Method, apparatus and system for improved directional multi-gigabit sensing

Abstract

Efficient and accurate sensing measurement and reporting by multiple responders in a 60 GHz WLAN is achieved by measuring and reporting on multiple sub-channels separated in the frequency domain, the spatial domain, or both. Measurements can be transmitted in parallel in time by multiple devices via sensing PPDUs. Messages related to communication of sensing report can also be transmitted in parallel in time by multiple devices. This parallelization is facilitated by the use of multiple sub-channels in the frequency or spatial domain.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of object detection using radio signals in wireless local area networks such as IEEE 802.11 networks with directional multi-gigabit capabilities, and in particular to methods, apparatus and systems for improved directional multi-gigabit object detection in such situations. [Background technology]

[0002] IEEE 802.11bf is an ongoing task group involved in the evolution of the IEEE 802.11 standard. This task group is working on an amendment to the 802.11 standard for wireless local area network (WLAN) object detection. As described in the document "IEEE 802.11-19 / 2103r12, 802.11 SENS SG proposed PAR," available at https: / / mentor.ieee.org, this amendment defines changes to the physical (PHY) layer for directional multi-gigabit (DMG) / extended directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) operation and to the IEEE 802.11 medium access control (MAC) layer to enhance WLAN sensing operation in the license-free radio frequency bands between 1 GHz and 7.125 GHz (sub-7 GHz) and approximately 60 GHz. IEEE 802.11bf amends IEEE 802.11-2020 and also takes into account the High Efficiency (HE) (see IEEE 802.11ax) and Extremely High Throughput (EHT) (see IEEE 802.11be) aspects of the IEEE 802.11 standard in the sub-7 GHz bands, as well as DMG / EDMG (IEEE 802.11ad / 802.11ay) in the 60 GHz band, for sensing applications.

[0003] As defined in the IEEE 802.11bf draft standard document entitled "IEEE P802.11bf / D0.4," available at https: / / standards.ieee.org, WLAN sensing uses the PHY and MAC radio signal transmission and reception capabilities of an IEEE 802.11 station (STA) to obtain measurements that can be used to estimate characteristics such as range, velocity, and motion of objects within an area of ​​interest.

[0004] The HE and EHT aspects of IEEE 802.11 specify an efficient multiplexing method, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). However, OFDMA is not specified in DMG / EDMG. Therefore, the sensing procedures currently defined for sub-7 GHz operation are not fully applicable to those for 60 GHz operation.

[0005] Furthermore, DMG sensing operating in the 60 GHz band is classified into monostatic, coordinated monostatic, bistatic, coordinated bistatic, multistatic, and passive sensing. However, the sensing procedures proposed so far by the IEEE 802.11bf task group for coordinated monostatic, coordinated bistatic, and multistatic sensing only consider serial sensing measurements and reporting. This can lead to inaccurate measurement results and inefficient reporting procedures when measurement reports obtained from multiple cooperating STAs are aggregated. Therefore, there is room for various improvements in the currently proposed standard.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for methods, apparatus, and systems that obviate or mitigate one or more limitations of the prior art.

[0007] This background information is provided to identify information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. It is not necessarily intended, nor should it be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention. Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide methods, apparatus, and systems for improved directional multi-gigabit sensing that are compatible with sensing operations being developed, for example, by the IEEE 802.11bf Task Group, or more generally, in accordance with current or future versions of the IEEE 802.11 standard. The embodiments described herein relate to applying multiple subchannels, multiple antennas, or both, to the IEEE 802.11bf 60 GHz WLAN sensing approach for efficient and accurate sensing measurements, efficient sensing reporting by multiple responders, or both. The embodiments described herein may additionally or alternatively be applied to future extensions of IEEE 802.11bf, for example, to enable operation in the 59-64 GHz frequency band in China. Sensing measurements performed by different STAs can occur simultaneously (in parallel). Sensing reports from different STAs can also occur simultaneously (in parallel). Various embodiments relate to one, some, or all of coordinated monostatic, coordinated bistatic, and multistatic sensing approaches with multiple transmitters, multiple responders, or both.

[0009] Rather than being limited to serial sensing measurements and reporting (for coordinated monostatic, coordinated bistatic, and multistatic sensing), embodiments provide an alternative, less restrictive sensing and reporting approach. A technical effect of such embodiments is that when channel conditions, objects to be detected, or both change, measurement results can be more easily and accurately aggregated because they correspond to measurements at the same (or closer, or overlapping) time points obtained by STAs performing measurements in a coordinated manner. Another technical effect is that a parallel reporting procedure can be implemented, which may be more efficient than conventional serial reporting procedures.

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, a system, apparatus, and method for detecting objects using radio signals are provided.

[0011] Some embodiments provide a system that may include a sensing initiator and multiple sensing responders. The sensing initiator and sensing responders of the system may be configured to wirelessly communicate to set up object detection measurements, cooperate to transmit multiple sensing physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) on multiple subchannels after setting up the object detection measurements, and acquire measurements of the multiple subchannels to estimate one or more physical properties of an object based on reception of the sensing PPDUs. In this system, different subchannels of the multiple subchannels are distinct from one another in terms of carrier frequency and may be non-overlapping in the frequency domain, non-overlapping in space, or non-overlapping in both the frequency domain and space. Each of the sensing PPDUs may be transmitted in parallel in time. Some other embodiments disclose a system that may include a sensing initiator and multiple sensing responders. The sensing initiator and sensing responders may be configured to wirelessly communicate to set up object detection measurements, and cooperate to transmit one or more sensing PPDUs and acquire measurements to estimate one or more physical properties of an object after setting up the object detection measurements. After obtaining the measurements, each of the sensing responders may report respective information obtained from the measurements (also referred to herein as measurement indications) to the sensing initiator, and the reporting of the respective information may be performed in parallel in time by each of the sensing responders. The measurements may be obtained based on the reception of one or more sensing PPDUs.

[0012] An embodiment includes wirelessly communicating between a detection initiator and a plurality of detection responders to set up object detection measurements. Wirelessly communicating between the detection initiator and a plurality of detection responders to set up object detection measurements may include the detection initiator communicating with each one of the detection responders using spatially separated wireless communication streams in different directions. The method may further include transmitting, in cooperation with the detection initiator and each of the plurality of detection responders, a different respective sensing PPDU frame on a different respective one of the plurality of sub-channels to each of the detection responders. The different respective sub-channels are distinct from each other in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. The method may further include obtaining measurements of the plurality of sub-channels to estimate one or more physical properties of the object based on reception of the sensing PPDU frame. Each of the plurality of detection responders may transmit one or more of the sensing PPDU frames. Each of the plurality of sensing responders may also measure a different one of the sub-channels to receive a corresponding one of the sensing PPDUs as part of obtaining the measurements. In some embodiments, the sensing initiator may transmit a respective one of the sensing PPDUs, and each of the plurality of sensing responders may measure a different one of the sub-channels to receive its respective sensing PPDU as part of obtaining the measurements. In some embodiments of the systems, apparatuses, and methods, each of the different sensing PPDUs is transmitted in parallel. Transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs in parallel may include transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs at a timing that at least partially overlaps with at least one other of the different sensing PPDUs.

[0013] Some embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods may further include reporting, by each of the detection responders, respective information obtained from such monitoring (or measurement) to the detection initiator.

[0014] The sensing initiator may measure each of the different sub-channels to receive the sensing PPDU as part of obtaining the measurements. Each of the sensing responders may also report its information using one of the multiple sub-channels. To report the sub-channel measurements, different sensing responders may use different sub-channels of the multiple sub-channels, or they may all use one sub-channel, particularly the primary channel. The respective information may be reported in parallel or sequentially by each of the sensing responders. Reporting the respective information in parallel by each of the sensing responders may include reporting the respective information at a timing that at least partially overlaps with reporting of the respective information by at least one other of the sensing responders. The sensing initiator may send a respective prompt (poll) requesting a report of a respective piece of information, a respective acknowledgment (ACK) of the report of said respective piece of information, or both, to each one of the different sensing responders, with each of the prompts (polls), each of the acknowledgments, or both, being sent in parallel using a different one of the multiple sub-channels used by that one of the different sensing responders to report said respective piece of information. In other embodiments, each of the prompts (polls), each of the acknowledgments, or both, are sent sequentially using a single sub-channel of the multiple sub-channels, in particular the primary channel.

[0015] The reporting of the respective information may be performed at different respective times by each of the detection responders. Each of the detection responders may report the respective information using spatially separated wireless communication streams in different respective directions. The reporting of the respective information may be performed in parallel by each of the detection responders. In some embodiments of the systems and methods, reporting the respective information in parallel may include each of the detection responders reporting the respective information at a timing that at least partially overlaps with reporting of the respective information by at least one other of the detection responders. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the detection initiator may send a respective prompt (respective poll) to report the respective information, a respective acknowledgment (respective ACK) of the reporting of the respective information, or both, to each one of the plurality of detection responders. Each of the polls, each of the acknowledgements, or both are transmitted in parallel using a respective different directional, spatially separated wireless communication stream used by that one of the plurality of detection responders to report said respective information. Each of the detection responders may also communicate with the detection initiator as part of setting up said object detection measurement using a respective different directional, spatially separated wireless communication stream.

[0016] Yet another embodiment of a system and method for detecting an object using wireless communication signals may include wirelessly communicating between a detection initiator and multiple detection responders to set up object detection measurements. The system and method may further include transmitting one or more sensing PPDUs and obtaining measurements to estimate one or more physical characteristics of the object through cooperation between the detection initiator and the multiple detection responders. The measurements are obtained through interaction with the one or more sensing PPDU frames. Each of the detection responders reports respective information obtained from monitoring to the detection initiator. Reporting of the respective information may be performed by each of the detection responders in parallel or sequentially by each one of the detection responders. Reporting the respective information in parallel may include each of the detection responders reporting the respective information at a timing that at least partially overlaps or is mutually exclusive with reporting of the respective information by at least one other of the detection responders.

[0017] Each of the detection responders may report its information to the detection initiator using a single sub-channel or a different one of multiple sub-channels, the sub-channels differing from one another in terms of carrier frequency, and each of the detection responders may use a respective one of the multiple sub-channels to perform a respective portion of the transmission of the one or more sensing PPDUs, a respective portion of the monitoring of the wireless signatures, or both.

[0018] Some embodiments of the present invention disclose a device operating as a sensing initiator or a sensing responder, and related methods. The device may wirelessly communicate with one or more other devices to set up object detection measurements, and the device and the one or more other devices constitute the sensing initiator and one or more sensing responders, including the sensing responder. The device may also transmit sensing PPDUs, monitor a radio signature indicative of a physical characteristic of an object resulting from the sensing PPDU, or both. The device may cooperate with one or more other devices to transmit different sensing PPDUs, including the sensing PPDU, to each of the sensing responders on a different one of multiple sub-channels. The sub-channels differ from each other in terms of non-overlapping carrier frequencies in the frequency domain, and measurements of the multiple sub-channels may be obtained to estimate one or more physical characteristics of the object based on reception of the sensing PPDU. Each of the sensing responders may report respective information obtained from the aforementioned measurements to the sensing initiator, and each of the different sensing PPDUs may be transmitted in parallel in time.

[0019] Some other embodiments disclose devices operating as a detection initiator or a detection responder, and related methods. The device may wirelessly communicate with one or more other devices to set up object detection measurements. The device and one or more other devices constitute the detection initiator and one or more detection responders, including the detection responder. The device may transmit a sensing PPDU or acquire measurements to estimate one or more physical properties of an object based on receiving the sensing PPDU. The device may both transmit the sensing PPDU and acquire measurements. The device may also report information obtained from monitoring to the detection initiator or monitor reports containing the information. The reporting of information may be performed by each of the detection responders in parallel or sequentially. Each of the detection responders may report its respective information to the detection initiator using a different one of multiple subchannels, where the subchannels are distinct from each other in terms of carrier frequency, or the detection responders may all use a single subchannel, particularly a primary channel. Each of the detection responders may also report their respective information to the detection initiator using spatially separated wireless communication paths in different directions.

[0020] Some embodiments provide a method for detecting an object using wireless signals, performed by a detection initiator. The method includes wirelessly communicating with a plurality of detection responders to set up object detection measurements. The method further includes transmitting to or receiving from each of the detection responders a different respective sensing PPDU on a different one of a plurality of sub-channels. The different respective sensing PPDUs are transmitted parallel in time. The different sub-channels are distinct from one another in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. The method includes obtaining indications of measurements of the plurality of sub-channels based on reception of the sensing PPDU by the detection initiator or based on reception of reports from the plurality of detection responders. The reports are generated based on reception of the sensing PPDU. The indications of measurements can be used to estimate one or more physical properties of the object. A detection initiator device configured to perform operations corresponding to the foregoing method is also provided.

[0021] Some embodiments provide a method for detecting an object using wireless signals by a detection responder. The method includes wirelessly communicating with a detection initiator to set up an object detection measurement. The object detection measurement involves the detection initiator, the detection responder, and one or more other detection responders. The method includes transmitting a sensing PPDU on one of a plurality of sub-channels. The sensing PPDU is transmitted parallel in time with one or more other sensing PPDUs transmitted by respective ones of the other detection responders on other ones of the plurality of sub-channels. The multiple sub-channels are distinct from one another with respect to carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. In some embodiments, the method further includes obtaining a measurement on one of the plurality of sub-channels to estimate one or more physical properties of the object based on reception of the sensing PPDU and reporting an indication of such measurement to the detection initiator. A detection responder device configured to perform operations corresponding to the foregoing method is also provided.

[0022] The embodiments have been described above in terms of the aspect of the invention in which they may be implemented. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be implemented in terms of the aspect in which they are described, but may also be implemented with other embodiments of that aspect. Where the embodiments are mutually exclusive or otherwise incompatible with one another, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Some embodiments may be described in terms of one aspect, but may also be applicable to other aspects, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0023] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates coordinated monostatic sensing with one initiator and two responders, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 represents a procedure for coordinated monostatic sensing. [Figure 3] This represents coordinated bistatic sensing with one initiator and two responders. [Figure 4] 1 represents a procedure for coordinated bistatic sensing. [Figure 5-1] This is an example of multistatic sensing with one transmitter (initiator) and two receivers (responders). [Figure 5-2] This shows an example of multistatic sensing with two transmitters (responders) and one receiver (initiator). [Figure 6] 1 represents a procedure for multistatic sensing. [Figure 7] This is an example of multi-subchannel operation in IEEE802.11ay. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a procedure for monostatic sensing with coordination, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 10 illustrates a procedure for monostatic sensing with coordination, according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 illustrates a procedure for monostatic sensing with coordination, according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 illustrates a procedure for monostatic sensing with coordination according to a further embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 illustrates a procedure for bistatic sensing with coordination according to each embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is another example of bistatic sensing with coordination, according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] 10 illustrates yet another procedure for bistatic sensing with coordination, according to some other embodiments. [Figure 15] 1 is another example of a bistatic sensing procedure. [Figure 16] 1 is an example of a multistatic sensing procedure according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] 10 is another example of a multistatic sensing procedure according to another embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 illustrates a multistatic sensing procedure according to a further embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a multistatic sensing procedure according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates an electronic device acting as a sensing initiator or a sensing responder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] 1 illustrates another aspect of an electronic device operating as a sensing initiator or a sensing responder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] It should be noted that throughout the accompanying drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Numbers and letter combinations correspond to component labels in all drawings.

[0027] As used herein, the term "parallel" refers to two events (e.g., transmissions) occurring concurrently in time, such as at least partially simultaneously, overlapping, or concurrently. Two events occurring in parallel (in time) may be substantially exactly simultaneous, such that their beginnings and endings are more or less exactly aligned in time. However, it is contemplated that two events occurring in parallel (in time) may not necessarily be exactly simultaneous. Rather, two events may instead occur at times that at least partially overlap one another, such that both events occur at a point in time, but the beginning, ending, or both of the two events are not necessarily aligned in time.

[0028] In various embodiments described below (except for the embodiments of Figures 16 and 17 in which only one sensing PPDU is transmitted), the sensing PPDUs are transmitted in parallel (in time). In some embodiments, reporting-related frames, such as Poll, Report, and / or ACK frames, are also transmitted in parallel (in time) by more than one device.

[0029] Before describing embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, a brief general overview of the various sensing modalities of IEEE 802.11bf is provided. Each modality uses wireless signals, e.g., in the form of a sensing PPDU, to detect objects, which may include detecting physical characteristics of the object. Physical characteristics may include, for example, size, shape, orientation, motion, material, attitude, etc., or a combination thereof. The sensing PPDU is transmitted wirelessly in a specific frequency band according to the IEEE 802.11 protocol. An object absorbs, reflects, or otherwise affects the wireless signal carrying the sensing PPDU, thereby altering the sensing PPDU. The sensing PPDU is then received and processed to determine the presence and characteristics of such alterations. Based on this, the physical characteristics of the object are estimated. Note that the general sensing setups of FIGS. 1, 3, 5-1, and 5-2 are applicable to the sensing setup according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In monostatic sensing, bistatic sensing, and some forms of multistatic sensing, the responders each obtain channel or subchannel measurements by receiving and processing at least one of the sensing PPDUs. In other forms of multistatic sensing, the initiator obtains the measurements, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, for example. This allows the initiator to estimate the physical properties of the object.

[0030] A monostatic sensing device may be a device in which the sensing PPDU transmitter and sensing PPDU receiver are co-located within the same station (STA). Figure 1 illustrates coordinated monostatic sensing by one initiator 101 and two responders 102 and 103 to detect an object 100. Upon request from the initiator 101, each of the responders 102 and 103 performs sensing by transmitting and receiving a respective sensing PPDU and responds to the initiator 101 with the results of the sensing. Receiving a sensing PPDU may include measuring the characteristics of a designated channel or subchannel using a receiver.

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a coordinated monostatic sensing procedure, including sending and receiving physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) and detection reports, as described in IEEE 802.11-22 / 0243r06. The procedure includes a measurement setup phase 201 and a detection phase 202. During the measurement setup phase 201, an initiator 101 wirelessly communicates with multiple detection responders (102 and 103) to set up object detection measurements. The initiator 101 sequentially transmits request frames 108 and 109 to the responders 102 and 103, respectively. Upon receiving the request frames 108 and 109, the responders 102 and 103 complete the handshake procedure by replying to the initiator 101 with response frames 110 and 111, respectively. The request and response frames are exchanged sequentially between the initiator 101 and the responders 102 and 103 over a single subchannel. During the sensing phase 202, the responders 102 and 103 perform measurements on the object 100 by transmitting and receiving sensing PPDUs 104 and 105, respectively. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensing PPDUs 104 and 105 are transmitted at different times. Upon completing the transmission and reception of the sensing PPDUs 104 and 105, the responders 102 and 103 issue measurement reports 106 and 107, respectively, to the initiator 101. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the measurement reports 106 and 107 are transmitted at different times, e.g., following their respective sensing PPDUs. As described above, the responders 102 and 103 perform measurements at different time instances. This may result in inaccurate measurement results when the initiator 101 aggregates the measurement reports 106 and 107 from the responders 102 and 103, e.g., due to different channel conditions during the transmission of the different sensing PPDUs. Furthermore, the sequential transmission of measurement reports is time consuming.

[0032] 2 and similar figures, the transmission of a frame is represented by a corresponding rectangle drawn above a horizontal line extending from the transmitting device. For example, initiator 101 transmits request 108. The reception of the same frame is represented by a corresponding rectangle drawn below a horizontal line extending from the receiving device. For example, responder 102 receives request 108. In the case of monostatic sensing, since the sensing PPDU is transmitted and received by the same device (STA), such sensing PPDUs are represented using rectangles extending both above and below the horizontal line, as shown for example for PPDU 104.

[0033] A bistatic sensing device may be a device in which a sensing PPDU is transmitted by one station (STA) and received by another station. In some cases, one station may transmit multiple sensing PPDUs that are each received by a different station. Bistatic sensing with coordination involves the cooperation of multiple bistatic responders. Figure 3 illustrates coordinated bistatic sensing with one initiator 301 and two responders 302 and 303 to detect an object 100. Following measurement setup, each of the responders 302 and 303 receives the sensing PPDU transmitted by the initiator 301 and responds to the initiator 101 with the results of such reception.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a coordinated bistatic sensing procedure, including sequential sensing measurements and reporting, as described in IEEE 802.11-22 / 0243r06. The procedure includes a measurement setup phase 201 and a sensing phase 202. The measurement setup phase 201 in FIG. 4 has the same format as the measurement setup phase 201 disclosed in FIG. 2, except for frame numbering. During the sensing phase 202, the initiator 301 transmits multiple sensing PPDUs 304 at different time points. Responders 302 and 303 perform measurements on the PPDUs and return measurement reports 306 and 307, respectively, to the initiator 301. The measurement reports 306 and 307 are transmitted sequentially. Because responders 302 and 303 perform measurements at different time instances, inaccurate measurement results may occur when the initiator 301 aggregates the measurement reports from responders 302 and 303. Sequential reporting also takes time.

[0035] Multistatic sensing can be defined as a system including three STAs, e.g., one receiver and two transmitters, or two receivers and one transmitter. A multistatic sensing system may also include multiple receivers and multiple transmitters. This can be considered a generalization of a bistatic sensing system. For example, FIG. 5-1 depicts a multistatic sensing system including one transmitter (initiator 501) and two receivers 502 and 503 for detecting an object 100. Various messages (frames) are described in more detail in connection with other figures.

[0036] FIG. 5-2 shows another multi-static sensing system including two transmitters 502a and 503a and a receiver (initiator 501a) for detecting an object 100. The various frames are described in more detail in connection with other figures. The responders 502a and 503a may transmit sensing PPDUs 504a and 505a, respectively, at different time instances. As mentioned above, this can lead to inaccurate measurement results when the initiator 501a aggregates the received measurements.

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates a procedure for multi-static sensing and sequential sensing reporting. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2. During the sensing phase 202, the initiator 501 transmits a sensing PPDU 504. Both responders 502 and 503 receive the same sensing PPDU 504. Following reception of the sensing PPDU 504, the responders 502 and 503 may issue measurement reports 506 and 507, respectively, to the initiator 501. Even though the initiator 501 transmits a single sensing PPDU 504, the measurement reports 506 and 507 may still be transmitted sequentially, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, because time-parallel reporting is not used in this procedure, reporting may take longer than necessary. The initiator 501 can time the publication of measurement reports 506 and 507 by dispatching poll frames 512 and 513 to the responders 502 and 503, respectively.

[0038] Under IEEE 802.11.ay, an EDMG STA should support 4.32 GHz (two contiguous 2.16 GHz subchannels) for PPDU transmission using EDMG control mode (MCS0) and SC mode (MCS1-5 and 7-10). An EDMG station (STA) may support 2.16+2.16 GHz subchannels (i.e., two contiguous or non-contiguous subchannels) for PPDU transmission using EDMG control mode MCS0, SC mode, and OFDM mode (all MCSs). An EDMG access point (AP) may transmit DMG beacon frames using a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern. An EDMG AP may allocate A-BFTs on the primary channel and also allocate A-BFTs on the secondary channel. Thus, two non-AP STAs may transmit sector sweep (SSW) frames and SSW feedback frames in parallel over the primary and secondary channels, respectively.

[0039] Under IEEE 802.11ay, an access point (AP) 701 may communicate in parallel with non-AP STA1 702 and non-AP STA2 703 via a primary channel 704 and a secondary channel 705, respectively, as shown in FIG. 7 . The IEEE 802.11ay standard specifies a multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) downlink (DL). Implementing the MU-MIMO DL feature allows an access point (AP) to transmit N PPDU frames to N users in parallel via N spatial streams. Both the multi-subchannel and DL MU-MIMO features enable the implementation of efficient and accurate coordinated monostatic, bistatic, and multistatic sensing, as disclosed in subsequent embodiments. In other words, embodiments of the present disclosure utilize multiple channels (in different frequency subchannels) for communication between a sensing initiator and a sensing responder. These subchannels may be described as being distinct in terms of carrier frequency and non-overlapping in the frequency domain. The use of multiple channels is supported by the IEEE standard as described above, allowing for the parallel transmission of multiple sensing PPDUs, parallel reporting of detection reports, or a combination thereof.

[0040] In addition to, or instead of, using multiple channels in the frequency domain, spatially separated wireless communication streams (also referred to as spatially non-overlapping wireless communication streams) in different directions can be used to support parallel transmission of multiple sensing PPDUs, parallel reporting of detection reports, or a combination thereof. Different communication streams correspond to different beams between the transmit and receive antennas, thereby enabling separation of different communications to support such parallel occurrence. In such embodiments, at least the initiator may have two antennas (with two different antenna / sector / beam IDs) configured to communicate with different responders. By way of example, different transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) antenna pairs may be used for this purpose. Other types of MU-MIMO or similar spatial or antenna diversity approaches may also be used to achieve separation of communication streams. Wireless communication signal links can be non-overlapping in space (as spatially separated streams), in frequency (as frequency-separated subchannels), or both, as described above. Either method can be used to separate signals to enable parallel transmission in time.

[0041] FIG. 8 illustrates a procedure for coordinated monostatic sensing by responders 102 and 103 performing monostatic sensing measurements in parallel over two sub-channels. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2. Request frames 108 and 109 and response frames 110 and 111 are exchanged between the initiator 101 and responders 102 and 103 sequentially over sub-channel 801. During the detection phase 202, the responder 102 transmits and receives a sensing PPDU 104 over the first sub-channel 801. The responder 103 transmits and receives a sensing PPDU 105 over the second sub-channel 802 in parallel with the sensing PPDU 104. Thus, each responder uses its own sub-channel for transmitting and receiving its own sensing PPDU. Hereafter (and as explained above), the two different sub-channels differ in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. Each sensing responder (102 or 103) may transmit more than one sensing PPDU. For example, a sensing responder (or alternatively, a sensing initiator) may transmit bursts of sensing PPDUs for coverage purposes. Measurement reports 106 and 107 are provided to the initiator 101 in parallel (in time) over different sub-channels 801 and 802 by responders 102 and 103, respectively. Poll (112 and 113), measurement report (106 and 107), and ACK (114 and 115) frames are exchanged between the initiator 101 and responders 102 and 103 over sub-channels 801 and 802. One or more of the Poll, Report, and ACK frames may be transmitted in parallel with each other Poll, Report, or ACK frame corresponding to communications of other initiator-responder pairs. The disclosed embodiments may result in more efficient transmission of measurement reports.

[0042] Here, and elsewhere in this specification, receiving a sensing PPDU includes measuring the corresponding channel or sub-channel based on the detected sensing PPDU as part of obtaining measurements of such channel or sub-channel, which measurements are performed to estimate physical properties of the object, as described above. A measurement report contains information obtained by the responder's measurements (based on the detected / received sensing PPDU) to the initiator.

[0043] Here, and elsewhere in this specification, the subchannel used for sensing is also described as being used for subsequent reporting. This is believed to be in good agreement with current IEEE channel allocation behavior. However, it is contemplated that the subchannel used for sensing may differ from the subchannel used for reporting.

[0044] 9 illustrates another procedure for efficient coordinated monostatic sensing in which parallel (in time) sensing measurements are performed on two different sub-channels. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2. Request frames (108 and 109) and response frames (110 and 111) are exchanged between the initiator 101 and the responders 102 and 103 sequentially over the first sub-channel 801. During the sensing phase 202, sensing PPDUs 104 and 105 are used for sensing on sub-channels 801 and 802, respectively. The sensing PPDUs 104 and 105 are transmitted and received in parallel by the responders 102 and 103, as in FIG. 8. Poll (112 and 113), measurement report (106 and 107), and ACK (114 and 115) frames are exchanged between the initiator 101 and the responders 102, 103 over the first sub-channel 801. Thus, sensing is parallel and reporting is sequential (whereby each responder reports at different times, and the initiator also prompts (polls) and acknowledges reports from different responders at different times). The sub-channel used by each responder for reporting may be the same, or each responder may use a different sub-channel for reporting. Such an embodiment may improve accuracy through parallel sensing and, in some cases, may use different reporting schemes for greater flexibility.

[0045] Other embodiments may include each of the detection responders reporting their information (e.g., measurement reports) to the detection initiator using different directional, spatially separated wireless communication streams (also referred to herein as paths). Such embodiments are described, for example, with respect to FIGS. 10, 11, 14, 15, and 17. In such embodiments or other embodiments (see, for example, FIG. 19), each of the detection responders may communicate with the detection initiator as part of setting up an object detection measurement using different directional, spatially separated wireless communication streams. Alternatively, setting up an object detection measurement does not necessarily require the use of different directional, spatially separated wireless communication streams. The initiator 101 disclosed in FIG. 1 may be equipped with two antennas (with two different antenna / sector / beam IDs) for communicating with each of the responders 102 and 103. An initiator 101 equipped with two antennas may achieve uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) MU-MIMO functionality.

[0046] FIG. 10 illustrates a procedure for efficient monostatic sensing with parallel detection reporting via MU-MIMO, performed in parallel on two different subchannels. During measurement setup phase 201, request frames (108 and 109) and response frames (110 and 111) are exchanged between initiator 101 and responders 102, 103 via spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001 and 1002 in different directions for each initiator-responder pair. For example, such frames may be exchanged via respective first and second Tx-Rx antenna pairs on a single (common) subchannel. The frame exchange is sequential. Except for the use of such separate wireless communication streams or associated links for communication between the initiator and responder to set up object detection measurements, measurement setup phase 201 is identical in format to that of FIG. 2. During the sensing phase 202, sensing PPDUs 104 and 105 are transmitted in parallel over two different sub-channels 801 and 802, similar to Figures 8 and 9. The sensing PPDUs (frames) 104 and 105 are transmitted and received by the responders 102 and 103, respectively. Poll (112 and 113), measurement report (106 and 107), and ACK (114 and 115) frames are exchanged in parallel between the initiator 101 and the responders 102 and 103, similar to Figure 8. However, rather than using different sub-channels (in frequency) as in Figure 8, in Figure 10 the parallel transmission of measurement reports is achieved through the use of spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001 and 1002 (by the responder and initiator) in different directions. For example, the frames may be transmitted by different Tx-Rx antenna pairs over a single sub-channel implementing MU-MIMO functionality. The application of multiple, spatially separated wireless communication streams (or associated Tx-Rx antenna pairs) may result in more efficient transmission of measurement reports.

[0047] More specifically, initiators can transmit polls, ACKs, or both in parallel to one another using each one of directed, spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001, 1002, such transmissions using streams in the opposite direction from the stream seen by the responder at the initiator. Responders can send their reports to the initiator in parallel using these streams.

[0048] FIG. 11 illustrates an efficient monostatic sensing procedure performed by parallel sensing and measurement operations on subchannels 801 and 802, where spatially separated wireless communication streams in different directions are used during measurement setup and reporting. This procedure may be used, for example, when DL / UL MU-MIMO functionality is not implemented during measurement reporting to the initiator 101. The initiator 101 may have two antennas with two different antenna / sector / beam IDs. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 10. During the sensing phase 202, also identical to FIG. 10, sensing PPDUs 104 and 105 used to measure the channel are transmitted in parallel by the responders over two different subchannels 801 and 802 and received by the responders 102 and 103, respectively. Reporting is sequential, e.g., Poll, Measurement Report, and ACK frames are exchanged sequentially between the initiator 101 and the responders 102 and 103. Reporting may occur over a single subchannel. The exchange of frames between the initiator 101 and the responders 102, 103 occurs over spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001 and 1002 (e.g., corresponding to different Tx-Rx antenna pairs) in different directions. The monostatic sensing embodiments disclosed in Figures 8-11 may result in more efficient transmission of multiple sensing PPDUs and more accurate coordinated measurements when combining measurement results from the responders 102 and 103.

[0049] FIG. 12 illustrates an efficient coordinated bistatic sensing procedure involving parallel sensing measurements and parallel measurement reporting operations performed in parallel over two subchannels. Multiple sensing PPDUs are transmitted by the sensing initiator in parallel time (e.g., simultaneously) with each other. Each sensing PPDU is transmitted on a different one of multiple subchannels with different frequencies. In this embodiment, the initiator 301 may have a single antenna (a quasi-omnidirectional antenna or a directional antenna with a specific antenna / sector / beam ID) to communicate in parallel with the responders 302 and 303. Alternatively, the initiator 301 may have two or more antennas. The measurement setup phase 201 of this embodiment is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2 (except for frame numbering). During the sensing phase 202, the sensing initiator 301 cooperates with the sensing responders 302 and 303 by transmitting a sensing PPDU 304, which is received by the first sensing responder 302, and a sensing PPDU 304a, which is received by the second sensing responder 303. The sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted in parallel for reception by the responders 302 and 303 over a first sub-channel 801 and a second sub-channel 802, respectively, such that each responder performs its sensing PPDU reception (and associated measurements) using a different sub-channel. The sub-channels 801 and 802 are distinct from each other in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. The sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are used for channel measurements and are transmitted over the sub-channels 801 and 802 in parallel in time. The sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are received by the responders 302 and 303, respectively. The responders 302 and 303 obtain measurements on subchannels 801 and 802 to estimate one or more physical properties of the object 100 based on their respective reception of the received sensing PPDUs (e.g., by interacting with the sensing PPDUs).

[0050] The sensing initiator may send a respective Poll 312, 313 to each of the multiple sensing responders requesting a respective information report. The sensing initiator may also send a respective acknowledgment (ACK 314, 315) confirming each information report 306, 307. Each Poll signal, each acknowledgment (ACK), or both may be transmitted in parallel using different subchannels. Poll, reports, and acknowledgments corresponding to interactions with the same sensing responder may use the same subchannel or different sets of subchannels. For example, in this embodiment, Poll, measurement report, and ACK frames are exchanged in parallel (e.g., simultaneously) between initiator 301 and responders 302, 303 via subchannels 801 and 802. Similar to Figure 8, different responders, in cooperation with the initiator, use different sub-channels for reporting (including Poll, Report and ACK frames), thus realizing (for example) parallel reporting of at least one of Poll, Report and ACK frames. As disclosed in this embodiment, measurement reporting may result in more efficient transmission of measurement reports.

[0051] FIG. 13 illustrates another procedure for coordinated bistatic sensing, performed by parallel bistatic sensing measurements over two subchannels. Initiator 301 may use a single antenna (either a quasi-omnidirectional antenna or a directional antenna with a specific antenna / sector / beam ID) to communicate in parallel with responders 302 and 303. Measurement setup phase 201 is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2 (except for frame numbering). During detection phase 202, initiator 301 cooperates with responders 302 and 303 by transmitting sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a to each of the responders. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 12, sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are received by responders 302 and 303 over subchannels 801 and 802, respectively. Subchannels 801 and 802 are distinct from each other in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain. Sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are used to measure the channel and are transmitted in parallel over sub-channels 801 and 802. Sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are received by responders 302 and 303, respectively. Responders 302 and 303 obtain measurements over sub-channels 801 and 802 to infer one or more physical properties of object 100 through interaction with the sensing PPDUs. Poll, measurement report, and ACK frames are exchanged sequentially between initiator 301 and responders 302 and 303 over sub-channel 801 (for example) to achieve sequential reporting, similar to FIG. 9.

[0052] FIG. 14 illustrates yet another procedure for efficient coordinated bistatic sensing with parallel MU-MIMO sensing reporting, performed by performing parallel sensing measurements on two subchannels. In this embodiment, initiator 301 may have two antennas (with two different antenna / sector / beam IDs) for communicating with responders 302 and 303. Sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted in parallel via either a single antenna or multiple antennas. Initiator 301 with multiple antennas may achieve uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) MU-MIMO functionality. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 10 and the respective descriptions (thus using spatially separated wireless communication streams in different directions for communication between each initiator-responder pair). During the detection phase 202, sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted over different sub-channels 801 and 802 in parallel in time, similar to Figures 12 and 13. Sensing PPDUs (frames) 304 and 304a are transmitted by the initiator and received by the responders 302 and 303, respectively. Poll (312 and 313), measurement report (306 and 307), and ACK (314 and 315) frames are exchanged between the initiator 301 and the responders 302 and 303 in parallel in time, similar to Figure 10. The Poll, report, and ACK frames may be transmitted by different Tx-Rx antenna pairs over a single sub-channel implementing MU-MIMO functionality, as shown in Figure 14. More generally, Poll, Report, and ACK frames are transmitted over spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001, 1002 in different directions, whereby responders report in parallel over such streams. The application of multiple Tx-Rx antenna pairs or spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001, 1002 may result in more efficient transmission of measurement reports.

[0053] FIG. 15 presents a procedure for efficient coordinated bistatic sensing performed by performing parallel bistatic sensing measurements on two subchannels. Similar to the previous embodiment, the initiator 301 may have two or more antennas (with two or more different antenna / sector / beam IDs) for communicating with the responders 302 and 303. The sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted in parallel over either a single antenna or multiple antennas. The measurement setup phase 201 of the procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 10 and the respective descriptions. During the detection phase 202, the sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted in parallel over different subchannels 801 and 802, similar to FIGS. 12-14. The sensing PPDUs 304 and 304a are transmitted by the initiator 301 and received by the responders 302 and 303, respectively. Poll (312 and 313), measurement report (306 and 307), and ACK (314 and 315) frames are exchanged between the initiator 301 and the responders 302 and 303 sequentially, e.g., over a single subchannel (in frequency), similar to FIG. 11 , to achieve sequential reporting. The exchange of Poll, Report, and ACK frames between the initiator 301 and the responders 302 and 303 may occur over different Tx-Rx antenna pairs. More generally, the Poll, Report, and ACK frames are transmitted over spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001 and 1002 in different directions. The disclosed embodiments of bistatic sensing disclosed in FIGS. 12-15 may result in more efficient transmission of multiple sensing PPDUs and more accurate cooperative measurements when combining measurement results from the responders 302 and 303. Multiple sensing PPDUs are transmitted simultaneously to improve sensing accuracy and reduce sensing time. Reporting may be parallelized in time to reduce the time required for reporting, although this is not required in all embodiments.

[0054] FIG. 16 illustrates an efficient multistatic sensing procedure with parallel sensing measurement reporting on two subchannels. In this embodiment, the initiator 501 may optionally have a single antenna (either a quasi-omnidirectional antenna or a directional antenna with a specific antenna / sector / beam ID) to communicate with the responders 502 and 503. The measurement setup phase 201 is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2 (except for frame numbering). The multistatic sensing PPDU 504 used to measure the channel is transmitted over subchannel 801 and received by the responders 502 and 503. Each responder measures the same subchannel for PPDU reception and associated measurements (for estimating the physical properties of the object). Poll, measurement report, and ACK frames are exchanged between the initiator 501 and the responders 502 and 503 in parallel in time over subchannels 801 and 802 of different frequencies, similar to FIGS. 8 and 12. Thus, responders may report sensing results to the sensing initiator simultaneously, or at least without timing constraints with respect to each other's transmissions. Initiator communications to responders related to such reporting may also occur simultaneously, or without time constraints with respect to the initiator's transmissions to each responder. Parallel measurement reporting, as implemented in this embodiment by having each responder use a different respective sub-channel for reporting, may result in more efficient or timely transmission of measurement report frames.

[0055] FIG. 17 discloses another procedure for efficient multistatic sensing with parallel measurement reporting. In this embodiment, the initiator 501 may have two or more antennas (with two or more different antenna / sector / beam IDs) for communicating with the responders 502 and 503. The initiator 501 with two or more antennas may achieve uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) MU-MIMO functionality. More generally, the initiator 501 may communicate with each of the responders 502 and 503 via different, spatially separated wireless communication streams (or vice versa). The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is identical in format to that disclosed in FIGS. 10, 14, and 15 and their respective descriptions. A single sensing PPDU 504 used to measure the channel is transmitted over a single subchannel and received by the responders 502 and 503, as in FIG. 16. Poll (512 and 513), measurement report (506 and 507), and ACK (514 and 515) frames are exchanged between the initiator 501 and the responders 502, 503 in parallel in time. The frames may be transmitted by different Tx-Rx antenna pairs over a single subchannel (in frequency) by implementing MU-MIMO functionality. More generally, similar to FIG. 14 , the Poll, Report, and ACK frames are transmitted over different directional, spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001, 1002, allowing for parallel reporting in time without necessarily using different frequency subchannels (although such different subchannels may optionally be used). The application of multiple, differently directional, spatially separated wireless communication streams 1001, 1002, implemented by using multiple different Tx-Rx antenna pairs, for example, may result in more efficient or timely transmission of measurement reports. 16 and 17 represent two different approaches for parallelizing detection reports in time, either by different frequency sub-channels or by different wireless communication streams.

[0056] FIG. 18 illustrates an efficient multistatic sensing procedure involving parallel multistatic sensing measurements on two subchannels. In this embodiment, each of multiple sensing responders (e.g., 502a or 503a) transmits one or more sensing PPDUs. In this embodiment, initiator 501a may have a single antenna (a quasi-omnidirectional antenna or a directional antenna with a specific antenna / sector / beam ID) to receive reflected PPDUs transmitted by responders 502a and 503a. Initiator 501a obtains measurements on each of the different subchannels to receive the sensing PPDUs and to estimate the physical properties of the sensed object based on the reception of the sensing PPDUs. The measurement setup phase 201 of this embodiment is identical in format to that disclosed in FIG. 2 (except for frame numbering). During the sensing phase 202, sensing PPDUs 504a and 505a are transmitted in parallel in time by responders 502a and 503a, respectively, over sub-channels 801 and 802, which are of different frequencies. The initiator receives the sensing PPDUs in parallel in time over both of these sub-channels. The sensing frames 504a and 505a are received by initiator 501a. Since the initiator itself performs the measurements, no sensing reports are required.

[0057] FIG. 19 illustrates yet another procedure for efficient multi-static sensing performed by operating multi-static sensing in parallel on two subchannels. Initiator 501a may have two antennas (with two different antenna / sector / beam IDs) for communicating with responders 502 and 503. The measurement setup phase 201 of this procedure is the same in format as that disclosed in FIGS. 10, 14, 15, and 17 and their respective descriptions. The detection phase 202 is the same in format as that disclosed in the previous embodiment (FIG. 18). The embodiments disclosed in FIGS. 18-19 may result in efficient transmission of multiple sensing PPDUs and more accurate coordination of measurements when combining measurement results. Furthermore, these embodiments provide a multi-static sensing approach in which responders transmit sensing PPDUs for reception by the same initiator, and because the sensing PPDUs are transmitted in parallel in time, they improve sensing performance by avoiding the need for sequential sensing PPDUs (which can introduce inaccuracies due to time-varying channel conditions).

[0058] In monostatic, bistatic, and multistatic sensing, the request and response frames exchanged between the initiator and responder may provide subchannel information allocation for each responder for multiple subchannel operations (including detection measurements and detection reports) during the detection phase. The request and response frames exchanged between the initiator and responder may also provide the start time for parallel detection measurements over multiple subchannels. Thus, while the measurement setup phase 201 in embodiments of the present disclosure may be the same or substantially the same in format as the measurement setup phase in other approaches, the information exchanged between the initiator and responder during this measurement setup phase 201 is different in embodiments of the present disclosure compared to other approaches. The measurement setup phase is a phase in which the detection initiator wirelessly communicates with the detection responder to set up object detection measurements. Thus, the measurement setup phases of different embodiments may be the same or similar in format but different in content. Information indicating the different frequency sub-channels to be used, the parallelization or de-parallelization in time (or other timing aspects) of various transmissions, the designation of spatially separated wireless communication streams in different directions, etc. may be communicated as needed during the measurement setup phase 201.

[0059] FIG. 20 is a block diagram of an electronic device 2000, referred to in this disclosure as a detection initiator and a detection responder. The device 2000 may wirelessly communicate with one or more other devices to set up object detection measurements. Here, the device 2000 and one or more other devices constitute a detection initiator and one or more detection responders. The device 2000 may be a device in a multi-master system. The device 2000 may have a computer processor operatively coupled to computer memory. A computer equipped with network functionality including a wireless transceiver may also be configured as the device 2000. The device 2000 may correspond to a computer server, or a network node that provides network access (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 access point (AP) or similar device), or a portion of a network node that accesses the network, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 station (STA). In some embodiments, the initiator is an AP or a STA, and each responder is also an AP or a STA. The AP and STA may be wirelessly coupled via a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a WLAN conforming to IEEE 802.11, using various PPDUs, frames, and other communications described herein, such as communications conforming to IEEE 802.11 protocols.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 20 , device 2000 includes a processor 2001, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or specialized processor, e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU) or other such processor, memory 2004, non-transitory mass storage 2002, an I / O interface 2005, a network interface 2003, and a wireless transceiver 2006, all of which are communicatively coupled via a bidirectional bus 2007. The transceiver 2006 includes one or more antennas. Depending on the particular embodiment, any or all of the depicted elements may be utilized, or only some of the elements may be utilized. Furthermore, device 2000 may include multiple instances of a particular element, such as multiple processors, multiple memories, or multiple transceivers. Elements of a hardware device may also be directly coupled to other elements without a bidirectional bus. In addition to, or instead of, the processor and memory, other electronic components, such as integrated circuits, may be used to perform the required logical operations.

[0061] Memory 2004 may include any type of non-transitory memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), and any combination thereof. Mass storage element 2002 may include any type of non-locational storage device, such as a solid-state drive, a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a USB drive, or any computer program product configured to store data and machine-executable program code. According to particular embodiments, memory 2004 or mass storage 2002 may store statements and instructions executable by processor 2001 to perform any of the method operations described above.

[0062] FIG. 21 illustrates an electronic device 2100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 2100 may be a sensing initiator or a sensing responder and may include components and aspects of the device 2000 described above. The device includes a transmitter and receiver 2106, which may transmit and receive PPDUs and / or frames according to the IEEE 802.11 protocol. The electronic device further includes a measurement setup module 2110, a sensing PPDU module 2120, and a sensing results module 2130. These modules may be functional aspects of the device, implemented, for example, by the same computer processor or common electronic components, or by separate or partially separate processors or electronic devices. The modules 2110, 2120, and 2130 may operate differently depending on whether the device 2100 is operating as a sensing initiator or a sensing responder and the type of sensing operation being performed (e.g., monostatic, bistatic, or multistatic). The modules 2110, 2120, 2130 and the transmitter and receiver 2106 cooperate to perform some of the operations of a device as described in the various embodiments above, where the device is a sensing initiator or a sensing responder. Multiple such devices can interact to provide a system of devices configured to perform sensing operations.

[0063] The measurement setup module 2110 operates to set up sensing measurements by communicating with other similar devices via the transmitter and receiver 2106. That is, the measurement setup module 2110 may perform the communication portion of the device as described above with respect to the measurement setup phase 201. When the device 2100 is a sensing initiator, the measurement setup module may further determine the type of sensing to be performed, the sensing responders to be used, etc. The measurement setup module 2110 configures the sensing PPDU module 2120 and the sensing result module 2130. Such configuration may be based on information obtained during measurement setup. For example, the measurement setup module 2110 may configure which subchannels to use at which times for transmitting or receiving sensing PPDUs, which subchannels or streams to use at which times for transmitting or receiving Poll, Report, and ACK frames, etc.

[0064] The sensing PPDU module 2120 configures the transmitter and receiver 2106 to transmit, receive, or both transmit and receive sensing PPDUs as described above with respect to the first part of the detection phase 202. The sensing PPDU module may dictate aspects of transmission, reception, or both, such as the content, timing, and subchannel used of the sensing PPDU.

[0065] The detection result module 2130 operates to perform the communication portion of the device as described above with respect to the second portion of the detection phase 202. This may include transmitting or receiving poll, report, and acknowledgement frames as needed (in cooperation with the transmitter and receiver 2106). Such frames may also be generated and configured by the detection result module 2130, or processed as needed. The detection result module 2130 may generate and provide the content of detection report frames to be transmitted to other devices, for example, based on information received from the sensing PPDU module 2120. The detection result module 2130 may receive detection report frames from other devices and generate detection results, e.g., information related to objects, based at least in part on such detection reports. Additionally or alternatively, the detection result module 2130 may generate detection results based at least in part on information obtained from the sensing PPDU module 2120.

[0066] It is within the skill of the art to provide computer program products or program elements, or program storage or memory devices, such as magnetic or optical wires, tapes, or disks, for storing machine-readable signals, for controlling the operation of a computer according to the methods of the present technology, and / or for structuring some or all of the components of the systems of the present technology. Operations associated with the methods described herein may be implemented as coded instructions in a computer program product. In other words, a computer program product is a computer-readable medium having software code recorded thereon to perform the method when the computer program product is loaded into the memory of a wireless communication device and executed by a microprocessor. Furthermore, each operation of the method may be according to one or more program elements, modules, or objects, or portions thereof, executed on any computing device, such as a personal computer, server, PDA, or the like, and written in any programming language, such as C++ or Java. Furthermore, each operation, or a file or object implementing each operation, may be executed by specialized hardware or circuit modules designed for that purpose.

[0067] Throughout the description of the foregoing embodiments, the present invention can be implemented by using hardware alone or by using software and a required general-purpose hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product. The software product may be stored in a non-volatile or non-transitory storage medium, which may be a compact disc-type read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB flash disk, or a removable hard disk. The software product includes a number of instructions that enable a computer device (a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute the methods provided in the embodiments of the present invention. For example, such execution may correspond to simulating the logical operations described herein. The software product may additionally or alternatively include a number of instructions that enable a computer device to execute operations for configuring or programming a digital logic device according to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0068] While the invention has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be considered merely as illustrative of the invention as defined by the appended claims, and it is intended to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents that fall within the scope of the invention.

[0069] [Cross reference] This application claims the benefit of and benefits from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 068,040, filed December 19, 2022, entitled "METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVED DIRECTIONAL MULTIGIGABIT SENSING," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. 1. A method for detecting an object using a wireless signal, comprising: transmitting a request frame wirelessly over a first single sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels to a plurality of detection responders and receiving response frames from the plurality of detection responders to set up object detection measurements; transmitting or receiving a different sensing PPDU to or from each of the detection responders on a different one of the plurality of sub-channels, wherein one of the sensing PPDUs is transmitted on the first single sub-channel and the different sensing PPDUs are transmitted in parallel in time, and the different ones of the plurality of sub-channels are different from each other in terms of carrier frequency and do not overlap in the frequency domain; obtaining indications of measurements of the plurality of sub-channels based on receipt of the sensing PPDU by the sensing initiator or based on receipt of reports from the plurality of sensing responders, the reports being generated based on receipt of the sensing PPDU, the indications of measurements being usable to estimate one or more physical properties of the object; A method having the following.

2. the reports from the plurality of detection responders include a different respective report from a respective one of the plurality of detection responders, each of the different respective reports being received using a different respective one of the plurality of sub-channels; each of the different reports is received in parallel in time; The method of claim 1.

3. the sensing initiator transmits a respective one of the sensing PPDUs, and each of the plurality of sensing responders measures one of the respective different sub-channels and receives the respective PPDU to obtain the measurement for that respective one of the respective different sub-channels; 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs in parallel includes transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs at a timing that at least partially overlaps with at least one other sensing PPDU among the different sensing PPDUs.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the different reports received in parallel are transmitted by the plurality of detection responders at times that at least partially overlap; 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. transmitting a respective polling signal for one of the reports, an acknowledgment for each of the one of the reports, or both to a respective one of the plurality of detection responders; each respective polling signal, each respective acknowledgment response, or both, being transmitted in parallel in time using the different ones of the plurality of sub-channels used by that one of the different detection responders to transmit its respective report; 6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. the reports from the plurality of detection responders include a different respective report from each one of the plurality of detection responders, each of the different respective reports being received using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in a different respective direction; The method of claim 1.

8. each of the different reports is received in parallel in time; The method of claim 7.

9. transmitting a respective polling signal for one of the reports, an acknowledgment for each of the one of the reports, or both to a respective one of the plurality of detection responders; each respective polling signal, each respective acknowledgment response, or both, being transmitted in parallel in time using the respective spatially separated wireless communication streams in the different directions used by that one of the plurality of detection responders to transmit its respective report; 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8.

10. wirelessly transmitting a request frame to the plurality of detection responders to set up the object detection measurements and receiving a response frame from the plurality of detection responders; communicating with each one of the detection responders using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in each of different directions; The method according to claim 1 or 7.

11. 1. A method for detecting an object using a wireless signal, comprising: receiving a request frame from a sensing initiator and transmitting a response frame to the sensing initiator wirelessly over a first single sub-channel of a plurality of sub-channels to set up an object sensing measurement, the object sensing measurement involving the sensing initiator, the sensing responder, and one or more other sensing responders; transmitting a first sensing PPDU over one of the plurality of sub-channels and receiving the first sensing PPDU, the first sensing PPDU being transmitted in parallel in time with one or more other sensing PPDUs respectively transmitted and received by each one of the other detection responders over another one of the plurality of sub-channels, one of the sensing PPDUs being transmitted over the first single sub-channel, the plurality of sub-channels being distinct from one another in terms of carrier frequency and non-overlapping in the frequency domain; A method having the following.

12. obtaining a measurement of the one of the plurality of sub-channels to estimate one or more physical properties of the object based on receipt of the first sensing PPDU, or reporting an indication of the measurement to the sensing initiator. The method of claim 11.

13. each of the one or more other sense responders reports to the sense initiator an indication of each of the measurements related to the object based on receipt by a respective one of the other sense responders; the detection responder reports its indication of the measurement using one of the plurality of sub-channels, and each of the one or more other detection responders uses a respective other one of the plurality of sub-channels to report its respective indication of the measurement; reporting the indication of measurement by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders occurs concurrently in time. The method of claim 12.

14. transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs in parallel includes transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs at a timing that at least partially overlaps with at least one other sensing PPDU among the different sensing PPDUs.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. reporting the respective information in parallel by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders includes reporting the respective information at a timing that at least partially overlaps with reporting of the respective information by at least one other detection responder among the detection responders.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14.

16. each of the one or more other sense responders reports to the sense initiator an indication of each of the measurements related to the object based on receipt by a respective one of the other sense responders; the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders reporting its indication of the measurement using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in a different respective direction; The method of claim 12.

17. reporting the indication of measurements by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders is performed in parallel in time by each of the detection responders.

17. The method of claim 16.

18. A detection initiator device that detects an object using a wireless signal, wirelessly communicating with a plurality of detection responders to set up object detection measurements; transmitting a different sensing PPDU to each of the detection responders on a different one of a plurality of sub-channels, or receiving a different sensing PPDU from each of the detection responders, the different sensing PPDUs being transmitted in parallel in time, the different sub-channels being different from each other in terms of carrier frequency and not overlapping in the frequency domain; obtaining indications of measurements of the plurality of sub-channels based on receipt of the sensing PPDU by the sensing initiator or based on receipt of reports from the plurality of sensing responders, the reports being generated based on receipt of the sensing PPDU, and the indications of measurements being usable to estimate one or more physical properties of the object. An apparatus configured to:

19. the reports from the plurality of detection responders include a different respective report from a respective one of the plurality of detection responders, each of the different respective reports being received using a different respective one of the plurality of sub-channels; each of the different reports is received in parallel in time; 20. The apparatus of claim 18.

20. the sensing initiator transmits a respective one of the sensing PPDUs, and each of the plurality of sensing responders measures one of the respective different sub-channels and receives the respective PPDU to obtain the measurement for that respective one of the respective different sub-channels; 20. Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19.

21. transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs in parallel includes transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs at a timing that at least partially overlaps with at least one other sensing PPDU among the different sensing PPDUs.

21. Apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 20.

22. the different reports received in parallel are transmitted by the plurality of detection responders at times that at least partially overlap; 22. Apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 21.

23. transmitting a respective polling signal for one of the reports, an acknowledgment for each of the one of the reports, or both to a respective one of the plurality of detection responders; each respective polling signal, each respective acknowledgment response, or both, being transmitted in parallel in time using the different ones of the plurality of sub-channels used by that one of the different detection responders to transmit its respective report; 23. Apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 22.

24. the reports from the plurality of detection responders include a different respective report from each one of the plurality of detection responders, each of the different respective reports being received using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in a different respective direction; 20. The apparatus of claim 18.

25. each of the different reports is received in parallel in time; 25. The apparatus of claim 24.

26. transmitting a respective polling signal for one of the reports, an acknowledgment for each of the one of the reports, or both to a respective one of the plurality of detection responders; each respective polling signal, each respective acknowledgment response, or both, being transmitted in parallel in time using the respective spatially separated wireless communication streams in the different directions used by that one of the plurality of detection responders to transmit its respective report; 26. The apparatus of claim 25.

27. wirelessly communicating with the plurality of detection responders to set up the object detection measurements; communicating with each one of the detection responders using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in each of different directions; 27. Apparatus according to any one of claims 24 to 26.

28. 1. A detection responder device that detects objects using wireless signals, comprising: wirelessly communicating with a detection initiator to set up an object detection measurement, the object detection measurement involving the detection initiator, the detection responder, and one or more other detection responders; transmitting and receiving a first sensing PPDU on one of a plurality of sub-channels, the first sensing PPDU being transmitted in parallel in time with one or more other sensing PPDUs respectively transmitted and received by each one of the other detection responders on another one of the plurality of sub-channels, the plurality of sub-channels being distinct from one another in terms of carrier frequency and non-overlapping in the frequency domain; An apparatus configured to:

29. and further configured to obtain a measurement of the one of the plurality of sub-channels to estimate one or more physical properties of the object based on receipt of the first sensing PPDU, or report an indication of the measurement to the sensing initiator.

29. The apparatus of claim 28.

30. each of the one or more other sense responders reports to the sense initiator an indication of each of the measurements related to the object based on receipt by a respective one of the other sense responders; the detection responder reports its indication of the measurement using one of the plurality of sub-channels, and each of the one or more other detection responders uses a respective other one of the plurality of sub-channels to report its respective indication of the measurement; reporting the indication of measurement by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders occurs concurrently in time.

30. The apparatus of claim 29.

31. transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs in parallel includes transmitting each of the different sensing PPDUs at a timing that at least partially overlaps with at least one other sensing PPDU among the different sensing PPDUs.

31. Apparatus according to any one of claims 28 to 30.

32. reporting the respective information in parallel by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders includes reporting the respective information at a timing that at least partially overlaps with reporting of the respective information by at least one other detection responder among the detection responders.

32. Apparatus according to claim 30 or 31.

33. each of the one or more other sense responders reports to the sense initiator an indication of each of the measurements related to the object based on receipt by a respective one of the other sense responders; the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders reporting its indication of the measurement using a spatially separated wireless communication stream in a different respective direction; 30. The apparatus of claim 29.

34. reporting the indication of measurements by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders is performed in parallel in time by each of the detection responders.

34. The apparatus of claim 33.

35. the reports from the plurality of detection responders include a different respective report from each one of the plurality of detection responders and are received sequentially over the first single sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels; The method of claim 1.

36. transmitting a respective polling signal for one of the reports, an acknowledgment for each of the one of the reports, or both to a respective one of the plurality of detection responders; each of the polling signals, each of the acknowledgments, or both, is transmitted sequentially using the first single sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels; 36. The method of claim 35.

37. the sensing initiator transmitting a first polling signal to the sensing responder transmitting the sensing PPDU over the first single sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels prior to any other of the polling signals; 37. The method of claim 36.

38. each of the one or more other sensing responders reports to the sensing initiator via the first single sub-channel an indication of each of its measurements regarding the object based on receipt of a respective one of the other sensing PPDUs; reporting the indication of measurement by the detection responder and each of the one or more other detection responders is performed sequentially in time. The method of claim 11.

39. receiving a polling signal from the sensing initiator causing the sensing responder to report an indication of the measurement, an acknowledgment of the report, or both; the polling signal, the acknowledgment response, or both, is received sequentially over the first single sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels along with at least one of other polling signals and other acknowledgments to other ones of the detection responders; 39. The method of claim 38.

40. the sensing responder transmitting the sensing PPDU over the first single subchannel is the first sensing responder to receive a polling signal from the sensing initiator; 40. The method of claim 39.

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