Communication parameter signaling for peer-to-peer communication

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques for signaling parameters for peer-to-peer communications in a wireless network. One aspect provides a method for wireless communications in an access point (AP). The method generally includes obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from the access point (AP) indicating a duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by a wireless station and one or more other devices, relaying information to the one or more other devices identifying parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, and communicating with the one or more other devices based on the parameters for wireless communications between the wireless station and the one or more other devices during the TXOP.

Description

Cross-reference of related applications

[0001]

[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 525,708, filed on 12 November 2021, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Technical Field]

[0002]

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques for communicating parameters for wireless communication for peer-to-peer communication in a wireless network. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide a variety of communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These wireless networks can be multiple access networks that can support multiple users by sharing available network resources. Examples of such multiple access networks include code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) networks, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.

[0004]

[0004] To address the increasing bandwidth requirements demanded of wireless communication systems, different methods have been developed to enable multiple user terminals to communicate with a single access point by sharing channel resources while achieving high data throughput. Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology represents one such method that has emerged as a common technique for communication systems. MIMO technology has been adopted in several wireless communication standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard. IEEE 802.11 represents a set of wireless local area network (WLAN) air interface standards developed by the IEEE 802.11 committee for short-range communication (e.g., tens to hundreds of meters). [Overview of the project]

[0005]

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more specifically, to techniques for signaling parameters for wireless communications to wireless communication devices.

[0006]

[0006] One embodiment provides a method for wireless communication in a wireless station. The method generally includes obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from an access point (AP) that indicates the duration for which a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices; relaying information to one or more other devices that identifies parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices; and communicating with one or more other devices during the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0007]

[0007] One embodiment provides a method for wireless communication in a wireless station. The method generally includes establishing a connection with a second wireless station, obtaining information from the second wireless station that identifies parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station, and communicating with the second wireless station during a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station.

[0008]

[0008] One embodiment provides a method for wireless communication in an access point (AP). The method generally includes outputting information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to a wireless station; outputting a TXOP sharing trigger indicating the duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) should be shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to the wireless station; and communicating with the wireless station in at least a portion of the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0009]

[0009] Other embodiments provide an apparatus that is operable, configured or otherwise adapted to perform the methods described above and the methods described elsewhere in this specification; a non-temporary computer-readable medium having instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the apparatus, that cause the apparatus to perform the methods described above and the methods described elsewhere in this specification; a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable storage medium having code for performing the methods described above and the methods described elsewhere in this specification; and an apparatus comprising means for performing the methods described above and the methods described elsewhere in this specification. For example, the apparatus may comprise a processing system, a device having a processing system, or processing systems cooperating through one or more networks.

[0010]

[0010] The following description and accompanying drawings illustrate certain features for illustrative purposes only.

[0011]

[0011] To enable a more detailed understanding of the features described above in the present disclosure, a more specific description, briefly summarized above, may be made by reference to the aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain exemplary aspects of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting its scope, since the description may admit other equally effective aspects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1]

[0012] It is a diagram of an exemplary wireless communication network according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0013] It is a block diagram of an exemplary access point and an exemplary user terminal according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]

[0014] It is a diagram illustrating a wireless device according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0015] It illustrates a timeline for communication between a wireless station and a peer wireless station. [Figure 5]

[0016] It is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation for wireless communication by an access point according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]

[0017] It is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation for wireless communication by a source device according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]

[0018] It is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation for wireless communication by a target device according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]

[0019] It illustrates an aspect of an exemplary communication device. [Figure 9]

[0020] An example of a communication device configuration is illustrated. [Figure 10]

[0021] An example of a communication device configuration is illustrated. Detailed explanation

[0013]

[0022] Aspects of this disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for signaling parameters for communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices in a peer-to-peer communication link. A peer-to-peer communication link may exist, for example, between a wireless station commutably coupled to an access point and one or more peer wireless stations in which the wireless station acts as a soft access point (or virtual access point). In another example, a peer-to-peer communication link may exist between different access points in a wireless network.

[0014]

[0023] Various aspects of this disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to any particular structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure may be thorough and complete and so as to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein, those skilled in the art should recognize that the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently or in combination with any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be carried out using any number of aspects described herein. In addition, the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover any such apparatus or method carried out using, in addition to, or otherwise, other structures, functions, or structures and functions, in addition to the various aspects of the disclosure described herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0015]

[0024] The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, case, or illustration.” No embodiment described herein as “exemplary” should necessarily be construed as being preferable or advantageous to any other embodiment.

[0016]

[0025] While certain embodiments are described herein, many variations and substitutions of these embodiments fall within the scope of this disclosure. Although some advantages and benefits of preferred embodiments are mentioned, the scope of this disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular advantage, use, or purpose. Rather, embodiments of this disclosure are intended to be broadly applicable to different wireless technologies, system configurations, networks, and transmission protocols, some of which are illustrated, for example, in the figures and the following description of preferred embodiments. The detailed description and drawings are not limiting but merely illustrative of this disclosure, and the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0017]

[0026] The techniques described herein can be used for a variety of broadband wireless communication systems, including communication systems based on orthogonal multiplexing schemes. Examples of such communication systems include spatial division multiplexing (SDMA), time division multiplexing (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDMA) systems. SDMA systems can utilize sufficiently different directions to transmit data belonging to multiple user terminals simultaneously. TDMA systems can allow multiple user terminals to share the same frequency channel by dividing the transmitted signal into different time slots, each time slot being assigned to a different user terminal. OFDMA systems utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), a modulation technique that divides the entire system bandwidth into multiple orthogonal subcarriers. These subcarriers may also be called tones, bins, etc. In OFDM, each subcarrier can be modulated independently with data. SC-FDMA systems can utilize interleaved FDMA (IFDMA) for transmission over subcarriers distributed across the system bandwidth, localized FDMA (LFDMA) for transmission over blocks of adjacent subcarriers, or enhanced FDMA (EFDMA) for transmission over multiple blocks of adjacent subcarriers. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted in the frequency domain in OFDM and in the time domain in SC-FDMA.

[0018]

[0027] The teachings herein can be incorporated into various wired or wireless devices (e.g., nodes) (e.g., they can be implemented within or performed by such devices). In some embodiments, a wireless node implemented according to the teachings herein may comprise an access point or access terminal.

[0019]

[0028] An access point ("AP") may have, be implemented as, or be known as, a node B, a radio network controller ("RNC"), an advanced node B (eNB), a next-generation node B (gNB), a base station controller ("BSC"), a base station transceiver station ("BTS"), a base station ("BS"), a transceiver function ("TF"), a radio router, a radio transceiver, a basic service set ("BSS"), an extended service set ("ESS"), a radio base station ("RBS"), or any other technical term.

[0020]

[0029] An access terminal ("AT") may comprise, be implemented as, or be known as, a subscriber station, subscriber unit, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, user terminal (UT), user agent, user device, user equipment (UE), user station, or any other technical term. In some implementations, an access terminal may comprise a cellular telephone, cordless telephone, Session Initiation Protocol ("SIP") telephone, Wireless Local Loop ("WLL") station, personal digital assistant ("PDA"), handheld device with wireless connectivity capabilities, station ("STA"), or any other suitable processing device connected to a wireless modem. Thus, one or more embodiments taught herein may be incorporated into a telephone (e.g., a cellular telephone or smartphone), a computer (e.g., a laptop), a tablet, a portable communication device, a portable computing device (e.g., a personal digital assistant), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium. In some embodiments, the node is a wireless node. Such a wireless node may provide, for example, a network (e.g., a wide area network such as a cellular network or the Internet) or connectivity thereto via a wired or wireless communication link. Practical Wireless Communication Systems

[0021]

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates a multiple access, multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) system 100 having an access point and user terminals. For simplicity, only one access point 110 is shown in Figure 1. An access point is generally a fixed station that communicates with user terminals and may also be called a base station or some other technical term. User terminals can be fixed or mobile and may also be called mobile stations, wireless devices, or some other technical term. The access point 110 may communicate with one or more user terminals 120 (also referred to herein as stations (STAs)) on the downlink and uplink at any given moment. The downlink (i.e., forward link) is the communication link from the access point to the user terminals, and the uplink (i.e., reverse link) is the communication link from the user terminals to the access point. User terminals may also communicate peer-to-peer with other user terminals. A system controller 130 is coupled to the access point and provides coordination and control for the access point.

[0022]

[0031] Part of the following disclosure describes a user terminal 120 capable of communicating via Spatial Division Multiple Access (SDMA), but in certain embodiments, the user terminal 120 may also include several user terminals that do not support SDMA. Thus, in such embodiments, the AP 110 may be configured to communicate with both SDMA and non-SDMA user terminals. This approach conveniently allows older versions of user terminals ("legacy" stations) to remain deployed in the enterprise, extending their effective lifespan, while at the same time allowing newer or future user terminals implemented using technologies such as SDMA, OFDM, or OFDMA to be introduced where deemed appropriate.

[0023]

[0032] System 100 uses multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas for data transmission over the downlink and uplink. Access point 110 is N apEquipped with a number of antennas, it represents multiple inputs (MI) for downlink transmission and multiple outputs (MO) for uplink transmission. A set of K selected user terminals 120 collectively represents multiple outputs for downlink transmission and multiple inputs for uplink transmission. In the case of pure SDMA, if the data symbol streams for the K user terminals are not multiplexed by code, frequency, or time by any means, N ap It is desirable that K ≥ 1. If the data symbol stream can be multiplexed using TDMA techniques, different code channels using CDMA, sets of disparate subbands using OFDM, etc., then K is N ap It can be larger than that. Each selected user terminal transmits user-specific data to and / or receives user-specific data from the access point. Generally, each selected user terminal may be equipped with one or more antennas (i.e., N ut (≥1). The K selected user terminals may have the same or different numbers of antennas.

[0024]

[0033] An SDMA system can be a time-division duplex (TDD) system or a frequency-division duplex (FDD) system. In a TDD system, the downlink and uplink share the same frequency band. In an FDD system, the downlink and uplink use different frequency bands. The MIMO system 100 can also utilize a single carrier or multiple carriers for transmission. Each user terminal may be equipped with a single antenna (e.g., to keep costs low) or multiple antennas (e.g., if additional costs can be supported). The system 100 can also be a TDMA system if user terminals 120 share the same frequency channel by dividing transmission / reception into different time slots, with each time slot assigned to a different user terminal 120.

[0025]

[0034] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of access point 110 and two user terminals 120m and 120x in MIMO system 100. Access point 110 is equipped with N t antennas 224a to 224t. User terminal 120m is equipped with N ut,m antennas 252ma to 252mu, and user terminal 120x is equipped with N ut,x antennas 252xa to 252xu. Access point 110 is a transmission entity for the downlink and a reception entity for the uplink. Each user terminal 120 is a transmission entity for the uplink and a reception entity for the downlink. As used herein, a "transmission entity" is an independently operating device or device capable of transmitting data via a wireless channel, and a "reception entity" is an independently operating device or device capable of receiving data via a wireless channel. In the following description, the subscript "dn" indicates the downlink, the subscript "up" indicates the uplink, N up user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the uplink, N dn user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the downlink, N up may or may not be equal to N dn , and N up and N dn can be static values or can change for each scheduling interval. Beam steering or some other spatial processing technique can be used at the access point and user terminals.

[0026]

[0035] On the uplink, at each user terminal 120 selected for uplink transmission, the transmit (TX) data processor 288 receives traffic data from the data source 286 and control data from the controller 280. The TX data processor 288 processes the traffic data for the user terminals (e.g., encoding, interleaving, and modulation) based on the coding and modulation scheme associated with the rate selected for the user terminals and provides a data symbol stream. The TX spatial processor 290 performs spatial processing on the data symbol stream, N ut,m N for individual antennas ut,m N transmit symbol streams are provided. Each transmitter unit (TMTR) 254 receives and processes its respective transmit symbol stream (e.g., analog conversion, amplification, filtering, and frequency upconversion) to generate an uplink signal. ut,m Each transmitter unit 254 is N ut,m N for transmission from individual antennas 252 to the access point ut,m Provides individual uplink signals.

[0027]

[0036] N up Individual user terminals can be scheduled for simultaneous transmission over the uplink. Each of these user terminals performs spatial processing on its data symbol stream and transmits that set of transmission symbol streams to the access point over the uplink.

[0028]

[0037] At access point 110, N ap These antennas 224a to 224ap transmit all N on the uplink. up Uplink signals are received from individual user terminals. Each antenna 224 provides the received signals to its respective receiver unit (RCVR) 222. Each receiver unit 222 performs processing complementary to the processing performed by the transmitter unit 254 and provides the received symbol stream. The RX spatial processor 240 is N ap N from individual receiver unit 222ap Perform receiver space processing on the received symbol streams, N up The system provides a number of recovered uplink data symbol streams. Receiver space processing is performed according to channel correlation matrix inversion (CCMI), least mean squares error (MMSE), soft interference rejection (SIC), or any other technique. Each recovered uplink data symbol stream is an estimate of the data symbol stream transmitted by each user terminal. The RX data processor 242 processes each recovered uplink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) according to the rate used for its stream to obtain decoded data. The decoded data for each user terminal is provided to the data sink 244 for storage and / or to the controller 230 for further processing.

[0029]

[0038] On the downlink, at access point 110, the TX data processor 210 is scheduled for downlink transmission. dn The TX data processor 210 receives traffic data for each user terminal from data source 208, control data from controller 230, and possibly other data from scheduler 234. Various types of data may be sent over different transport channels. The TX data processor 210 processes the traffic data for each user terminal (e.g., encoding, interleaving, and modulation) based on the rate selected for that user terminal. The TX data processor 210 receives N dn N for individual user terminals dn It provides downlink data symbol streams. The TX spatial processor 220 provides N dn Perform spatial processing (such as precoding or beamforming as described in this disclosure) on the downlink data symbol streams, ap N for individual antennas apIt provides individual transmit symbol streams. Each transmitter unit 222 receives and processes its respective transmit symbol stream to generate a downlink signal. ap Each transmitter unit 222 is N ap N for transmission from individual antennas 224 to the user terminal ap Provides individual downlink signals.

[0030]

[0039] In each user terminal 120, N ut,m This antenna 252 is connected to access point 110 N ap It receives downlink signals. Each receiver unit 254 processes the received signals from the associated antenna 252 and provides a received symbol stream. The RX spatial processor 260 processes N ut,m N from individual receiver unit 254 ut,m The RX data processor 270 performs receiver space processing on the received symbol streams to provide a restored downlink data symbol stream for the user terminal. The receiver space processing is performed according to CCMI, MMSE, or any other technique. The RX data processor 270 processes the restored downlink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) to obtain decoded data for the user terminal.

[0031]

[0040] In each user terminal 120, the channel estimator 278 estimates the downlink channel response and provides a downlink channel estimate, which may include a channel gain estimate, an SNR estimate, a noise dispersion, etc. Similarly, the channel estimator 228 estimates the uplink channel response and provides an uplink channel estimate. The controller 280 for each user terminal typically provides the downlink channel response matrix H for that user terminal. dn,m Based on this, the spatial filter matrix for the user terminal is derived. The controller 230 uses the effective uplink channel response matrix H up,effBased on this, a spatial filter matrix for the access point is derived. A controller 280 for each user terminal can send feedback information (e.g., downlink and / or uplink eigenvectors, eigenvalues, SNR estimates, etc.) to the access point. Controllers 230 and 280 also control the operation of various processing units in the access point 110 and user terminal 120, respectively.

[0032]

[0041] Figure 3 illustrates various components that may be used in a wireless device 302 that may be used within the MIMO system 100. The wireless device 302 is an example of a device that may be configured to implement various methods described herein. The wireless device 302 may be an access point 110 or a user terminal 120.

[0033]

[0042] The wireless device 302 may include a processor 304 that controls the operation of the wireless device 302. The processor 304 may also be called a central processing unit (CPU). Memory 306, which may include both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), provides instructions and data to the processor 304. A portion of memory 306 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). The processor 304 typically performs logical and arithmetic operations based on program instructions stored in memory 306. Instructions in memory 306 may be executable to implement the methods described herein.

[0034]

[0043] The wireless device 302 may also include a housing 308 which may include a transmitter 310 and a receiver 312 to enable the transmission and reception of data between the wireless device 302 and a remote location. The transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be combined with a transceiver 314. One or more transmitting antennas 316 may be mounted on the housing 308 and electrically coupled to the transceiver 314. The wireless device 302 may also include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, and multiple transceivers (not shown).

[0035]

[0044] The wireless device 302 may also include a signal detector 318 that can be used to detect and quantify the level of the signal received by the transceiver 314. The signal detector 318 may detect such signal as total energy, energy per subcarrier per symbol, power spectral density, and other signals. The wireless device 302 may also include a digital signal processor (DSP) 320 for use in processing the signal.

[0036]

[0045] Various components of the wireless device 302 may be coupled together by a bus system 322, which may include a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus in addition to a data bus. Signaling parameters for peer-to-peer communication in wireless communication systems

[0037]

[0046] A wireless communication system may include a system in which wireless stations, such as smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, or similar devices, act as soft access points for one or more peer wireless stations. These peer wireless stations may be used for various real-time applications, such as extended reality or computer games, where traffic may have stringent latency requirements (which may be called "latency-sensitive traffic"). To enable the transmission of latency-sensitive traffic in a wireless communication system, mechanisms such as a triggered transmit opportunity (TXOP) sharing procedure may be used to allow an access point to allocate a portion of the time within a TXOP to a single non-access point wireless station for the transmission of data packets (e.g., PPDUs) between a non-AP wireless station and one or more peer wireless stations.

[0038]

[0047] One example of parameters that may be defined for communication between devices in a network is a subchannel puncturing pattern that identifies which subchannels are active and which are inactive during a TXOP. Generally, a puncturing pattern can be communicated from an AP to a wireless station via a disabled subchannel bitmap field included in one or more management frames transmitted by the AP, where each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a specific subchannel and a value indicating whether that subchannel is active (bit value of 0) or inactive (bit value of 1). Subchannels indicated as disabled in the disabled subchannel bitmap may not be used for communication with any device connected to the AP (e.g., any station that is a member of the Basic Service Set (BSS) associated with the AP). Additional subchannels may, however, be punctured beyond the subchannels identified in the disabled subchannel bitmap (and may not be used). These additional subchannels can be punctured when the AP requests a response from a connected wireless station by allocating resource units in the non-punctured channels. Therefore, the bandwidth used for communication may be narrower than, but not wider than, the bandwidth identified by the AP in the disabled subchannel bitmap.

[0039]

[0048] A peer wireless station may not be able to communicate with an AP that has signaled parameters to a wireless station that is able to communicate with the AP, and therefore may not be aware of the parameters established for communication between the AP and the wireless stations to which these peer wireless stations are connected. Since a peer wireless station may not be aware of these parameters, it may communicate using a different set of parameters. For example, in the subchannel puncturing example discussed above, a peer wireless station may communicate on a subchannel indicated as disabled in a disabled subchannel bitmap, which may violate the rules for communication in wireless networks that state that communication may not be performed on disabled subchannels.

[0040]

[0049] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary timeline 400 for communication between a wireless station and a peer wireless station during a shared transmit opportunity (TXOP).

[0041]

[0050] As illustrated, in order to establish a transmit opportunity 402 for STA1 and STA2, which may be wireless stations communicably coupled to the AP, the AP may transmit (e.g., broadcast) an initial control frame 410 in which the TXOP may contain various parameters for communication by one or more connected STAs. During this TXOP 402, a shared TXOP duration 404 may be established for STA1 to use when communicating with one or more peer STAs (e.g., a VR headset or other wireless station using STA1 as a soft AP and lacking information about the communication parameters established by the AP for the Basic Service Set (BSS)). For example, the AP may transmit a multi-user (MU) ready to send (RTS) TXOP shared trigger message 412 to STA1. The MU-RTS TXOP shared trigger message 412 may include information identifying the station to which the shared TXOP duration 404 is assigned, information identifying the AP, and information identifying the duration of the shared TXOP duration 404.

[0042]

[0051] Subsequently, and before performing a transmission during the shared TXOP duration 404, STA1 may send a clear to send (CTS) frame 414 to the AP. A data frame 416 may be sent to the peer STA, and in response, the peer STA may send a block acknowledgment (BA) 418 to acknowledge receipt of the data frames sent from STA1 (or to indicate that those frames should be resent due to the inability to successfully receive certain frames). During the shared TXOP duration 404, STA1 may allow the peer STA to send data to STA1. To do so, STA1 may send a trigger frame 420 to the peer STA. In response to receiving the trigger frame 420, the peer STA may send one or more data frames 422 to STA1, and STA1 may respond with a BA 424.

[0043]

[0052] At the end of the shared TXOP duration 404, a portion of TXOP 402 may still remain for the AP to communicate with other STAs in the AP's basic service set. Thus, between the end of the shared TXOP duration 404 and the end of TXOP 402, the AP may send a data frame (e.g., data frame 426) to another station in the network (e.g., STA2).

[0044]

[0053] As discussed, a peer STA may not be aware of the parameters for wireless communication established by the AP for members of the AP's BSS. This makes it possible for a peer STA to select transmission parameters that violate one or more transmission rules, such as transmitting over a wider bandwidth than identified by the AP (for example, transmitting over a channel identified as punctured by the AP). Furthermore, during peer-to-peer communication between STA1 and peer STA, it may be possible to use a puncturing pattern different from the puncturing pattern identified in the subchannel puncturing pattern provided to STA1, and the AP may not be aware of this puncturing pattern. This also makes it possible for the AP to violate one or more transmission rules, such as transmitting over a wider bandwidth than used for communication between STA1 and peer STA during TXOP402.

[0045]

[0054] Aspects of this disclosure provide techniques for a wireless station to signal wireless communication parameters to devices it communicates with, so that wireless devices in a network recognize parameters that define how communication should be performed during a TXOP, and so as not to violate rules for communication during a TXOP. By signaling these parameters to devices that a wireless station communicates with, such as APs and other peer wireless stations that use the wireless station as a virtual (or soft) AP, aspects of this disclosure can ensure that devices in a wireless communication network recognize parameters established for wireless communication, even when those devices are not communicably coupled to an AP and would not normally recognize such parameters. As a result, devices that a wireless station communicates with can perform transmissions during a TXOP without violating rules that define how transmissions should be performed during a TXOP (e.g., bandwidth limitations, etc.).

[0046]

[0055] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary operation 500 that may be performed in a wireless station (e.g., the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 1) to communicate with one or more other devices during a transmission opportunity, according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure.

[0047]

[0056] As illustrated, operation 500 may begin in block 510, where the wireless station obtains a TXOP sharing trigger from the AP, indicating the duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices. As discussed, the TXOP sharing trigger may indicate the duration of a shared TXOP for which the wireless station can communicate with one or more other devices, such as other APs or peer wireless stations connected to the wireless station and using the wireless station as a virtual (or soft) AP.

[0048]

[0057] In block 520, the wireless station relays information to one or more other devices identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. In some embodiments, the parameters for wireless communication may include, for example, a puncturing pattern associated with subchannels in the wireless communication network. The puncturing pattern may indicate which subchannels are active and which are disabled over the duration of the TXOP. It should be noted that the wireless device is not required to use all of the subchannels indicated as active in the puncturing pattern, and additional subchannels beyond those identified by the AP may be punctured by the wireless device or one or more other devices. In some embodiments, the parameters for wireless communication may include the maximum channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, the maximum transmission power for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, or similar. Other parameters may include information about the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. Further parameters may include a link identifier, spatial parameters such as the number of spatial streams (NSS) or spatial-time streams (NSTS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, timing information, and similar.

[0049]

[0058] Parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices may be obtained from an AP and forwarded to one or more other stations. In some embodiments, the wireless station may relay parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices via one or more dedicated information elements in frames transmitted to one or more other devices (e.g., one or more IEs in data frames transmitted to one or more other devices, one or more IEs in management frames transmitted by the wireless station to one or more other devices, the header of a frame transmitted to one or more other devices, etc.). Information may be relayed to one or more other devices, for example, via quality of service (QoS) information elements or traffic specification (TSPEC) information elements in management frames. The information may also be relayed to one or more devices via at least one of a stream classification service (SCS) request frame or a target wake time (TWT) request frame, which is used to indicate the time at which one or more other devices should operate (e.g., receive and / or transmit over the link between the wireless station and one or more other devices). In some embodiments, the wireless station may relay parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices by outputting this information for transmission during a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) procedure between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0050]

[0059] In block 530, during TXOP, the wireless station communicates with one or more other devices based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0051]

[0060] In some embodiments, communication with one or more other devices may be based on the bandwidth of the frame carrying one or more TXOP shared trigger or transmittable (CTS) messages. The bandwidth may be based, for example, on the maximum bandwidth supported for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. For example, the bandwidth used for communication with one or more other devices may be smaller than the bandwidth of the frame carrying the TXOP or CTS messages (e.g., including additional punctured channels), but may not exceed the bandwidth of the frame carrying the TXOP or CTS messages.

[0052]

[0061] In some embodiments, communication with one or more devices may be based on the temporal relationships between different parts of the TXOP. For example, a TXOP may be divided into a first portion and a second portion that is temporally later than the first portion. A wireless station may communicate with an AP during the first portion of the TXOP and with one or more other devices during the second portion. In some embodiments, the second portion of the TXOP may be the remainder of the TXOP after the first portion. In some embodiments, the second portion of the TXOP may be shorter than the remaining time in the TXOP so that other wireless stations can communicate during the third portion of the TXOP that follows the end of the second portion.

[0053]

[0062] In some embodiments, a wireless station may recognize the ability of one or more other devices (which may not be connected to an AP) to support puncturing. To enable the AP to recognize such support and generate parameters available to one or more other devices, the wireless station may signal to the AP information about the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing one or more subchannels. In response to the signaling of information about the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing one or more subchannels, the wireless station may obtain information about punctured subchannels in the network, which may be received as a bitmap having multiple bits, each bit representing the activation or deactivation status of a particular subchannel.

[0054]

[0063] In some embodiments, the information may include information about subchannels punctured by the AP or the wireless station (e.g., during TXOP). For example, a wireless station may puncture one or more additional subchannels that have not been previously marked as punctured. The wireless station may signal this information back to the AP so that the AP does not attempt to transmit on these disabled subchannels.

[0055]

[0064] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary operation 600 in a wireless station (e.g., user terminal 120 as illustrated in Figure 1, or another AP such as AP 110 as illustrated in Figure 1) for communicating with a second wireless station during a transmission opportunity, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Generally, operation 600 may be performed in a peer wireless station to a second wireless station that is not connected to an AP with which the second wireless station communicates. As will be discussed in more detail below, operation 600 may allow a wireless station that is not communicably coupled to an AP to be configured with transmission parameters that enable the wireless station to communicate with the second wireless station without violating, for example, a rule defining the maximum bandwidth that can be used for communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station or other communication rules.

[0056]

[0065] As illustrated, operation 600 begins in block 610, where the wireless station establishes a connection with the second wireless station. In some embodiments, the connection may be established between the wireless station and the second wireless station through a TDLS setup procedure between the wireless station and the second wireless station. The connection may be established prior to the establishment of any transmission opportunity in which the wireless station and the second wireless station can communicate with each other (e.g., sending data to one and receiving data from the other).

[0057]

[0066] In block 620, the wireless station obtains from the second wireless station parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station. As will be discussed, these parameters may include, for example, a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel in the wireless communication network. The puncturing pattern may indicate whether the subchannel is activated or deactivated. The puncturing panel may be defined by the AP to which the second wireless station is connected, or (for example, for use during a particular TXOP) by the second wireless station.

[0058]

[0067] In block 630, the wireless station communicates with the second wireless station during TXOP based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station. Since the parameters may be forwarded from the AP to the wireless station via the second wireless station or defined by the second wireless station, the wireless station may recognize the appropriate parameters for communication during TXOP and, based on having obtained these parameters, may not perform communication using parameters that would violate one or more defined rules for communication during TXOP (e.g., exceeding the maximum bandwidth during TXOP).

[0059]

[0068] In some embodiments, a wireless station may communicate based on a subchannel punctured by an AP to which a second wireless station is connected, and a subchannel punctured by the second wireless station. For example, a wireless station may communicate based on the intersection of a subchannel punctured by an AP and a subchannel punctured by a second wireless station. The subchannel may be dynamically punctured during TXOP for communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station.

[0060]

[0069] In some embodiments, a TXOP may be divided into a first part and a second part. The second part may chronologically follow the first part. Generally, the first part may be a portion reserved for communication between the AP and the second wireless station, and communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station may take place during the second part of the TXOP.

[0061]

[0070] Figure 7 illustrates exemplary operation 700 at an access point (e.g., AP110 as illustrated in Figure 1) for communicating with a wireless station based on parameters defined for communication between the AP and the wireless station, and parameters for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices that use the wireless station as a soft (or virtual) AP. Generally, by communicating these parameters to the AP, the AP can recognize the limitations imposed by the parameters for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, and the AP can communicate with other stations in the basic service set without violating rules that restrict communication in TXOP based on the parameters for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices (e.g., bandwidth parameters, etc.).

[0062]

[0071] As illustrated, operation 700 begins in block 710, where the AP outputs information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to the wireless station. As discussed, these one or more other devices may include, for example, other APs or peer stations that use the wireless station as a soft (or virtual) AP. In some embodiments, these parameters may include information about subchannels in the wireless communication network, such as a channel puncturing bitmap or other puncturing pattern information that identifies channels that are punctured or disabled for communication between the AP and the wireless station (and thus should be punctured for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices during a transmission opportunity).

[0063]

[0072] In block 720, the AP outputs a TXOP sharing trigger indicating the duration for which the TXOP should be shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to the wireless station. The TXOP may be divided, for example, into a first part in which the AP can communicate with the wireless station, and a second part that occurs later in time than the first part in which the wireless station can perform peer-to-peer communication with one or more other devices. The second part may be the remainder of the TXOP, or it may be a part that allows the AP to communicate with other connected wireless stations until the end of the TXOP, based on identified parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, and parameters signaled to the AP and used during communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0064]

[0073] In block 730, the AP communicates with the wireless station during at least part of the TXOP based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0065]

[0074] In some embodiments, the AP may obtain information from the wireless station about the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing one or more subchannels. Information identifying parameters for wireless communication may be based on the ability of other devices to support puncturing one or more subchannels. For example, the ability of other devices to support puncturing may indicate the maximum number of subchannels that can be punctured, and the AP may indicate up to the maximum number of punctured subframes in the parameters output for transmission to the wireless station.

[0066]

[0075] In some embodiments, an AP may perform a “sniffing” operation to determine which subchannels are punctured and to communicate such information to the wireless station (for example, for distribution to one or more other devices, such as peer stations connected to the wireless station). During this sniffing operation, the AP may monitor one or more subchannels for transmission on each of one or more subchannels within the TXOP (or at least a portion of the TXOP reserved for communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices). Channels with traffic may be marked as not punctured, while channels without traffic may be marked as punctured, and puncturing patterns may be identified based on the results of the sniffing operation.

[0067]

[0076] In some embodiments, as discussed above, the wireless station may disable (or puncture) further subchannels beyond the subchannel indicated as punctured in the signaling output for transmission to the wireless station in block 710. In such cases, the AP may obtain information identifying one or more punctured subchannels that were punctured during the TXOP. Subsequent communication between the AP and the wireless station (and / or one or more other devices) may further rely on the identified punctured channels.

[0068]

[0077] In some embodiments, the AP may further output information identifying transmission parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to the wireless station. These parameters may include a variety of parameters, as discussed above, including channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, MCS, link identifier, spatial parameters (e.g., NSS, NSTS, etc.), and / or timing information. In some embodiments, the link identifier may be output as a link identifier bitmap, where bits set high in the bitmap indicate the link identifier used for communication between the AP and the wireless station. Practical examples of wireless communication devices

[0069]

[0078] Figure 8 illustrates an exemplary communication device 800, which includes various components that are operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as the operations illustrated and described with respect to Figure 5. In some examples, the communication device 800 may be a user terminal 120, for example, as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0070]

[0079] The communication device 800 includes a processing system 802 coupled to a transceiver 808 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 808 is configured to transmit (or send) and receive signals for the communication device 800 via an antenna 810, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 802 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 800, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 800.

[0071]

[0080] The processing system 802 includes one or more processors 820 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 830 via a bus 806. In a particular embodiment, the computer-readable medium / memory 830 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by one or more processors 820, cause one or more processors 820 to perform the operations illustrated in Figure 5, or other operations for performing the various techniques discussed herein.

[0072]

[0081] In the illustrated example, the computer-readable medium / memory 830 stores a code 831 for retrieval, a code 832 for relaying, and a code 833 for communication.

[0073]

[0082] In the illustrated example, one or more processors 820 include circuits configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 830, including a circuit 821 for acquisition, a circuit 822 for relaying, and a circuit 823 for communication.

[0074]

[0083] Various components of the communication device 800 may provide means for carrying out the methods described herein, including those relating to Figure 5.

[0075]

[0084] In some examples, the means for acquisition may include the RX spatial processor 260, RX data processor 270, controller 280, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 820, transceiver 808, and antenna 810 of the communication device 800 in Figure 8.

[0076]

[0085] In some examples, the means for relaying may include the TX spatial processor 290, TX data processor 288, controller 280, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 820, transceiver 808, and antenna 810 of the communication device 800 in Figure 8.

[0077]

[0086] In some examples, means for communication may include the RX spatial processor 260, RX data processor 270, controller 280, TX spatial processor 290, TX data processor 288, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 820, transceiver 808, and antenna 810 of the communication device 800 in Figure 8.

[0078]

[0087] In particular, Figure 8 is an example, and many other examples and configurations of the communication device 800 are possible.

[0079]

[0088] Figure 9 illustrates an exemplary communication device 900, which includes various components that are operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as the operations illustrated and described with respect to Figure 6. In some examples, the communication device 900 may be a user terminal 120, for example, as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0080]

[0089] The communication device 900 includes a processing system 902 coupled to a transceiver 908 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 908 is configured to transmit (or send) and receive signals for the communication device 900 via an antenna 910, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 902 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 900, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 900.

[0081]

[0090] The processing system 902 includes one or more processors 920 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 930 via a bus 906. In a particular embodiment, the computer-readable medium / memory 930 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by one or more processors 920, cause one or more processors 920 to perform the operations illustrated in Figure 6, or other operations for performing the various techniques discussed herein.

[0082]

[0091] In the illustrated example, the computer-readable medium / memory 930 stores the code 931 for establishment, the code 932 for acquisition, and the code 933 for communication.

[0083]

[0092] In the illustrated example, one or more processors 920 include circuits configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 930, including a circuit 921 for establishing, a circuit 922 for acquiring, and a circuit 923 for communicating.

[0084]

[0093] Various components of the communication device 900 may provide means for carrying out the methods described herein, including those relating to Figure 6.

[0085]

[0094] In some examples, the means for establishment may include the RX spatial processor 260, RX data processor 270, controller 280, TX spatial processor 290, TX data processor 288, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 920, transceiver 908, and antenna 910 of the communication device 900 in Figure 9.

[0086]

[0095] In some examples, the means for acquisition may include the RX spatial processor 260, RX data processor 270, controller 280, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 920, transceiver 908, and antenna 910 of the communication device 900 in Figure 9.

[0087]

[0096] In some examples, means for communication may include the RX spatial processor 260, RX data processor 270, controller 280, TX spatial processor 290, TX data processor 288, transceiver 254, and / or antenna(s) 252 of the user terminal 120 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 920, transceiver 908, and antenna 910 of the communication device 900 in Figure 9.

[0088]

[0097] In particular, Figure 9 is an example, and many other examples and configurations of the communication device 900 are possible.

[0089]

[0098] Figure 10 illustrates an exemplary communication device 1000, which includes various components that are operable, configured, or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein, such as the operations illustrated and described with respect to Figure 7. In some examples, the communication device 1000 may be, for example, AP110 as described with respect to Figures 1 and 2.

[0090]

[0099] The communication device 1000 includes a processing system 1002 coupled to a transceiver 1008 (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver). The transceiver 1008 is configured to transmit (or send) and receive signals for the communication device 1000 via an antenna 1010, such as various signals as described herein. The processing system 1002 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1000, including processing signals received by and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1000.

[0091]

[0100] The processing system 1002 includes one or more processors 1020 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 1030 via a bus 1006. In a particular embodiment, the computer-readable medium / memory 1030 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by one or more processors 1020, cause one or more processors 1020 to perform the operations illustrated in Figure 7, or other operations for performing the various techniques discussed herein.

[0092]

[0101] In the illustrated example, the computer-readable medium / memory 1030 stores a code 1031 for output and a code 1032 for communication.

[0093]

[0102] In the illustrated example, one or more processors 1020 include circuits configured to implement code stored in a computer-readable medium / memory 1030, including a circuit 1021 for output and a circuit 1022 for communication.

[0094]

[0103] Various components of the communication device 1000 may provide means for carrying out the methods described herein, including those relating to Figure 7.

[0095]

[0104] In some examples, the means for outputting may include the TX data processor 210, TX spatial processor 220, controller 230, transceiver 232, and / or antenna(s) 224 of the AP110 illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 1020, transceiver 1008, and antenna 1010 of the communication device 1000 in Figure 10.

[0096]

[0105] In some examples, means for communication may include the TX data processor 210, TX spatial processor 220, controller 230, RX spatial processor 242, RX data processor 242, transceiver 232, and / or antenna(s) 224 of the AP illustrated in Figure 2, and / or the processor 1020, transceiver 1008, and antenna 1010 of the communication device 1000 in Figure 10.

[0097]

[0106] In some cases, rather than actually transmitting signals and / or data, a device may have an interface (means for outputting) for outputting signals and / or data for transmission. For example, a processor may output signals and / or data to a radio frequency (RF) front end via a bus interface for transmission. Similarly, rather than actually receiving signals and / or data, a device may have an interface (means for obtaining) for acquiring signals and / or data received from another device. For example, a processor may acquire (or receive) signals and / or data from an RF front end via a bus interface for reception. In various embodiments, an RF front end may include a variety of components, including transmit and receive processors, transmit and receive MIMO processors, modulators, demodulators, and the like, as illustrated in the example in Figure 2.

[0098]

[0107] In some examples, the means for determining, acquiring, sending, forwarding, selecting, exchanging, and outputting may include various processing system components, such as one or more processors 1020 in Figure 10, or an embodiment of AP110 shown in Figure 2, which includes a receiving processor 240, a transmitting processor 220, a TX data processor 210, and / or a controller 230.

[0099]

[0108] In particular, Figure 10 is an example, and many other examples and configurations of the communication device 1000 are possible. Practical examples

[0100]

[0109] Examples of implementation forms are described in the following numbered embodiments.

[0101]

[0110] Embodiment 1: A method for wireless communication in a wireless station, comprising: obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from an access point (AP) indicating the duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices; relaying information to one or more other devices that identifies parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices; and communicating with one or more other devices during the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0102]

[0111] Embodiment 2: The method according to Embodiment 1, wherein one or more other devices comprises one or more peer devices communicatively coupled to a wireless station.

[0103]

[0112] Embodiment 3: The method according to Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein one or more other devices comprise a second AP.

[0104]

[0113] Embodiment 4: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

[0105]

[0114] Embodiment 5: The method according to Embodiment 4, further comprising signaling to the AP that one or more other devices are capable of supporting puncturing of one or more subchannels, and after the signaling, obtaining a bitmap that identifies the one or more subchannels that have been punctured by the AP, wherein the information identifying the puncturing pattern associated with the subchannels comprises the obtained bitmap.

[0106]

[0115] Embodiment 6: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, wherein relaying information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices comprises outputting information for transmission during a Tunneling Direct Link Setup (TDLS) procedure.

[0107]

[0116] Embodiment 7: The method according to Embodiment 6, wherein the information comprises information identifying one or more subchannels punctured by the AP.

[0108]

[0117] Embodiment 8: The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the information comprises information identifying one or more subchannels that have been punctured by a wireless station.

[0109]

[0118] Embodiment 9: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, further comprising puncturing one or more subchannels for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices during TXOP.

[0110]

[0119] Embodiment 10: The method according to Embodiment 9, further comprising outputting information for transmission to an AP that identifies one or more subchannels that have been punctured during TXOP.

[0111]

[0120] Embodiment 11: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices is carried in the header of a frame transmitted to one or more other devices.

[0112]

[0121] Embodiment 12: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein communication with one or more other devices comprises communicating with one or more other devices based on the bandwidth of a frame carrying at least one of a TXOP shared trigger or a clear to send message.

[0113]

[0122] Embodiment 13: The method of Embodiment 12, further comprising outputting an indication of the maximum bandwidth supported for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to an AP, wherein the bandwidth of the frame is based on the indicated maximum bandwidth.

[0114]

[0123] Embodiment 14: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, further comprising communicating with an AP during a first part of the TXOP, and communicating with one or more other devices during a second part of the TXOP that is temporally later than the first part of the TXOP.

[0115]

[0124] Embodiment 15: The method according to Embodiment 14, wherein the second part of the TXOP comprises the remainder of the TXOP after the first part of the TXOP.

[0116]

[0125] Embodiment 16: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising obtaining information from the AP that identifies parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0117]

[0126] Embodiment 17: The apparatus according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 16, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices include at least one of the following: channel bandwidth for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, maximum transmit power for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, link identifier for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, or timing information associated with a link between a wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0118]

[0127] Embodiment 18: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 17, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via a dedicated information element in a frame transmitted to one or more other devices.

[0119]

[0128] Embodiment 19: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 18, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via a Quality of Service (QoS) information element or a Traffic Specification (TSPEC) information element.

[0120]

[0129] Embodiment 20: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via at least one of a Stream Classification Service (SCS) request frame or a Target Wake Time (TWT) request frame.

[0121]

[0130] Embodiment 21: A method for wireless communication in a wireless station, comprising: establishing a connection with a second wireless station; obtaining information from the second wireless station identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station; and communicating with the second wireless station during a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station.

[0122]

[0131] Embodiment 22: The method according to Embodiment 21, wherein parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and a second wireless station include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel, the puncturing pattern being obtained via a bitmap in a management frame.

[0123]

[0132] Embodiment 23: The method according to Embodiment 21 or 22, wherein parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and a second wireless station are obtained during a tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) procedure with the second wireless station.

[0124]

[0133] Embodiment 24: The method according to Embodiment 21 or 22, further comprising dynamically puncturing one or more subchannels for wireless communication between a wireless station and a second wireless station.

[0125]

[0134] Embodiment 25: The method according to any one of Embodiments 21 to 24, wherein the TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part that is temporally later than the first part, and communication with a second wireless station is performed during the second part of the transmission opportunity (TXOP).

[0126]

[0135] Embodiment 26: The method according to any one of Embodiments 21 to 25, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by the access point (AP) to which the second wireless communication is connected.

[0127]

[0136] Embodiment 27: The method according to any one of Embodiments 21 to 26, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by the second wireless station.

[0128]

[0137] Embodiment 28: The method according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein communication with a second wireless station during TXOP comprises communicating with the second wireless station based on subchannels punctured by an access point (AP) to which the second wireless communication is connected and subchannels punctured by the second wireless station.

[0129]

[0138] Embodiment 29: The method according to Embodiment 28, wherein communication based on a subchannel punctured by an AP and a subchannel punctured by a second wireless station is further comprising communication based on the intersection of a subchannel punctured by an AP and a subchannel punctured by a second wireless station.

[0130]

[0139] Embodiment 30: A method for wireless communication in an access point (AP), comprising: outputting information for transmission to a wireless station that identifies parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices; outputting a TXOP sharing trigger for transmission to a wireless station that indicates the duration for which a transmission opportunity (TXOP) should be shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices; and communicating with the wireless station in at least a portion of the TXOP based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0131]

[0140] Embodiment 31: The method according to Embodiment 30, wherein the parameters for communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

[0132]

[0141] Embodiment 32: The method according to Embodiment 31, further comprising obtaining from a wireless station the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels, wherein the information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels.

[0133]

[0142] Embodiment 33: The method according to Embodiment 31 or 32, further comprising monitoring one or more subchannels for transmission on each of one or more subchannels during a TXOP in which a wireless station and one or more other devices are communicating, and identifying a puncturing pattern based on monitoring one or more subchannels.

[0134]

[0143] Embodiment 34: The method according to any one of embodiments 30 to 33, further comprising obtaining information from a wireless station that identifies one or more punctured subchannels that were punctured during TXOP for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices, wherein communication between the AP and the wireless station is further based on the identified one or more punctured subchannels.

[0135]

[0144] Embodiment 35: The method according to any one of embodiments 30 to 34, wherein the TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part, and communication with the wireless station based on parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices comprises communicating with the wireless station only during the first part of the TXOP.

[0136]

[0145] Embodiment 36: The method of Embodiment 35, wherein the second part of the TXOP comprises the remaining part of the TXOP that is temporally later than the first part of the TXOP.

[0137]

[0146] Embodiment 37: The method according to any one of embodiments 30 to 36, further comprising outputting information identifying transmission parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices for transmission to a wireless station.

[0138]

[0147] Embodiment 38: The method according to any one of embodiments 30 to 37, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices include at least one of the following: channel bandwidth for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, maximum transmit power for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, modulation and coding scheme for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, link identifier for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and one or more other devices, or timing information associated with a link between a wireless station and one or more other devices.

[0139]

[0148] Embodiment 39: The method according to Embodiment 38, wherein the link identifier comprises a link identifier bitmap.

[0140]

[0149] Embodiment 40: A device for wireless communication, comprising a memory containing instructions and one or more processors configured to execute instructions and cause the device to perform the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 39.

[0141]

[0150] Embodiment 41: An access terminal comprising a transceiver, a memory containing instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute instructions and cause an access terminal to perform the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 20, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a transmit opportunity (TXOP) shared trigger.

[0142]

[0151] Embodiment 42: An access terminal comprising a transceiver, a memory having instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute instructions and cause the access terminal to perform the method described in any one of Embodiments 21 to 29, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive information identifying parameters for wireless communication between a wireless station and a second wireless station.

[0143]

[0152] Embodiment 43: Access point (AP) comprising a transceiver, a memory containing instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute instructions and cause the AP to perform the method described in any one of Embodiments 30 to 39, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a TXOP shared trigger and information identifying parameters.

[0144]

[0153] Embodiment 44: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising means for performing the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 39.

[0145]

[0154] Embodiment 45: A non-temporary computer-readable medium comprising, when executed by a device, an instruction causing the device to perform the method described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 39. Additional considerations

[0146]

[0155] The preceding description provides examples of techniques for increasing local area network (LAN) device privacy in communication systems. The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement the various embodiments described herein. The examples discussed herein do not limit the scope, applicability, or embodiments described in the claims. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art, and the comprehensive principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. For example, changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various examples may, as appropriate, omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components. For example, the methods described may be performed in an order different from the order described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also, features described in some examples may be combined in some other examples. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be implemented using any number of embodiments described herein. In addition, the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover such apparatus or methods implemented using, or otherwise, other structures, functions, or structures and functions, in addition to, the various embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0147]

[0156] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with this disclosure may be implemented or run using general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices (PLDs), discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, a processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors working with a DSP core, a system-on-a-chip (SoC), or any other such configuration.

[0148]

[0157] When implemented in hardware, an exemplary hardware configuration may include a processing system within a wireless node. The processing system may be implemented using a bus architecture. The bus may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges, depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system. The bus can link together various circuits, including processors, machine-readable media, and bus interfaces. The bus interface may, among other things, be used to connect a network adapter to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter may be used to implement the signal processing functions of the PHY layer. In the case of a user terminal (see Figure 1), a user interface (e.g., keypad, display, mouse, joystick, touchscreen, biosensor, proximity sensor, light-emitting element, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, but these circuits are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further. The processor may be implemented using one or more general-purpose and / or dedicated processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuits capable of running software. Those skilled in the art will recognize the best way to implement the described functions of the processing system, depending on the overall design constraints imposed on the specific application and the entire system.

[0149]

[0158] When implemented in software, these functions may be stored on or transmitted through a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, data, or any combination thereof, regardless of whether it is called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any other name. Computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one location to another. A processor may be responsible for bus management and general processing, including the execution of software modules stored on machine-readable storage media. Computer-readable storage media may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage media. Alternatively, the storage media may be integrated with the processor. For example, machine-readable medium may include computer-readable storage media storing instructions, separate from transmission lines, data-modulated carriers, and / or wireless nodes, all of which may be accessed by the processor through a bus interface. Alternatively, or in addition, machine-readable media or any part thereof may be integrated into the processor, as may be the case with caches and / or general-purpose register files. Examples of machine-readable storage media may include, for example, RAM (random access memory), flash memory, ROM (read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), registers, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage media, or any combination thereof. Machine-readable media may be embodied in computer program products.

[0150]

[0159] A software module may consist of a single instruction or many instructions, and may be distributed across several different code segments, between different programs, and across multiple storage media. A computer-readable medium may contain several software modules. When executed by a device such as a processor, a software module contains instructions that cause the processing system to perform various functions. A software module may include transmit modules and receive modules. Each software module may reside in a single storage device or may be distributed across multiple storage devices. For example, a software module may be loaded from a hard drive into RAM when a triggering event occurs. While a software module is executing, the processor may load some of the instructions into a cache to increase access speed. One or more cache lines may then be loaded into a general-purpose register file for execution by the processor. When the functions of a software module are referred to below, it will be understood that such functions are implemented by the processor when executing instructions from that software module.

[0151]

[0160] Where used herein, the phrase “at least one of” the list of items refers to any combination of those items that contains a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination having multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other order of a, b, and c).

[0152]

[0161] As used herein, the term “decision-making” encompasses a wide range of actions. For example, “decision-making” may include calculating, calculating, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, database, or other data structure), confirming, and similar actions. “Decide-making” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and similar actions. “Decide-making” may also include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and similar actions.

[0153]

[0162] The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more steps or actions for achieving those methods. The steps and / or actions of a method may be substituted for one another without departing from the claims. In other words, unless a particular order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of a particular step and / or action may be modified without departing from the claims. Furthermore, various operations of the methods described above may be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding function. The means may include, but are not limited to, various hardware and / or software components and / or modules, including, but not limited to, circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or processors. Generally, where operations illustrated in the figures exist, those operations may have corresponding corresponding mean-plus-function components with similar numbering.

[0154]

[0163] The following claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be granted the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. In the claims, references to singular elements are not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated so, but rather to mean “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms “several / some / something” refer to one or more. No element of any claim should be construed under Section 112(f) of the U.S. Patent Act unless it is explicitly described using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the “steps for.” All structural and functional equivalents of elements of various embodiments described throughout this disclosure, known to or to those skilled in the art, are expressly invoked herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be publicly dedicated, whether such disclosure is expressly stated in the claims or not. The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below. [C1] A device for wireless communication, Memory containing instructions, The command is executed, and the device, Obtaining a TXOP sharing trigger from an access point (AP) that indicates the duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless station and one or more other devices, The relay to one or more other devices information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, During the TXOP, communication with the one or more other devices is performed based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A device equipped with the following features. [C2] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more other devices comprises one or more peer devices communicably coupled to the wireless station. [C3] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more other devices include a second AP. [C4] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel. [C5] The one or more processors in the device, The AP signals to the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels, After the signaling, a bitmap is obtained that identifies one or more subchannels punctured by the AP. The apparatus according to C4, further configured to perform the following, wherein the information identifying the puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel comprises the acquired bitmap. [C6] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to output the information for transmission during a tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) procedure in order to relay the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C7] The apparatus according to C6, wherein the information includes information identifying one or more subchannels punctured by the AP. [C8] The apparatus according to C6, wherein the information includes information identifying one or more subchannels punctured by the wireless station. [C9] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to puncture one or more subchannels during the TXOP for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C10] The apparatus according to C9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to output information identifying the one or more subchannels that have been punctured in the TXOP for transmission to the AP. [C11] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices is carried in the header of a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices. [C12] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to communicate with the one or more other devices based on the bandwidth of the frame in which at least one of the TXOP shared triggers or transmittable messages is carried. [C13] The one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to output an indication of the maximum bandwidth supported for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices for transmission to the AP, wherein the bandwidth of the frame is based on the indicated maximum bandwidth, as described in C12. [C14] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to communicate with the AP during a first portion of the TXOP, and to communicate with the one or more other devices during a second portion of the TXOP that is temporally later than the first portion of the TXOP. [C15] The apparatus according to C14, wherein the second portion of the TXOP comprises the remaining portion of the TXOP after the first portion of the TXOP. [C16] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to obtain from the AP information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C17] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices include at least one of the following: channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, maximum transmit power for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, link identifier for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, or timing information associated with the link between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C18] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices is relayed via a dedicated information element in a frame transmitted to the one or more other devices. [C19] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via a Quality of Service (QoS) information element or a Traffic Specification (TSPEC) information element. [C20] The apparatus according to C1, wherein the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices is relayed via at least one of a Stream Classification Service (SCS) request frame or a Target Wake Time (TWT) request frame. [C21] The apparatus according to C1, further comprising a transceiver configured to receive the Transmit Opportunity (TXOP) Shared Trigger, wherein the apparatus is configured as the wireless station. [C22] A device for wireless communication, Memory containing instructions, The command is executed, and the device, To establish a connection with the second wireless station, Information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the aforementioned wireless station and the second wireless station is obtained from the second wireless station, To communicate with the second wireless station during a transmission opportunity (TXOP) based on the parameters for wireless communication between the aforementioned wireless station and the second wireless station. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A device equipped with the following features. [C23] The apparatus according to C22, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel, and the puncturing pattern is obtained via a bitmap in a management frame. [C24] The apparatus described in C22, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the aforementioned wireless station and the second wireless station are obtained during a tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) procedure with the second wireless station. [C25] The apparatus according to C22, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to dynamically puncture one or more subchannels for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station. [C26] The TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part that is temporally later than the first part. The apparatus according to C22, wherein, in order to communicate with the second wireless station, one or more processors are configured to communicate with the second wireless station during a second portion of a transmit opportunity (TXOP). [C27] The apparatus according to C22, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by the access point (AP) to which the second wireless communication is connected. [C28] The apparatus according to C22, wherein the information obtained from the second wireless station comprises a puncturing pattern defined by the second wireless station. [C29] The apparatus according to C22, wherein, in order to communicate with the second wireless station during the TXOP, one or more processors are configured to communicate with the second wireless station based on subchannels punctured by the access point (AP) to which the second wireless communication is connected and subchannels punctured by the second wireless station. [C30] The apparatus according to C29, wherein, in order to communicate based on the subchannel punctured by the AP and the subchannel punctured by the second wireless station, one or more processors are configured to communicate based on the intersection of the subchannel punctured by the AP and the subchannel punctured by the second wireless station. [C31] The apparatus according to C22, further comprising a transceiver configured to receive the information identifying the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the second wireless station, wherein the apparatus is configured as the wireless station. [C32] A device for wireless communication, Memory containing instructions, The command is executed, and the device, To transmit to a wireless station, the system outputs information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. For transmission to the aforementioned wireless station, the Transmit Opportunity (TXOP) outputs a TXOP sharing trigger indicating the duration for which the TXOP should be shared by the aforementioned wireless station and one or more other devices, To communicate with the wireless station in at least part of the TXOP based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and one or more other devices. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A device equipped with the following features. [C33] The apparatus according to C32, wherein the parameters for communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices include a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel. [C34] The apparatus according to C33, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to obtain from the wireless station the ability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels, and the information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the ability of the one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels. [C35] The one or more processors in the device, Monitoring one or more subchannels for transmission on each of the one or more subchannels during the TXOP in which the wireless station and one or more other devices are communicating, Identifying the puncturing pattern based on monitoring one or more subchannels. The apparatus described in C33, further configured to perform the following. [C36] The apparatus according to C32, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to obtain information from the wireless station identifying one or more punctured subchannels punctured in the TXOP for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, and the communication between the AP and the wireless station is further based on the identified one or more punctured subchannels. [C37] The apparatus according to C32, wherein the TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part, and the one or more processors are configured to communicate with the wireless station only during the first part of the TXOP in order to communicate with the wireless station based on the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C38] The apparatus according to C37, wherein the second portion of the TXOP comprises the remaining portion of the TXOP which is temporally later than the first portion of the TXOP. [C39] The apparatus according to C32, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to output information identifying transmission parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices for transmission to the wireless station. [C40] The apparatus according to C32, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices include at least one of the following: a channel bandwidth for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a maximum transmit power for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a modulation and coding scheme for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, a link identifier for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, spatial parameters for wireless communication between the wireless station and the one or more other devices, or timing information associated with a link between the wireless station and the one or more other devices. [C41] The aforementioned link identifier is the device described in C40, which includes a link identifier bitmap. [C42] The apparatus according to C32, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the information identifying the parameter and the TXOP shared trigger, wherein the apparatus is configured as the AP.

Claims

1. It is a wireless node, At least one transceiver, One or more memory locations containing instructions, Executing the aforementioned command, the wireless node: The access point receives a TXOP sharing trigger via at least one transceiver, indicating the duration for which a transmit opportunity (TXOP) is shared by the wireless node and one or more other devices. Transmitting information identifying one or more subchannels to be punctured and a transmittable message to the access point via at least one of the transceivers, Transmitting information identifying parameters to one or more other devices via the at least one transceiver, During the TXOP, one or more processors are configured to cause communication to occur via the at least one transceiver and with one or more other devices, (1) by using the parameters, (2) over a bandwidth the same as or narrower than the bandwidth over which the transmittable message was carried, and (3) based on one or more identified punctured subchannels. A wireless node equipped with the following features.

2. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the one or more other devices comprises one or more peer devices communicably coupled to the wireless node.

3. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a puncturing pattern associated with a subchannel.

4. The one or more processors in the wireless node, Signaling via at least one transceiver that one or more other devices are capable of supporting puncturing of one or more subchannels, After the signaling, a bitmap is received via the at least one transceiver that identifies one or more subchannels that have been punctured by the second wireless node. The wireless node according to claim 3, further configured to perform the following, wherein the information identifying the puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel comprises the bitmap.

5. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to puncture one or more subchannels for wireless communication between the wireless node and the one or more other devices during the TXOP.

6. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the parameters is carried in the header of a frame transmitted to one or more other devices.

7. The one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with a second wireless node in the first portion of the TXOP via the at least one or more transceivers. Communicating with one or more other devices comprises communicating with one or more other devices in a second part of the TXOP that is temporally later than the first part of the TXOP, or The second portion of the TXOP comprises the remaining portion of the TXOP after the first portion of the TXOP. A wireless node according to claim 1, which is at least one of the following.

8. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive information identifying the parameters via the at least one transceiver.

9. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the parameters for wireless communication between the wireless node and the one or more other devices include at least one of channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), link identifier, link identifier bitmap, spatial parameters, or timing information associated with the link between the wireless node and the one or more other devices.

10. The information used to identify the parameter is, Dedicated information elements within the frame, Quality of Service (QoS) information elements, Traffic specification (TSPEC) information element, or, At least one of the following: a Stream Classification Service (SCS) request frame or a Target Wake Time (TWT) request frame A wireless node according to claim 1, transmitted via

11. The wireless node according to claim 1, wherein the parameters include at least one of channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams.

12. It is a wireless node, At least one transceiver, One or more memory locations containing instructions, Executing the aforementioned command, the wireless node: Receiving information identifying parameters from a second wireless node via at least one of the aforementioned transceivers, During a transmit opportunity (TXOP) associated with a transmit opportunity (TXOP) shared trigger received by the second wireless node, to communicate via the at least one transceiver and with the second wireless node by (1) using the parameters and (2) based on a subchannel punctured by the third wireless node to which the second wireless node is connected, and based on a subchannel punctured by the second wireless node. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A wireless node equipped with the following features.

13. The wireless node according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to dynamically puncture one or more subchannels.

14. The TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part that is temporally later than the first part. The wireless node according to claim 12, wherein, in order to communicate with the wireless node, one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with the second wireless node in the second portion of the TXOP.

15. The wireless node according to claim 12, wherein, in order to communicate based on the subchannel punctured by the third wireless node and the subchannel punctured by the second wireless node, one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate based on the common portion of the subchannel punctured by the third wireless node and the subchannel punctured by the second wireless node.

16. The wireless node according to claim 12, wherein the parameters include at least one of channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams.

17. It is a wireless node, At least one transceiver, One or more memory locations containing instructions, Executing the aforementioned command, the wireless node: Transmitting to a second wireless node via at least one transceiver information identifying parameters for wireless communication between the second wireless node and one or more other devices, wherein the parameters include at least one of channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), or one or more spatial streams. The at least one transceiver transmits a TXOP sharing trigger to the second wireless node, indicating the duration for which the transmit opportunity (TXOP) should be shared by the second wireless node and one or more other devices. The system receives information from the second wireless node via at least one transceiver that identifies one or more subchannels that were punctured during the TXOP. In at least a portion of the TXOP, communication is to be made via the at least one transceiver and with the second wireless node by (1) using the parameters and (2) based on the identified one or more punctured subchannels. One or more processors configured to perform the following: A wireless node equipped with the following features.

18. The aforementioned parameter comprises a puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel. The one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive from the second wireless node, via the at least one transceiver, that the one or more other devices support puncturing one or more subchannels, or The information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the ability of one or more other devices to support the puncturing of one or more subchannels. The wireless node according to claim 17, which is at least one of the following.

19. The aforementioned parameter comprises a puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel. The one or more processors are further configured to cause the wireless node to receive from the second wireless node, via the at least one transceiver, that the one or more other devices support puncturing one or more subchannels, or The information identifying the puncturing pattern is based on the ability of one or more other devices to support puncturing of one or more subchannels. The wireless node according to claim 17, which is at least one of the following.

20. The aforementioned parameters include a puncturing pattern associated with the subchannel, The one or more processors in the wireless node, Monitoring one or more subchannels during the aforementioned TXOP, Receiving the information via the at least one transceiver that identifies the one or more subchannels that were punctured during the TXOP based on monitoring the one or more subchannels. A wireless node according to claim 17, further configured to perform the following:

21. The aforementioned TXOP is divided into a first part and a second part. To communicate with the second wireless node based on the parameters, one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless node to communicate with the second wireless node only during the first portion of the TXOP, via at least the transceiver, or The second portion of the TXOP comprises the remaining portion of the TXOP which is temporally later than the first portion of the TXOP. The wireless node according to claim 17, which is at least one of the following.

22. The wireless node according to claim 17, wherein the parameters include at least one of channel bandwidth, maximum transmit power, modulation and coding scheme, link identifier, link identifier bitmap, spatial parameters, or timing information associated with the link between the second wireless node and one or more other devices.

Images