax HE WLAN, it has been proposed to increase the maximum channel bandwidth to 320 MHz and enable allocation of multiple contiguous and non-contiguous RUs (i.e., ) to a single STA. To achieve the above technical advantages, the present disclosure aims to provide a communication apparatus and a communication method for efficient RU assignment signaling that enables allocation of to a single STA in an EHT basic PPDU with a bandwidth of up to 320 MHz.

[0047] 4 shows a schematic diagram of a portion of a communication device 400 according to the present disclosure. The communication device 400 may be implemented as an AP or a STA.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 4, the communication device 400 may include a circuit 414, at least one wireless transmitter 402, at least one wireless receiver 404, and at least one antenna 412 (for simplicity, only one antenna is shown in FIG. 4 for illustrative purposes). The circuit 414 may include at least one controller 406. The controller 406 is used to perform, with the assistance of software and hardware, tasks that the at least one controller 406 is designed to perform, including controlling OFDMA or non-OFDMA communications with one or more other communication devices in a MIMO wireless network. The circuit 414 may further include at least one transmit signal generator 408 and at least one receive signal processor 410. The at least one control unit 406 may control at least one transmit signal generator 408 for generating PPDUs (e.g., PPDUs used for non-trigger-based communication) to be transmitted to one or more other communication devices via the at least one wireless transmitter 402, and at least one receive signal processor 410 for processing PPDUs (e.g., PPDUs used for non-trigger-based communication) received from one or more other communication devices via the at least one wireless receiver 404 under the control of the at least one control unit 406. The at least one transmit signal generator 408 and the at least one receive signal processor 410 may be standalone modules of the communication device 400 that communicate with the at least one control unit 406 for the above-mentioned functions, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the at least one transmit signal generator 408 and the at least one receive signal processor 410 may be included in the at least one control unit 406. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and may vary according to actual needs and / or requirements. Data processing, virtual memory, and other related control devices may be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or within a chipset. In various embodiments, in operation, at least one radio transmitter 402 , at least one radio receiver 404 , and at least one antenna 412 may be controlled by at least one controller 406 .

[0049] In operation, the communications device 400 provides functionality necessary for RU allocation signaling. For example, the communications device 600 may be an AP, and the circuit 414 (e.g., at least one transmit signal generator 408 of the circuit 414) may, in operation, generate a PPDU including two signal field content channels for each 80 MHz frequency segment, each of the two signal field content channels including multiple RU allocation subfields, and the values ​​of each of the multiple RU allocation subfields may indicate the size of a large-sized element RU. The wireless transmitter 402 may, in operation, transmit the PPDU.

[0050] The communications device 400 may be a STA, and the radio receiver 604 may, in operation, receive a PPDU including two signal field content channels in each 80 MHz frequency segment, each of the two signal field content channels including a plurality of RU allocation subfields, and the values ​​of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields may indicate the size of a large-sized element RU. The circuit 414 (e.g., at least one receive signal processor 410 of the circuit 414) may, in operation, process the PPDU.

[0051] 5 shows a flowchart 500 illustrating a communications method for transmitting a PPDU according to the present disclosure. In step 502, a PPDU is generated for each 80 MHz frequency segment, the PPDU including two signal field content channels, each including a plurality of RU allocation subfields, where the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields can indicate the size of a large element RU. In step 504, the generated PPDU is transmitted to a plurality of other communications devices.

[0052] According to the present disclosure, the value of each RU allocation subfield of multiple RU allocation subfields in a PPDU can indicate the size of a large-sized element RU.

[0053] According to the present disclosure, the value of each RU assignment subfield of multiple RU assignment subfields in a PPDU may not indicate information about the frequency domain location of large-size constituent RUs. In particular, for each PPDU BW of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency domain location of large-size constituent RUs depends on one of (i) the RU assignment subfield index and (ii) the RU assignment subfield index and the EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index. The index of the RU assignment subfield in the EHT-SIG CC represents the order or position of multiple RU assignment subfields in the same EHT-SIG content channel. Therefore, for each PPDU BW of 80 MHz or greater, a mapping between the frequency domain location of constituent RUs and the RU assignment subfield index for each large size and EHT-SIG CC index needs to be defined. Advantageously, the number of entries required for large size in the RU assignment table is minimized.

[0054] A mapping between the frequency domain location of each large-sized element RU and the EHT-SIG CC index and / or RU allocation subfield index should be defined using one or more equations described further below, such that the frequency domain location of each large-sized element RU can be determined according to the RU allocation subfield index and / or EHT-SIG CC index. Advantageously, no memory for storing such a mapping may be required.

[0055] According to various embodiments, the MU-MIMO allocation for RUs in the EHT basic PPDU allows a maximum number of spatial streams of 16 and a maximum number of users of 8 (i.e., N user≤ 8), the maximum number of spatial streams per user is 4, and the minimum RU size to support MU-MIMO is a 242-tone RU. Multiple RUs can be assigned to a single STA in an EHT basic PPDU. In various embodiments, if an RU with a size equal to or greater than 242 tones is defined as a large-size RU and an RU with a size less than 242 tones is defined as a small-size RU, the allowed small sizes for OFDMA transmission may be: (i) one 26-tone RU (RU26) and one 52-tone RU (RU52); and (ii) one RU26 and one 106-tone RU (RU106). On the other hand, the allowed large size for OFDMA transmission may be (i) one 242-tone RU (RU242) and one 484-tone RU (RU484), (ii) one RU484 and one 996-tone RU (RU996), (iii) two RUs996, (iv) two RUs996 and one RU484, (v) three RUs996, and (vi) three RUs996 and one RU484. Note that a small or large size RU includes two or more component RUs. For example, one RU242 and one RU484 includes two component RUs (RU242 and RU484). Tables 1-3 show values ​​of the RU allocation subfield 308 indicating allocations signaling small, small, large, and large size RUs according to one embodiment. Note that the large size has the same RU Allocation subfield value (e.g., 144-151 for a combination of one RU 242 and one RU 484) regardless of the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU. In other words, according to Tables 1-3, the RU Allocation subfield value can indicate the size of the large-size component RU, but cannot indicate information about the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU. [Table 1] [Table 2] [Table 3]

[0056] In this embodiment, according to Tables 1 to 3, #1 to #9 (from left to right in the table) are arranged in descending order of absolute frequency. Among the RU allocation subfield values ​​of 32 to 54, "26+52" or "52+26" refers to the small size of two adjacent RUs 26 and 52 allowed. "106+26" or "26+106" refers to the small size of two adjacent RUs 26 and 106 allowed. When signaling a large size RU or a large size RU larger than 242 tones, the RU allocation subfield value y2y1y0, i.e., the last three digits of the binary vector, may indicate the number of user fields in the EHT-SIG content channel that includes the corresponding RU allocation subfield. Otherwise, the binary vector y2y1y0 indicates the number of users multiplexed in RU 242. In this embodiment, the number of users N multiplexed in RU r or r is user (r) can be calculated based on the following formula:

number

[0057] In other words, for large size RU r or large size r, if the character y2y1y0 is present in the RU allocation subfield, N user (r) is indicated by this letter, and if the letter y2y1y0 is not present, then N user (r) is 0. For small size RU r or small size r, user field N user The number of (r) is 1. In one embodiment, a "-" in Tables 1-3 means that the user has not been assigned that RU, i.e., N user (r)=0.

[0058] 6 shows an example common field of EHT-SIG CC1 602 and CC2 604 transmitted in 80 MHz frequency segments used to signal large size RU allocations and large size allocations in an EHT basic PPDU with a BW of 320 MHz (or 160+160 MHz). In this example, three RUs are allocated, specifically: (i) a large size allocation (RA1) 606 in the first and second 80 MHz frequency segments for four-user MU-MIMO transmissions, (ii) a large size allocation (RA2) 608 in the third 80 MHz frequency segment for non-MU-MIMO transmissions, and (iii) a large size RU allocation (RA3) 610 in the second 20 MHz subchannel of the third 80 MHz frequency segment for non-MU-MIMO transmissions.

[0059] EHT-SIG CC1 602 comprises eight RU allocation subfields with values ​​of 225, 161, 228, 228, 144, 226, 227, and 227 corresponding to the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth 20 MHz frequency segments, respectively, and EHT-SIG CC2 604 comprises eight RU allocation subfields with values ​​of 225, 161, 228, 228, 128, 226, 227, and 227 corresponding to the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, and sixteenth 20 MHz frequency segments. According to Tables 1 to 3, a RU assignment subfield value of 225 indicates an RU 484 that contributes zero user fields to a user-specific field in the same EHT-SIG CC as this RU assignment subfield; a value of 161 indicates one RU 484 and one RU 996 that contribute two user fields to a user-specific field in the same EHT-SIG content channel as this RU assignment subfield; a value of 228 indicates one RU 484 and one RU 996 that contribute zero user fields to a user-specific field in the same EHT-SIG CC as this RU assignment subfield; a value of 144 indicates one RU 242 and one RU 484 that contribute one user field to a user-specific field in the same EHT-SIG CC as this RU assignment subfield; a value of 226 indicates one RU 242 and one RU 484 in the same EHT-SIG CC as this RU assignment subfield contribute zero user fields to a user-specific field; and a value of 227 indicates one RU 242 and one RU 484 that contribute two user fields to a user-specific field in the same EHT-SIG content channel as this RU assignment subfield. A value of 128 indicates a single RU allocation for RU 996, which provides zero user fields in the user-specific field within the CC, and a value of 128 indicates a single RU allocation for RU 242, which provides one user field in the user-specific field. EHT-SIG CC1 602 and EHT-SIG CC2 604 each have three user fields in their user-specific field for load balancing purposes.

[0060] Note that the users field corresponding to MU-MIMO allocation RA1 506 is split between two EHT-SIG CCs, in which case the total number of users and spatial streams in RA1 506 is the sum of the number of users and spatial streams per user indicated in both EHT-SIG CCs, respectively.

[0061] As described above and shown in FIG. 2B, the EHT-SIG field in each 80 MHz frequency segment (having four 20 MHz subchannels) comprises two EHT-SIG CCs (CC1 and CC2), each of which is replicated in every other 20 MHz subchannel within the 80 MHz frequency segment.

[0062] The mapping of large size RUs or large size frequency domain locations in PPDUs with BWs of (i) 80 MHz, (ii) 160 MHz or 80 + 80 MHz, (iii) 240 MHz or 160 + 80 MHz, and (iv) 320 or 160 + 160 MHz according to one embodiment is shown in Tables 4 to 7, respectively. [Table 4] [Table 5] [Table 6] [Table 7-1] [Table 7-2]

[0063] Table 4 shows the mapping of large size RUs or frequency domain locations of large size in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 80 MHz according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, where a large size of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU is allocated to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 80 MHz, the frequency domain location of the large size element RU depends on the RU Allocation (RUA) subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index.

[0064] If RUA subfield m (m=1 or 2) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that a 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 128 to 135) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined using the following equation (2) based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m.

number

[0065] where n is 1 to 2 and refers to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 2 and refers to RUA1 and RUA2 of each EHT-SIG CC in the 80 MHz BW PPDU, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 4 may be used to represent the frequency domain location of a 242-tone RU (i.e., each of the 242-tone RU1 to RU4) within the 80 MHz PPDU BW.

[0066] If RUA subfield m (m = 1 or 2) in EHT-SIG CC n (n = 1 or 2) indicates that a 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 136 to 143) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (3):

number

[0067] Here, m is 1 to 2, and refers to RUA1 and RUA2 of each EHT-SIG CC in the PPDU of 80 MHz BW, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 2 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of a 484-tone RU (i.e., 484-tone RU1 and RU2, respectively) within the PPDU BW of 80 MHz.

[0068] If RUA subfield m (m=1 or 2) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 144 to 151) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (4), while the index j of the 484-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (5).

number

number

[0069] Here, n is 1 to 2 and refers to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 2 and refers to RUA1 and RUA2 of each EHT-SIG CC in the 80 MHz BW PPDU, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 4 and a 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 2 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of the 242-tone RUs (i.e., 242-tone RUs 1 to 4) and 484-tone RUs (i.e., 484-tone RUs 1 and 2), respectively) within the 80 MHz PPDU BW.

[0070] Table 5 shows a mapping of large-size RUs or frequency-domain locations of large-size RUs in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, where a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz is assigned a large size of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU, the frequency-domain location of the large-size constituent RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. In the case where a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz is assigned a large size of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain location of the large-size constituent RU depends on the RUA subfield index. As shown in Table 5, it can be defined that a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz is assigned a large size of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU within the same 80 MHz. Note that since combining one 484-tone RU (e.g., 484-tone RU1) in an 80 MHz segment with one 242-tone RU (e.g., 242-tone RU5) in another 80 MHz segment is not allowed, the EHT-SIG CC index can indicate which 242-tone RU is combined with the 484-tone RU.

[0071] If RUA subfield m (m=1, 2, 3, or 4) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that a 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 128 to 135) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined using the following equation (6) based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m.

number

[0072] where n is 1 to 2 and refers to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 4 and refers to RUA1 to RUA4 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of 242-tone RU1 to RU8) within a PPDU BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz.

[0073] If RUA subfield m (m=1, 2, 3, or 4) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that a 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 136 to 143) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (7):

number

[0074] Here, m is 1 to 4 and refers to RUA1 to RUA4 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU4) within a PPDU BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz.

[0075] If RUA subfield m (m=1, 2, 3, or 4) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value ranging from 144 to 151) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (8), while the index j of the 484-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (9).

number

number

[0076] where n is 1 to 2, referring to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, m is 1 to 4, referring to RUA1 to RUA4 of each EHT-SIG CC in the 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz BW PPDU, respectively, and the ceil(x) function always rounds up the number x to the next highest integer. A 242-tone RU index i, ranging from 1 to 8, can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of the 242-tone RUs RU1 to RU8) in the 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz PPDU BW. A 484-tone RU index j, ranging from 1 to 4, can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RUs RU1 to RU4) in the 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz PPDU BW.

[0077] If RUA subfield m (m=1, 2, 3, or 4) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that 996-tone RUs (RUA subfield values ​​ranging from 152 to 159) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, the index k of the 996-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (10):

number

[0078] Here, m is 1 to 4 and refers to RUA1 to RUA4 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 2 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., 996-tone RU1 and RU2, respectively) in a PPDU BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz.

[0079] If RUA subfield m (m=1, 2, 3, or 4) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 176 to 183) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone element RU and the index k of the 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (11) and (12), respectively.

number

number

[0080] Here, m is 1 to 4 and refers to RUA1 to RUA4 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RU1 to RU4) within a PPDU bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 2 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 and RU2) within a PPDU bandwidth of 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz.

[0081] Table 6 shows a mapping of large-size RUs or frequency-domain locations of large-size RUs in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, where a large size of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU is assigned to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the frequency-domain location of the large-size constituent RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. When a large size of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU is assigned to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the frequency-domain location of the large-size constituent RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. The frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. When a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz is assigned a large size of two 996-tone RUs, the frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on the RUA subfield index. When a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz is assigned a large size of two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU, the frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index.

[0082] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that a 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 128 to 135) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined using the following equation (13) based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m.

number

[0083] where n is 1 to 2, referring to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 6, referring to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 12 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of 242-tone RU1 to RU12) within a PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0084] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that a 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 136 to 143) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (14):

number

[0085] Here, m is 1 to 6 and refers to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 6 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU6) within a PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0086] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 144 to 151) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (15), while the index j of the 484-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (16).

number

number

[0087] where n is 1 to 2, referring to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 6, referring to RUA1 to RUA6 of each CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 12 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of the 242-tone RUs RU1 to RU12) within a PPDU bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 6 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RUs RU1 to RU6) within a PPDU bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0088] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that 996-tone RUs (RUA subfield values ​​ranging from 152 to 159) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index k of the 996-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (17):

number

[0089] Here, m is 1 to 6 and refers to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz BW, respectively. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 3 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 to RU3) within a PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0090] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 160 to 167) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m and EHT-SIG CC index n using the following equations (18) and (19), while the index k of the 996-tone constituent RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (20).

number

number

number

[0091] where m is 1 to 6 and refers to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in the PPDU of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz BW, respectively, and n is 1 and 2 and refers to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 6 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU6) in the PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 3 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of 996-tone RU1 to RU3) in the PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0092] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that two 996 tones (RUA subfield values ​​ranging from 168 to 175) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index k1 of the element RU of the first 996 tones and the index k2 of the element RU of the second 996 tones indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (21) and (22), respectively.

number

number

[0093] Here, m is 1 to 6 and refers to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, respectively, and the function mod(x,y) returns the remainder after dividing x by y. A 996-tone RU index k1 or k2 ranging from 1 to 3 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 to RU3) in a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0094] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 6) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 176 to 183) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m and EHT-SIG CC index n using the following equation (23). Meanwhile, the index k1 of the first 996-tone element RU and the index k2 of the second 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (24) and (25), respectively.

number

number

number

[0095] where n is 1 to 2 and refers to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 6 and refers to RUA1 to RUA6 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 6 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU6) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k1 or k2 ranging from 1 to 3 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of 996-tone RU1 to RU3) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz.

[0096] Table 7 shows a mapping of large-size RUs or frequency locations of large-size RUs in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, where a large size of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU is assigned to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU depends on the RUA subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. When a large size of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU is assigned to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU depends on the RUA subfield index. When a large size of two 996-tone RUs is assigned to a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU depends on the RUA subfield index. When a PPDU with a bandwidth of 0+160 MHz is assigned two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU of large size, the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU depends on the RUA subfield index. When a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz is assigned three 996-tone RUs of large size, or three 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU of large size, the frequency domain location of the large-size component RU depends on the RU Allocation subfield index. As shown in Table 7, a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz may be defined with a large-size allocation of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU within the same 80 MHz. As shown in Table 7, a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz may be defined with a large-size allocation of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU within the same 80 MHz. Note that since a combination of one 996-tone RU in a 160 MHz segment (e.g., 996-tone RU1) with one 484-tone RU in another 160 MHz segment (e.g., 484-tone RU5) is not allowed, the position of the RUA subfield can indicate which 484-tone RU is combined with the 996-tone RU.

[0097] If RUA subfield m (m = 1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n = 1 or 2) indicates that a 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 128 to 135) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160 + 160 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined using the following equation (26) based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m.

number

[0098] where n is 1 to 2 referring to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 8 referring to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz BW, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 16 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of 242-tone RU1 to RU16) in a PPDU of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz PPDU BW.

[0099] If RUA subfield m (m = 1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n = 1 or 2) indicates that a 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 136 to 143) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160 + 160 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (27):

number

[0100] Here, m is 1 to 8 and refers to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz BW, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU8) in a PPDU of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz PPDU BW.

[0101] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 144 to 151) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the index i of the 242-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the EHT-SIG CC index n and the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (28), while the index j of the 484-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (29).

number

number

[0102] where n is 1 to 2, referring to EHT-SIG CC1 and CC2, respectively, and m is 1 to 8, referring to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, respectively. A 242-tone RU index i ranging from 1 to 16 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 242-tone RU (i.e., each of the 242-tone RUs RU1 to RU16) within a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RUs RU1 to RU8) within a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz.

[0103] When RUA subfield m (m = 1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n = 1 or 2) indicates that a 996-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 152 to 159) is allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160 + 160 MHz, the index k of the 996-tone RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equation (30).

number

[0104] Here, m is 1 to 8, and refers to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz BW, respectively. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 to RU4) in a PPDU of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz PPDU BW.

[0105] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 160 to 167) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone element RU and the index k of the 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (31) and (32), respectively.

number

number

[0106] Here, m is a number between 1 and 8, referring to RUA1 through RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RUs RU1 through RU8) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RUs RU1 through RU4) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz.

[0107] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that two 996-tone RUs (RUA subfield values ​​ranging from 168 to 175) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the index k1 of the first 996-tone element RU and the index k2 of the second 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (33) and (34), respectively:

number

number

[0108] Here, m is 1 to 8, and refers to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, respectively, and the function floor(x) denotes the largest integer less than or equal to x. A 996-tone RU index k1 or k2 in the range of 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 to RU4) in a PPDU with a BW of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz.

[0109] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 176 to 183) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone element RU, the index k1 of the first 996-tone element RU, and the index k2 of the second 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (35), (36), and (37), respectively.

number

number

number

[0110] Here, m is a number between 1 and 8, referring to RUA1 through RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of the 484-tone RU1 through RU8) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k1 or k2 ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of the 996-tone RU1 through RU4) in a PPDU with a bandwidth of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz.

[0111] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that three 996-tone RUs (RUA subfield values ​​ranging from 184 to 191) are allocated for a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, then the index k1 of the first 996-tone element RU, the index k2 of the second 996-tone element RU, and the index k3 of the third 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (38), (39), and (40), respectively.

number

number

number

[0112] Here, m is 1 to 8 and refers to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz BW, respectively. 996-tone RU index k1, k2, or k3 in the range of 1 to 4 may be used to represent the frequency domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of 996-tone RU1 to RU4) in a PPDU of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz PPDU BW.

[0113] If RUA subfield m (m=1 to 8) in EHT-SIG CC n (n=1 or 2) indicates that three 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU (RUA subfield value in the range of 176 to 183) are allocated to a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the index j of the 484-tone element RU, the index k1 of the first 996-tone element RU, the index k2 of the second 996-tone element RU, and the index k3 of the third 996-tone element RU indicated by RUA subfield m in EHT-SIG CC n can be determined based on the RUA subfield index m using the following equations (41), (42), (43), and (44), respectively.

number

number

number

number

[0114] where m is 1 to 8 and refers to RUA1 to RUA8 of each EHT-SIG CC in a PPDU with a BW of 360 MHz or 160+160 MHz, respectively. A 484-tone RU index j ranging from 1 to 8 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 484-tone RU (i.e., each of 484-tone RU1 to RU8) within a PPDU with a BW of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz. A 996-tone RU index k1, k2, or k3 ranging from 1 to 4 can be used to represent the frequency-domain location of each 996-tone RU (i.e., each of 996-tone RU1 to RU4) within a PPDU with a BW of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz.

[0115] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the mapping of various large-size RUs and frequency-domain locations for large sizes in 80 MHz, 160 MHz (or 80 + 80 MHz), 240 MHz (or 160 + 80 MHz), and 360 MHz (or 160 + 160 MHz), several observations can be made. For any PPDU BW of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency-domain locations of component RUs with one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. For a PPDU BW of 160 MHz, 80 + 80 MHz, 320 MHz, and 160 + 160 MHz, the frequency-domain locations of component RUs with one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU depend on the RU allocation subfield index and are independent of the EHT-SIG CC index. However, for a PPDU BW that is 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the frequency domain locations of component RUs with one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU depend on both the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. For a PPDU BW that is one of 240 MHz, 160+80 MHz, 320 MHz, and 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain locations of component RUs with two 996-tone RUs depend on the RU allocation subfield index but not on the EHT-SIG CC index. For a PPDU BW that is 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain locations of component RUs with two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU depend on the RU allocation subfield index. However, for a PPDU BW of 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, the frequency domain locations of component RUs with two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU depend on both the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index. For a PPDU BW of 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the frequency domain locations of component RUs with three 996-tone RUs or three 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU depend on the RU allocation subfield index.

[0116] FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of a communications device 700 (e.g., an AP) according to various embodiments. Similar to the schematic example of communications apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4, communications device 700 includes a circuit 702, at least 714 wireless transmitters 710, at least one wireless receiver 712, and at least one antenna 714 (for simplicity, only one antenna is shown in FIG. 7). Circuit 702 may include at least one controller 708. Controller 708 is adapted to perform tasks designed to perform OFDMA or non-OFDMA communications with the assistance of software and hardware. Circuit 702 may further include a transmit signal generator 704 and a receive signal processor 706. At least one controller 708 may control transmit signal generator 704 and receive signal processor 706. Transmit signal generator 704 may include a frame generator 722, a control signaling generator 724, and a PPDU generator 726. The frame generator 722 may generate a MAC frame (e.g., a data frame or a trigger frame). The control signaling generator 724 may generate a control signaling field of a generated PPDU (e.g., a U-SIG field and an EHT-SIG field of an EHT Basic PPDU). The PPDU generator 726 may generate a PPDU (e.g., an EHT Basic PPDU).

[0117] The received signal processing unit 706 may include a data demodulation and decoding unit 732. The data demodulation and decoding unit 732 may demodulate and decode the data portion of the received signal (e.g., the data field of the EHT Basic PPDU). The received signal processing unit 706 may further include a control demodulation and decoding unit 734. The control demodulation and decoding unit 734 may demodulate and decode the control signaling portion of the received signal (e.g., the U-SIG field and EHT-SIG field of the EHT Basic PPDU). At least one control unit 708 may include a control signal analyzer 742 and a scheduler 744. The scheduler 744 may determine RU information and user-specific allocation information for allocation of downlink SU or MU transmissions, and trigger information for allocation of uplink MU transmissions. The control signal analyzer 742 may analyze the control signaling portion and trigger information of the received signal for allocation of uplink MU transmissions shared by the scheduler 944, and may assist the data demodulator / decoder 732 in demodulating and decoding the data portion of the received signal.

[0118] FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration of a communication device 800 (e.g., a station) according to various embodiments. Similar to the schematic example of the communication device 400 illustrated in FIG. 4, the communication device 800 includes a circuit 802, at least one wireless transmitter 810, at least one wireless receiver 812, and at least one antenna 814 (for simplicity, only one antenna is shown in FIG. 8). The circuit 802 may include at least one controller 808. The controller 808 is used to perform tasks, with the assistance of software and hardware, designed to perform OFDMA or non-OFDMA communication. The circuit 802 may further include a receive signal processor 806 and a transmit signal generator 804. The at least one controller 808 can control the receive signal processor 806 and the transmit signal generator 804. The receive signal processor 806 may include a data demodulator / decoder 832 and a control demodulator / decoder 834. The control demodulation and decoding unit 834 may demodulate and decode the control signaling portion of the received signal (e.g., the U-SIG field and EHT-SIG field of the EHT basic PPDU). The data demodulation and decoding unit 832 may demodulate and decode the data portion of the received signal (e.g., the data field of the ETH basic PPDU) according to the RU information and the user-specific allocation information of the allocation of the RU information.

[0119] The at least one control unit 808 may include a control signal analyzer 842, a scheduler 844, and a trigger information analyzer 846. The control signal analyzer 842 may analyze the control signaling portion of the received signal (e.g., the U-SIG field and EHT-SIG field of the EHT Basic PPDU) and assist the data demodulator / decoder 832 in demodulating and decoding the data portion of the received signal (e.g., the data field of the EHT Basic PPDU). The trigger information analyzer 848 may analyze the trigger information from the received trigger frame included in the data portion of the received signal to obtain an uplink allocation of the trigger information itself. The transmit signal generator 804 may include a control signaling generator 824. The control signaling generator 824 may generate the control signaling field of the PPDU to be generated (e.g., the U-SIG field of the EHT Basic PPDU). The transmission signal generator 804 may further include a PPDU generator 826 that generates a PPDU (e.g., an EHT basic PPDU). The transmission signal generator 804 may further include a frame generator 822. The frame generator 822 may generate a MAC frame (e.g., a data frame).

[0120] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an advanced communication system, communication method, and communication device for MU-MIMO transmission in a WLAN network with very high throughput, improving spectral efficiency in a MIMO WLAN network.

[0121] The present disclosure can be realized by software, hardware, or software in conjunction with hardware. Each functional block described in the above embodiments may be partially or entirely realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. Each process described in the above embodiments may be partially or entirely controlled by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be composed of individual chips, or may be composed of a single chip that includes some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may have data inputs and outputs. Depending on the level of integration, the LSI may be referred to as an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI. The integration method is not limited to LSIs; it may also be realized by dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or dedicated processors. Furthermore, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which can be programmed after LSI fabrication, or reconfigurable processors, which allow the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI to be reconfigured, may also be used. The present disclosure may be realized as digital or analog processing. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology can be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, etc. is also a possibility.

[0122] The present disclosure may be implemented in any type of apparatus, device, or system having a communication function (collectively referred to as a communication apparatus).

[0123] The communications device may include a radio transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The radio transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, or both. The radio transceiver (transmitter, receiver) may include a radio frequency (RF) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or the like.

[0124] Non-limiting examples of communication devices include telephones (e.g., cell phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, notebooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (e.g., digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine devices, communication-enabled vehicles or mobile transportation (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and combinations of the above devices.

[0125] Communications equipment is not limited to portable or mobile equipment, but also includes non-portable or fixed equipment, devices, and systems of any kind, such as smart home devices (appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or metering devices, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0126] Communications include data communications via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, communications satellite systems, etc., as well as data communications via combinations of these.

[0127] A communications device also includes devices such as controllers and sensors connected or coupled to a communications device that performs the communications functions described in this disclosure, such as controllers and sensors that generate control and data signals used by the communications device to perform the communications functions of the communications device.

[0128] The communication apparatus also includes infrastructure facilities, such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, device, or system that communicates with or controls the various apparatuses listed above, but are not limited to these.

[0129] Although some features of the various embodiments are described with reference to devices, it will be understood that corresponding features also apply to the methods of the various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and / or modifications may be made to the present disclosure as set forth in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as broadly described, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. The communication device In operation, receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) including two signal field content channels per 80 MHz frequency segment, each PPDU including a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields, wherein a value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields indicates a size of a large-sized elementary RU; In operation, decoding the PPDU; For a PPDU bandwidth (BW) of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on one of (i) an RU-assigned subfield index, and (ii) the RU-assigned subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index. Communication method.

2. the frequency location of the large-sized element RU is based on both the values ​​of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields and the locations of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields in the two signal field content channels; The communication method according to claim 1 .

3. The frequency location of the large-sized element RU is located within a defined 160 MHz segment. The communication method according to claim 1 .

4. 1. An integrated circuit for a communications device, comprising: In operation, the method comprises generating a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) for each 80 MHz frequency segment, the PPDU including two signal field content channels, each PPDU including a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields, wherein the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields indicates a size of a large-sized elementary RU; In operation, the generated PPDU is transmitted; and For a PPDU Bandwidth (BW) equal to or greater than an 80 MHz frequency segment, the frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on one of (i) an RU allocation subfield index, and (ii) the RU allocation subfield index and an EHT-SIG Content Channel (CC) index. Integrated circuit.

5. 1. An integrated circuit for a communications device, comprising: In operation, a process includes receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) for each 80 MHz frequency segment, the PPDU including two signal field content channels, each PPDU including a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields, wherein the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields indicates a size of a large element RU; In operation, the method controls the decoding and processing of the PPDU; For a PPDU bandwidth (BW) of 80 MHz or greater, the frequency domain location of the large-sized element RU depends on one of (i) an RU-assigned subfield index, and (ii) the RU-assigned subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index. Integrated circuit.

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