Method and system for co-RTWT for map coordination in WLAN systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to method and system for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network. The method includes discovering at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity. The method then includes defining, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CO-RTWT FOR MAP COORDINATION IN WLAN SYSTEMS

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination.

[0002] Multi-AP (MAP) coordination is a major feature being discussed in IEEE 802.11 TGbn which forms the base of Wi-Fi 8 specifications. The MAP coordination involves coordination achieved among multiple Basic Service Sets (BSSs) by setting up communication among Access Points (APs) for enabling efficient Wi-Fi operation.

[0003] The usefulness of a multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination framework stems from the fact that an intended set of coordinated MAP features / services are triggered among neighbouring APs at an intended time. This may enable enhancement in efficiency of a Wireless-Local Access Network (WLAN) network with MAP coordination. The MAP coordination framework results in higher throughput, higher reliability, and lower latency.

[0004] Access Points (APs) are required to find a supported set of coordinated MAP features / services supported by the neighbouring APs in a network. This information enables a specific AP to set up a set of MAP coordination features / services. Various MAP features / services are being discussed in IEEE 802.11 TGbn. The MAP features / services include features such as Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated time division multiple access (Co-TDMA), coordinated restricted target wake time (Co-RTWT), etc.

[0005] The set of MAP coordination features / services is utilized to manage various conditions for various new types of applications like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), or Extended Reality (XR), enhancement in peer-to-peer transmissions, etc. The various conditions include interference issues due to parallel transmissions in Overlapping Basic Service Sets (OBSSs), scheduling a high-priority / Low-Latency (LL) traffic flow, and maintaining proper Quality of Service (QoS) levels such as data rate, latency, etc.

[0006] Further, a MAP coordination discovery is an important step that enables the set of MAP coordination features / services. The MAP coordination discovery may be divided into a device discovery and a service discovery. In the device discovery, the APs discover each other's presence by listening to frames e.g., beacon, Multi-User Request to Send and Clear to Send (MU-RTS / CTS), etc., transmitted / broadcasted by APs, or discovering via over a Distributed System (DS) or Extended Service Set (ESS). In the service discovery, the APs may discover services supported by each other (passively or actively). However, the existing techniques for the MAP coordination discovery are not efficient.

[0007] The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

[0008] The MAP coordination needs communication between APs for set-up of various MAP coordination features / services. Currently no such mechanism exist for setting up MAP coordination in IEEE 802.11bn. The current techniques does not prioritize AP to AP communication as this involves coordination of various transmissions. The R-TWT was introduced in IEEE 802.11be to schedule some prioritized transmissions in a BSS. In the R-TWT, dedicated service periods (SPs) are allocated for these transmissions and service periods (SPs) may repeat periodically. Only STAs included in the R-TWT schedule will transmit in these SPs.

[0009] Accordingly, there is a need for enhancing R-TWT to enable MAP coordination and prioritize AP to AP communication. Further, there exist a need of coordination with existing coordinated R-TWT schedules in the multiple BSSs trying to achieve MAP coordination.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination performed by a first AP in a network is disclosed. The method comprises discovering at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity. The method further comprises defining, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a memory and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The at least one processor is configured to discover at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity and define, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.

[0012] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. For a better understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, together with other and further features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure provides method, apparatus and system for Co-RTWT for MAP coordination in WLAN systems.

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of at least one of device and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 illustrates an environment for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 2a illustrates a signaling diagram for passive MAP coordination service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2b illustrates information element for passive MAP coordination service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3a illustrates a signaling diagram for active MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3b illustrates type-1 probe request information element for active MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3c illustrates type-2 probe request information element for active MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 3d illustrates probe response information element for active MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4a illustrates a sequence diagram for a Co-RTWT schedule agreement for each pair of APs for MAP coordination, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4b illustrates a sequence diagram for a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement across multiple APs for MAP coordination, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 5a illustrates a sequence diagram for a Co-RTWT schedule agreement per MAP coordination feature / service, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5b illustrates a sequence diagram for a common schedule agreement for multiple MAP coordination features / services, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6a illustrates a sequence diagram for separate Co-RTWT schedule agreements for AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6b illustrates a sequence diagram for a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement for both AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6c illustrates a sequence diagram for trigger based operation of a Co-RTWT schedule agreement for both AP to AP communication for MAP coordination and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 8 illustrates a flowchart of a method for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] It may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0032] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0033] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It can be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover a plurality of modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.

[0034] The terms "comprise", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a device or system or apparatus proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the device or system or apparatus.

[0035] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0036] In an aspect, methods and a system for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination service discovery are disclosed. The MAP coordination service discovery may be performed by two methods i.e., a passive MAP coordination service discovery and an active MAP coordination service discovery. In the passive MAP coordination service discovery, the APs advertise their support for various MAP coordination features / services in broadcast management frames, e.g., beacon frames.

[0037] In the active MAP coordination service discovery, the APs actively ask / probe for the support of specific / all MAP coordination service / services (feature / features) that the APs support via some management / control frames.

[0038] In an embodiment, the passive MAP coordination service discovery may be performed in a system including a plurality of Access Points (APs). The plurality of APs may include three APs i.e., AP1, AP2, and AP3.

[0039] In an embodiment, the AP1may broadcast one or more advertisements for discovering a set of MAP coordination features / services that the AP1supports. Further, the AP1may broadcast one or more advertisements for indication of an intent to MAP coordination with one or more APs such as AP2, and AP3in a vicinity of a network such as a wireless network. for example, a wireless LAN (WLAN) network. In another embodiment, the network may be a wired network.

[0040] In the embodiment, the one or more advertisements may include an unsolicited advertisement frame. The unsolicited advertisement frame may contain Information Element (IE) also referred to as "MAP coordination discovery broadcast advertisement Information Element (IE)' within the embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, the IE may include the set of MAP coordination features / services supported by the AP1and additional information including capability and supported parameters corresponding to the set of MAP coordination features / services. In an embodiment, the advertisement frame used is of management type. The IE are variable-length optional fields in the body of a management frame.

[0041] In an embodiment, the one or more APs such as the AP2, and the AP3in the vicinity may receive, specifically listen to the unsolicited advertisement frame for the MAP coordination discovery. Preferably, the AP2and the AP3may receive the one or more advertisements of the set of MAP coordination features / services. Thereafter, a broadcast frame associated with the one or more advertisements that are broadcasted is decoded. Further, the set of MAP coordination features / services is determined based on the decoded broadcast frame. In an embodiment, the MAP coordination discovery broadcast advertisement Information Element (IE) may be illustrated in Table 1 below:

[0042] MAP coordination discovery broadcast advertisement Information Element (IE)Support indication for MAP feature 1Additional parameters for MAP feature 1Support indication for MAP feature 2Additional parameters for MAP feature 2.........Support indication for MAP feature nAdditional parameters for MAP feature n

[0043] In various embodiments, the active MAP coordination service discovery may enable the AP to send probe requests IE to ask if the APs in the vicinity support specific MAP coordination services, the set of MAP coordination services that it supports, and an indication of the intent to the MAP coordination.

[0044] The probe requests IE may contain an identifier of the specific MAP coordination features / services whose support is queried by the AP, the set of MAP coordination features / services supported by the AP, and the additional parameters related to the MAP coordination feature / services. In an embodiment, the probe requests IE may include the first type of probe request IE. In an embodiment, the probe requests IE may include the second type of probe request IE.

[0045] In an embodiment, the AP1may send the probe request IE to the one or more APs such as AP2, and AP3which are in the vicinity. The probe request IE may be sent to ask if the one or more APs in the vicinity may support the specific MAP coordination services and the indication of the intent of the MAP coordination.

[0046] In the embodiment, the first probe request IE may contain information pertaining to a request for the specific MAP coordination features / services. In an embodiment, the first probe request IE also referred to as MAP coordination discovery probe request Information Element (IE) may be illustrated in Table 2 below:

[0047] MAP coordination discovery probe request Information Element (IE)Request for Support indication for MAP feature 1Request for Additional parameters for MAP feature 1Request for Support indication for MAP feature 2Request for Additional parameters for MAP feature 2.........Request for Support indication for MAP feature nRequest for Additional parameters for MAP feature n

[0048] In an embodiment, the AP1may send the second probe request IE to the one or more APs such as AP2, and AP3which are in the vicinity. The second probe request IE may be sent to ask if the one or more APs in the vicinity may support the specific MAP coordination services, the set of MAP coordination services that it supports, and the indication of the intent of the MAP coordination.

[0049] In the embodiment, the second probe request IE may contain information pertaining to the support of the MAP coordination features / services along with information pertaining to the request for the specific MAP coordination features / services. In an embodiment, the second probe request IE may also be referred to as MAP coordination discovery probe request Information Element (IE) may be illustrated in Table 3 below:

[0050] MAP coordination discovery Probe request Information Element (IE)Support indication for MAP feature 1Additional parameters for MAP feature 1Support indication for MAP feature 2Additional parameters for MAP feature 2...Request for Support Indication for MAP feature 1Request for Additional parameters for MAP feature 1nRequest for Support Indication for MAP feature 2Request for Additional parameters for MAP feature 2...

[0051] In an embodiment, the one or more APs such as the AP2and the AP3in the vicinity may receive the first and / or second probe requests IE. Thereafter, the AP2and the AP3may respond, based on the probe requests IE, by sending a message to a probing AP, herein referred to the AP1.The message may contain information regarding the support of the AP2and the AP3and additional parameters for the specific MAP coordination features / services.In an embodiment, the probe response IE may also be referred to as MAP coordination discovery probe response Information Element (IE) may be illustrated in Table 4 below:

[0052] MAP coordination discovery probe response Information Element (IE)Support indication for MAP feature 1Additional parameters for MAP feature 1Support indication for MAP feature 2Additional parameters for MAP feature 2.........Support indication for MAP feature nAdditional parameters for MAP feature n

[0053] In an exemplary scenario, the MAP coordination discovery probe request Information Element (IE) for the first probe request IE is illustrated in Table 5 below:

[0054] MAP coordination discovery probe request Information Element (IE)Request for Support indication for Co-SRRequest for Additional parameters for Co-SRRequest for Support indication for Co-TDMARequest for Additional parameters for Co-TDMARequest for Support indication for Co-TWTRequest for Additional parameters for Co-TWT

[0055] In an exemplary scenario, the MAP coordination discovery probe response Element (IE) for the first probe request IE is illustrated in Table 6 below:

[0056] MAP coordination discovery probe response Information Element (IE)Support indication for Co-SRAdditional parameters for Co-SRSupport indication for Co-TDMAAdditional parameters for Co-TDMASupport indication for Co-TWTAdditional parameters for Co-TWT

[0057] Therefore, the present disclosure may provide an efficient and cost-effective way for the MAP coordination service discovery.The present disclosure provides a method for Co-RTWT for AP to AP communication for MAP coordination. Specifically, the present disclosure provides a method for Co-RTWT for AP to AP communication based on number of APs per R-TWT schedule, where one Co-RTWT schedule agreement per each pair of APs are performed for MAP configuration and a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement is made across multiple APs. Similarly, the present disclosure provides a method for Co-RTWT for AP-AP communication based on number of MAP coordination features / services per R-TWT schedule, where one Co-RTWT schedule agreement per MAP coordination service / feature is performed and a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement across all MAP coordination services / features being performed. Likewise, the present disclosure provides a method for Co-RTWT for AP to AP communication based on number of R-TWT schedules for AP-AP communication and R-TWT data transmission, where coordinated R-TWT schedules are separately coordinated for AP to STA data transmission and AP to AP communication and a common coordinated Co-RTWT schedule for both AP to STA data transmission and AP to AP communication.

[0058] Based on number of APs, the Co-RTWT agreement for AP to AP communication for MAP coordination can follow one or the two ways below.

[0059] A Co-RTWT schedule agreement per each pair of APs for MAP coordination.

[0060] A common Co-RTWT schedule agreement across multiple APs.

[0061] Specifically, a R-TWT schedule agreement between either a pair of APs or set of more than two APs for AP to AP communication for MAP coordination is disclosed. Accordingly, a R-TWT schedule agreement between either a pair of APs or a set of more than two APs, thereby forming a Co-RTWT agreement. Hence the Co-RTWT schedule (i.e., an Co-RTWT agreement between WLAN nodes) can be used for updating of the parameters required for the set of MAP coordination features / services that the APs negotiated for MAP coordination. The AP can negotiate on a set of MAP coordination features / services with a neighboring AP supporting those features and forms a Co-RTWT agreement, thereby the Co-RTWT schedule (which consists of multiple service periods called Co-RTWT service periods inside which WLAN nodes can communicate) for updating of the parameters required for the set of MAP coordination features / services that the APs negotiated for the MAP coordination. Accordingly, the AP can form one Co-RTWT agreement per AP pair for AP to AP communication for MAP coordination.

[0062] The AP can negotiate on a set of MAP coordination features / services with a set of more than two neighbouring APs supporting those features and subsequently, forms a common Co-RTWT agreement, thereby a common Co-RTWT schedule for update of the parameters required for the set of MAP coordination features / services that the APs negotiated for MAP coordination across Aps. Specifically, the AP can form a common Co-RTWT agreement per AP set for AP to AP communication for MAP coordination and the common Co-RTWT schedule operation can be contention based or trigger based.

[0063] A R-TWT schedule agreement for either a single or multiple MAP coordination feature(s) / service(s) are described. Specifically, the R-TWT schedule agreement forms a Co-RTWT agreement, hence the Co-RTWT schedule can be used for updates of parameters required for a single / multiple MAP coordination feature(s) / service(s) that the APs negotiated for MAP coordination . The AP can negotiate on a single MAP coordination feature / service with a set (a set contains one or more APs) of neighbouring APs supporting that feature and forms a Co-RTWT agreement, thereby a Co-RTWT schedule for update of the parameters required for the specific MAP coordination feature / service. The AP can form one Co-RTWT agreement per MAP coordination feature / service. For example, one Co-RTWT agreement for Co-SR MAP coordination and one for Co-TDMA MAP coordination.

[0064] The AP can negotiate on multiple MAP coordination features / services with a set (a set contains one or more APs) of neighbouring APs supporting those features and forms a common Co-RTWT agreement, thereby a common Co-RTWT schedule for update of the parameters required for multiple MAP coordination features / services that the set of APs negotiated for MAP coordination. Specifically, the AP can form a common Co-RTWT agreement per set of MAP coordination features / services and the common Co-RTWT schedule operation can be contention based or trigger based.

[0065] The R-TWT schedule agreement(s) based on having either a separate or common schedule(s) for AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission and separate Co-RTWT agreements for AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions are described.

[0066] A common Co-RTWT agreement is established among multiple APs for AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions and for a common Co-RTWT agreement for AP to AP communication, AP to STA R-TWT data transmission. As a result different priorities can be assigned for AP to AP communication, AP to STA R-TWT data transmission so that they do not collide while operation.

[0067] In a common Co-RTWT SP, the AP2 sends a trigger frame to AP1 to initiate AP to AP communication for MAP coordination. After AP to AP communication is complete, AP2 sends a trigger to STA2_1 to initiate AP to STA R-TWT data transmission.

[0068] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to method and system for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network. The method includes discovering at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity. The method then includes defining, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions. Thus, the method facilitates management of interference issues due to parallel transmissions in the Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSSs), scheduling a high-priority / LL traffic flow, maintaining proper QoS levels such as Data Rate, latency, etc. and, enhancement in peer-to-peer transmissions.

[0069] Figure 1 illustrates an environment 100 for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the environment 100 may comprise three access points (APs) 101, 102, and 103 in communication with each other to provide Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in the network. The network may comprise a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). However, the number of APs are exemplary and may vary based on APs present in the close proximity of each other and supporting MAP coordination.

[0071] The APs 101, 102, and 103 may be a Wi-Fi enabled AP for providing all MAP coordination feature / services being discussed in IEEE 802.11 TGbn that forms the base of Wi-Fi 8 specifications. However, the APs 101, 102, 103 feature / services are not restricted to above version of IEEE 802.11 TGbn and other versions are well within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] The environment 100 may further stations (STAs) 104a and 104b being serviced by AP 101, STAs 105a and 105b being serviced by AP 102, and STAs 106a and 106b being serviced by AP 103. The STAs may access MAP coordination feature / services provided or supported by the APs 101, 102, 103. In one non-limiting embodiment, the STAs may comprise laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. However, the STAs are not restricted to above examples and other type of end devices are well within the scope of present disclsoure.

[0073] The APs 101, 102, 103 may be configured to provide MAP coordination framework with intended set of coordinated MAP features / services are triggered among neighbouring APs at the intended time. This enhances the efficiency of the WLAN network with MAP coordination enabled producing higher throughput, reliability and lower latency.

[0074] An initial step of MAP coordination framework is MAP coordination discovery that is to discover the MAP coordination features / services supported by the APs within the network. This allows APs in their vicinity to further set-up and operate MAP coordination features / services, where they can negotiate, set-up and operate specific MAP coordination service / services.

[0075] Further, the APs also require Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for AP to AP communication and harmonization with existing coordinated R-TWT schedules in the multiple BSSs trying to achieve MAP coordination.

[0076] The present disclosure provides detailed solution for the MAP coordination discovery and Co-RTWT schedule agreements, which is discussed in detail in below embodiments.

[0077] Figure 2aillustrates a signaling diagram 200a for passive MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0078] In passive MAP coordination service discovery, the AP 101 may broadcast a MAP coordination discovery message or an advertisement message for the other APs 102 and 103. The advertisement message may comprise information element including one or more MAP coordination features / services supported by the AP 101 along with additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services, as shown in Figure 2b.

[0079] For example, the MAP coordination advertisement message 200b comprises information element including support indication for MAP feature / service 1, 2, ...., n and respective associated additional parameters for MAP feature / service 1, 2, ...., n.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the APs 102 and 103 are the APs present in the vicinity of the AP 101 and the APs 102 and 103 may listen to the above unsolicited advertisement message. The APs 102 and 103 may receive the advertisement message of MAP coordination features / services, decode the broadcast frame of the advertisement message, and determine the MAP coordination feature / services that the broadcasting AP 101 supports.

[0081] In one non-limiting embodiment, the above procedure of broadcasting the MAP coordination discovery message or the advertisement message may also be performed by the APs 102 and 103 for passive MAP coordination service discovery to other APs.

[0082] Figure 3aillustrates a signaling diagram 300a for active MAP coordination feature / service discovery, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the active MAP coordination feature / service discovery may require the AP 101 to transmit MAP coordination discovery probe request to one or more APs 102 and 103 present in the vicinity of the AP 101, as shown in step S1. The probe request may be of Type-1 and Type -2.

[0084] The Type-1 probe request may comprise information element that comprises request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services. For example, the Type-1 probe request 300b may include request for support indication for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n and respective associated request for additional parameters for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n, as shown in Figure 3b.

[0085] The Type-2 probe request may comprise information element that comprises support of the MAP coordination features / services along with the request for the one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services. For example, the Type-2 probe request 300c may include support indication for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n; additional parameters for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n; request for support indication for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n; and respective associated request for additional parameters for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n, as shown in Figure 3c.

[0086] Further, continuing to signaling diagram 300a, in response to the probe request from the AP 101, the APs in the vicinity i.e., APs 102 and 103 may respond by sending a MAP coordination discovery probe response IE or probe response IE to the probing AP containing information element including support indication for at least one MAP coordination feature / service along with additional parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service, as shown in step S2. For example, the probe response may comprise support indication for MAP feature 1, 2, ..., n and respective additional parameters associated with MAP feature 1, 2, ... n, as shown in Figure 3d.

[0087] Figure 4aillustrates a sequence diagram 400a for a Co-RTWT schedule agreement for each pair of APs for MAP coordination, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] In an embodiment, the MAP coordination network may comprise a coordinator AP 101 coordinating with other coordinated APs 102 and 103. The AP 101 may define, in coordination with the APs 102 and 103, Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The Co-RTWT schedule agreement may be negotiated between the APs before defining service periods (SPs).

[0089] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define a Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for each pair of APs, as shown in Figure 4a. For example, the Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP-1 may be defined for AP 101 -AP 102 communication. The SP-1 may be used by AP 101 and AP 102 for parameter exchange between AP 101 and AP 102 for the MAP coordination. Further, the Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP-2 may be defined for AP 101 -AP 103 communication. The SP-2 may be used by AP 101 and AP 103 for parameter exchange between AP 101 and AP 103 for the MAP coordination.

[0090] Figure 4b illustrates a sequence diagram 400b for a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement across multiple APs for MAP coordination, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across a plurality of APs, as shown in Figure 4b. For example, the Co-RTWT schedule agreement based common SP may be defined for AP 101, AP 102, and AP 103 communication. The SP may be used by APs for parameter exchange between APs for the MAP coordination.

[0092] In an embodiment, the coordinating AP 101 may also define or set priorities across the plurality of APs in common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP, at least based on one of: a trigger based approach and a contention based approach.

[0093] Figure 5aillustrates a sequence diagram 500a for a Co-RTWT schedule agreement per MAP coordination feature / service, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define Co-RTWT schedule agreements based SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service between two APs i.e., AP 101 and AP 102. The MAP coordination features / services may comprise at least Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated TDMA (Co-TDMA), Co-RTWT, and Coordinated Beamforming / Joint Transmission (Co-BF / JT).

[0095] For example, the Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP-1 for Co-SR MAP coordination may be defined, and SP-2 for Co-TDMA MAP coordination may be defined, as shown in Figure 5a. The SP-1 and SP-2 may be used by AP 101 and AP 102 for parameter exchange of Co-SR and Co-TDMA, respectively.

[0096] Figure 5billustrates a sequence diagram 500b for a common schedule agreement for multiple MAP coordination features / services, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define common Co-RTWT schedule agreements based SPs for multiple MAP coordination features / services between two APs i.e., AP 101 and AP 102. For example, the common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for Co-SR MAP and Co-TDMA MAP coordination may be defined, as shown in Figure 5b.

[0098] Figure 6aillustrates a sequence diagram 600a for separate Co-RTWT schedule agreements for AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0099] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define separate Co-RTWT agreements based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions. For example, the Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP-1 may be defined for AP 101 to AP 102 communication, and SP-2 may be defined for AP 102 to STA 110 R-TWT data transmissions, as shown in Figure 6a.

[0100] Figure 6b illustrates a sequence diagram 600b for a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement for both AP to AP communication and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0101] In an embodiment, the coordinator AP 101 may define common Co-RTWT agreement based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions. For example, the common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP is defined for both AP101 - AP102 communication and AP102-STA 110 R-TWT data transmission, as shown in Figure 6b.

[0102] Figure 6c illustrates a sequence diagram 600c for trigger based operation of a Co-RTWT schedule agreement for both AP to AP communication for MAP coordination and AP to STA R-TWT data transmission, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP 101 may set priorities for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions based on a trigger based approach. For example, AP 102 may initiate a trigger message for AP to AP communication and then AP 102 to AP 101 communication for MAP coordination may occur, as shown in Figure 6c. Further, AP 102 may initiate a trigger message for AP to STA R-TWT data transmission and then AP102 to STA 110 R-TWT data transmission may occur, as shown in Figure 6c.

[0104] Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus 700 for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the apparatus may be an access point (AP) or a coordinator AP 101, as discussed in above embodiments.

[0105] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 700 may comprise a memory 701, at least one processor 703, a transceiver or a communication module 705 comprising transmitter 706 and receiver 707, communicatively coupled with each other. The apparatus may further comprise an input / output (I / O) interface (not shown).

[0106] It may be noted that, in some embodiments, the apparatus 700 may include more or fewer components than those depicted herein. The various components of the apparatus 700 may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware or any combinations thereof. Further, the various components of the apparatus 700 may be operably coupled with each other. More specifically, various components of the apparatus 700 may be capable of communicating with each other using communication channel media (such as buses, interconnects, etc.).

[0107] In one embodiment, the at least one processor 703 may be embodied as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, or a combination of one or more multi-core processors and one or more single core processors. For example, the at least one processor 703 may be embodied as one or more of various processing devices, such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like.

[0108] The at least one processor 703 may include one or a plurality of processors. At this time, one or a plurality of processors may be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), or the like, a graphics-only processing unit such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), a visual processing unit (VPU), etc.

[0109] In one embodiment, the memory 701 is capable of storing machine executable instructions, referred to herein as instructions. In an embodiment, the at least one processor 703 is embodied as an executor of software instructions. As such, the at least one processor 703 is capable of executing the instructions stored in the memory 701 to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0110] The memory 701 can be any type of storage accessible to the at least one processor 703 to perform respective functionalities. For example, the memory 701 may include one or more volatile or non-volatile memories, or a combination thereof. For example, the memory 701 may be embodied as semiconductor memories, such as flash memory, mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), RAM (random access memory), etc. and the like.

[0111] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to discover at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity. In one embodiment, to discover the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service, the at least one processor 703 is configured to broadcast, to the at least one second AP, an advertisement message for the at least one MAP coordination feature / service. The advertisement message may comprise one or more MAP coordination features / services supported by the apparatus along with additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.

[0112] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, to discover the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service, the at least one processor 703 is configured to transmit a probe request to the at least one second AP present in the vicinity and receive a response message from the at least one second AP. The MAP coordination features / services may comprise at least Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated TDMA (Co-TDMA), Co-RTWT, and Coordinated Beamforming / Joint Transmission (Co-BF / JT).

[0113] In one non-limiting embodiment, the probe request comprises information element comprising request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services, which is similar to type -1 probe request discussed in above embodiments. In another non-limiting embodiment, the probe request comprises In one non-limiting embodiment, the probe request comprises information element comprising request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services, which is similar to type -1 probe request discussed in above embodiments, which is similar to type -2 probe request discussed in above embodiments.

[0114] In an embodiment, the response message comprises support indication for at least one MAP coordination feature / service along with additional parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service, which is similar to probe response discussed in detail with reference to Figure 3d.

[0115] Once, the MAP coordination discovery is completed, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to define, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination.

[0116] The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.

[0117] In an embodiment, to define the schedule SPs for the AP to AP communication, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to define a Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for each pair of APs or define a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across a plurality of APs, as discussed in detail in above embodiments with reference to Figure 4a and Figure 4b. To define the common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across the plurality of APs, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to set priorities for transmission across the plurality of APs at least based on one of: a trigger based approach and a contention based approach.

[0118] In an embodiment, to define the schedule SPs for the AP to AP communication, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to define schedule SPs for supporting the single MAP coordination feature / service or the multiple MAP coordination features / services, as discussed in detail in above embodiments with reference to Figure 5a and Figure 5b.

[0119] In an embodiment, to define the schedule SPs for the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to define separate Co-RTWT agreements based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions and define a common Co-RTWT agreement based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions. Further, to define the common Co-RTWT agreement for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to set priorities for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions based on a trigger based approach.

[0120] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the negotiations of the Co-RTWT agreements based SPs, the at least one processor 703 may be configured to transmit, to the at least one second AP, one or more updated parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service in one or more SPs which are part of the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements.

[0121] Thus, the apparatus 700 facilitates management of interference issues due to parallel transmissions in the Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSSs), scheduling a high-priority / LL traffic flow, maintaining proper QoS levels such as Data Rate, latency, etc. and, enhancement in peer-to-peer transmissions.

[0122] Figure 8 illustrates a flowchart of a method 800 for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination, performed by an access point or an apparatus, in a network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] At step 801, the method 800 discloses discovering at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity. In an embodiment, the discovering of the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service may comprise broadcasting, to the at least one second AP, an advertisement message for the at least one MAP coordination feature / service. The advertisement message comprises one or more MAP coordination features / services supported by the first AP along with additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.

[0124] In another embodiment, the discovering of the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service may comprise transmitting a probe request to the at least one second AP present in the vicinity and receiving, at the first AP, a response message or a probe response message from the at least one second AP.

[0125] In one embodiment, the probe request may comprise information element comprising request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services, as discussed in above embodiments as type-1 probe request.

[0126] In another embodiment, the probe request may comprise information element comprising support of the MAP coordination features / services along with the request for the one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services, as discussed in above embodiments as type-2 probe request.

[0127] The probe response message or response message comprises support indication for at least one MAP coordination feature / service along with additional parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service.

[0128] At step 803, the method 800 discloses defining, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination. The one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions. The MAP coordination features / services comprises at least Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated TDMA (Co-TDMA), Co-RTWT, and Coordinated Beamforming / Joint Transmission (Co-BF / JT).

[0129] The defining of the schedule SPs for the AP to AP communication may comprise defining a Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for each pair of APs or defining a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across a plurality of APs. In an embodiment, the defining of the common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across the plurality of APs comprises setting priorities across the plurality of APs at least based on one of: a trigger based approach and a contention based approach.

[0130] The defining of the Co-RTWT schedule agreement or defining the common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP may comprise defining schedule SPs for supporting the single MAP coordination feature / service or the multiple MAP coordination features / services.

[0131] In an embodiment, defining of the schedule SPs for the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions comprises defining separate Co-RTWT agreements based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions or defining a common Co-RTWT agreement based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions. The defining of the common Co-RTWT agreement for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions comprises setting priorities for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions based on a trigger based approach

[0132] In an embodiment, the method 800 further discloses transmitting, to the at least one second AP, one or more updated parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service in one or more SPs which are part of the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements.

[0133] Thus, the method 800 facilitates management of interference issues due to parallel transmissions in the Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSSs), scheduling a high-priority / LL traffic flow, maintaining proper QoS levels such as Data Rate, latency, etc. and, enhancement in peer-to-peer transmissions.

[0134] The sequence of operations of the method 800 need not be necessarily executed in the same order as they are presented. Further, one or more operations may be grouped together and performed in the form of a single step, or one operation may have several sub-steps that may be performed in parallel or in sequential manner.

[0135] The disclosed method with reference to Figure 8, or one or more operations of the apparatus 700 explained with reference to Figure 7 may be implemented using software including computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable media, such as one or more optical media discs, volatile memory components (e.g., DRAM or SRAM), or non-volatile memory or storage components (e.g., hard drives or solid-state non-volatile memory components, such as Flash memory components) and executed on a computer (e.g., any suitable computer, such as a laptop computer, net book, Web book, tablet computing device, smart phone, or other mobile computing device). Such software may be executed, for example, on a single local computer.

[0136] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term "computer-readable medium" may be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., be non-transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, CD (Compact Disc) ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.

[0137] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" may be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" may be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" may be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). For example, as an aid to understanding, the detail description may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce recitations. However, the use of such phrases may not be construed to imply that the introduction of a recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular part of description containing such introduced recitation to disclosure containing only one such recitation, even when the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" may typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more") are included in the recitations; the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce such recitations. In addition, even if a specific part of the introduced description recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation may typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations).

[0138] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following detailed description.

Claims

1.A method for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination performed by a first AP in a network, the method comprising:discovering at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity; anddefining, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination,wherein the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.2.The method of claim 1, wherein defining the schedule SPs for the AP to AP communication comprises:defining a Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for each pair of APs; ordefining a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across a plurality of APs.3.The method of claim 1, wherein defining the schedule SPs for the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions comprises:defining separate Co-RTWT agreements based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions; ordefining a common Co-RTWT agreement based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions.4.The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting, to the at least one second AP, one or more updated parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service in one or more SPs which are part of the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements.5.The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service comprises:broadcasting, to the at least one second AP, an advertisement message for the at least one MAP coordination feature / service, wherein the advertisement message comprises one or more MAP coordination features / services supported by the first AP along with additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.6.The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service comprises:transmitting a probe request to the at least one second AP present in the vicinity; andreceiving, at the first AP, a response message from the at least one second AP, wherein the response message comprises support indication for at least one MAP coordination feature / service along with additional parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service.7.The method of claim 6, wherein the probe request comprises:information element comprising request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services; orinformation element comprising support of the MAP coordination features / services along with the request for the one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.8.The method of claim 1, wherein the MAP coordination features / services comprises at least Coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), Coordinated TDMA (Co-TDMA), Co-RTWT, and Coordinated Beamforming / Joint Transmission (Co-BF / JT).9.An apparatus for Multi-Access Point (MAP) coordination in a network, the apparatus comprising:a memory; andat least one processor coupled to the memory and the at least one processor is configured to:discover at least one MAP coordination feature / service supported by at least one second AP present in the vicinity; anddefine, in coordination with the at least one second AP, one or more Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (Co-RTWT) schedule agreements for MAP coordination, wherein the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements comprises schedule service periods (SPs) for AP to AP communication, schedule SPs for single MAP coordination feature / service or multiple MAP coordination features / services, and schedule SPs for AP to station (STA) R-TWT data transmissions.10.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to define the schedule SPs for the AP to AP communication, the at least one processor is configured to:define a Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP for each pair of APs; ordefine a common Co-RTWT schedule agreement based SP across a plurality of APs.11.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to define the schedule SPs for the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions, the at least one processor is configured to:define separate Co-RTWT agreements based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions; ordefine a common Co-RTWT agreement based SP for the AP to AP communication and the AP to STA R-TWT data transmissions.12.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:transmit, to the at least one second AP, one or more updated parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service in one or more SPs which are part of the one or more Co-RTWT schedule agreements.13.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to discover the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service, the at least one processor is configured to:broadcast, to the at least one second AP, an advertisement message for the at least one MAP coordination feature / service, wherein the advertisement message comprises one or more MAP coordination features / services supported by the apparatus along with additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.14.The apparatus of claim 9, wherein to discover the at least one supported MAP coordination feature / service, the at least one processor is configured to:transmit a probe request to the at least one second AP present in the vicinity; andreceive a response message from the at least one second AP, wherein the response message comprises support indication for at least one MAP coordination feature / service along with additional parameters associated with the at least one MAP coordination features / service.15.The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the probe request comprises:information element comprising request for one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services; orinformation element comprising support of the MAP coordination features / services along with the request for the one or more MAP coordination features / services and request for additional parameters associated with the one or more MAP coordination features / services.

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