COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRIGGER-BASED UPLINK MULTI-USER TRANSMISSION - Patent application

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a communications apparatus and a communications method for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission, the communications apparatus comprising: a circuit for operatively generating a trigger frame including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; and a transmitter for operatively transmitting the generated trigger frame, the plurality of user information fields each including a first field indicating whether a resource unit (RU) adaptation procedure is disabled for another communications apparatus specified by the plurality of user information fields; and a second field indicating an RU or combined RU assigned to the other communications apparatus.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communications apparatus and method for uplink multi-user transmission, and more particularly to a communications apparatus and method for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] In the standardization of next-generation wireless local area networks (WLANs), a new radio access technology that is backward compatible with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax technologies is being considered by the IEEE 802.11 Working Group and is named 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT) WLAN.

[0003] In IEEE 802.11be EHT WLAN, in order to improve spectral efficiency over 11ax High Efficiency (HE) WLAN, it is proposed to increase the maximum channel bandwidth to 320 MHz and to allow allocation of more than two resource units (RUs) to a single station (STA).

[0004] However, little research has been done on efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission with bandwidths up to 320 MHz.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a communications apparatus and method that provides a viable technical solution for efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission with bandwidths up to 320 MHz. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background of this disclosure. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Non-limiting and exemplary embodiments facilitate providing a communications apparatus and method for efficient trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a communications device comprising: a circuit for operatively generating a trigger frame including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; and a transmitter for operatively transmitting the generated trigger frame, wherein each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field indicating whether a resource unit (RU) adaptation procedure is disabled for another communications device specified by each of the plurality of user information fields; and a second field indicating an RU or combined RU assigned to the another communications device.

[0008] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a communication method including: generating a trigger frame including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; and transmitting the generated trigger frame, wherein each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field indicating whether an RU adaptation procedure is disabled for a communication device specified by each of the plurality of user information fields; and a second field indicating an RU or combined RU assigned to the communication device.

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

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

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be better understood and readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following written description, which is given by way of example only, in conjunction with the drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1A] 1 shows a schematic diagram of trigger-based uplink multiuser (MU) communication between an AP and multiple STAs in a MIMO wireless network. [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates an exemplary EHT trigger-based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). [Figure 1C] A diagram illustrating the state in which the pre-EHT modulation field of the EHT TB PPDU can be transmitted in a bandwidth of 320 MHz is shown. [Figure 1D] 10 shows a table of the fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU. [Figure 2] 1 shows an illustration of trigger-based uplink MU transmission similar to 802.11ax. [Figure 3] 1 shows a table illustrating RUs or combined RUs with more than 242 tones and associated RUs or combined RUs according to various embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates the format of an EHT basic trigger frame, according to various embodiments. [Figure 5] 1 shows an illustration of how RU adaptation is implemented, according to various embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU receiving procedure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8]10 shows a table of fields carried in the U-SIG field of an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with the RU adaptation disabled field set to 0 in the user information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame STA in option A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9A] 10 shows a table illustrating allocated RUs or combined RUs with more than 242 tones and the situations where the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates an adapted RU or combined RU in Option A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9B] 10 shows a table illustrating allocated RUs or combined RUs with more than 242 tones and the situations where the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates an adapted RU or combined RU in Option A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9C] 10 shows a table illustrating allocated RUs or combined RUs with more than 242 tones and the situations where the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates an adapted RU or combined RU in Option A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 shows a diagram illustrating how RU adaptation is implemented according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU receiving procedure according to a second embodiment; [Figure 12] 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 shows the format of an EHT basic trigger frame according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 shows a table illustrating the number of blind decodes required for each allocated RU or combined RU over 242 tones according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 shows a flow diagram illustrating EHT TB PPDU reception according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16]1 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for implementing trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission according to various embodiments. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates a schematic, partially partitioned diagram of a communications device that can be implemented for trigger-based uplink multi-user transmission, in accordance with various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity of illustration and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the illustrations, block diagrams or flow charts may be exaggerated relative to other elements to facilitate an accurate understanding of the present embodiments.

[0014] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which like reference numbers and designations indicate like elements or equivalents, and in which:

[0015] In the following paragraphs, certain exemplary embodiments are described in relation to access points (APs) and stations (STAs) for uplink multi-user transmission, particularly in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless networks.

[0016] In the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, a station, synonymously referred to as a STA, is a communication device capable of using the 802.11 protocol. Based on the definition of IEEE 802.11-2016, a STA can be any device that includes an IEEE 802.11-compliant media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interface to a wireless medium (WM).

[0017] For example, a STA may be a laptop, a desktop personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an access point, or a Wi-Fi phone in a wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. A STA may be stationary or portable. In a WLAN environment, the terms "STA," "wireless client," "user," "user device," and "node" are often used interchangeably.

[0018] Similarly, an AP, sometimes referred to synonymously as a wireless access point (WAP) in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, is a communications device that allows STAs in a WLAN to connect to a wired network. APs are typically connected to a router (via the wired network) as standalone devices, but can also be integrated into or used within a router.

[0019] As mentioned above, a STA in a WLAN can act as an AP in different situations, and vice versa, because a communication device in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology can include both STA and AP hardware components. In this way, a communication device can switch between STA mode and AP mode based on the actual WLAN situation and / or requirements.

[0020] In a MIMO wireless network, "multiple" refers to multiple antennas used simultaneously for transmission and multiple antennas used simultaneously for reception through a wireless channel. In this regard, "multiple input" refers to multiple transmitter antennas that input wireless signals into the channel, and "multiple output" refers to multiple receiver antennas that receive wireless signals from the channel to the receiver. For example, in an N×M MIMO network system, N is the number of transmitter antennas and M is the number of receiver antennas, and N may or may not be equal to M. For simplicity, the respective numbers of transmitter antennas and receiver antennas will not be further discussed in this disclosure.

[0021] In a MIMO wireless network, multi-user (MU) communications can be deployed for communication between communication devices such as APs and STAs. MIMO wireless networks offer advantages similar to spatial multiplexing and spatial diversity, which enable higher data rates and robustness through the use of multiple spatial streams. According to various embodiments, the term "spatial stream" can be used synonymously with the term "space-time stream" (i.e., STS).

[0022] To enable uplink MU transmissions, trigger-based communication is provided in a MIMO wireless network. In this regard, Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram 100 of trigger-based uplink MU communication between an AP 102 and multiple STAs 104, 106, 108 in a MIMO wireless network.

[0023] Because multiple STAs 104, 106, 108 participate in trigger-based uplink MU communications, the AP 102 must coordinate the simultaneous transmissions of the multiple STAs 104, 106, 108.

[0024] 1A, the AP 102 simultaneously transmits trigger frames 110, 112, and 114 to the STAs 104, 106, and 108, indicating user-specific resource allocation information (e.g., the number of space-time streams, the starting STS number, and the assigned RU) that each STA can use. Then, in response to the trigger frames, the STAs 104, 106, and 108 can simultaneously transmit their respective space-time streams to the AP 102 according to the user-specific resource allocation information indicated in the trigger frames 110, 112, and 114. For example, two space-time streams can be directed from the STA 106 to the AP 102, another space-time stream can be directed from the STA 104 to the AP 102, and yet another space-time stream can be directed from the STA 108 to the AP 102. For ease of explanation, the two space-time streams directed from STA 106 to AP 102 are shown as grouped data transmission arrow 118, the space-time stream directed from STA 104 to AP 102 is shown as data transmission arrow 116, and the space-time stream directed from STA 108 to AP 102 is shown as data transmission arrow 120.

[0025] 1B illustrates an exemplary EHT trigger-based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) 122 that may be transmitted as a transmission signal by a communication device (e.g., an STA) to another communication device (e.g., an AP) in a trigger-based communication. The EHT TB PPDU 122 may include pre-EHT modulation fields such as a non-High Throughput Short Training Field (L-STF), a non-High Throughput Long Training Field (L-LTF), a non-High Throughput Signal (L-SIG) field, a Repeated L-SIG (RL-SIG) field, and a Universal Signal (U-SIG) field 124, as well as EHT modulation fields such as an EHT Short Training Field (EHT-STF), an EHT Long Training Field (EHT-LTF), a Data field, and a Packet Extension (PE) field. The RL-SIG field is primarily used to identify any PHY version starting from 802.11be. The U-SIG field 124 can contain the necessary information to interpret the EHT modulation fields and to coexist with third-party STAs.

[0026] FIG. 1C shows a diagram 126 illustrating how the pre-EHT modulation fields of an EHT TB PPDU can be transmitted over a 320 MHz bandwidth. The 320 MHz bandwidth is divided into four 80 MHz frequency segments. Each of the 80 MHz frequency segments is further divided into four 20 MHz frequency segments. Each row of the diagram 126 represents a 20 MHz frequency segment over which the pre-EHT modulation fields (i.e., the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG field, RL-SIG field, and U-SIG field) of the EHT TB PPDU 122 are transmitted. The transmitted L-SIG and RL-SIG fields may be the same for all 20 MHz frequency segments, but the U-SIG field may differ among the 80 MHz frequency segments. The U-SIG fields transmitted in each of the four 20 MHz frequency segments of an 80 MHz frequency segment may be duplicates of each other or may be different from each other. For example, U-SIG11, U-SIG12, U-SIG13, and U-SIG14 transmitted in a 20 MHz frequency segment of the same 80 MHz frequency segment 128 may be duplicates of each other or may be different from each other. According to various embodiments, the term "frequency segment" may be used synonymously with the term "subchannel."

[0027] The U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is two orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols long that are jointly encoded. The U-SIG field is transmitted using 52 data tones and 4 pilot tones, each 20 MHz, and is modulated in the same way as the 802.11ax HE-SIG-A field.

[0028] 1D shows a table 130 of fields carried in the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU. As shown in table 130, the U-SIG field can include a 26-bit U-SIG1 and a 26-bit U-SIG2. U-SIG1 can include a PHY version identifier field (3 bits), an uplink / downlink (UL / DL) flag field (1 bit), a basic service set (BSS), a color field (6 bits), a transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration field (7 bits), a bandwidth (BW) field (3 bits), and a puncturing channel information field (4 bits). U-SIG2 can include a spatial reuse 1 field (4 bits), a spatial reuse 2 field (4 bits), a spare field (8 bits), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field (4 bits), and tail bits (6 bits). The PHY version identifier field is used to identify the exact PHY version starting from 802.11be, the BW field is used to indicate the PPDU bandwidth, and the puncturing channel information field is used to indicate the puncturing channel information.

[0029] In trigger-based UL MU transmission similar to 802.11ax, if requested in the trigger frame requesting UL MU transmission (e.g., EHT Basic Trigger frame), the STA will perform Energy Detection (ED)-based Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) on 20 MHz subchannels that overlap with the STA's assigned RU or combined RU. If any of the 20 MHz subchannels are considered busy, the STA receiving the EHT Basic Trigger frame will not transmit an EHT TB PPDU.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows an illustration 200 of trigger-based UL MU transmission similar to 802.11ax. An AP can transmit an EHT basic trigger frame 202 to request simultaneous EHT TB PPDU transmissions from STA1 and STA2 over an 80 MHz bandwidth. The EHT basic trigger frame 202 indicates that STA1 is assigned a combination of large-size RUs with 484 tones and 242 tones, and STA2 is assigned a large-size RU with 242 tones. In general, RUs with 242 tones or more can be defined as large-size RUs, and RUs with fewer than 242 tones can be defined as small-size RUs. The EHT basic trigger frame 202 also indicates that ED-based CCA should be performed by STA1 and STA2 during a short interframe space (SIFS) 204 immediately following receipt of the EHT basic trigger frame 202. Based on the results of the CCA, it is determined that the 20 MHz subchannel 206 overlapping with the assigned combined RU for STA1 is considered busy, and the 20 MHz subchannel overlapping with the assigned RU for STA2 is considered idle. In this way, only STA2 can transmit an EHT TB PPDU on the assigned RU, and STA1 cannot transmit an EHT TB PPDU. As a result, even if only a few of the 20 MHz subchannels overlapping with the assigned large size RU or combined RU are considered busy, the entire large size RU or combined RU assigned to the STA may be wasted, which will reduce system throughput.

[0031] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes the following solutions to solve the aforementioned problems: Each RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is associated with two or more RUs or combined RUs. Each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with a RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is a large-size RU or combined RU authorized for EHT WLAN. Each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with a RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is equal to or smaller in size than the RU or combined RU. To reduce the number of RUs or combined RUs associated with an RU or combined RU, some restrictions can be implemented. For example, each RU or combined RU associated with a RU or combined RU with 2×996 tones or less has a size of at least X% (e.g., X=50) of the size of the RU or combined RU. Furthermore, each RU or combined RU associated with a RU or combined RU with more than 2×996 tones has a size greater than X% (e.g., X=50) of the size of the RU or combined RU.

[0032] Exemplary RUs or combined RUs (here X=50) associated with each RU or combined RU over 242 tones, according to various embodiments, are shown in table 300 of Figure 3. For example, referring to a 484-tone RU (RU484) applicable to PPDU BWs of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 / 80+80 MHz, and 320 / 160+160 MHz, the associated RUs or combined RUs are RU484 and 242-tone RU (RU242). For RU242, there may be two options: the first RU242 or the second RU242 of RU484. Referring to the combination of one RU242 and one RU484 (RU242+RU484) applicable to PPDU BWs of 80 MHz, 160 / 80+80 MHz and 320 / 160+160 MHz, the associated RUs or combined RUs are RU242+RU484 and RU484 of RU242+RU484. As can be seen from table 300, RU242+RU484 are only allowed within the same 80 MHz frequency segment, and RU484+RU996 are only allowed within the same 160 MHz frequency segment.

[0033] 4 illustrates the format of an EHT basic trigger frame 400 according to various embodiments. The EHT basic trigger frame 400 may include a common information field 402 and one or more user information fields 404. A trigger type field 406 in the common information field 402 indicates that the frame 400 is an EHT basic trigger frame. Each of the one or more user information fields 404 may include an RU assignment field 418, which indicates the RU or combined RU assigned to the STA, as indicated in the AID12 field 416. Each of the one or more user information fields 404 may include a trigger-dependent user information field 408, which includes an RU assignment disable field 410. The RU adaptation disable field 410 indicates whether the RU adaptation procedure is disabled for the STA. When the RU adaptation disable field 410 is set to 1, the RU adaptation procedure is disabled for the STA. When the RU adaptation disable field 410 is set to 0, RU adaptation is enabled for the STA. Additionally, the RU adaptation disable field 410 will be set to 1 when the allocated RU or combined RU for a STA is 242 tones or less.

[0034] The common information field 402 may also include a carrier sensing (CS) request field 412 that indicates whether ED-based CCA is requested by each scheduled STA before EHT TB PPDU transmission. The common information field 402 may also include a UL puncturing channel information field 414 that may include N subfields, each indicating uplink puncturing channel information in the corresponding 80 MHz frequency segment. For example, N=0 when UL BW=20 or 40 MHz, N=1 when UL BW=80 MHz, N=2 when UL BW=160 / 80+80 MHz, and N=4 when UL BW=320 / 160+160 MHz. Each of the N UL puncturing channel information subfields may be a 4-bit bitmap, where a bit set to 1 indicates that the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel is punctured and is set to 0 otherwise.

[0035] According to various embodiments, when the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field in the requesting EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the STA can perform an RU adaptation procedure. An RU or combined RU assigned to the STA may be adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs according to the results of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA. When the portion of the assigned RU or combined RU considered to be idle matches one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the assigned RU or combined RU is adapted to become that one of its associated RUs or combined RUs. When the portion of the assigned RU or combined RU considered to be idle does not match any of its associated RUs or combined RUs but covers at least one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the assigned RU or combined RU is adapted to become the one of its associated RUs or combined RUs that most closely overlaps with that portion of the assigned RU or combined RU. Furthermore, if the portion of an assigned RU or combined RU that is considered idle does not match and cover any of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the assigned RU or combined RU will not be adapted to any of its associated RUs or combined RUs.

[0036] 5 shows an illustration 500 of a state in which RU adaptation according to various embodiments is implemented by a STA. In this illustration, a combination (RU 484 + RU 996) 506, 512, 518 of a third RU 484 and a first RU 996 is assigned to the STA for EHT TB PPDU transmission in a bandwidth of 160 MHz, including a first 80 MHz frequency segment 502 and a second 80 MHz frequency segment 504. In example A, a 20 MHz subchannel 508 overlapping with the assigned combination RU 506 is considered busy based on the results of ED-based CCA performed by the STA. Therefore, the assigned combination RU 506 is adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, i.e., the adapted RU (first RU 996) 510. In example B, a 20 MHz subchannel 514 overlapping with an assigned combination RU 512 is considered busy based on the results of ED-based CCA performed by the STA. Therefore, the assigned combined RU 512 is adapted to one of its associated or combined RUs, i.e., the adapted combined RU (first RU 242 and second RU 484) 516. In example C, the 20 MHz subchannels 520 and 522 that overlap with the assigned combined RU 518 are considered busy based on the results of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA. In that case, the portion of the assigned combined RU 518 that is considered idle does not match or cover any of its associated or combined RUs. Therefore, the assigned combined RU 518 is not adapted to any of its associated or combined RUs.

[0037] According to the first embodiment, the behavior of a STA for implementing EHT TB PPDU transmission is as follows: When an RU adaptation procedure is not performed by the STA, an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed by the STA. According to the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, when an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the STA and an assigned RU or combined RU for the STA is adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the STA prepares an EHT TB PPDU according to the adapted RU or combined RU, as well as the common transmission parameters and other user-specific transmission parameters (excluding the assigned RU or combined RU) indicated in the common information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame and the user information field of the STA. Furthermore, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field in the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the common information field in the requesting EHT basic trigger frame. For example, the value of the puncturing channel information field of a U-SIG transmitted in an 80 MHz frequency segment is set to the same value as the UL puncturing channel information subfield of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame corresponding to the 80 MHz frequency segment.

[0038] On the other hand, when an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the STA according to the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, and the assigned RU or combined RU for the STA is not adapted to any of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the STA does not transmit an EHT TB PPDU, which can advantageously improve the throughput of trigger-based UL MU transmission.

[0039] An EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure according to the first embodiment performed by a STA upon receiving an EHT basic trigger frame requesting the STA to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU is shown in flow diagram 600 of FIG. 6. The process starts in step 602. In step 604, the non-AP STA performs ED-based CCA. In step 606, the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 to determine whether the STA intends to perform an RU adaptation procedure. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 616, where an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends in step 614. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 606 that the RU adaptation disabled field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0 and the STA intends to perform an RU adaptation procedure, the process proceeds to step 608, where the RU adaptation procedure is performed according to the result of the ED-based CCA. In step 610, it is determined whether the assigned RU or combined RU has been adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process ends in step 614. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 612, where an EHT TB PPDU is prepared and transmitted according to the adapted RU or combined RU. The process then ends in step 614.

[0040] According to the first embodiment, the AP's behavior for implementing EHT TB PPDU reception is as follows: When the assigned RU or combined RU for a STA is for multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) assignment, the RU adaptation disabled field shall also be set to 1. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the assigned RU or combined RU using an 802.11ax-like EHT TB PPDU reception procedure. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure: Signal detection is performed using one or more of the pre-EHT modulation fields (i.e., L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG field, RL-SIG field, and U-SIG field) of the EHT TB PPDU transmitted in all 20 MHz subchannels corresponding to the assigned RU or combined RU for the STA. The STA can determine the adapted RU or combined RU based on the signal detection result. The BSS color indicated in the U-SIG field can be used to filter out overlapping basic service set (OBSS) transmissions so that the adapted RU or combined RU can be properly determined. Then, the remaining EHT TB PPDU is decoded by the AP according to the adapted RU or combined RU. For example A shown in Figure 5, the combined RU of the first RU 996 and the third RU 484 assigned to the STA is adapted to the first RU 996. When the AP receives the EHT TB PPDU transmitted by the STA, signals will be detected by the AP in all four 20 MHz subchannels corresponding to the first RU 996, and therefore the AP can determine that the adapted RU is the first RU 996.

[0041] An EHT TB PPDU reception procedure according to the first embodiment performed by an AP when a STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU is shown in flow diagram 700 of FIG. 7. The process starts in step 702. In step 704, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 716, where an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends in step 714. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 704 that the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the process proceeds to step 706, where signal detection is performed using one or more of the pre-EHT modulation fields of the EHT TB PPDU transmitted in all 20 MHz subchannels corresponding to the assigned RU or combined RU. In step 708, it is determined whether a signal is detected on any 20 MHz subchannel corresponding to the assigned RU or combined RU. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process ends in step 714. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 710, where the adapted RU or combined RU is determined. In step 712, the remaining EHT TB PPDUs are processed according to the adapted RU or combined RU. The process then ends in step 714.

[0042] According to the second embodiment, the behavior of the STA for implementing EHT TB PPDU transmission is as follows: According to the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, when the RU adaptation procedure is performed by the STA and the assigned RU or combined RU for the STA is adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the STA prepares an EHT TB PPDU according to the adapted RU or combined RU, as well as the common transmission parameters and other user-specific transmission parameters (except for the assigned RU or combined RU) indicated in the common information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame and the user information field of the STA.

[0043] The process can then proceed to one of two options. In option A, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame. For example, the value of the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG transmitted in an 80 MHz frequency segment is set to the same value as the UL puncturing channel information subfield of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame corresponding to the 80 MHz frequency segment. The U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU includes an adapted RU assignment field indicating the adapted RU or combined RU. In option B, the puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field of the EHT TB PPDU is set according to the UL puncturing channel information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame and the adapted RU or combined RU.

[0044] 8 shows a table 800 of fields carried in the U-SIG field of an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with the RU adaptation disabled field in the STA's user information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame set to 0 in Option A according to the second embodiment. As can be seen in table 800, U-SIG2 of the U-SIG field includes an adapted RU assignment field 802. As explained above, the adapted RU assignment field 802 indicates the adapted RU or combined RU.

[0045] 9A-9C show table 900 illustrating the situation in which the RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is assigned and the adapted RU assignment field indicates an adapted RU or combined RU in option A according to the second embodiment. For example, if the RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is RU484, - if the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates the value 0, the adapted RU is the allocated RU (i.e., RU484); If the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates a value of 1, the adapted RU is the first RU 242 among the allocated RUs; - if the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates a value of 2, the adapted RU is the second RU 242 within the allocated RUs; - Values ​​3 to 15 are reserved.

[0046] Furthermore, if the allocated RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones is RU242+RU484, - When the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates the value 0, the adapted RU is the allocated RU (i.e., RU242 + RU484); - if the Adapted RU Allocation field indicates the value 1, the adapted RU is the RU 484 of the allocated RU; - Values ​​2 to 15 are reserved.

[0047] 10 shows a diagram 1000 illustrating RU adaptation by STA1 and STA2 for each EHT TB PPDU transmission in a 160 MHz BW including two 80 MHz frequency segments 1002 and 1004 according to the second embodiment. The requesting EHT basic trigger frame in this example may have the following characteristics: In the common information field of the EHT basic trigger frame, the CS request field is set to 1 to indicate that ED-based CCA is requested, the UL BW field indicates UL BW=160 / 80+80 MHz, and the two UL puncturing channel information subfields are set to 0010 and 0000, respectively (see reference numeral 1006). That is, the third 20 MHz subchannel in the 80 MHz frequency segment 1002 is punctured. In the User Information field for STA1 & STA2 in the EHT Basic Trigger frame, the RU Assignment field indicates that STA1 is assigned the combined RU of the first RU 484 and the second RU 996, and STA2 is assigned the fourth RU 242. Additionally, the RU Adaptation Disabled field is set to 0 for STA1 and to 1 for STA2.

[0048] The results of RU adaptation with ED-based CCA may be as follows: For STA1, the second 20 MHz subchannel 1008 and the fifth 20 MHz subchannel 1010 are considered busy, and the remaining 20 MHz subchannels overlapping with the first RU 484 and the second RU 996 are considered idle. The combined RU assigned to STA1 is adapted to the combined RU of the second RU 242 1012 and the second RU 484 1014 within the second RU 996. For STA2, the fourth 20 MHz subchannel 1016 is considered idle. Furthermore, in the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU sent to STA1, the puncturing channel information field is set to 0000 for Option A (see reference numeral 1018), and the adapted RU assignment field is set to 3, or the puncturing channel information field is set to 1000 for Option B (see reference numeral 1020). For the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU transmitted to STA2, the puncturing channel information field is set to 0000 (see reference numeral 1022).

[0049] In the second embodiment, the EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure performed by a STA upon receiving an EHT basic trigger frame requesting the STA to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU is similar to that of the first embodiment (i.e., shown in flow diagram 600 of FIG. 6 ), except that the U-SIG of the EHT TB PPDU is set according to Option A or Option B.

[0050] According to the second embodiment, when an AP receives an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP uses the same EHT TB PPDU reception procedure as in 802.11ax to decode the EHT TB PPDU according to the assigned RU or combined RU. On the other hand, if the EHT TB PPDU is transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure.

[0051] - determining an adapted RU or a combined RU from an adapted RU assignment field or a puncturing channel information field in a U-SIG field of an EHT TB PPDU; - Decode the remaining EHT TB PPDUs according to the adapted RU or combined RU.

[0052] 11 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure performed by an AP when a STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU according to the second embodiment. The process starts in step 1102. In step 1104, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 1112, where an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends in step 1110. Otherwise, the process proceeds from step 1104 to step 1106, where an adapted RU or combined RU is determined from the adapted RU assignment field or puncturing channel information field of the U-SIG field. In step 1108, the remaining EHT TB PPDU is processed according to the adapted RU or combined RU. The process then ends in step 1110.

[0053] According to the third embodiment, the behavior of a STA for implementing EHT TB PPDU transmission is as follows: When an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the STA, the STA performs an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure similar to that of 802.11ax. According to the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, the STA performs an RU adaptation procedure, and when an assigned RU or combined RU for the STA is adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the STA prepares an EHT TB PPDU according to the adapted RU or combined RU, the common information field of the requesting EHT basic trigger frame, the common transmission parameters (including the additional packet padding period) and other user-specific transmission parameters (excluding the assigned RU or combined RU) indicated in the user information field of the STA. The EHT TB PPDU is prepared by the STA in the same way as in 802.11ax, followed by additional packet padding, so that the AP has enough time to perform blind decoding on the EHT TB PPDU. Furthermore, according to the result of the ED-based CCA performed by the STA, when the RU adaptation procedure is performed by the STA and the assigned RU or combined RU for the STA is not adapted to any of its associated RUs or combined RUs, the STA does not transmit the EHT TB PPDU.

[0054] An EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure according to the third embodiment, performed by a STA upon receiving an EHT basic trigger frame requesting the STA to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU, is shown in flow diagram 1200 of FIG. 12 . The process starts in step 1202. In step 1204, the STA performs ED-based CCA. In step 1206, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 1216, where an EHT TB PPDU transmission procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends in step 1214. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 1206 that the RU adaptation disable field in the STA user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0, the process proceeds to step 1208, where an RU adaptation procedure is performed according to the result of the ED-based CCA. In step 1210, it is determined whether the assigned RU or combined RU has been adapted to one of its associated RUs or combined RUs. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process ends in step 1214. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 1212, where an EHT TB PPDU is prepared and then transmitted according to the adapted RU or combined RU and the additional packet padding period. The process then ends in step 1214.

[0055] According to the third embodiment, the AP's behavior for implementing trigger-based UL MU transmission is as follows: When transmitting an EHT basic trigger frame to request EHT TB PPDU transmission, the common information field includes an additional packet padding duration field to indicate the additional packet padding duration on top of the normal packet padding. When receiving an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation disabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the assigned RU or combined RU using the EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to 802.11ax. On the other hand, when receiving an EHT TB PPDU transmitted by a STA with RU adaptation enabled, the AP decodes the EHT TB PPDU according to the following procedure:

[0056] - determining an RU or combination of RUs associated with the assigned RU or combination of RUs; - Perform blind decoding on the EHT TB PPDU according to the associated RU or combined RU.

[0057] Figure 13 shows the format of an EHT basic trigger frame 1300 according to the third embodiment. Similar to the EHT basic trigger frame 400 of Figure 4, the common information field of the EHT basic trigger frame 1300 includes a new additional packet padding period field 1302, which indicates the additional packet padding period on top of the regular packet padding, as described above.

[0058] 14 shows a table 1400 illustrating the number of blind decodings required for each RU or combined RU with more than 242 tones according to the third embodiment. For example, referring to RU484, the associated RUs or combined RUs are RU484 and RU242 (2 options), so the number of blind decodings required is 3. Referring to RU242+RU484, the associated RUs or combined RUs are RU242+RU484 and RU484, so the number of blind decodings required is 2.

[0059] 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure according to a third embodiment performed by an AP when a STA is requested to perform ED-based CCA before transmitting an EHT TB PPDU. The process starts in step 1502. In step 1504, it is determined whether the RU adaptation disable field in the STA's user information field of the EHT basic trigger frame is set to 0. If it is determined that this is not the case, the process proceeds to step 1512, where an EHT TB PPDU reception procedure similar to that of 802.11ax is performed, and then the process ends in step 1510. Otherwise, the process proceeds from step 1504 to step 1506, where an RU or combined RU associated with the assigned RU or combined RU is determined. In step 1508, blind decoding by the associated RU or combined RU is performed. Then the process ends in step 1510.

[0060] Advantageously, unlike the first and second embodiments, according to the third embodiment, in trigger-based UL MU transmission, RU adaptation can be enabled for STAs involved in MU-MIMO transmission.

[0061] 16 shows a flow diagram 1600 illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments. In step 1602, a trigger frame is generated including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields, each of which includes a first field indicating whether the RU adaptation procedure is disabled for a communication device specified by the plurality of user information fields, and a second field indicating an RU or combined RU assigned to the communication device. In step 1604, the generated trigger frame is transmitted.

[0062] 17 shows a schematic partial block diagram of a communication device 1700 that can be implemented for trigger-based UL MU transmission according to the first to third embodiments. The communication device 1700 can be implemented as a STA or an AP according to various embodiments.

[0063] The various functions and operations of the communications device 1700 are arranged in layers according to a hierarchical model in which lower layers report to and receive instructions from higher layers according to IEEE specifications, and for simplicity, the details of the hierarchical model will not be discussed in this disclosure.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 17 , the communications device 1700 may include circuitry 1714, at least one wireless transmitter 1702, at least one wireless receiver 1704, and multiple antennas 1712 (for simplicity, only one antenna is shown in FIG. 17 for illustrative purposes). The circuitry may include at least one controller 1706 for use in software- and hardware-assisted execution of the tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling communications with one or more other communications devices, such as APs and STAs in a MIMO wireless network. The at least one controller 1706 may control at least one transmit signal generator 1708 for generating frames to be transmitted to one or more other STAs or APs through the at least one wireless transmitter 1702 and at least one receive signal processor 1710 for processing frames received from one or more other STAs or APs through the at least one wireless receiver 1704. The at least one transmit signal generator 1708 and the at least one receive signal processor 1710 may be stand-alone modules of the communication device 1700 that communicate with the at least one controller 1706 for the aforementioned functions. Alternatively, the at least one transmit signal generator 1708 and the at least one receive signal processor 1710 may be included in the at least one controller 1706. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these functional modules are flexible and can be changed according to actual needs and / or requirements. Data processing, storage, and other related control devices may be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or within a chipset.

[0065] In various embodiments, in operation, the at least one wireless transmitter 1702, the at least one wireless receiver 1704, and the at least one antenna 1712 may be controlled by at least one controller 1706. Furthermore, while only one wireless transmitter 1702 is shown, it will be understood that there may be more than one such transmitter.

[0066] In various embodiments, in operation, the at least one radio receiver 1704, together with the at least one receive signal processor 1710, form a receiver for the communications device 1700. In operation, the receiver for the communications device 1700 provides the functionality required for trigger-based UL MU communications. While only one radio receiver 1704 is shown, it will be understood that there may be more than one such receiver.

[0067] During operation, the communications device 1700 provides functionality required for trigger-based UL MU transmission. For example, the circuit 1714 can operatively generate a trigger frame including a common information field and multiple user information fields, each of which includes a first field indicating whether the RU adaptation procedure is disabled for another communications device specified by the respective user information field, and a second field indicating an RU or combined RU assigned to the other communications device. During operation, the wireless transmitter 1702 can transmit the generated trigger frame.

[0068] The RU adaptation procedure may be disabled for another communication device when the size of the assigned RU or combined RU is 242 tones or less. The common information field of the trigger frame may include a field indicating an additional packet padding period. The assigned RU or combined RU may be associated with two or more RUs or combined RUs. Each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU may be equal to or smaller in size than the assigned RU or combined RU. Each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU may be large-size RUs or combined RUs authorized for the EHT WLAN.

[0069] When an RU adaptation procedure is performed by another communication device and a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle matches one of two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU can adapt to one of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU.

[0070] When an RU adaptation procedure is performed by another communication device and a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle does not match any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, but covers one of the at least two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU can adapt to one of the at least two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU that overlaps to the most extent with that portion of the assigned RU or combined RU.

[0071] When an RU adaptation procedure is performed by another communication device and the portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle does not match and cover any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU cannot adapt to any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU.

[0072] During operation, the wireless receiver 1704 can receive a trigger-based PPDU transmitted by another communication device. The circuit 1714 can be further configured to perform signal detection using one or more fields of the trigger-based PPDU transmitted in all 20 MHz subchannels corresponding to the assigned RU or combined RU, and determine an RU or combined RU to be adapted by another communication device from the assigned RU or combined RU according to the CCA result. The U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU can include a signaling field indicating an RU or combined RU adapted by another communication device from the assigned RU or combined RU according to the CCA result. The signaling field can further indicate puncturing channel information in the 80 MHz frequency segment in which the U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU is transmitted.

[0073] The circuitry 1714 may further be configured to perform blind decoding on the received trigger-based PPDU according to two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU.

[0074] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an advanced communication system, communication method, and communication device that enable trigger-based UL MU transmission.

[0075] The present disclosure can be realized by software, hardware, or software operating in conjunction with hardware. Each functional block described in the above embodiments can be partially or entirely realized by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in each embodiment can be partially or entirely controlled by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. An LSI may be formed as an individual chip, or a single chip may be formed to include some or all of the functional blocks. An LSI may include a data input / output unit connected to the LSI. Depending on the level of integration, an LSI may be referred to as an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI. However, the technology for implementing an integrated circuit is not limited to LSIs and can be realized using dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or special-purpose processors. Furthermore, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which can be programmed after LSI fabrication, or a reconfigurable processor, which can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells arranged within an LSI, can be used. The present disclosure can be realized as digital or analog processing. Future integrated circuit technologies can be used to integrate functional blocks if they replace LSI as a result of advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies. Biotechnology can also be used.

[0076] The present disclosure may be implemented by any type of apparatus, device or system having communication capabilities, referred to as a communications apparatus.

[0077] The communication device may include a transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The transceiver may include and / or function as a receiver and a transmitter. As a transmitter and a receiver, the transceiver may include an RF (radio frequency) module including an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, etc., and one or more antennas.

[0078] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include telephones (e.g., cellular (mobile) phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices), gaming consoles, digital book readers, telemedicine / telehealth (remote medical care and treatment) devices, and communication-enabled vehicles (e.g., automobiles, airplanes, ships), and various combinations thereof.

[0079] The communication devices are not limited to being portable or mobile, but may also include any type of non-portable or stationary apparatus, device or system, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting fixtures, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other "things" in an "Internet of Things" (IoT) network.

[0080] Communications may include, for example, the exchange of data via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, and the like, as well as various combinations thereof.

[0081] A communication apparatus may include devices such as a controller or a sensor connected to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in this disclosure. For example, a communication apparatus may include a controller or a sensor that generates control or data signals used by the communication device to perform the communication functions of the communication apparatus.

[0082] Communications equipment may also include infrastructure facilities such as base stations, access points, and any other equipment, devices, or systems that communicate with or control equipment such as those shown in the non-limiting examples above.

[0083] Although some features of the various embodiments have been described with reference to a communications device, it will be understood that corresponding features also apply to the methods of the various embodiments, and vice versa.

[0084] While the foregoing detailed description of the present embodiments has illustrated exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that numerous variations exist. It should be further understood that the exemplary embodiments are examples and are in no way intended to limit the scope, scope of use, operation, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing detailed description provides those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiments, and it should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and organization of the steps and methods of operation described in the exemplary embodiments, and in the modules and structures of the devices described in the exemplary embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present subject matter as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. a circuit for operatively generating a trigger frame including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; a transmitter that, during operation, transmits the generated trigger frame; Equipped with Each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field indicating whether a resource unit (RU) adaptation procedure is disabled for another communication device specified by each of the plurality of user information fields, and a second field indicating an RU or a combined RU assigned to the another communication device; an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the other communication device, and when a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle matches one of two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU is adapted to one of two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU; Communication equipment.

2. If the size of the assigned RU or combined RU is less than or equal to 242 tones, the RU adaptation procedure is disabled for the other communication device. The communication device according to claim 1 .

3. the common information field of the trigger frame includes a field indicating an additional packet padding period; The communication device according to claim 1 .

4. the assigned RU or combined RU is associated with two or more RUs or combined RUs; The communication device according to claim 1 .

5. each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU is equal to or smaller in size than the assigned RU or combined RU; The communication device according to claim 1 .

6. Each of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU is a large size RU or combined RU authorized for an Very High Throughput Wireless Local Area Network (EHT WLAN); The communication device according to claim 1 .

7. When an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle does not match any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, but covers at least one of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU is adapted to at least one of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU that overlaps to the most extent with the portion of the assigned RU or combined RU. The communication device according to claim 1 .

8. When the RU adaptation procedure is performed by the other communication device and a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle does not match and cover any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU is not adapted to any of the two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU. The communication device according to claim 1 .

9. the communication device further comprising a receiver configured to operatively receive trigger-based physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) transmitted by the other communication device. The communication device according to claim 1 .

10. The circuit further comprises: performing signal detection using one or more fields of the trigger-based PPDU transmitted on all 20 MHz subchannels corresponding to the assigned RU or combined RU; The other communication device determines an adapted RU or combined RU from the assigned RU or combined RU according to a clear channel assessment (CCA) result. It is configured as follows: The communication device according to claim 9.

11. a universal signal (U-SIG) field of the trigger-based PPDU including a signaling field indicating an RU or a combined RU that is adapted by the other communication device from the assigned RU or combined RU according to a result of CCA; The communication device according to claim 9.

12. The signaling field further indicates puncturing channel information in an 80 MHz frequency segment in which the U-SIG field of the trigger-based PPDU is transmitted. The communication device according to claim 11.

13. the circuitry is further configured to perform blind decoding on the received trigger-based PPDU according to two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU. The communication device according to claim 9.

14. A communication method executed by a communication device, comprising: generating a trigger frame including a common information field and a plurality of user information fields; transmitting the generated trigger frame; Including, Each of the plurality of user information fields includes a first field indicating whether a resource unit (RU) adaptation procedure is disabled for another communication device specified by each of the plurality of user information fields, and a second field indicating an RU or a combined RU assigned to the another communication device; an RU adaptation procedure is performed by the other communication device, and when a portion of the assigned RU or combined RU that is considered to be idle matches one of two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU, the assigned RU or combined RU is adapted to one of two or more RUs or combined RUs associated with the assigned RU or combined RU; Communication method.

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