Multi-receive mode millimeter wave (MMWAVE) operation

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave (mmWave) operation. In some examples, a method may include receiving a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) in a first frequency spectrum by a wireless communication device in a first receiving mode. The method may further include the wireless communication device identifying a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with receiving data in a second frequency spectrum based on the MU-RTS. Furthermore, the method may include the wireless communication device switching from the first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using the receiver RF chain based on the identification, and the wireless communication device receiving data via the receiver RF chain.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Cross-reference of related applications)

[0001] This application claims the interests of U.S. Nonprovisional Patent Application No. 18 / 313,208, filed on 5 May 2023, entitled “MULTI-RECEIVE MODE MILLIMETER WAVE (MMWAVE) OPERATION,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002]

[0002] This disclosure relates in general to wireless communications, and more specifically to enabling efficient millimeter-wave (mmWave) operation in, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standards family.

[0003] Description of related technologies

[0003] A wireless local area network (WLAN) may be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices, also called wireless stations (STAs). The basic building block of a WLAN conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is a Basic Service Set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within the AP's wireless range to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. [Overview of the project]

[0004]

[0004] The systems, methods, and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, and no single aspect of them alone embodies the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0005]

[0005] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method includes: receiving a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) in a first frequency spectrum by a wireless communication device in a first receiving mode; identifying a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with receiving data in a second frequency spectrum based on the MU-RTS by the wireless communication device; switching from the first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using a receiver RF chain based on the identification by the wireless communication device; and receiving data via the receiver RF chain by the wireless communication device.

[0006]

[0006] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described herein can be implemented in a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes at least one memory and at least one processor commutatically coupled to the at least one memory. Furthermore, the at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to receive a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) from an access point (AP) in a first spectrum, to cause the wireless device to identify a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS, to cause the wireless device to switch to a receive mode that employs the receive RF chain in response to the identification, and to cause the wireless device to receive data from the access point via the receive RF chain.

[0007]

[0007] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in a computer-readable medium containing stored instructions for wireless communication by a wireless communication device, the instructions being executable by a processor for the wireless device to receive a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS) from an Access Point (AP) in a first spectrum. The instructions are further executable by the wireless device to identify a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS. The instructions are further executable by the wireless device to switch to a receive mode that employs a receive RF chain in response to the identification, and to receive data from the Access Point via the receive RF chain.

[0008]

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described herein can be implemented in a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes means for the wireless device to receive a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) from an access point (AP) in a first spectrum. The device further includes means for the wireless device to identify a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS. The device further includes means for the wireless device to switch to a receiving mode that employs a receiving RF chain in response to the identification, and means for the wireless device to receive data from the access point via the receiving RF chain.

[0009]

[0009] In some examples of methods and wireless communication devices, receiving MU-RTS further includes receiving MU-RTS in a reduced power mode.

[0010]

[0010] In some examples of methods and wireless communication devices, receiving MU-RTS involves receiving MU-RTS while one or more components associated with the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer are powered off, and one or more components are coupled to the receiver RF chain.

[0011]

[0011] In some examples of methods and wireless communication devices, switching to a second receiving mode using an RF chain involves activating one or more components associated with the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiver RF chain.

[0012]

[0012] In some examples of methods and wireless communication devices, the first frequency spectrum is in the sub-7 gigahertz (GHz) band and the second frequency spectrum is in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band.

[0013]

[0013] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described herein are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, embodiments, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions in the following figures may not be drawn to exact scale. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1]

[0014] An illustrative diagram of a wireless communication network is shown. [Figure 2]

[0015] An exemplary protocol data unit (PDU) that can be used for communication between a wireless access point and one or more wireless stations is shown. [Figure 3]

[0016] An exemplary physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) that can be used for communication between a wireless access point (AP) and one or more wireless stations (STAs) is shown. [Figure 4]

[0017] An exemplary hierarchical format of a PPDU that can be used for communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs is shown. [Figure 5]

[0018] A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication network is shown. [Figure 6]

[0019] FIG. 6A shows a block diagram of an example of the wireless communication components of a wireless STA for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation.

[0020] FIG. 6B shows a block diagram of an example of the wireless communication components of a wireless STA for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation

[0021] FIG. 6C shows a block diagram of an example of the wireless communication components of a wireless STA for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation. [Figure 7]

[0022] FIG. 7A shows a sequence diagram of an example of wireless communication.

[0023] FIG. 7B shows a sequence diagram of an example of the wireless communication components for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation. [Figure 8]

[0024] FIG. 8A shows a drawing of an example of the wireless communication components of a wireless STA for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation in a first reception mode.

[0025] FIG. 8B shows a drawing of an example of the wireless communication components of a wireless STA for multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation in a second reception mode. [Figure 9]

[0026] A flowchart showing an exemplary process that can be implemented by a wireless STA that supports multi-reception mode millimeter wave operation is shown. [Figure 10]

[0027] A flowchart showing an exemplary process that can be implemented by a wireless AP supporting multi-reception mode millimeter-wave operation is shown. [Figure 11]

[0028] A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device is shown. [Figure 12]

[0029] A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device supporting multi-reception mode millimeter-wave operation is shown. [Figure 13]

[0030] A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device supporting multi-reception mode millimeter-wave operation is shown.

[0015] [[ID=1%]]

[0031] Like reference numerals and names in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016]

[0032] The following description applies to several specific examples for the purpose of illustrating innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in numerous different ways. Some or all of the examples described may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with, among other things, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, the Bluetooth® standard as defined by the Bluetooth® Special Interest Group (SIG), or one or more of the Long Term Evolution (LTE®), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio®) standards issued by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®). The examples described can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), spatial division multiple access (SDMA), rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA), multi-user shared access (MUSA), single-user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), and multi-user (MU) MIMO.The examples described may also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of the following networks: wireless personal area network (WPAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless wide area network (WWAN), wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0017]

[0033] Evolving wireless communication systems can communicate using one or more of several millimeter-wave frequency ranges, as millimeter-wave techniques offer one of the most important techniques for the next generation of wireless communication systems. Modern applications often include multimedia services, high-quality audio and / or video, and real-time services that rely on high throughput and low latency. Meeting the needs of modern applications sometimes requires large bandwidths of spectrum. Due to spectrum scarcity, wireless bands with sufficient bandwidth may be unavailable in RF wireless technologies at lower frequencies. For example, the increase in peak throughput in sub-7 GHz after Wi-Fi 7 may be limited due to the lack of spectrum in sub-7 GHz and signal processing being close to the Shannon limit. In contrast, millimeter-wave frequency bands may be less congested than low-gigahertz wireless communication bands, and more attractively, wider license-free RF bandwidths may be available. Several regulatory bodies have recently decided to permit unlicensed operation on several millimeter-wave frequency ranges (e.g., 48 GHz, 60 GHz) with spectrum above 1 GHz available in their relevant jurisdictions. However, communications using such millimeter-wave frequencies can present design challenges from an operational standpoint. For example, power consumption is one challenge in millimeter-wave implementations, stemming from the need to support high-dimensional antenna arrays with wide bandwidths. Furthermore, efficient power consumption is yet another focus for certain application examples.

[0018]

[0034] Various embodiments generally relate to enabling millimeter-wave operation in standards such as IEEE 802.11. Some embodiments more specifically relate to implementing receiver mode management techniques that can provide power savings in devices utilizing millimeter-wave frequencies. In some examples, an AP may send a control message (e.g., a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS)) to the STA. The MU-RTS may be a trigger frame and may be configured to trigger a specific receive mode in the STA. In some embodiments, the MU-RTS may include a link identifier identifying the physical link, a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain, and / or spectral frequencies associated with a specific receive mode in the STA. Upon receiving the control message, the STA may activate the receive mode identified in the control message. For example, in some embodiments, the STA may be in a first receive mode employing a first RF chain. Furthermore, in response to receiving a control message identifying a second receive mode, the STA may switch to the second receive mode. In some cases, the first receiving mode may correspond to a low-power or reduced-power mode of the STA, in which one or more millimeter-wave communication components may be powered off. Additionally, switching to a second receiving mode may include powering on one or more millimeter-wave communication components and receiving data from the AP via one or more millimeter-wave communication components.

[0019]

[0035] Certain aspects of the subject matter described herein can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential benefits. In some examples, power consumption can be reduced while taking advantage of the available license-free RF bandwidth by activating and deactivating millimeter-wave operation using the techniques described. More specifically, power consumption of the STA can be reduced by turning off the power to one or more millimeter-wave communication components when they are not in use. Furthermore, powering on one or more millimeter-wave communication components in response to communications from APs that intend to transmit data over the millimeter-wave frequency spectrum can enable the STA to meet the throughput and latency requirements of modern applications.

[0020]

[0036] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication network 100. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network 100 can be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network (hereinafter referred to as WLAN 100). For example, WLAN 100 can be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (such as those specified in the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or its revisions, including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and the 802.11 amendment associated with Wi-Fi 8). WLAN 100 may include numerous wireless communication devices, such as a wireless AP 102 and multiple wireless STA 104s. Although only one AP 102 is shown in Figure 1, the WLAN network 100 can also include multiple AP 102s. The AP102 shown in Figure 1 can represent various different types of APs, including, but is not limited to, enterprise-level APs, single-frequency APs, dual-band APs, standalone APs, software-enabled APs (soft APs), and multi-link APs. The coverage area and capacity of cellular networks (LTE, 5G NR, etc.) may be further improved by small cells supported by APs acting as miniature base stations. Furthermore, private cellular networks may also be constructed through wireless area networks using small cells. In some embodiments, the AP102 may include a millimeter-wave management component 112 configured to enable millimeter-wave operation in the STA104, as will be described in more detail herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the STA104 may include a millimeter-wave controller component 114 configured to enable millimeter-wave operation in the STA104, as will be described in more detail herein.As described herein, in some embodiments, the millimeter-wave controller component 114 enables millimeter-wave operation based at least in part on communications received from the millimeter-wave management component 112 of AP102.

[0021]

[0037] Each of the STA104 may also be called, among other examples, a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile handset, a wireless handset, an access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit. Among other examples, the STA104 may represent a variety of devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, Chromebooks, extended reality (XR) headsets, wearable devices, display devices (e.g., TVs (including smart TVs), computer monitors, navigation systems), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices ("remote"), printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators) or other household appliances, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and vehicles. Various STA104 units in the network can communicate with each other via AP102.

[0022]

[0038] A single AP102 and associated set of STA104 may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS) managed by each AP102. Figure 1 shows an exemplary coverage area 108 of AP102, which may additionally represent the basic service area (BSA) of WLAN100. The BSS may be identified or indicated to users by a service set identifier (SSID) and to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which may be the media access control (MAC) address of AP102. AP102 may periodically broadcast beacon frames ("beacons") containing the BSSID so that any STA104 within AP102's wireless range can "associate" or reassociate with AP102 in order to establish a separate communication link 106 (hereinafter also referred to as a "Wi-Fi link") with AP102 or to maintain a communication link 106 with AP102. For example, a beacon may include identification information or indication of the primary channel used by each AP102, as well as a timing synchronization function to establish or maintain timing synchronization with the AP102. The AP102 may provide access to the external network to various STA104 in the WLAN via their respective communication links 106.

[0023]

[0039] To establish a communication link 106 with AP102, each STA104 is configured to perform either a passive scan operation or an active scan operation ("scan") on a frequency channel within one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform a passive scan, the STA104 listens for beacons transmitted by each AP102 at periodic time intervals called the Target Beacon Transmit Time (TBTT) (measured in time units, TUs, where 1 TU may be equal to 1024 microseconds (μs)). To perform an active scan, the STA104 generates probe requests, transmits them sequentially on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from AP102. Each STA104 may identify, determine, confirm, or select an AP102 to associate with, based on scan information obtained through passive or active scanning, and may perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP102. Upon completion of the association operation, the AP102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA104, which the AP102 uses to track the STA104.

[0024]

[0040] As a result of the increased ubiquity of wireless networks, STA104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within the STA's range, or to select from multiple AP102s that together form an extended service set (ESS) containing multiple connected BSSs. An extended network station associated with WLAN100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distributed system that may allow multiple AP102s to be connected within such an ESS. Thus, STA104 may be covered by two or more AP102s and may be associated with different AP102s at different times for different transmissions. In addition, after association with an AP102, STA104 may also periodically scan its vicinity to find a more suitable AP102 to associate with. For example, STA104 working with its associated AP102 may perform a "roaming" scan to find another AP102 with more desirable network characteristics, such as a higher received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or reduced traffic load.

[0025]

[0041] In some cases, STA104s can form a network without AP102s or other equipment other than the STA104s themselves. One example of such a network is an ad-hoc network (or wireless ad-hoc network). Ad-hoc networks are sometimes referred to as mesh networks or peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In some cases, an ad-hoc network may be implemented within a larger wireless network such as a WLAN100. In such an example, STA104s may be able to communicate with each other through AP102s using communication link 106, but STA104s can also communicate with each other directly via a direct wireless communication link 110. Additionally, two STA104s may communicate via the direct communication link 110, regardless of whether both STA104s are associated with and serviced by the same AP102. In such an ad-hoc system, one or more of the STA104s may take on the role that AP102s play in a BSS. Such an STA104 may be called a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within an ad-hoc network. Examples of direct wireless communication links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established using Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) links, and other P2P group connections.

[0026]

[0042] AP102 and STA104 can function in accordance with one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards and communicate (via their respective communication links 106). These standards define WLAN radio protocols and baseband protocols for the PHY and MAC layers. AP102 and STA104 transmit and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as "Wi-Fi communications" or "wireless packets") to and from each other in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs). AP102 and STA104 in WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs over unlicensed spectrum, which may be a portion of the spectrum including frequency bands conventionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 60 GHz band, 3.6 GHz band, and 900 MHz band. Some examples of AP102 and STA104 described herein may also communicate in other frequency bands, such as the 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz bands, which may support both licensed and unlicensed communications. AP102 and STA104 can also communicate over other frequency bands, such as shared-license frequency bands, where multiple operators may have licenses to operate within one or more frequency bands that are the same or overlapping.

[0027]

[0043] Each frequency band may include multiple subbands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs compliant with the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and revised 802.11be standards may be transmitted over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz band, each divided into multiple 20MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are transmitted over physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, a PPDU may be transmitted over physical channels with bandwidths of 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 320MHz by bonding multiple 20MHz channels together.

[0028]

[0044] Each PPDU is a composite structure containing a PHY preamble and payload in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). Information provided within the preamble may be used by the receiving device to decode subsequent data within the PSDU. In instances where a PPDU is transmitted over bonded channels, the preamble fields may be duplicated and transmitted on each of the multiple component channels. A PHY preamble may contain both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble may be used, among other applications, for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation. The legacy preamble may also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, coding, and information provided within the non-legacy portion of the preamble are associated with a specific IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0029]

[0045] Figure 2 shows an exemplary protocol data unit (PDU) 200 that can be used for wireless communication between a wireless AP 102 and one or more wireless STAs 104. For example, the PDU 200 may be configured as a PPDU. As shown, the PDU 200 includes a PHY preamble 202 and a PHY payload 204. For example, the preamble 202 may include a legacy portion that itself contains a legacy short training field (L-STF) 206, which may consist of two symbols, a legacy long training field (L-LTF) 208, which may consist of two symbols, and a legacy signal field (L-SIG) 210, which may consist of two symbols. The legacy portion of the preamble 202 may be configured according to the IEEE 802.11a wireless communication protocol standard. The preamble 202 may also include a non-legacy portion containing one or more non-legacy fields 212 that conform to, for example, one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.

[0030]

[0046] The L-STF 206 generally enables the receiving device to perform coarse timing and frequency tracking and automatic gain control (AGC). The L-LTF 208 generally enables the receiving device to perform fine timing and frequency tracking and also enables initial estimation of the wireless channel. The L-SIG 210 generally enables the receiving device to determine (e.g., acquire, select, identify, detect, verify, calculate, or compute) the duration of a PDU to avoid overlapping transmissions with the PDU, and to use the determined duration. The legacy portion of the preamble, including the L-STF 206, L-LTF 208, and L-SIG 210, may be modulated according to a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation scheme. The payload 204 may be modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme, a quadrature BPSK (Q-BPSK) modulation scheme, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme, or another suitable modulation scheme. The payload 204 may also include a PSDU containing a data field (DATA) 214, which can carry upper-layer data in the form of, for example, MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) or aggregated MPDUs (A-MPDUs).

[0031]

[0047] Figure 3 shows another exemplary PPDU350 usable for wireless communication between a wireless AP and one or more wireless STAs. The PPDU350 may be used for SU transmission, OFDMA transmission, or MU-MIMO transmission. The PPDU350 may be formatted as an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) WLAN PPDU in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be revision to the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, or as a PPDU compliant with any later (post-EHT) version of a new wireless communication protocol compliant with a future IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard such as the 802.11 modification associated with Wi-Fi 8, or another wireless communication standard. The PPDU350 includes a PHY preamble, which includes a legacy portion 352 and a non-legacy portion 354. The PPDU350 may further include a PHY payload 356 after the preamble, for example in the form of a PSDU, which includes a data field 374.

[0032]

[0048] The legacy portion 352 of the preamble includes L-STF358, L-LTF360, and L-SIG362. The non-legacy portion 354 of the preamble includes a repetition of L-SIG, RL-SIG364 and several wireless communication protocol version-dependent signal fields following RL-SIG364. For example, the non-legacy portion 354 may include a general-purpose signal field 366 (referred to herein as "U-SIG366") and an EHT signal field 368 (referred to herein as "EHT-SIG368"). The presence of RL-SIG364 and U-SIG366 may indicate to an EHT or later version-compliant STA104 that PPDU350 is an EHT PPDU, or a PPDU compliant with any later (post-EHT) version of a new wireless communication protocol conforming to a future IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard. U-SIG366 and / or EHT-SIG368 may be configured as other wireless communication protocol versions associated with revisions of the IEEE standards family beyond EHT, and may carry version-dependent information about them. For example, U-SIG366 may be used by a receiving device to interpret bits in one or more of EHT-SIG368 or data field 374. In instances involving the use of bonded channels, such as L-STF358, L-LTF360, and L-SIG362, the information in U-SIG366 and EHT-SIG368 may be duplicated and transmitted over each of the 20 MHz component channels.

[0033]

[0049] The non-legacy portion 354 further includes an additional short training field 370 (referred herein to as “EHT-STF370”, which may be constructed as other wireless communication protocol versions after EHT and carry version-dependent information for them) and one or more additional long training fields 372 (referred herein to as “EHT-LTF372”, which may be constructed as other wireless communication protocol versions after EHT and carry version-dependent information for them). The EHT-STF370 may be used for timing and frequency tracking and AGC, and the EHT-LTF372 may be used for more refined channel estimation.

[0034]

[0050] EHT-SIG 368 may be used by an AP to identify and notify one or more STA104s that the AP has scheduled a UL or DL ​​resource. EHT-SIG368 may be decoded by each compatible STA104 served by AP102. EHT-SIG368 may generally be used by a receiving device to interpret bits in data field 374. For example, EHT-SIG368 may include, in particular, RU allocation information, spatial stream configuration information, and per-user (e.g., STA-specific) signaling information. Each EHT-SIG368 may include a common field and at least one user-specific field. In the context of OFDMA, the common field may, in particular, indicate the RU distribution across multiple STA104s, indicate RU allocation in the frequency domain, indicate which RUs are allocated to MU-MIMO transmissions, which RUs respond to OFDMA transmissions, and the number of users in the allocation. User-specific fields are assigned to specific STA104s and carry STA-specific scheduling information, such as user-specific MCS values ​​and user-specific RU allocation information. This information allows each STA104 to identify and decode the corresponding RU in the associated data field 374.

[0035]

[0051] In some wireless communication environments, ultra-high throughput (EHT) systems, or other systems compliant with the next generation of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards, may offer additional capabilities over other older systems (e.g., high efficiency (HE) systems or other legacy systems). EHT and newer wireless communication protocols can support flexible operating bandwidth expansion at APs and STAs, such as wider operating bandwidth compared to legacy operating bandwidth or finer-grained operation compared to legacy operation. For example, an EHT system may enable communication over operating bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 240 MHz, and 320 MHz. An EHT system may support multiple bandwidth modes, such as a continuous 240 MHz bandwidth mode, a continuous 320 MHz bandwidth mode, a discontinuous 160+160 MHz bandwidth mode, or a discontinuous 80+80+80+80 (or "4×80") MHz bandwidth mode.

[0036]

[0052] In some examples, wireless communication devices operate in a continuous 320 MHz bandwidth mode or a 160 + 160 MHz bandwidth mode. The signal for transmission may be generated by two different transmit chains of devices, each having a 160 MHz bandwidth (and each coupled to a different power amplifier). In some other examples, the signal for transmission may be generated by four or more different transmit chains of devices, each having an 80 MHz bandwidth.

[0037]

[0053] In some other examples, wireless communication devices may operate in a continuous 240 MHz bandwidth mode or a discontinuous 160 + 80 MHz bandwidth mode. In some examples, the signal for transmission may be generated by three different transmit chains of the device, each having an 80 MHz bandwidth. In some other examples, the 240 MHz / 160 + 80 MHz bandwidth mode may also be formed by puncturing a 320 / 160 + 160 MHz bandwidth mode using one or more 80 MHz subchannels. For example, the signal for transmission may be generated by two different transmit chains of the device, each having a 160 MHz bandwidth, with one of the transmit chains outputting a signal that has an 80 MHz subchannel punctured within it.

[0038]

[0054] The operating bandwidth can also be adapted to simultaneous operation on portions of the spectrum that include other unlicensed frequency bands (such as the 6 GHz band) and frequency bands conventionally used by Wi-Fi technology. In discontinuous examples, the operating bandwidth may span one or more heterogeneous sets of subchannels. For example, a 320 MHz bandwidth may be continuous and located within the same 6 GHz band, or it may be discontinuous and located in different bands (e.g., partially within the 5 GHz band and partially within the 6 GHz band).

[0039]

[0055] In some cases, operational enhancements associated with newer generations of the IEEE 802.11 family of EHT and wireless communication protocols, particularly operation in increased bandwidth, may include improvements to carrier detection and signal reporting mechanisms. Such techniques may include modifications to existing rules, structures, or signaling implemented for legacy systems.

[0040]

[0056] Transmitting and receiving devices may support the use of various modulation and coding schemes (MCSs) for transmitting and receiving data to optimally utilize wireless channel conditions, for example, to increase throughput, reduce latency, or impose various quality of service (QoS) parameters. For example, existing technologies support the use of up to 1024-QAM, where modulated symbols carry 10 bits. To further improve peak data rates, 4096-QAM (also known as "4k QAM"), which allows modulated symbols to carry 12 bits, may also be implemented. Assuming the same coding rate, 4096-QAM can enable a 20% increase in data rate compared to 1024-QAM, thereby potentially allowing users to achieve higher transmission efficiency.

[0041]

[0057] Figure 4 shows an exemplary hierarchical format of a PPDU that can be used for communication between a wireless AP 102 and one or more wireless STAs 104. As described, each PPDU 400 includes a PHY preamble 402 and a PSDU 404. Each PSDU 404 may represent (or "carry") one or more MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) 416. For example, each PSDU 404 may carry an aggregate MPDU (A-MPDU) 406 that includes an aggregation of multiple A-MPDU subframes 408. Each A-MPDU subframe 406 may include an MPDU frame 410 that includes a MAC delimiter 412 and a MAC header 414 before an accompanying MPDU 416 which contains the data portion ("payload" or "frame body") of the MPDU frame 410. Each MPDU frame 410 may include a frame check sequence (FCS) field 418 for error detection (for example, the FCS field may include a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)) and padding bits 420. An MPDU 416 may carry one or more MAC service data units (MSDUs) 416. For example, an MPDU 416 may carry an aggregated MSDU (A-MSDU) 422 containing multiple A-MSDU subframes 424. Each A-MSDU subframe 424 includes a corresponding MSDU 430, preceded by a subframe header 428 and possibly followed by padding bits 432.

[0042]

[0058] Referring again to the MPDU frame 410, the MAC delimiter 412 acts as a marker for the start of the associated MPDU 416 and may indicate the length of the associated MPDU 416. The MAC header 414 may include several fields containing information that defines or indicates the characteristics or attributes of the data encapsulated within the frame body 416. The MAC header 414 may include a duration field indicating the duration that continues at least from the end of the PPDU until the end of the acknowledgment (ACK) or block ACK (BA) of the PPDU that will be transmitted by the receiving wireless communication device. The use of the duration field helps reserve the wireless medium for the indicated duration, allowing the receiving device to establish its network allocation vector (NAV). The MAC header 414 also includes one or more fields indicating the addresses of the data encapsulated within the frame body 416. For example, the MAC header 414 may include a combination of source address, transmitter address, receiver address, or destination address. The MAC header 414 may further include a frame control field containing control information. The frame control field may specify the frame type, such as a data frame, control frame, or management frame.

[0043]

[0059] APs and STAs with multiple antennas can support various diversity schemes. For example, spatial diversity may be used by one or both the transmitting and receiving devices to enhance transmission robustness. For instance, to implement a transmit diversity scheme, the transmitting device may redundantly transmit the same data through two or more antennas.

[0044]

[0060] APs and STAs with multiple antennas can also support space-time block coding (STBC). Using STBC, the transmitting device also transmits multiple copies of the data stream across multiple antennas to leverage different received versions of the data to increase the likelihood of decoding the correct data. More specifically, the data stream to be transmitted is coded into blocks, and these blocks are distributed over time across spaced-out antennas. Generally, STBC can be used with a number of transmitting antennas N Tx The number of spatial streams is N SS It can be used when it exceeds N. SS The number of spatial streams is N, which is the number of spatiotemporal streams. STS They can be mapped to, and then, N Tx It is mapped to an individual transmission chain.

[0045]

[0061] APs and STAs containing multiple antennas can also support spatial multiplexing, which can be used to increase the spectral efficiency of transmission and the resulting throughput. To implement spatial multiplexing, the transmitting device uses several separate and independent spatial streams, numbering N. SS The data stream is divided into multiple N segments. The spatial streams are separated into multiple N segments. TxThey are encoded and transmitted in parallel via multiple transmit antennas. An AP and STA that include multiple antennas may also support beamforming. Beamforming generally refers to concentrating the energy of transmission in the direction of a target receiver. Beamforming can be used, for example, in the context of a single user (SU) to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and in the context of a multi-user (MU), for example, to enable MU multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission (also called spatial division multiple access (SDMA)). In the context of MU-MIMO, beamforming may, additionally or alternatively, involve nulling out the energy in the direction of other receiving devices. To implement SU beamforming or MU-MIMO, a transmitting device called a beamformer transmits signals from each of the multiple antennas. The beamformer configures the amplitude and phase shifts between the signals transmitted from different antennas to be added such that the signals reinforce each other along a specific direction towards the intended receiver (referred to as beamforming), or to be added such that they cancel each other out in other directions towards other devices to reduce interference in the MU-MIMO context. The manner in which the beamformer configures the amplitude and phase shifts depends on the channel state information (CSI) associated with the wireless channel over which the beamformer intends to communicate with the beamforming.

[0046]

[0062] To obtain the CSI required for beamforming, the beamformer may perform a channel sounding procedure with the beamforming. For example, the beamformer may transmit one or more sounding signals (e.g., in the form of a null data packet (NDP)) to the beamforming. An NDP is a PPDU that does not include a data field. The beamforming then corresponds to all pairs of transmit and receive antennas associated with the sounding signal Tx ×N RxMeasurements can be performed for each of the individual subchannels. The beamformer generates a feedback matrix associated with the channel measurements and typically compresses the feedback matrix before sending the feedback to the beamformer. The beamformer then generates a precoding (or "steering") matrix for the beamformer associated with the feedback and may use that steering matrix to precode the data stream and configure the amplitude and phase shifts for subsequent transmissions to the beamformer. The beamformer may use the steering matrix to determine (e.g., identify, detect, verify, calculate, or compute) how signals should be transmitted on each of its antennas in order to perform beamforming. For example, the steering matrix may indicate the phase shift, power level, etc., to be used to transmit individual signals on each of the beamformer's antennas.

[0047]

[0063] The transmitting device may support the use of a diversity scheme. When beamforming is performed, the transmit beamforming array gain is N Tx and N SS It is logarithmically proportional to the ratio. Therefore, within other constraints, when beamforming is performed to increase the gain, the number of transmitting antennas N Tx Increasing the number of transmitting antennas is generally desirable. Increasing the number of transmitting antennas also allows for more precise direction of transmissions or nulls. This is particularly advantageous in MU transmission contexts where reducing user-to-user interference is especially important.

[0048]

[0064] To increase the spatial multiplexing capability of an AP, it may need to support an increased number of spatial streams (e.g., up to 16 spatial streams). However, supporting additional spatial streams can lead to an increase in CSI feedback overhead. Implicit CSI acquisition techniques can circumvent CSI feedback overhead by taking advantage of the assumption that UL and DL channels have reversible impulse responses (i.e., channel reversibility). For example, CSI feedback overhead can be mitigated using implicit channel sounding procedures such as BFR techniques (for example, when an STA transmits an NDP sounding packet on the UL while the AP measures the channel) because no implicit beamforming report (BFR) is transmitted. Upon receiving the NDP, the AP may implicitly evaluate the channel for each STA and use the channel evaluation to construct a steering matrix. To mitigate hardware mismatches that could break channel reversibility on the UL and DL (e.g., baseband-RF chains and RF-baseband chains are not reversible), the AP may implement calibration methods to compensate for mismatches between UL and DL channels. For example, the AP could select a reference antenna, transmit a pilot signal from each of those antennas, and estimate the baseband versus RF gain for each of the non-reference antennas relative to the reference antenna.

[0049]

[0065] In some examples, multiple APs may transmit to one or more STAs at a time using a distributed MU-MIMO scheme. Examples of such distributed MU-MIMO transmission include coordinated beamforming (CBF) and joint transmission (JT). Using CBF, a signal (such as a data stream) for a given STA may be transmitted by only a single AP. However, the coverage areas of neighboring APs may overlap, and a signal transmitted by a given AP may arrive as an OBSS signal at an STA in an OBSS associated with a neighboring AP. CBF allows multiple neighboring APs to transmit simultaneously while minimizing or avoiding interference, which can lead to more opportunities for space reuse. More specifically, using the CBF technique, an AP may beamform a signal to an STA in a BSS while forming a null in the direction of the STA in the OBSS, such that any signal received at the OBSS STA is low enough power to limit interference at the STA. To achieve this, an inter-BSS coordination set containing identifiers of all APs and STAs participating in CBF transmission may be defined among neighboring APs.

[0050]

[0066] Using JT, a signal for a given STA can be transmitted by multiple coordinated APs. For multiple APs to transmit data to the STA simultaneously, each AP may require a copy of the data to be transmitted to the STA. Therefore, APs may need to exchange data with each other for transmission to the STA. In JT, the combination of antennas of multiple APs transmitting to one or more STAs can be considered as one large antenna array (which may be represented as a virtual antenna array) used for beamforming and signal transmission. Combined with MU-MIMO techniques, multiple antennas of multiple APs may be able to transmit data through multiple spatial streams. Therefore, each STA may receive data through one or more of these spatial streams.

[0051]

[0067] AP102 and STA104 can support multi-user (MU) communication, that is, simultaneous transmission from one device to each of multiple devices (e.g., multiple simultaneous downlink (DL) communications from AP102 to the corresponding STA104) or simultaneous transmission from multiple devices to a single device (e.g., multiple simultaneous uplink (UL) transmissions from the corresponding STA104 to AP102). To support MU transmission, AP102 and STA104 may utilize multi-user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) techniques and multi-user orthogonal frequency division multiple access (MU-OFDMA) techniques.

[0052]

[0068] In the MU-OFDMA scheme, the available frequency spectrum of a wireless channel can be divided into multiple resource units (RUs), each containing multiple frequency subcarriers (also called "tones"). Different RUs may be allocated or assigned by AP102 to different STA104 at a given time. The size and distribution of RUs are sometimes referred to as RU allocation. In some examples, RUs may be allocated at 2MHz intervals, so the smallest RU may contain 26 tones, consisting of 24 data tones and 2 pilot tones. As a result, a 20MHz channel may have up to 9 RUs allocated (such as a 2MHz, 26-tone RU), as some tones are reserved for other purposes. Similarly, a 160MHz channel may have up to 74 RUs allocated. Larger RUs of 52, 106, 242, 484, and 996 tones may also be allocated. For example, to reduce interference between adjacent RUs, to reduce the DC offset of the receiver, and to avoid leakage of the transmit center frequency, adjacent RUs may be separated by null subcarriers (such as DC subcarriers).

[0053]

[0069] In the case of UL MU transmission, AP102 may send a trigger frame to initiate and synchronize UL MU-OFDMA or UL MU-MIMO transmissions from multiple STA104 to AP102. Thus, such a trigger frame may enable multiple STA104 to transmit UL traffic to AP102 simultaneously. The trigger frame may address one or more STA104 via their respective association identifiers (AIDs), and may assign one or more RUs to each AID (and therefore each STA104) that can be used to transmit UL traffic to AP102. AP may also specify one or more random access (RA) RUs that unscheduled STA104s may compete for.

[0054]

[0070] Some wireless communication devices (including both APs and STAs) are capable of multi-link operation (MLO). In some examples, MLO supports establishing multiple different communication links between the STA and the AP (such as a first link on the 2.4 GHz band, a second link on the 5 GHz band, and a third link on the 6 GHz band). Each communication link may support one or more sets of channels or logical entities. In some cases, each communication link associated with a given wireless communication device may be associated with a separate radio of the wireless communication device, which may include one or more transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) chains, one or more physical antennas or be coupled to them, or signal processing components, among other components. MLO-enabled devices are sometimes called multi-link devices (MLDs). For example, an AP MLD may include multiple APs, each configured to communicate with a separate STA among multiple STAs of non-AP MLDs (also called "STA MLDs") on separate communication links. The STA MLD may communicate with the AP MLD via one or more of multiple communication links at a given time.

[0055]

[0071] One type of MLO is multi-link aggregation (MLA), where traffic associated with a single STA is transmitted simultaneously in parallel across multiple communication links to maximize the use of available resources to achieve higher throughput. That is, for at least some duration, transmission or a portion of transmission may occur simultaneously in parallel over two or more links. In some examples, parallel wireless communication links may support synchronous transmission. In some other examples, or for some other duration, transmissions over links may be parallel but not synchronous or simultaneous. In some examples or durations, two or more of the links may be used for communication between wireless communication devices in the same direction (such as all uplink or all downlink). In some other examples or durations, two or more of the links may be used for communication in different directions. For example, one or more links may support uplink communication, and one or more links may support downlink communication. In such examples, at least one of the wireless communication devices operates in full-duplex mode. Generally, full-duplex operation enables bidirectional communication in which at least one of the wireless communication devices can transmit and receive simultaneously.

[0056]

[0072] MLA can be implemented in several ways. In some examples, MLA may be packet-based. In packet-based aggregation, frames of a single traffic flow (such as all traffic associated with a given traffic identifier (TID)) may be transmitted simultaneously across multiple communication links. In some other examples, MLA may be flow-based. In flow-based aggregation, each traffic flow (such as all traffic associated with a given TID) may be transmitted using a single communication link out of several available communication links. As an example, a single STA MLD may access a web browser while simultaneously streaming video in parallel. Traffic associated with the web browser access may be transmitted over a first communication link, and traffic associated with the video stream may be transmitted in parallel over a second communication link (resulting in at least some of the data being transmitted on the first channel simultaneously with data being transmitted on the second channel).

[0057]

[0073] In some other examples, MLA can be implemented as a hybrid of flow-based and packet-based aggregation. For example, MLD may employ flow-based aggregation in situations where multiple traffic flows are created, and packet-based aggregation in other situations. The decision to switch between MLA techniques or modes may, additionally or alternatively, be associated with other metrics (among other factors or considerations, such as time of day, traffic load in the network, or battery power of wireless communication devices).

[0058]

[0074] To support MLO techniques, AP MLDs and STA MLDs may exchange supported MLO capability information (such as supported aggregation types or supported frequency bands, among other information). In some examples, the exchange of information may occur via beacon signals, probe requests or probe responses, association requests or association response frames, dedicated action frames, or operating mode indicators (OMIs), among other examples. In some examples, an AP MLD may designate a given channel in a given band as an anchor channel (such as the channel from which it transmits beacons and other management frames). In such examples, the AP MLD may also transmit beacons (which may contain less information, among other things) on other channels for discovery purposes.

[0059]

[0075] MLO techniques can offer several advantages to WLANs. For example, MLO can improve user-perceived throughput (UPT) by rapidly flushing per-user transmit queues. Similarly, MLO can improve throughput by improving the utilization of available channels and increase spectrum utilization by increasing the bandwidth-time product. Furthermore, MLO can enable smooth transitions between multiband radios (for example, when each radio can be associated with a given RF band) or allow the framework to set up separation of control and data channels. Other advantages of MLO include reducing modem on-time, which can benefit wireless communication devices in terms of power consumption. Another advantage of MLO is the increased multiplexing opportunities in the case of a single BSS. For example, multilink aggregation can increase the number of users per multiplexed transmit served by a multilink AP MLD.

[0060]

[0076] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication network 500. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network 500 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network (hereinafter referred to as WLAN500). For example, WLAN500 may be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards.

[0061]

[0077] As shown in Figure 5, the wireless communication network 500 may include AP502 (similar to AP102, for example) and STA504 (similar to STA104, for example) which establish and maintain communication links 506 with each other. Furthermore, AP502 and STA504 may function according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards and communicate (via separate communication links 506). In particular, AP502 and STA504 may transmit and receive wireless communications with each other in the form of PPDU.

[0062]

[0078] As shown in Figure 5, AP502 may include a millimeter-wave management component 112, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 508, and one or more other communication components 510. As described herein, the millimeter-wave management component 112 may manage the receiving mode of STA504. In particular, the millimeter-wave management component 112 may activate the use of the millimeter-wave band by STA504 for wireless communication between AP502 and STA504. Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more other communication components 510 may include components of an RF chain for performing wireless communication in the sub-7 GHz band, and one or more millimeter-wave communication components 508 may include components of an RF chain for performing wireless communication in the millimeter-wave band.

[0063]

[0079] In some embodiments, AP502 may transmit one or more control communications (CC) 512 (e.g., RTS, MU-RTS, or control frames) to STA504. For example, AP502 may transmit CC512(1) to CC512(n). Furthermore, CC512 may include a link identifier (ID) 514 of the STA504's receiving mode. For example, CC512 may include a first identifier for a first receiving mode in STA504 employing the sub-7GHz band, or a second identifier for a second receiving mode in STA504 employing the millimeter-wave band.

[0064]

[0080] In addition, when CC512 is transmitted to STA504, AP502 may employ communication components associated with link identifier 514 for wireless communication with STA504. For example, if millimeter-wave management component 112 transmits CC512 identifying a first receiving mode of STA504, AP502 may employ one or more other communication components 510 to transmit wireless communication 516 (e.g., wireless communication 516(1) to 516(n)) to STA504. Conversely, if millimeter-wave management component 112 transmits CC512 identifying a second receiving mode of STA504, AP502 may employ one or more millimeter-wave communication components 508 to transmit wireless communication 516 to STA504 and to receive wireless communication 516 from STA504.

[0065]

[0081] As shown in Figure 5, STA504 may include a millimeter-wave controller component 114, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518, and one or more other communication components 520. As described herein, the millimeter-wave controller component 114 may initially operate in a first receiving mode in which at least some of the one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 are present, and may receive CC512 via one or more other communication components 520. As used herein, in some embodiments, “deactivating” may mean at least one of the following: turning off the power to the components of STA504, interrupting the operation of one or more components of STA504, transitioning to operation in a reduced power mode, or transitioning to operation in a low power mode. As used herein, in some embodiments, “activating” may mean at least one of the following: turning on the components of STA504, restarting the operation of one or more components of STA504, or transitioning to operation in a normal or higher power mode.

[0066]

[0082] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 may include a MAC 522, a PHY 524, and a plurality of RF resources 526(1) to 526(n). In some embodiments, as used herein, the MAC 522 may be a physical interface transceiver implementing the physical layer for millimeter-wave, e.g., an Ethernet MAC, and the PHY 524 may be a medium access controller implementing the data link layer for millimeter-wave communication, e.g., an Ethernet PHY. In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figure 6A, the MAC 522 and PHY 524 may be separate from the MAC and PHY employed by one or more other communication components 520. Alternatively, in some embodiments, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figures 6B to 6C, the MAC 522 and / or PHY 524 may be shared with one or more other communication components 520. Furthermore, multiple RF resources 526 may perform separate transmit and receive functions, or may include transceivers that combine transmit and receive functions. Furthermore, in some embodiments, multiple sets of RF resource components may be provided through separate transceivers or as separate functions within the same transceiver. Furthermore, in some embodiments, each set of RF resources 526 may include at least two receive chains and one transmit chain to perform the transmit / receive function. Furthermore, each set of RF resource components may be coupled to a group of at least two antennas.

[0067]

[0083] When CC512 is received via one or more other communication components 520, the millimeter-wave controller component 114 may determine whether to transition STA504 to a second receiving mode or to remain in the first receiving mode with one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 deactivated. For example, if the millimeter-wave controller component 114 determines that the link identifier 514 corresponds to the first receiving mode and / or one or more other communication components 520, the millimeter-wave controller component 114 may maintain the current state of STA504 in the first receiving mode and cause STA504 to transmit and receive wireless communications 516 via one or more other communication components 520. Conversely, if the millimeter-wave controller component 114 determines that the link identifier 514 corresponds to a second receiving mode and / or one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518, the STA 504 may activate one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518, causing the STA 504 to transmit and receive wireless communications 516 via one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the millimeter-wave controller component 114 may deactivate one or more other communication components 520 in the second receiving mode to reduce power consumption during the transmission and reception of wireless communications 516.

[0068]

[0084] Figure 6A shows a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication component for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation. According to various embodiments, STA600 (and its components) may be similar to one or more of STA104 and 504 described with reference to Figures 1 and 5. As shown in Figure 6A, in some embodiments, the sub-7GHz MAC602 and sub-7GHz PHY604 employed by the sub-7GHz RF resource 606 in the first receive mode may be separate from the Ethernet MAC608 (e.g., MAC522) and Ethernet PHY610 (e.g., PHY524) employed by the millimeter-wave RF resource 612 (e.g., RF resource 526) in the second receive mode.

[0069]

[0085] Figure 6B shows a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication component for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation. According to various embodiments, STA620 may be similar to one or more of STA104 and 504 described with reference to Figures 1 and 5. As shown in Figure 6B, in some embodiments, the common MAC622 may be employed by a sub-7GHz RF resource 624 in the first receive mode and by a millimeter-wave RF resource 626 (e.g., RF resource 526) in the second receive mode. Furthermore, the sub-7GHz PHY628 employed by the sub-7GHz RF resource 624 in the first receive mode may be separate from the millimeter-wave PHY630 (e.g., PHY524) employed by the millimeter-wave RF resource 626 (e.g., RF resource 526) in the second receive mode.

[0070]

[0086] Figure 6C shows a block diagram of an example of a wireless communication component for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation n. According to various embodiments, STA640 may be similar to one or more of STA104 and 504 described with reference to Figures 1 and 5. As shown in Figure 6C, the sub-7GHz RF resource 642 corresponding to the first receive mode and the millimeter-wave RF resource 644 (e.g., RF resource 526) corresponding to the second receive mode may use a common MAC 646 and a common PHY 648. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure provide the use of a shared Ethernet MAC and Ethernet PHY for millimeter-wave operation, which may result in cost savings when implementing millimeter-wave operation.

[0071]

[0087] Figure 7A shows a sequence diagram 700 of an example of wireless communication. As shown in Figure 7A, the AP may employ sub-7GHz link 702 to transmit CC (e.g., CC512 such as MU-RTS704) to the STA (e.g., STA504). In response, the STA may employ sub-7GHz link 706 to transmit clear to send (CTS) 708. In response to the transmission and / or reception of CTS 708, the AP and STA may exchange data 710 and acknowledgment (ACK) 712 for the data 710 over sub-7GHz links 702 and 706.

[0072]

[0088] Figure 7B shows a sequence diagram 714 of an example of wireless communication components for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation. As shown in Figure 7B, the AP may employ a sub-7GHz link 716 to transmit a CC (e.g., CC512, such as MU-RTS718) to an STA (e.g., STA504). As will be described in more detail herein, the MU-RTS718 may include a link identifier (e.g., link identifier 514) that identifies the millimeter-wave link 720 of the STA. In response to the MU-RTS718, the STA may transmit a Transmittable (CTS)722 over the STA's sub-7GHz link 724. In some embodiments, the MU-RTS718 may be a broadcast transmit and may further include the STA's STA identifier. Furthermore, the STA may transmit a CTS722 in response to identifying the STA's STA identifier within the MU-RTS718. In some other embodiments, MU-RTS718 could be a unicast transmission to STA, which triggers a transmission of CTS722 in response to the reception of the unicast transmission.

[0073]

[0089] Furthermore, in response to the link identifier identifying millimeter-wave link 720, the STA may activate its millimeter-wave communication components (e.g., millimeter-wave communication component 518). Additionally, in response to the transmission and reception of CTS 722, the AP and STA may exchange data 726 and acknowledgment (ACK) 728 for data 726 via the AP's millimeter-wave link 730 and the STA's millimeter-wave link 720.

[0074]

[0090] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, after transmitting data 710 / ACK 712 and data 726 / ACK 728, the STA may perform a medium synchronization delay (MSD) 730. Furthermore, an STA that has transitioned to a second receiving mode for millimeter-wave communication may, after performing the MSD, return to the first receiving mode until it receives further instructions from the AP to transition to the second receiving mode. As used herein, in some embodiments, the MSD may refer to the duration of time it takes for the STA to switch between the first and second links (e.g., switching from a millimeter-wave link back to a sub-7GHz link where control frames can be received). In some embodiments, the STA has two separate radios, and therefore both radios are on, so there is no switching between links, and the MSD value may be zero. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, when the links rely on shared components, the MSD value may be non-zero, which may require time to perform the switching operation referred to above.

[0075]

[0091] Figure 8A shows an example of the wireless communication components of an STA for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation in a first receiving mode. As shown in Figure 8A, in the first receiving mode, the sub-7GHz RF resource 802 and associated antenna 804 of the STA (e.g., STA104 and / or STA504) may be activated, while the millimeter-wave RF resource 806 and associated antenna 808 of the STA may be deactivated. Thus, the STA can reduce power consumption by minimizing the power supplied to the millimeter-wave RF resource 806 and the associated antenna 808 of the STA. As shown in Figure 8A, in some embodiments, the sub-7GHz RF resource 802 and the millimeter-wave RF resource 806 may be coupled with a common MAC 810 and a common PHY 812.

[0076]

[0092] Figure 8B illustrates an example of the wireless communication components of the STA for multi-receive-mode millimeter-wave operation in a second receiving mode. As shown in Figure 8B, in the second receiving mode, the STA's sub-7GHz RF resource 802 and associated antenna 804 may be deactivated, while the STA's millimeter-wave RF resource 806 and associated antenna 808 are activated. Thus, the STA may temporarily activate the millimeter-wave RF resource 806 to improve throughput and latency without incurring the significant power consumption costs that would result from activating the millimeter-wave RF resource 806 and associated antenna 808 when they are not in use.

[0077]

[0093] Figure 9 shows a flowchart illustrating exemplary processes 900 that can be implemented in a wireless STA supporting efficient millimeter-wave operation according to several aspects of this disclosure. The operation of process 900 can be implemented by a wireless STA or its components as described herein. For example, process 900 can be implemented by a wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 1300 described with reference to Figure 13, operating as a wireless STA or within a wireless STA. In some examples, process 900 can be implemented by a wireless STA, such as one of the STA104 described with reference to Figure 1 or the STA504 described with reference to Figure 5.

[0078]

[0094] In some examples, in block 902, process 900 may include the wireless STA receiving a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS) in a first frequency spectrum in a first receiving mode. For example, STA 504 may receive CC 512 from AP 502 while in a first receiving mode in which one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 of STA 504 are deactivated (i.e., STA 504 may be in a low-power mode). Furthermore, CC 512 may include a link identifier 514 corresponding to the link of STA 504. Thus, STA 104, STA 504, wireless communication device 1300, processor 1104, processor 1302, and / or millimeter-wave controller component 114 may include means for receiving a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS) in a first frequency spectrum in a first receiving mode.

[0079]

[0095] In some examples, in block 904, process 900 may include the wireless STA identifying the receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum based on MU-RTS. For example, STA 504 may determine that CC 512 includes a link identifier 514 that identifies one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518, and / or a second receiving mode of the STA in which one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 of STA 504 are activated (e.g., STA 504 is no longer in low-power mode). Thus, STA 104, STA 504, wireless communication device 1300, processor 1104, processor 1302, and / or millimeter-wave controller component 114 may include means for identifying the receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum based on MU-RTS.

[0080]

[0096] In some examples, in block 906, process 900 may include the wireless STA switching from a first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using a receiver RF chain based on identification. For example, the receiver RF chain may include one or more components for receiving RF signals, and switching to the second receiving mode may include STA 504 activating one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 of STA 504. Furthermore, in some embodiments, STA 504 may also deactivate one or more other communication components 520. Thus, STA 104, STA 504, wireless communication device 1300, millimeter-wave controller component 114, processor 1104, processor 1302, and / or one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 may include means for switching from a first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using a receiver RF chain based on identification.

[0081]

[0097] In some examples, in block 906, process 900 may include the wireless STA receiving data via a receiver RF chain. For example, STA 504 may transmit and receive wireless communications 516(1)~(n) via one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518. Thus, STA 104, STA 504, wireless communication device 1300, processor 1104, processor 1302, and / or one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 may include means for switching from a first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using a receiver RF chain, based on identification by the wireless communication device.

[0082]

[0098] Figure 10 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 1000 that can be implemented in a wireless AP supporting efficient millimeter-wave operation, according to several aspects of this disclosure. The operation of process 1000 can be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 1000 can be implemented by a wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 1200 described with reference to Figure 12, operating as a wireless AP or within a wireless AP. In some examples, process 1000 can be implemented by a wireless AP such as one of AP102 described with reference to Figure 1 or AP502 described with reference to Figure 5.

[0083]

[0099] In some examples, in block 1002, process 1000 may include a wireless AP sending a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS) to a wireless device in a first transmit mode corresponding to a first frequency spectrum, which includes an identifier for a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum. For example, AP 502 may transmit CC 512 to STA 504 while STA 504 is in a first receive mode in which one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518 of STA 504 are deactivated. Furthermore, in some embodiments, CC 512 may include a link identifier 514 corresponding to a link of STA 504.

[0084]

[0100] Therefore, AP102, AP502, wireless communication device 1200, millimeter-wave management component 112, and / or millimeter-wave communication component 508 may include means for transmitting a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) to a wireless device in a first transmission mode corresponding to a first frequency spectrum, which includes an identifier for a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum.

[0085]

[0101] In some examples, in block 1004, process 1000 may include the wireless AP transmitting data via the receiver RF chain. For example, AP 502 may transmit wireless communication 516 to STA 504 via one or more millimeter-wave communication components 508 and receive wireless communication 516 from STA 504 via one or more millimeter-wave communication components 508. Thus, AP 102, AP 502, wireless communication device 1200, and / or millimeter-wave communication component 508 may include means for transmitting data via the receiver RF chain.

[0086]

[0102] Figure 11 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device 1100. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may be one of the STAs 104 or 504 described with reference to Figures 1, 5, and 13, or an example of a device for use with an STA such as the wireless communication device 1300. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may be an example of a device for use with APs 102 and 502 described with reference to Figures 1, 5, and 12, and an AP such as the wireless communication device 1200. The wireless communication device 1100 may be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, wireless communication devices may be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) that comply with IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards such as 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be, as well as further IEEE revisions, as defined in the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its revisions.

[0087]

[0103] The wireless communication device 1100 may be, or may include, a chip, system on a chip (SoC), chipset, package, or device, including one or more modems 1104, such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 compliant) modem. In some implementations, one or more modems 1104 (collectively, "modem 1104") may additionally include a WWAN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may also include one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements 1102 (collectively, "processor 1102") coupled to the modem 1104. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may additionally include one or more radios 1106 (collectively, "radio 1106") coupled to the modem 1104. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may further include one or more memory blocks or elements 1108 (collectively referred to as "memory 1108") coupled with a processor 1102 or a modem 1104.

[0088]

[0104] The modem 1104 may include intelligent hardware blocks or devices, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), among other things. In some implementations, the modem 1104 may also implement a portion of the MAC layer (e.g., the hardware portion of the MAC layer) in addition to implementing the PHY layer. For example, the modem 1104 may be configured to modulate packets for transmission over a wireless medium and output the modulated packets to the radio 1106. The modem 1104 is similarly configured to take the modulated packets received by the radio 1106, demodulate those packets, and provide the demodulated packets. In addition to the modulator and demodulator, the modem 1104 may further include digital signal processing (DSP) circuits, automatic gain control (AGC) circuits, a coder, a decoder, a multiplexer, and a demultiplexer. For example, while in transmit mode, data acquired from processor 1102 may be provided to an encoder, which may encode the data to provide coded bits. The coded bits can then be mapped to NSS spatial streams for spatial multiplexing or NSTS spatiotemporal streams for spatiotemporal block coding (STBC). The coded bits in the streams can then be mapped (using a selected MCS) to points in a modulation constellation to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols in each spatial or spatiotemporal stream can be multiplexed, transformed via an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block, and subsequently provided to a DSP circuit (for example, for Tx windowing and filtering). The digital signal can then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signal can then be provided to a frequency upconverter and ultimately to radio 1106.In implementations involving beamforming, the modulated symbols in each spatial stream can be pre-coded via a steering matrix before being provided to the IFFT block.

[0089]

[0105] While in receive mode, the DSP circuit may be configured to acquire a signal containing modulated symbols received from radio 1106, for example, by detecting the presence of a signal and estimating the initial timing and frequency offset. The DSP circuit may further be configured to digitally condition the signal, for example, by using channel (narrowband) filtering and analog fault conditions (such as correcting I / Q imbalances), and by applying digital gain to finally acquire the narrowband signal. The output of the DSP circuit may then be supplied to an AGC, which may be configured to use information extracted from the digital signal within one or more received training fields to determine, for example, an appropriate gain. The output of the DSP circuit may also be coupled to a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the modulated symbols when multiple spatial or spatiotemporal streams are received. The demultiplexed symbols may be supplied to a demodulator, which is configured to extract symbols from the signal and calculate logarithm likelihood ratios (LLRs) for each bit position of each subcarrier in each spatial stream, for example. A demodulator may be coupled with a decoder, which may be configured to process the LLR to provide decoded bits. The decoded bits may then be descrambled and provided to a MAC layer (processor 1102) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0090]

[0106] The radio 1106 may generally include at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or “transmitter chain”) and at least one RF receiver (or “receiver chain”), which may be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, each of the RF transmitter and RF receiver may include various analog circuits, each including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low-noise amplifier (LNA). The RF transmitter and RF receiver may then be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some implementations, the wireless communication device 1100 may include, or be coupled with, multiple transmitting antennas (each with a corresponding transmitting chain) and multiple receiving antennas (each with a corresponding receiving chain). A symbol output from the modem 1104 may be provided to the radio 1106, which then transmits the symbol via the coupled antennas. Similarly, symbols received via the antenna are acquired by the radio 1106, which then provides the symbols to the modem 1104.

[0091]

[0107] The processor 1102 may include intelligent hardware blocks or devices, such as processing cores, processing blocks, central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor 1102 may process information received via the radio 1106 and modem 1104, and may process information to be output via the modem 1104 and radio 1106 for transmission over a wireless medium. For example, the processor 1102 may implement at least a portion of the control plane and MAC layer, configured to perform various operations relating to the generation, transmission, reception, and processing of MPDUs, frames, or packets. In some implementations, the MAC layer may be configured to generate an MPDU to provide to the PHY layer for coding and to receive information bits decoded from the PHY layer for processing as an MPDU. The MAC layer may also be configured to allocate time and frequency resources, for example, for OFDMA, among other operations or techniques. In some implementations, the processor 1102 may control the modem 1104 to perform various of the operations described above.

[0092]

[0108] Memory 1108 may include tangible storage media such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. Memory 1108 may also store non-temporary processor or computer-executable software (SW) code, which, when executed by processor 1102, causes the processor to perform various operations for wireless communication described herein, including generating, transmitting, receiving, and interpreting MPDUs, frames, or packets. For example, various functions of the components disclosed herein, or various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein, may be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0093]

[0109] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device 1200 supporting efficient millimeter-wave operation according to several aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1200 is configured or operable to perform the process 1000 described with reference to Figure 10. In various examples, the wireless communication device 1200 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device which may include one or more modems 1201 (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem), one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively, “processor 1202”), one or more radios (collectively, “radio 1204”), and one or more memories or memory blocks (collectively, “memory 1206”).

[0094]

[0110] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1200 may be a device used in an AP such as AP102 as described with reference to Figure 1. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1200 may be an AP including such a chip, SoC, chipset, package or device, as well as a plurality of antennas 1208. The wireless communication device 1200 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured or capable of transmitting and receiving packets in the form of physical layer PPDU and MPDU conforming to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1200 may also include or be coupled with an application processor 1210 which may be further coupled with another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1200 may further include at least one external network interface 1212 that enables communication with a core network or backhaul network to obtain access to an external network, including the Internet.

[0095]

[0111] Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1200 may include a millimeter-wave management component 1215 (e.g., a millimeter-wave management component 112), one or more millimeter-wave communication components (one or more) 1220 (e.g., one or more millimeter-wave communication components (one or more) 508), and one or more other communication components 1225 (one or more other communication components 510). One or more parts of the components of the millimeter-wave management component 1215, one or more millimeter-wave communication components (one or more) 1220, and one or more other communication components 1225 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, one or more millimeter-wave communication components (one or more) 122 may be implemented at least partially by a modem (such as modem 1204). In some implementations, at least some of the components of the millimeter-wave management component 1215, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1220, and one or more other communication components 1225 may be implemented at least partially as software stored in memory (e.g., memory 1210). For example, parts of the millimeter-wave management component 1215, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1220, and one or more other communication components 1225 may be implemented as non-transient instructions (or "code") that can be executed by a processor (e.g., processor 1205) to perform the function or operation of each component.

[0096]

[0112] In some implementations, the processor may be a component of a processing system. A processing system generally refers to a system or set of machines or components that receive inputs, process those inputs, and produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components of device 1200). For example, the processing system of device 1200 may refer to a system that includes various other components or sub-components of device 1200, such as a processor, or a transceiver, or a communications manager, or other components or combinations of components of device 1200. The processing system of device 1200 may interface with other components of device 1200, process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components, or output information to other components. For example, the chip or modem of device 1200 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for acquiring information. In some implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system and a transmitter of the chip or modem, thereby allowing device 1200 to transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the chip or modem's processing system and the receiver, thereby allowing device 1200 to acquire information or signal inputs, which can then be passed to the processing system. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the first interface may also acquire information or signal inputs, and the second interface may also output information or signal outputs.

[0097]

[0113] Figure 13 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device 1300. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1300 is configured to perform process 900 as described with reference to Figure 9. In various examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that includes one or more modems 1301 (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem), one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively, “processor 1302”), one or more radios (collectively, “radio 1304”), and one or more memories or memory blocks (collectively, “memory 1306”).

[0098]

[0114] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be a device used in an STA such as the STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may be an STA including such a chip, SoC, chipset, package or device, as well as multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1300 is capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured or capable of transmitting and receiving packets in the form of physical layer PPDU and MPDU compliant with one or more of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may also include or be coupled with an application processor which may be further coupled with another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may further include a user interface (UI) 1308 (such as a touchscreen or keypad) and a display 1310 which may be integrated with the UI to form a touchscreen display. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1300 may further include one or more sensors 1312, such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors.

[0099]

[0115] Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1300 may include a millimeter-wave controller component 1315 (e.g., a millimeter-wave controller component 114), one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1320 (e.g., one or more millimeter-wave communication components 518), and one or more other communication components 1325 (e.g., one or more other communication components 520). One or more parts of the components of the millimeter-wave controller component 1315, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1320, and one or more other communication components 1325 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1320 may be implemented at least partially by a modem (such as modem 1304). In some implementations, at least some of the components of the millimeter-wave controller component 1315, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1320, and one or more other communication components 1325 may be implemented at least partially as software stored in memory (e.g., memory 1306). For example, parts of the millimeter-wave controller component 1315, one or more millimeter-wave communication components 1320, and one or more other communication components 1325 may be implemented as non-transient instructions (or "code") that can be executed by a processor (e.g., processor 1305) to perform the function or operation of each component.

[0100]

[0116] In some implementations, the processor 1302 may be a component of a processing system. A processing system generally refers to a system or set of machines or components that receive inputs, process those inputs, and generate a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components of the wireless communication device 1300). For example, the processing system of the wireless communication device 1300 may refer to a system that includes various other components or sub-components of the wireless communication device 1300, such as the processor 1302, or a transceiver, or a communication manager, or other components or combinations of components of the wireless communication device 1300. The processing system of the wireless communication device 1300 may interface with other components of the wireless communication device 1300, process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components, or output information to other components. For example, the chip or modem of the wireless communication device 1300 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for acquiring information. In some implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the chip or modem's processing system and the transmitter, thereby enabling the wireless communication device 1300 to transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the chip or modem's processing system and the receiver, thereby enabling the wireless communication device 1300 to acquire information or signal input, which can then be passed to the processing system. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the first interface may also acquire information or signal input, and the second interface may also output information or signal output.

[0101]

[0117] Examples of implementation forms are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0102]

[0118] Clause 1. A method for wireless communication that can be implemented in a wireless communication device, comprising: receiving a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) in a first frequency spectrum by the wireless communication device in a first receiving mode; identifying a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum based on the MU-RTS by the wireless communication device; switching from the first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using the receiver RF chain based on the identification by the wireless communication device; and receiving data via the receiver RF chain by the wireless communication device.

[0103]

[0119] Clause 2. Receiving MU-RTS further includes receiving MU-RTS in reduced power mode, the method for wireless communication described in Clause 1.

[0104]

[0120] Clause 3. Receiving MU-RTS further comprises receiving MU-RTS while one or more components associated with the media access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer are powered off, and one or more components are coupled to a receiver RF chain, the method for wireless communication described in Clause 2 or 3.

[0105]

[0121] Clause 4. Identifying a receiver RF chain associated with data reception in a second frequency spectrum further comprises identifying a link identifier within the MU-RTS indicating that an access point (AP) is transmitting data in a second frequency spectrum, as described in any of Clauses 1 to 3 for wireless communications.

[0106]

[0122] Clause 5. A method for wireless communication as described in any of Clauses 1 to 4, further comprising using an RF chain to switch to a second receiving mode, which includes activating one or more components associated with the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiver RF chain.

[0107]

[0123] Clause 6. A method for wireless communication according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5, further comprising: MU-RTS being a first MU-RTS, Receiver RF chain being a first receiver RF chain, Data being first wireless device data, and by a wireless communication device, receiving a second MU-RTS in a first frequency spectrum, identifying a second receiver RF chain for receiving data in the first frequency spectrum based on the second MU-RTS, and receiving the second wireless device data via the first receiver RF chain.

[0108]

[0124] Clause 7. A method for wireless communication as described in any of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the first frequency spectrum is in the sub-7 gigahertz (GHz) band and the second frequency spectrum is in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band.

[0109]

[0125] Clause 8. The millimeter-wave band is the 48 GHz band or the 60 GHz band, as per the method for wireless communication described in Clause 7.

[0110]

[0126] Clause 9. A wireless communication device comprising at least one memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to cause the wireless device to receive a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) from an access point (AP) in a first spectrum, cause the wireless device to identify a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS, and cause the wireless device to switch to a receive mode that employs the receive RF chain in response to the identification, and cause the wireless device to receive data from the access point via the receive RF chain.

[0111]

[0127] Clause 10. A wireless communication device as described in Clause 9, wherein at least one processor is capable of causing the wireless communication device to receive MU-RTS from an access point in a lower power mode.

[0112]

[0128] Clause 11. A wireless communication device according to Clause 9 or 10, wherein at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to identify a link identifier within the MU-RTS indicating that the AP is transmitting data in the second spectrum, in order to identify a receiver RF chain for receiving data in the second spectrum.

[0113]

[0129] Clause 12. A wireless communication device as described in any of Clauses 9 to 11, wherein at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to activate the medium access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain in order to switch to receive mode using an RF chain.

[0114]

[0130] Clause 13. A wireless communication device as described in any of Clauses 9 to 12, wherein MU-RTS is a first MU-RTS, receiving RF chain is a first receiving RF chain, wireless device data is first wireless device data, and at least one processor is further operable to cause the wireless communication device to cause the wireless device to receive a second MU-RTS from an AP in a first spectrum, identify a second receiving RF chain for receiving data in the first spectrum based on the second MU-RTS, and receive the second wireless device data from the AP via the first RF chain.

[0115]

[0131] Clause 14. A wireless communication device as described in any of Clauses 9 to 13, wherein the first spectrum is in the sub-7 GHz band and the second spectrum is in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band.

[0116]

[0132] Clause 15. The millimeter-wave band is the 48 GHz band or the 60 GHz band, as defined in Clause 9 for wireless communication devices.

[0117]

[0133] Clause 16. A non-temporary computer-readable device having instructions, the instructions, when executed by at least one computing device, cause at least one computing device to perform an operation including: receiving a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) from an access point (AP) in a first spectrum by a wireless device; identifying a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS by the wireless device; switching to a receive mode that employs the receive RF chain in response to the identification by the wireless device; and receiving data from the access point by the wireless device via the receive RF chain.

[0118]

[0134] Clause 17. Receiving MU-RTS from an access point includes receiving MU-RTS in a lower power mode, as described in Clause 16, on non-transient computer-readable media.

[0119]

[0135] Clause 18. Identifying a receiver RF chain for receiving data in the second spectrum includes identifying a link identifier within the MU-RTS that indicates the AP is transmitting data in the second spectrum, as described in Clause 16 or 17 of the non-temporary computer-readable media.

[0120]

[0136] Clause 19. Switching to receive mode using an RF chain includes activating the Media Access Control (MAC) layer and the Physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain for any non-transient computer-readable media as described in any of Clauses 16 to 18.

[0121]

[0137] Clause 20. Switching to receive mode using an RF chain includes activating the Media Access Control (MAC) layer and the Physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain for any non-transient computer-readable media as described in any of Clauses 16 to 19.

[0122]

[0138] Clause 21. A wireless communication device comprising: means for receiving a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) from an access point (AP) in a first spectrum; means for identifying a receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in a second spectrum based on the MU-RTS; means for switching to a receiving mode that employs the receiving RF chain in response to the identification; and means for receiving data from the access point via the receiving RF chain. As used herein, the terms “determine” or “determining” encompass a wide range of actions, and therefore “determining” can include calculating, calculating, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (such as searching within a table, database, or other data structure), inferring, confirming, measuring, etc. Also, “determining” can include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory), transmitting (such as transmitting information), etc. Furthermore, “determining” can also include resolving, selecting, obtaining, choosing, establishing, and other similar actions.

[0123]

[0139] Where used herein, the phrase "at least one of" the list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to include a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc. Where used herein, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, "a or b" may include a only, b only, or a combination of a and b.

[0124]

[0140] As used herein, “based on” is intended to be interpreted in a comprehensive sense unless otherwise explicitly indicated. For example, “based on” may be used interchangeably with “at least partially based on,” “associated with,” or “according to,” unless otherwise explicitly indicated. Specifically, unless the phrase “based on ‘a’ alone” or refers to a contextual equivalent, “based on ‘a’” or “at least partially based on ‘a’” may be based on “a” alone, or on “a” in combination with one or more other factors, conditions, or pieces of information.

[0125]

[0141] The various exemplary components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents. Hardware, firmware, and software compatibility is generally described in terms of functionality and is shown in the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0126]

[0142] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims should not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and any novel features.

[0127]

[0143] In addition, various features described herein in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented separately or in any preferred partial combination in multiple embodiments. Thus, features may be described above as acting in a particular combination, and may even be initially claimed as such, but one or more features from a claimed combination can be removed from that combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may cover a partial combination or a variation of a partial combination.

[0128]

[0144] Similarly, while operations are shown in a specific order in the drawings, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific or sequential order shown, or that all shown operations be performed, in order to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, drawings may schematically represent one or more exemplary processes in the form of flowcharts or flow diagrams. However, other operations not illustrated may be incorporated into those schematically represented exemplary processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the operations shown. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the program components and systems described can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged within multiple software products.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication that can be implemented in a wireless communication device, The wireless communication device in the first receiving mode receives a multi-user transmission request (MU-RTS) in the first frequency spectrum, The wireless communication device identifies, based on the MU-RTS, the receiver radio frequency (RF) chain associated with data reception in the second frequency spectrum, The wireless communication device, based on the identification, switches from the first receiving mode to a second receiving mode using the receiver RF chain, The wireless communication device receives data via the receiver RF chain, A method for wireless communication, including...

2. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein receiving the MU-RTS further comprises receiving the MU-RTS in a reduced power mode.

3. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein receiving the MU-RTS further includes receiving the MU-RTS while one or more components associated with the medium access control (MAC) layer and the physical (PHY) layer are powered off, the one or more components being coupled to the receiver RF chain.

4. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein identifying the receiver RF chain associated with the reception of the data in the second frequency spectrum further comprises identifying a link identifier within the MU-RTS indicating that an access point (AP) is transmitting the data in the second frequency spectrum.

5. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, further comprising using the RF chain to switch to the second receiving mode, activating one or more components associated with a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiver RF chain.

6. The MU-RTS is a first MU-RTS, the receiver RF chain is a first receiver RF chain, and the data is first wireless device data. In the first frequency spectrum, receiving the second MU-RTS, Based on the second MU-RTS, a second receiver RF chain for receiving data in the first frequency spectrum is identified, Receiving data from a second wireless device via the first receiver RF chain, A method for wireless communication according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. The method for wireless communication according to claim 1, wherein the first frequency spectrum is in the sub-7 gigahertz (GHz) band and the second frequency spectrum is in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band.

8. The method for wireless communication according to claim 7, wherein the millimeter-wave band is a 48 GHz band or a 60 GHz band.

9. A wireless communication device, At least one memory, The system comprises at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor provides the wireless communication device In the first spectrum, a Multi-User Transmit Request (MU-RTS) is received from the access point (AP). Based on the MU-RTS, the receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in the second spectrum is identified. In response to the aforementioned identification, the system switches to a receiving mode that employs the receiving RF chain. The RF signal is received from the access point via the receiving RF chain. A wireless communication device capable of operating in this manner.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to receive the MU-RTS from the access point in a lower power mode.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to identify a link identifier within the MU-RTS indicating that the AP is transmitting the data in the second spectrum, in order to identify the receiver RF chain for receiving data in the second spectrum.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is operable to cause the wireless communication device to activate a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain in order to switch to the receiving mode using the RF chain.

13. The MU-RTS is a first MU-RTS, the receiving RF chain is a first receiving RF chain, the wireless device data is first wireless device data, and the at least one processor provides the wireless communication device, In the first spectrum, the AP receives the second MU-RTS, Based on the second MU-RTS, a second receiving RF chain for data reception in the first spectrum is identified. The second wireless device receives data from the AP via the first RF chain. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, further capable of such operation.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the first spectrum is in the sub-7 GHz band and the second spectrum is in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) band.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein the millimeter-wave band is a 48 GHz band or a 60 GHz band.

16. A non-temporary computer-readable medium having instructions, wherein, when the instructions are executed by at least one computing device, the instructions are transmitted to the at least one computing device. In the first spectrum, receiving a Multi-User Transmission Request (MU-RTS) from an Access Point (AP), Based on the MU-RTS, identify the receiver radio frequency (RF) chain for receiving data in the second spectrum, In response to the aforementioned identification, the system switches to a receiving mode that employs the receiving RF chain, Receiving from the access point via the aforementioned receiving RF chain, A non-temporary computer-readable medium that enables the execution of operations including [specific actions].

17. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein receiving the MU-RTS from the AP includes receiving the MU-RTS in a lower power mode.

18. Identifying the receiver RF chain for receiving data in the second spectrum includes identifying a link identifier within the MU-RTS indicating that the AP is transmitting the data in the second spectrum, according to claim 16.

19. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein switching to the receiving mode using the RF chain includes activating a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain.

20. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein switching to the receiving mode using the RF chain includes activating a media access control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer coupled with the receiving RF chain.

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