Method and device for transmitting or receiving PPDU based on 240 mhz bandwidth in wireless LAN system

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and a device for transmitting or receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system. A method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: generating a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth; and transmitting the PPDU. A method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: receiving a trigger frame requesting a trigger-based (TB) PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth; and transmitting the TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame.

Description

Method and device for transmitting or receiving PPDU based on 240MHz bandwidth in wireless LAN system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for transmitting or receiving a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system.

[0002] New technologies have been introduced for wireless local area networks (WLANs) to improve transmission rates, increase bandwidth, enhance reliability, reduce errors, and reduce latency. Among WLAN technologies, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 series of standards can be referred to as Wi-Fi. For example, recently introduced technologies for WLANs include enhancements for Very High Throughput (VHT) in the 802.11ac standard and enhancements for High Efficiency (HE) in the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0003] To provide a more advanced wireless communication environment, improved technologies for Extremely High Throughput (EHT) are being discussed. For example, technologies for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), which supports increased bandwidth, efficient utilization of multiple bands, and increased spatial streams, and for coordination of multiple access points (APs), are being studied. In particular, various technologies are being studied to support low latency or real-time traffic. Furthermore, new technologies are being discussed to support ultra-high reliability (UHR), including improvements or extensions of EHT technology.

[0004] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for transmitting or receiving PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system.

[0005] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for indicating punctured channel information when transmitting a PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) of 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system.

[0006] The technical problem of the present disclosure is to provide a method and device for defining / configuring a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger based) PPDU using a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system.

[0007] The technical problems to be achieved in the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs from the description below.

[0008] A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include: generating, by a first station (STA), a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth; and transmitting, by the first STA, the PPDU to a second STA. Here, the PPDU includes information related to an indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth and information on a PPDU type, and the PPDU may further include information on a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

[0009] A method according to an additional aspect of the present disclosure may include the steps of: receiving, by a second station (STA), a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a first STA; and processing, by the second STA, the PPDU. Here, the PPDU includes information related to an indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth and information about a PPDU type, and the PPDU may further include information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

[0010] A method according to an additional aspect of the present disclosure may include: receiving, by a first station (STA), a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger-based) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a second STA; and transmitting, by the first STA, the TB PPDU to the second STA in response to the trigger frame. Here, the trigger frame may include information related to an indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

[0011] A method according to an additional aspect of the present disclosure may include: generating, by a second station (STA), a trigger frame requesting a trigger-based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth; and transmitting, by the second STA, the trigger frame to a first STA. Here, the trigger frame may include information related to an indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a method and device for transmitting or receiving a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system can be provided.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, a method and device for indicating punctured channel information when transmitting a PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) of 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system can be provided.

[0014] According to the present disclosure, a method and device for defining / configuring a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger based) PPDU using a 240 MHz bandwidth in a wireless LAN system can be provided.

[0015] According to the present disclosure, channel utilization can be improved, thereby increasing throughput when transmitting a Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU).

[0016] The effects that can be obtained from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the description below.

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and are part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present disclosure, provide embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, describe the technical features of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary structure of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a link setup process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an example of a frame structure used in a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0024] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating examples of PPDUs defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0025] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a resource unit of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0026] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of a resource unit of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0027] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a resource unit of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0028] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an exemplary format of a trigger frame to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0029] FIG. 12 illustrates a 5 GHz band spectrum applicable to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a first STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a second STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining another example of an operation by a first STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining another example of an operation by a second STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a PPDU transmission and reception procedure between a transmitting STA and a receiving STA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to explain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. The following detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details.

[0036] In some cases, to avoid obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure, known structures and devices may be omitted or illustrated in block diagram form focusing on the core functions of each structure and device.

[0037] In the present disclosure, when a component is said to be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, this may include not only a direct connection but also an indirect connection in which another component exists between them. Furthermore, the terms "comprises" or "has" in the present disclosure specify the presence of the mentioned features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0038] In this disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc. are used only to distinguish one component from another and are not used to limit the components, and do not limit the order or importance between the components unless specifically stated otherwise. Accordingly, within the scope of this disclosure, a first component in one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment, and similarly, a second component in one embodiment may be referred to as a first component in another embodiment.

[0039] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and / or" as used herein may refer to any one of the associated enumerated items, or is meant to refer to and encompass any and all possible combinations of two or more of them. Furthermore, the use of " / " between words in this disclosure has the same meaning as "and / or" unless otherwise stated.

[0040] The examples of the present disclosure can be applied to various wireless communication systems. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN system. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax / be standards. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the newly proposed IEEE 802.11bn (or UHR) standard. Additionally, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a wireless LAN based on the next-generation standard after IEEE 802.11bn. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system. For example, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied to a cellular wireless communication system based on the LTE (Long Term Evolution) series of technologies and the 5G NR (New Radio) series of technologies of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard.

[0041] Below, technical features to which examples of the present disclosure can be applied are described.

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The first device (100) and the second device (200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may be replaced with various terms such as a terminal, a wireless device, a WTRU (Wireless Transmit Receive Unit), a UE (User Equipment), an MS (Mobile Station), a UT (user terminal), an MSS (Mobile Subscriber Station), an MSS (Mobile Subscriber Unit), an SS (Subscriber Station), an AMS (Advanced Mobile Station), a WT (Wireless terminal), or simply a user. In addition, the first device (100) and the second device (200) may be replaced with various terms such as an access point (AP), a BS (Base Station), a fixed station, a Node B, a BTS (Base Transceiver System), a network, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system, an RSU (road side unit), a repeater, a router, a relay, a gateway, etc.

[0044] The devices (100, 200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may also be referred to as stations (STAs). For example, the devices (100, 200) illustrated in FIG. 1 may be referred to by various terms such as transmitting device, receiving device, transmitting STA, and receiving STA. For example, the STAs (110, 200) may perform an AP (access point) role or a non-AP role. That is, in the present disclosure, the STAs (110, 200) may perform the functions of an AP and / or a non-AP. When the STAs (110, 200) perform an AP function, they may simply be referred to as APs, and when the STAs (110, 200) perform a non-AP function, they may simply be referred to as STAs. In addition, in the present disclosure, the APs may also be referred to as AP STAs.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, the first device (100) and the second device (200) can transmit and receive wireless signals through various wireless LAN technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The first device (100) and the second device (200) can include interfaces for a medium access control (MAC) layer and a physical layer (PHY) that follow the provisions of the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0046] In addition, the first device (100) and the second device (200) may additionally support various communication standards (e.g., 3GPP LTE series, 5G NR series standards, etc.) other than wireless LAN technology. In addition, the device of the present disclosure may be implemented as various devices such as a mobile phone, a vehicle, a personal computer, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, etc. In addition, the STA of the present specification may support various communication services such as voice calls, video calls, data communications, autonomous driving, MTC (Machine-Type Communication), M2M (Machine-to-Machine), D2D (Device-to-Device), and IoT (Internet-of-Things).

[0047] A first device (100) includes one or more processors (102) and one or more memories (104), and may further include one or more transceivers (106) and / or one or more antennas (108). The processor (102) controls the memories (104) and / or the transceivers (106), and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. For example, the processor (102) may process information in the memories (104) to generate first information / signals, and then transmit a wireless signal including the first information / signals via the transceivers (106). Furthermore, the processor (102) may receive a wireless signal including second information / signals via the transceivers (106), and then store information obtained from signal processing of the second information / signals in the memory (104). The memory (104) may be connected to the processor (102) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (102). For example, the memory (104) may perform some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (102), or may store software code including instructions for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. Here, the processor (102) and the memory (104) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement a wireless LAN technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver (106) may be connected to the processor (102) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via one or more antennas (108). The transceiver (106) may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver (106) may be used interchangeably with an RF (Radio Frequency) unit. In the present disclosure, a device may also mean a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0048] The second device (200) includes one or more processors (202), one or more memories (204), and may further include one or more transceivers (206) and / or one or more antennas (208). The processor (202) controls the memories (204) and / or the transceivers (206), and may be configured to implement the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. For example, the processor (202) may process information in the memory (204) to generate third information / signals, and then transmit a wireless signal including the third information / signals via the transceivers (206). Furthermore, the processor (202) may receive a wireless signal including fourth information / signals via the transceivers (206), and then store information obtained from signal processing of the fourth information / signals in the memory (204). The memory (204) may be connected to the processor (202) and may store various information related to the operation of the processor (202). For example, the memory (204) may perform some or all of the processes controlled by the processor (202), or may store software code including instructions for performing the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. Here, the processor (202) and the memory (204) may be part of a communication modem / circuit / chip designed to implement a wireless LAN technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11 series). The transceiver (206) may be connected to the processor (202) and may transmit and / or receive wireless signals via one or more antennas (208). The transceiver (206) may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transceiver (206) may be used interchangeably with an RF unit. In the present disclosure, a device may also mean a communication modem / circuit / chip.

[0049] Hereinafter, the hardware elements of the device (100, 200) will be described in more detail. Although not limited thereto, one or more protocol layers may be implemented by one or more processors (102, 202). For example, one or more processors (102, 202) may implement one or more layers (e.g., functional layers such as PHY, MAC). One or more processors (102, 202) may generate one or more Protocol Data Units (PDUs) and / or one or more Service Data Units (SDUs) according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors (102, 202) may generate messages, control information, data, or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure. One or more processors (102, 202) can generate signals (e.g., baseband signals) including PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data or information according to the functions, procedures, proposals and / or methods disclosed in the present disclosure, and provide the signals to one or more transceivers (106, 206). One or more processors (102, 202) can receive signals (e.g., baseband signals) from one or more transceivers (106, 206) and obtain PDUs, SDUs, messages, control information, data or information according to the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0050] One or more processors (102, 202) may be referred to as a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or a microcomputer. One or more processors (102, 202) may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), one or more Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) may be included in one or more processors (102, 202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software, and the firmware or software may be implemented to include modules, procedures, functions, etc. The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software configured to perform one or more processors (102, 202) or stored in one or more memories (104, 204) and driven by one or more processors (102, 202). The descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or operation flowcharts disclosed in this disclosure may be implemented using firmware or software in the form of codes, instructions and / or sets of instructions.

[0051] One or more memories (104, 204) may be coupled to one or more processors (102, 202) and may store various forms of data, signals, messages, information, programs, codes, instructions, and / or commands. The one or more memories (104, 204) may be configured as ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash memory, hard drives, registers, cache memory, computer-readable storage media, and / or combinations thereof. The one or more memories (104, 204) may be located internally and / or externally to the one or more processors (102, 202). Additionally, the one or more memories (104, 204) may be coupled to the one or more processors (102, 202) via various technologies, such as wired or wireless connections.

[0052] One or more transceivers (106, 206) can transmit user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the methods and / or flowcharts of the present disclosure, to one or more other devices. One or more transceivers (106, 206) can receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc., as mentioned in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods and / or flowcharts of the present disclosure, from one or more other devices. For example, one or more transceivers (106, 206) can be coupled to one or more processors (102, 202) and can transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, one or more processors (102, 202) can control one or more transceivers (106, 206) to transmit user data, control information, or wireless signals to one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more processors (102, 202) may control one or more transceivers (106, 206) to receive user data, control information, or wireless signals from one or more other devices. Additionally, one or more transceivers (106, 206) may be coupled to one or more antennas (108, 208), and one or more transceivers (106, 206) may be configured to transmit and receive user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, or the like, as referred to in the descriptions, functions, procedures, proposals, methods, and / or operational flowcharts disclosed in the present disclosure, via one or more antennas (108, 208). In the present disclosure, one or more antennas may be multiple physical antennas or multiple logical antennas (e.g., antenna ports). One or more transceivers (106, 206) can convert received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. from RF band signals to baseband signals in order to process the received user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. using one or more processors (102, 202).One or more transceivers (106, 206) may convert user data, control information, wireless signals / channels, etc. processed by one or more processors (102, 202) from baseband signals to RF band signals. For this purpose, one or more transceivers (106, 206) may include an (analog) oscillator and / or filter.

[0053] For example, one of the STAs (100, 200) may perform the intended operation of an AP, and the other of the STAs (100, 200) may perform the intended operation of a non-AP STA. For example, the transceivers (106, 206) of FIG. 1 may perform transmission and reception operations of signals (e.g., packets or PPDUs (Physical layer Protocol Data Units) according to IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be / bn, etc.). In addition, in the present disclosure, operations in which various STAs generate transmission and reception signals or perform data processing or calculations in advance for transmission and reception signals may be performed in the processors (102, 202) of FIG. 1. For example, an example of an operation for generating a transmission / reception signal or performing data processing or operation in advance for a transmission / reception signal may include 1) an operation for determining / obtaining / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding bit information of a field (SIG (signal), STF (short training field), LTF (long training field), Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 2) an operation for determining / configuring / obtaining time resources or frequency resources (e.g., subcarrier resources) used for a field (SIG, STF, LTF, Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 3) an operation for determining / configuring / obtaining a specific sequence (e.g., a pilot sequence, an STF / LTF sequence, an extra sequence applied to SIG) used for a field (SIG, STF, LTF, Data, etc.) included in a PPDU, 4) a power control operation and / or a power saving operation applied to an STA, 5) an operation related to determining / obtaining / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding an ACK signal, etc. Additionally, in the examples below, various information (e.g., information related to fields / subfields / control fields / parameters / power, etc.) used by various STAs for determining / acquiring / configuring / computing / decoding / encoding transmission / reception signals can be stored in the memory (104, 204) of FIG. 1.

[0054] Hereinafter, downlink (DL) refers to a link for communication from an AP STA to a non-AP STA, and downlink PPDUs / packets / signals, etc. can be transmitted and received through the downlink. In downlink communication, the transmitter may be part of an AP STA, and the receiver may be part of a non-AP STA. Uplink (UL) refers to a link for communication from a non-AP STA to an AP STA, and uplink PPDUs / packets / signals, etc. can be transmitted and received through the uplink. In uplink communication, the transmitter may be part of a non-AP STA, and the receiver may be part of an AP STA.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary structure of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0056] The structure of a wireless LAN system can be composed of multiple components. Through the interaction of multiple components, a wireless LAN that supports transparent STA mobility to the upper layer can be provided. A Basic Service Set (BSS) corresponds to a basic building block of a wireless LAN. FIG. 2 illustrates, by way of example, the existence of two BSSs (BSS1 and BSS2) and the inclusion of two STAs as members of each BSS (STA1 and STA2 are included in BSS1, and STA3 and STA4 are included in BSS2). The oval representing a BSS in FIG. 2 can also be understood as representing a coverage area in which STAs included in the corresponding BSS maintain communication. This area can be referred to as a Basic Service Area (BSA). When an STA moves outside of a BSA, it cannot directly communicate with other STAs within the BSA.

[0057] If we do not consider the DS illustrated in Figure 2, the most basic type of BSS in a wireless LAN is an Independent BSS (IBSS). For example, an IBSS can have a minimal form consisting of only two STAs. For example, assuming other components are omitted, BSS1 consisting of only STA1 and STA2, or BSS2 consisting of only STA3 and STA4, can be representative examples of an IBSS, respectively. Such a configuration is possible when the STAs can communicate directly without an AP. Furthermore, in this type of WLAN, a LAN can be configured when needed rather than being planned in advance, and this can be called an ad-hoc network. Since an IBSS does not include an AP, there is no centralized management entity. That is, in an IBSS, STAs are managed in a distributed manner. In IBSS, all STAs can be mobile STAs, and access to distributed systems (DS) is not permitted, forming a self-contained network.

[0058] An STA's membership in a BSS can dynamically change, for example, when an STA is turned on or off, or when an STA enters or leaves a BSS area. To become a member of a BSS, an STA can join the BSS using a synchronization process. To access all services in the BSS infrastructure, an STA must be associated with the BSS. This association can be dynamically established and may involve the use of a Distribution System Service (DSS).

[0059] In a wireless LAN, the direct STA-to-STA distance can be limited by PHY performance. While this distance limit may be sufficient in some cases, communication between STAs over longer distances may be required in other cases. To support extended coverage, a distributed system (DS) can be configured.

[0060] DS refers to a structure in which BSSs are interconnected. Specifically, a BSS may exist as an extended component of a network composed of multiple BSSs, as illustrated in Figure 2. DS is a logical concept and can be specified by the characteristics of a distributed system medium (DSM). In this regard, the Wireless Medium (WM) and DSM can be logically distinguished. Each logical medium is used for a different purpose and by different components. These media are neither limited to being identical nor limited to being different. This logical difference between multiple media explains the flexibility of the WLAN architecture (DS architecture or other network architectures). In other words, the WLAN architecture can be implemented in various ways, and the physical characteristics of each implementation can independently specify the WLAN architecture.

[0061] A DS can support mobile devices by providing seamless integration of multiple BSSs and the logical services necessary to handle addresses to destinations. Additionally, a DS may further include a component called a portal, which acts as a bridge for connecting wireless LANs to other networks (e.g., IEEE 802.X).

[0062] An AP is an entity that enables access to a DS through a WM for associated non-AP STAs and also has the functionality of an STA. Data movement between a BSS and a DS can be performed through an AP. For example, STA2 and STA3 illustrated in FIG. 2 have the functionality of an STA and provide the function of allowing associated non-AP STAs (STA1 and STA4) to access the DS. In addition, since all APs are basically STAs, all APs are addressable entities. The address used by an AP for communication on a WM and the address used by an AP for communication on a DSM do not necessarily have to be the same. A BSS consisting of an AP and one or more STAs can be referred to as an infrastructure BSS.

[0063] Data transmitted from one of the STA(s) associated with an AP to the STA address of that AP is always received on an uncontrolled port and can be processed by an IEEE 802.1X port access entity. In addition, if the controlled port is authenticated, the transmitted data (or frame) can be forwarded to the DS.

[0064] In addition to the structure of the DS described above, an extended service set (ESS) may be established to provide wider coverage.

[0065] An ESS is a network of arbitrary size and complexity, consisting of DSs and BSSs. An ESS may correspond to a set of BSSs connected to a DS. However, an ESS does not include a DS. An ESS network is characterized by appearing as an IBSS at the Logical Link Control (LLC) layer. STAs within an ESS can communicate with each other, and mobile STAs can move from one BSS to another (within the same ESS) transparently to the LLC. APs within an ESS may have the same SSID (service set identification). The SSID is distinct from the BSSID, which is the identifier of the BSS.

[0066] In a wireless LAN system, no assumptions are made about the relative physical locations of BSSs, and all of the following configurations are possible: BSSs can be partially overlapping, which is commonly used to provide continuous coverage. BSSs can also be physically disconnected, and there is no logical distance limit between them. BSSs can also be physically co-located, which can be used to provide redundancy. Furthermore, one (or more) IBSS or ESS networks can physically co-exist with one (or more) ESS networks. This can occur in cases where an ad-hoc network operates at the same location as an ESS network, where physically overlapping wireless networks are configured by different organizations, or where two or more different access and security policies are required at the same location.

[0067] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a link setup process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0068] For an STA to set up a link and transmit and receive data on a network, it must first discover the network, perform authentication, establish an association, and complete security authentication procedures. The link setup process can also be referred to as the session initiation process or session setup process. Furthermore, the discovery, authentication, association, and security setup processes of the link setup process can be collectively referred to as the association process.

[0069] In step S310, the STA may perform a network discovery operation. This network discovery operation may include scanning operations by the STA. That is, for the STA to access a network, it must search for available networks. Before joining a wireless network, the STA must identify compatible networks. The process of identifying networks in a specific area is called scanning.

[0070] Scanning methods include active scanning and passive scanning. Figure 3 illustrates a network discovery operation including an active scanning process as an example. In active scanning, an STA performing scanning transmits a probe request frame to discover any APs in the vicinity while moving between channels and waits for a response. The responder transmits a probe response frame in response to the STA that transmitted the probe request frame. Here, the responder may be the STA that last transmitted a beacon frame in the BSS of the channel being scanned. In the BSS, the AP transmits the beacon frame, so the AP becomes the responder. In the IBSS, the STAs within the IBSS take turns transmitting beacon frames, so the responder is not fixed. For example, an STA that transmits a probe request frame on channel 1 and receives a probe response frame on channel 1 can store BSS-related information included in the received probe response frame and move to the next channel (e.g., channel 2) to perform scanning (i.e., transmitting and receiving probe requests / responses on channel 2) in the same manner.

[0071] Although not shown in Figure 3, the scanning operation can also be performed in a passive scanning manner. In passive scanning, the STA performing the scanning moves between channels and waits for a beacon frame. A beacon frame is one of the management frames defined in IEEE 802.11. It announces the existence of a wireless network and is periodically transmitted so that the STA performing the scanning can find the wireless network and participate in the wireless network. In the BSS, the AP performs the role of periodically transmitting the beacon frame, and in the IBSS, the STAs within the IBSS take turns transmitting the beacon frame. When the STA performing the scanning receives a beacon frame, it stores the information about the BSS included in the beacon frame and moves to another channel, recording the beacon frame information on each channel. The STA receiving the beacon frame stores the BSS-related information included in the received beacon frame and moves to the next channel to perform scanning on the next channel in the same manner. Comparing active scanning and passive scanning, active scanning has the advantage of lower delay and power consumption than passive scanning.

[0072] After the STA discovers the network, an authentication process may be performed in step S320. This authentication process may be referred to as the first authentication process to clearly distinguish it from the security setup operation of step S340 described below.

[0073] The authentication process involves the STA sending an authentication request frame to the AP, and the AP responding by sending an authentication response frame to the STA. The authentication frame used for the authentication request / response corresponds to a management frame.

[0074] The authentication frame may include information such as an authentication algorithm number, an authentication transaction sequence number, a status code, a challenge text, a Robust Security Network (RSN), and a Finite Cyclic Group. These are just some examples of information that may be included in an authentication request / response frame, and may be replaced with other information or include additional information.

[0075] An STA can send an authentication request frame to an AP. The AP can determine whether to grant authentication to the STA based on the information contained in the received authentication request frame. The AP can provide the result of the authentication process to the STA via an authentication response frame.

[0076] After the STA is successfully authenticated, an association process may be performed in step S330. The association process includes a process in which the STA transmits an association request frame to the AP, and in response, the AP transmits an association response frame to the STA.

[0077] For example, the association request frame may include information about various capabilities, a beacon listen interval, a service set identifier (SSID), supported rates, supported channels, an RSN, a mobility domain, supported operating classes, a Traffic Indication Map Broadcast request, interworking service capabilities, etc. For example, the association response frame may include information about various capabilities, a status code, an Association ID (AID), supported rates, an Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameter set, a Received Channel Power Indicator (RCPI), a Received Signal to Noise Indicator (RSNI), a mobility domain, a timeout interval (e.g., an association comeback time), overlapping BSS scan parameters, a TIM broadcast response, a Quality of Service (QoS) map, etc. These are just some examples of information that may be included in a combined request / response frame, and may be replaced by other information or include additional information.

[0078] After the STA successfully joins the network, a security setup process may be performed in step S340. The security setup process in step S340 may be referred to as an authentication process through a Robust Security Network Association (RSNA) request / response, the authentication process in step S320 may be referred to as a first authentication process, and the security setup process in step S340 may also be referred to simply as an authentication process.

[0079] The security setup process of step S340 may include, for example, a process of establishing a private key through a four-way handshaking using an Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPOL) frame. Furthermore, the security setup process may be performed according to a security method not defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0080] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a backoff process to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0081] In wireless LAN systems, the basic access mechanism of MAC (Medium Access Control) is Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA). The CSMA / CA mechanism, also known as the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) of the IEEE 802.11 MAC, essentially employs a "listen before talk" access mechanism. According to this type of access mechanism, the AP and / or STA may perform a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) to sense the wireless channel or medium for a predetermined time period (e.g., a DCF Inter-Frame Space (DIFS)) before starting transmission. If the sensing result determines that the medium is in an idle state, the AP and / or STA may start transmitting frames through the medium. On the other hand, if the medium is detected to be occupied or busy, the AP and / or STA may not start its own transmission, but may wait for a delay period (e.g., a random backoff period) for medium access before attempting to transmit frames. By applying a random backoff period, multiple STAs are expected to attempt to transmit frames after waiting for different periods of time, thereby minimizing collisions.

[0082] In addition, the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol provides the Hybrid Coordination Function (HCF). The HCF is based on the DCF and the Point Coordination Function (PCF). The PCF is a polling-based synchronous access method that periodically polls all receiving APs and / or STAs to ensure that they receive data frames. In addition, the HCF has the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) and the HCF Controlled Channel Access (HCCA). The EDCA is a contention-based access method for a provider to provide data frames to multiple users, while the HCCA uses a non-contention-based channel access method that utilizes a polling mechanism. In addition, the HCF includes a medium access mechanism to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) of the wireless LAN, and can transmit QoS data in both the Contention Period (CP) and the Contention Free Period (CFP).

[0083] Referring to Fig. 4, an operation based on a random backoff period is described. When a medium that was occupied / busy changes to an idle state, multiple STAs can attempt to transmit data (or frames). To minimize collisions, each STA can select a random backoff count, wait for the corresponding slot time, and then attempt transmission. The random backoff count has a pseudo-random integer value and can be determined as one of the values ​​in the range of 0 to CW. Here, CW is a contention window parameter value. The CW parameter is given an initial value of CWmin, but can take a value doubled in case of transmission failure (e.g., when an ACK for a transmitted frame is not received). When the CW parameter value becomes CWmax, data transmission can be attempted while maintaining the CWmax value until data transmission is successful, and if data transmission is successful, it is reset to the CWmin value. The CW, CWmin, and CWmax values ​​are 2. n It is desirable to set it to -1 (n=0, 1, 2, ...).

[0084] Once the random backoff process begins, the STA continues to monitor the medium while counting down the backoff slots according to the determined backoff count value. If the medium is monitored as occupied, the countdown stops and waits. When the medium becomes idle, the remaining countdown resumes.

[0085] In the example of FIG. 4, when a packet to be transmitted reaches the MAC of STA3, STA3 can immediately transmit a frame if it confirms that the medium is idle for DIFS. The remaining STAs monitor the medium for occupied / busy states and wait. In the meantime, data to be transmitted may also occur in each of STA1, STA2, and STA5, and each STA can count down the backoff slot according to a random backoff count value selected by each STA after waiting for DIFS if the medium is monitored as idle. Assume that STA2 selects the smallest backoff count value and STA1 selects the largest backoff count value. In other words, this example shows a case where the remaining backoff time of STA5 is shorter than the remaining backoff time of STA1 when STA2 finishes the backoff count and starts frame transmission. STA1 and STA5 briefly stop counting down and wait while STA2 occupies the medium. When STA2's occupation ends and the medium becomes idle again, STA1 and STA5 wait for DIFS and then resume the backoff count that they had stopped. That is, they can start transmitting frames after counting down the remaining backoff slots equal to the remaining backoff time. Since STA5's remaining backoff time is shorter than STA1's, STA5 starts transmitting frames. While STA2 occupies the medium, STA4 may also have data to transmit. From STA4's perspective, when the medium becomes idle, it waits for DIFS, counts down according to its selected random backoff count value, and then starts transmitting frames. In the example of Figure 4, the remaining backoff time of STA5 coincidentally matches the random backoff count value of STA4, in which case a collision may occur between STA4 and STA5. If a collision occurs, neither STA4 nor STA5 will receive an ACK, resulting in a failure in data transmission.In this case, STA4 and STA5 can select a random backoff count value and perform a countdown after doubling the CW value. STA1 waits while the medium is occupied by transmissions from STA4 and STA5, and when the medium becomes idle, it waits for DIFS and can start transmitting frames after the remaining backoff time elapses.

[0086] As in the example of Fig. 4, a data frame is a frame used for transmitting data forwarded to a higher layer, and can be transmitted after a backoff performed after DIFS elapses from when the medium becomes idle. Additionally, a management frame is a frame used for exchanging management information that is not forwarded to a higher layer, and is transmitted after a backoff performed after an IFS elapses, such as DIFS or PIFS (Point coordination function IFS). Subtype frames of a management frame include a beacon, an association request / response, a re-association request / response, a probe request / response, and an authentication request / response. A control frame is a frame used to control access to the medium. The subtype frames of the control frame include Request-To-Send (RTS), Clear-To-Send (CTS), Acknowledgment (ACK), Power Save-Poll (PS-Poll), Block ACK (BlockAck), Block ACK Request (BlockACKReq), Null Data Packet Announcement (NDP), and Trigger. If the control frame is not a response frame to the previous frame, it is transmitted after a backoff performed after the DIFS (Direct Inverse Frame Stop) has elapsed, and if it is a response frame to the previous frame, it is transmitted without a backoff performed after the SIFS (short IFS). The type and subtype of the frame can be identified by the type field and subtype field in the Frame Control (FC) field.

[0087] A QoS (Quality of Service) STA can transmit a frame after a backoff performed after the AIFS (arbitration IFS) for the access category (AC) to which the frame belongs, i.e., AIFS[i] (where i is a value determined by the AC), has elapsed. Here, the frames for which AIFS[i] can be used can be data frames, management frames, and also control frames that are not response frames.

[0088] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0089] As mentioned above, the CSMA / CA mechanism includes virtual carrier sensing in addition to physical carrier sensing, in which STAs directly sense the medium. Virtual carrier sensing is intended to address potential issues in medium access, such as the hidden node problem. For virtual carrier sensing, the MAC of an STA can utilize a Network Allocation Vector (NAV). The NAV is a value that an STA that is currently using or has the right to use the medium indicates to other STAs the remaining time until the medium becomes available. Therefore, the value set as NAV corresponds to the period during which the STA transmitting the frame is scheduled to use the medium, and an STA receiving the NAV value is prohibited from accessing the medium during that period. For example, the NAV can be set based on the value of the "duration" field in the MAC header of the frame.

[0090] In the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that STA1 wants to transmit data to STA2, and STA3 is in a position to overhear some or all of the frames transmitted and received between STA1 and STA2.

[0091] In order to reduce the possibility of collisions in transmissions of multiple STAs in a CSMA / CA-based frame transmission operation, a mechanism using RTS / CTS frames may be applied. In the example of FIG. 5, while STA1 is transmitting, STA3 may determine that the medium is idle based on carrier sensing results. That is, STA1 may correspond to a hidden node for STA3. Alternatively, in the example of FIG. 5, while STA2 is transmitting, STA3 may determine that the medium is idle based on carrier sensing results. That is, STA2 may correspond to a hidden node for STA3. By exchanging RTS / CTS frames before performing data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2, STAs outside the transmission range of either STA1 or STA2, or STAs outside the carrier sensing range for transmissions from STA1 or STA3, may not attempt to occupy the channel during data transmission and reception between STA1 and STA2.

[0092] Specifically, STA1 can determine whether a channel is occupied through carrier sensing. In terms of physical carrier sensing, STA1 can determine channel occupancy idleness based on the energy level or signal correlation detected in the channel. Furthermore, in terms of virtual carrier sensing, STA1 can determine the channel occupancy status using a network allocation vector (NAV) timer.

[0093] STA1 can transmit an RTS frame to STA2 after performing a backoff if the channel is idle during the DIFS. STA2 can transmit a CTS frame, which is a response to the RTS frame, to STA1 after an SIFS if it receives the RTS frame.

[0094] If STA3 cannot overhear a CTS frame from STA2 but can overhear an RTS frame from STA1, STA3 can use the duration information contained in the RTS frame to set a NAV timer for the subsequent consecutively transmitted frame transmission period (e.g., SIFS + CTS frame + SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). Alternatively, if STA3 cannot overhear an RTS frame from STA1 but can overhear a CTS frame from STA2, STA3 can use the duration information contained in the CTS frame to set a NAV timer for the subsequent consecutively transmitted frame transmission period (e.g., SIFS + data frame + SIFS + ACK frame). That is, if STA3 can overhear one or more of the RTS or CTS frames from one or more of STA1 or STA2, it can set a NAV accordingly. If STA3 receives a new frame before the NAV timer expires, it can update the NAV timer using the duration information contained in the new frame. STA3 does not attempt channel access until the NAV timer expires.

[0095] If STA1 receives a CTS frame from STA2, it can transmit a data frame to STA2 after SIFS from the time when the CTS frame is completely received. If STA2 successfully receives the data frame, it can transmit an ACK frame in response to the data frame to STA1 after SIFS. STA3 can determine whether the channel is in use through carrier sensing if the NAV timer expires. If STA3 determines that the channel is not in use by another terminal during the DIFS after the NAV timer expires, it can attempt channel access after a contention window (CW) based on a random backoff has elapsed.

[0096] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an example of a frame structure used in a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0097] The PHY layer can prepare an MPDU (MAC PDU) to be transmitted based on an instruction or primitive (meaning a set of instructions or parameters) from the MAC layer. For example, when a command requesting the start of transmission of the PHY layer is received from the MAC layer, the PHY layer can switch to transmission mode and transmit the information (e.g., data) provided by the MAC layer in the form of a frame. In addition, when the PHY layer detects a valid preamble of the received frame, it monitors the header of the preamble and sends a command to the MAC layer notifying the start of reception of the PHY layer.

[0098] In this way, information transmission / reception in a wireless LAN system is done in the form of frames, and for this purpose, the PHY layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) format is defined.

[0099] A basic PPDU may include a Short Training Field (STF), a Long Training Field (LTF), a SIGNAL (SIG) field, and a Data field. The most basic (e.g., non-HT (High Throughput) as illustrated in FIG. 7) PPDU format may consist of only the Legacy-STF (L-STF), Legacy-LTF (L-LTF), Legacy-SIG (L-SIG) fields, and a Data field. Additionally, depending on the type of PPDU format (e.g., HT-mixed format PPDU, HT-greenfield format PPDU, VHT (Very High Throughput) PPDU, etc.), additional (or different types of) RL-SIG, U-SIG, non-legacy SIG field, non-legacy STF, non-legacy LTF, (i.e., xx-SIG, xx-STF, xx-LTF (e.g., xx is HT, VHT, HE, EHT, etc.)) may be included between the L-SIG field and the data field. More specific details will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0100] STF is a signal for signal detection, AGC (Automatic Gain Control), diversity selection, and precise time synchronization, while LTF is a signal for channel estimation, frequency error estimation, etc. STF and LTF can be said to be signals for synchronization and channel estimation of the OFDM physical layer.

[0101] The SIG field may include various information related to PPDU transmission and reception. For example, the L-SIG field may consist of 24 bits and may include a 4-bit Rate field, a 1-bit Reserved bit, a 12-bit Length field, a 1-bit Parity field, and a 6-bit Tail field. The RATE field may include information about the modulation and coding rate of data. For example, the 12-bit Length field may include information about the length or time duration of the PPDU. For example, the value of the 12-bit Length field may be determined based on the type of the PPDU. For example, for a non-HT, HT, VHT, or EHT PPDU, the value of the Length field may be determined as a multiple of 3. For example, for HE PPDU, the value of the Length field can be determined as a multiple of 3 + 1 or a multiple of 3 + 2.

[0102] The data field may include a SERVICE field, a Physical layer Service Data Unit (PSDU), a PPDU TAIL bit, and, if necessary, padding bits. Some bits of the SERVICE field may be used to synchronize the descrambler at the receiving end. The PSDU corresponds to a MAC PDU defined at the MAC layer and may contain data generated / used by upper layers. The PPDU TAIL bit may be used to return the encoder to a 0 state. The padding bit may be used to adjust the length of the data field to a predetermined unit.

[0103] MAC PDUs are defined according to various MAC frame formats, and a basic MAC frame consists of a MAC header, a frame body, and a Frame Check Sequence (FCS). A MAC frame is composed of MAC PDUs and can be transmitted / received through the PSDU in the data portion of the PPDU format.

[0104] The MAC header includes a Frame Control field, a Duration / ID field, an Address field, etc. The Frame Control field may include control information required for frame transmission / reception. The Duration / ID field may be set to a time for transmitting the corresponding frame, etc. The Address subfields may indicate the receiver address, transmitter address, destination address, and source address of the frame, and some Address subfields may be omitted. For specific details of each subfield of the MAC header, including the Sequence Control, QoS Control, and HT Control subfields, refer to the IEEE 802.11 standard document.

[0105] The Null-Data PPDU (NDP) format refers to a PPDU format that does not include a data field. In other words, NDP refers to a frame format that includes a PPDU preamble (i.e., L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG fields, and, if additionally present, non-legacy SIG, non-legacy STF, and non-legacy LTF) in the general PPDU format, and does not include the remaining part (i.e., data field).

[0106] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating examples of PPDUs defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0107] Standards such as IEEE 802.11a / g / n / ac / ax use various PPDU formats. The basic PPDU format (IEEE 802.11a / g) includes L-LTF, L-STF, L-SIG, and Data fields. The basic PPDU format can also be referred to as the non-HT PPDU format (Fig. 7(a)).

[0108] The HT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11n) additionally includes HT-SIG, HT-STF, and HT-LFT(s) fields in addition to the basic PPDU format. The HT PPDU format illustrated in Fig. 7(b) may be referred to as an HT-mixed format. Additionally, an HT-greenfield format PPDU may be defined, which corresponds to a format that does not include L-STF, L-LTF, and L-SIG, but consists of HT-GF-STF, HT-LTF1, HT-SIG, one or more HT-LTF, and Data fields (not illustrated).

[0109] An example of the VHT PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ac) includes VHT SIG-A, VHT-STF, VHT-LTF, and VHT-SIG-B fields in addition to the basic PPDU format (Fig. 7(c)).

[0110] An example of a HE PPDU format (IEEE 802.11ax) additionally includes RL-SIG (Repeated L-SIG), HE-SIG-A, HE-SIG-B, HE-STF, HE-LTF(s), and PE (Packet Extension) fields in addition to the basic PPDU format (Fig. 7(d)). Depending on specific examples of the HE PPDU format, some fields may be excluded or their lengths may vary. For example, the HE-SIG-B field is included in the HE PPDU format for multi-users (MUs), but the HE-SIG-B is not included in the HE PPDU format for single users (SUs). In addition, the HE trigger-based (TB) PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B, and the length of the HE-STF field may vary to 8 microseconds (us). The HE ER (Extended Range) SU PPDU format does not include the HE-SIG-B field, and the length of the HE-SIG-A field can vary to 16us. For example, the RL-SIG can be configured identically to the L-SIG. The receiving STA can determine that the received PPDU is a HE PPDU or an EHT PPDU, described later, based on the presence of the RL-SIG.

[0111] The EHT PPDU format may include the EHT MU (multi-user) PPDU of FIG. 7(e) and the EHT TB (trigger-based) PPDU of FIG. 7(f). The EHT PPDU format is similar to the HE PPDU format in that it includes an RL-SIG following an L-SIG, but may include a U (universal)-SIG, an EHT-SIG, an EHT-STF, and an EHT-LTF following the RL-SIG.

[0112] The EHT MU PPDU in FIG. 7(e) corresponds to a PPDU that carries one or more data (or PSDUs) for one or more users. That is, the EHT MU PPDU can be used for both SU transmission and MU transmission. For example, the EHT MU PPDU can correspond to a PPDU for one receiving STA or multiple receiving STAs.

[0113] The EHT TB PPDU of Fig. 7(f) omits the EHT-SIG compared to the EHT MU PPDU. An STA that has received a trigger for UL MU transmission (e.g., a trigger frame or TRS (triggered response scheduling)) can perform UL transmission based on the EHT TB PPDU format.

[0114] The L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, U-SIG (Universal SIGNAL), and EHT-SIG fields can be encoded and modulated so that even legacy STAs can attempt demodulation and decoding, and can be mapped based on a predetermined subcarrier frequency interval (e.g., 312.5 kHz). These can be referred to as pre-EHT modulated fields. Next, the EHT-STF, EHT-LTF, Data, and PE fields can be encoded and modulated so that they can be demodulated and decoded by an STA that has successfully decoded a non-legacy SIG (e.g., U-SIG and / or EHT-SIG) and obtained the information contained in the corresponding field, and can be mapped based on a predetermined subcarrier frequency interval (e.g., 78.125 kHz). These can be referred to as EHT modulated fields.

[0115] Similarly, in the HE PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SIG, HE-SIG-A, and HE-SIG-B fields may be referred to as pre-HE modulation fields, and the HE-STF, HE-LTF, Data, and PE fields may be referred to as HE modulation fields. Additionally, in the VHT PPDU format, the L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, and VHT-SIG-A fields may be referred to as pre-VHT modulation fields, and the VHT STF, VHT-LTF, VHT-SIG-B, and Data fields may be referred to as VHT modulation fields.

[0116] The U-SIG included in the EHT PPDU format of FIG. 7 can be configured based on, for example, two symbols (e.g., two consecutive OFDM symbols). Each symbol (e.g., OFDM symbol) for the U-SIG can have a duration of 4 us, and the U-SIG can have a total duration of 8 us. Each symbol of the U-SIG can be used to transmit 26 bits of information. For example, each symbol of the U-SIG can be transmitted and received based on 52 data tones and 4 pilot tones.

[0117] U-SIGs can be configured in 20MHz units. For example, when an 80MHz PPDU is configured, the same U-SIG can be duplicated in 20MHz units. That is, four identical U-SIGs can be included in an 80MHz PPDU. When the bandwidth exceeds 80MHz, for example, for a 160MHz PPDU, the U-SIGs in the first 80MHz unit and the U-SIGs in the second 80MHz unit can be different.

[0118] For example, A uncoded bits may be transmitted via U-SIG, and a first symbol of U-SIG (e.g., a U-SIG-1 symbol) may transmit the first X bits of information out of a total A bits of information, and a second symbol of U-SIG (e.g., a U-SIG-2 symbol) may transmit the remaining Y bits of information out of a total A bits of information. The A bits of information (e.g., 52 uncoded bits) may include a CRC field (e.g., a field of 4 bits in length) and a tail field (e.g., a field of 6 bits in length). The tail field may be used to terminate the trellis of the convolutional decoder and may be set to 0, for example.

[0119] The A bit information transmitted by U-SIG can be divided into version-independent bits and version-dependent bits. For example, U-SIG can be included in a new PPDU format (e.g., UHR PPDU format) not shown in FIG. 7, and in the format of the U-SIG field included in the EHT PPDU format and the format of the U-SIG field included in the UHR PPDU format, the version-independent bits can be the same, and some or all of the version-dependent bits can be different.

[0120] For example, the size of the version-independent bits of U-SIG can be fixed or variable. The version-independent bits can be assigned only to U-SIG-1 symbols, or to both U-SIG-1 symbols and U-SIG-2 symbols. The version-independent bits and the version-dependent bits can be called by various names, such as the first control bit and the second control bit.

[0121] For example, the version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include a 3-bit PHY version identifier, which may indicate the PHY version (e.g., EHT, UHR, etc.) of the transmitted and received PPDUs. The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include a 1-bit UL / DL flag field. The first value of the 1-bit UL / DL flag field relates to UL communication, and the second value of the UL / DL flag field relates to DL communication. The version-independent bits of the U-SIG may include information about the length of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) and information about a BSS color ID.

[0122] For example, the version-dependent bits of the U-SIG may contain information that directly or indirectly indicates the type of PPDU (e.g., SU PPDU, MU PPDU, TB PPDU, etc.).

[0123] Information required for PPDU transmission and reception may be included in the U-SIG. For example, the U-SIG may further include information about bandwidth, information about the MCS technique applied to the non-legacy SIG (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG), information indicating whether a dual carrier modulation (DCM) technique (e.g., a technique to achieve an effect similar to frequency diversity by reusing the same signal on two subcarriers) is applied to the non-legacy SIG, information about the number of symbols used for the non-legacy SIG, information about whether the non-legacy SIG is generated across the entire band, etc.

[0124] Some of the information required for transmitting and receiving a PPDU may be included in the U-SIG and / or the non-legacy SIG (e.g., EHT-SIG or UHR-SIG, etc.). For example, information about the type of the non-legacy LTF / STF (e.g., EHT-LTF / EHT-STF or UHR-LTF / UHR-STF, etc.), information about the length of the non-legacy LTF and the cyclic prefix (CP) length, information about the guard interval (GI) applicable to the non-legacy LTF, information about preamble puncturing applicable to the PPDU, information about resource unit (RU) allocation, etc. may be included only in the U-SIG, may be included only in the non-legacy SIG, or may be indicated by a combination of the information included in the U-SIG and the information included in the non-legacy SIG.

[0125] Preamble puncturing may refer to the transmission of a PPDU in which no signal is present in one or more frequency units within the PPDU's bandwidth. For example, the size of the frequency unit (or the resolution of the preamble puncturing) may be defined as 20 MHz, 40 MHz, etc. For example, preamble puncturing may be applied to a PPDU bandwidth greater than a certain size.

[0126] Specifically, the U-SIG of the EHT MU PPDU may be composed of the fields described below. At this time, the U-SIG of the EHT MU PPDU may include two parts, for example, U-SIG-1 and U-SIG-2.

[0127] For example, U-SIG-1 may include a bandwidth field (e.g., bits B3-B5 of U-SIG-1), a UL / DL field (e.g., bit B6 of U-SIG-1), a BSS color field (e.g., bits B7-B12 of U-SIG-1), etc.

[0128] The Bandwidth field may be defined to indicate 20MHz (value 0), 40MHz (value 1), 80MHz (value 2), 160MHz (value 3), 320MHz-1 (value 4), or 320MHz-2 (value 5). The UL / DL field may indicate information on whether the corresponding PPDU is transmitted UL or DL. For example, a value of 1 may indicate that the corresponding PPDU is transmitted for an AP (i.e., UL), and a value of 0 may indicate that the corresponding PPDU is transmitted for a non-AP STA (i.e., DL). The BSS Color field may indicate an identifier of a BSS.

[0129] For example, U-SIG-2 may include a PPDU Type And Compression Mode field (e.g., bits B0-B1 of U-SIG-2), a Punctured Channel Information field (e.g., bits B3-B7 of U-SIG-2), etc.

[0130] When the value of the UL / DL field is set to 0, in the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields, a value of 0 may indicate DL OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) transmission, a value of 1 may indicate EHT SU transmission or EHT sounding NDP, and a value of 2 may indicate non-OFDMA DL MU-MIMO transmission. When the value of the UL / DL field is set to 1, in the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields, a value of 0 may indicate EHT SU transmission or EHT sounding NDP, and a value of 1 may indicate TB PPDU.

[0131] The punctured channel information field may indicate information about a channel that is punctured within the bandwidth indicated by the bandwidth field of U-SIG-1.

[0132] When the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields are set to 1 (regardless of the value of the UL / DL field), or when the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields are set to 2 and the UL / DL field is set to 0, the field indicates puncturing information of non-OFDMA transmission. At this time, the puncturing information of non-OFDMA transmission can be indicated through a puncturing pattern defined as shown in Table 1 below. Each defined puncturing pattern corresponds to RU or MRU allocation in non-OFDMA transmission, and undefined values ​​of the corresponding field are considered as Validate.

[0133] Table 1 illustrates the definition of the punctured channel information field in the U-SIG of an EHT MU PPDU using non-OFDMA transmission.

[0134]

[0135]

[0136] In Table 1, "1" represents a nonpunctured subchannel, and "x" represents a punctured subchannel. The puncturing granularity for 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz PPDU bandwidths is 20 MHz, and the puncturing granularity for 320 MHz PPDU bandwidth is 40 MHz. Parameters listed from left to right represent 20 MHz or 40 MHz subchannels in increasing frequency order.

[0137] Additionally, when the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields are set to 0, the UL / DL fields are set to 0, and the Bandwidth field is set to a value greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 5 (e.g., indicating an 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz PPDU), B3-B6 are 4-bit bitmaps that indicate which 20 MHz subchannels within the 80 MHz frequency subblock on which U-SIG processing is performed are punctured. The 4-bit bitmap indexes the 20 MHz subchannels in ascending frequency order, with B3 corresponding to the 20 MHz subchannel with the lowest frequency. A 0 in each bit of B3-B6 indicates that the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel is punctured, and a 1 indicates that the corresponding 20 MHz subchannel is not punctured. The allowable puncturing patterns (B3-B6) defined for the 80 MHz frequency subblocks can be 1111 (no puncturing), 0111, 1011, 1101, 1110, 0011, 1100, 1001. All other field values ​​are considered Validate. The field values ​​can be set differently for each 80 MHz subblock.

[0138] Additionally, when the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields are set to 0, the UL / DL fields are set to 0, and the Bandwidth field is set to 0 or 1 (e.g., indicating a 20 MHz or 40 MHz PPDU), B3-B6 are all set to 1. Any other value is considered Validate. B7 is set to 1 and corresponds to the Disregard bit.

[0139] In the example of FIG. 7, non-legacy SIGs such as HE-SIG-B and EHT-SIG may include control information for the receiving STA. The non-legacy SIG may be transmitted over at least one symbol, and each symbol may have a length of 4 us. Information regarding the number of symbols used for the EHT-SIG may be included in a previous SIG (e.g., HE-SIG-A, U-SIG, etc.).

[0140] Non-legacy SIGs, such as HE-SIG-B and EHT-SIG, may contain common fields and user-specific fields. Common and user-specific fields may be coded separately.

[0141] In some cases, common fields may be omitted. For example, in a compressed mode where non-OFDMA (orthogonal frequency multiple access) is applied, common fields may be omitted, and multiple STAs may receive PPDUs (e.g., data fields of PPDUs) over the same frequency band. In a non-compressed mode where OFDMA is applied, multiple users may receive PPDUs (e.g., data fields of PPDUs) over different frequency bands.

[0142] The number of user-specific fields can be determined based on the number of users. A single user block field can contain up to two user fields. Each user field can be associated with either MU-MIMO allocation or non-MU-MIMO allocation.

[0143] The common field may include CRC bits and Tail bits, the length of the CRC bits may be determined as 4 bits, and the length of the Tail bits may be determined as 6 bits and set to 000000. The common field may include RU allocation information. The RU allocation information may include information about the location of RUs to which multiple users (i.e., multiple receiving STAs) are allocated.

[0144] An RU can contain multiple subcarriers (or tones). RUs can be used when transmitting signals to multiple STAs based on OFDMA techniques. RUs can also be defined when transmitting signals to a single STA. Resources can be allocated on an RU basis for non-legacy STFs, non-legacy LTFs, and data fields.

[0145] Depending on the PPDU bandwidth, an applicable RU size can be defined. The RU may be defined identically or differently for the applicable PPDU format (e.g., HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU, etc.). For example, in the case of an 80MHz PPDU, the RU arrangements of HE PPDU and EHT PPDU may be different. The applicable RU size, RU number, RU position, DC (direct current) subcarrier position and number, null subcarrier position and number, guard subcarrier position and number, etc. for each PPDU bandwidth can be referred to as a tone plan. For example, a tone plan for a wide bandwidth can be defined in the form of multiple repetitions of a low bandwidth tone plan.

[0146] RUs of different sizes can be defined, such as 26-ton RU, 52-ton RU, 106-ton RU, 242-ton RU, 484-ton RU, 996-ton RU, 2X996-ton RU, 4X996-ton RU, etc. A multiple RU (MRU) is distinguished from multiple individual RUs and corresponds to a group of subcarriers consisting of multiple RUs. For example, one MRU can be defined as 52+26-tons, 106+26-tons, 484+242-tons, 996+484-tons, 996+484+242-tons, 2X996+484-tons, 3X996-tons, or 3X996+484-tons. Additionally, multiple RUs constituting one MRU may or may not be consecutive in the frequency domain.

[0147] The specific size of an RU may be reduced or expanded. Therefore, the specific size of each RU (i.e., the number of corresponding tones) in the present disclosure is not limited and is exemplary. Furthermore, within a given bandwidth (e.g., 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 MHz, etc.) in the present disclosure, the number of RUs may vary depending on the RU size.

[0148] The names of each field in the PPDU formats of FIG. 7 are exemplary and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by those names. Furthermore, the examples of the present disclosure can be applied not only to the PPDU format exemplified in FIG. 7, but also to a new PPDU format in which some fields are excluded and / or some fields are added based on the PPDU formats of FIG. 7.

[0149] Resource Unit

[0150] FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrams for explaining examples of resource units of a wireless LAN system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0151] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, a resource unit (RU) defined in a wireless LAN system is described. An RU may include multiple subcarriers (or tones). An RU may be used when transmitting signals to multiple STAs based on OFDMA techniques. An RU may also be defined when transmitting signals to a single STA. An RU may be used for the STF, LTF, and data fields of a PPDU.

[0152] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, RUs corresponding to different numbers of tones (i.e., subcarriers) may be used to configure some fields of a 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz X-PPDU (X represents HE, EHT, etc.). For example, resources may be allocated in units of RUs illustrated for the X-STF, X-LTF, and Data fields.

[0153] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an exemplary arrangement of resource units (RUs) used on a 20 MHz band.

[0154] As shown at the top of Fig. 8, 26 units (i.e., units corresponding to 26 tones) may be allocated. Six tones may be used as a guard band in the leftmost band of the 20 MHz band, and five tones may be used as a guard band in the rightmost band of the 20 MHz band. In addition, seven DC tones may be inserted in the center band, i.e., the DC band, and 26 units corresponding to 13 tones may exist on each side of the DC band. In addition, 26 units, 52 units, and 106 units may be allocated to other bands. Each unit may be allocated for an STA or a user.

[0155] The RU arrangement of Fig. 8 can be utilized not only in situations for multiple users (MUs) but also in situations for a single user (SU), in which case it is possible to use one 242-unit as shown at the bottom of Fig. 8. In this case, three DC tones can be inserted.

[0156] In the example of FIG. 8, RUs of various sizes, such as 26-RU, 52-RU, 106-RU, and 242-RU, are exemplified, but the specific sizes of these RUs may be reduced or expanded. Therefore, the specific size of each RU (i.e., the number of corresponding tones) in the present disclosure is not limited and is exemplary. In addition, in the present disclosure, within a given bandwidth (e.g., 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 MHz, ...), the number of RUs may vary depending on the RU size. In the examples of FIG. 9 and / or FIG. 10 described below, the fact that the size and / or number of RUs may be changed is the same as the example of FIG. 8.

[0157] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an exemplary arrangement of resource units (RUs) used on a 40 MHz band.

[0158] As in the example of FIG. 8 where RUs of various sizes were used, the example of FIG. 9 may also use 26-RU, 52-RU, 106-RU, 242-RU, 484-RU, etc. In addition, five DC tones may be inserted at the center frequency, 12 tones may be used as a guard band in the leftmost band of the 40 MHz band, and 11 tones may be used as a guard band in the rightmost band of the 40 MHz band.

[0159] Additionally, as shown, when used for a single user, 484-RU may be used.

[0160] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an exemplary arrangement of resource units (RUs) used on the 80 MHz band.

[0161] As in the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9 where RUs of various sizes were used, the example of FIG. 10 may also use 26-RU, 52-RU, 106-RU, 242-RU, 484-RU, 996-RU, etc. In addition, in the case of 80MHz PPDU, the RU arrangement of HE PPDU and EHT PPDU may be different, and the example of FIG. 10 shows an example of the RU arrangement for 80MHz EHT PPDU. In the example of FIG. 10, 12 tones are used as guard bands in the leftmost band of the 80MHz band, and 11 tones are used as guard bands in the rightmost band of the 80MHz band, which is the same for HE PPDU and EHT PPDU. Unlike the HE PPDU, which has seven DC tones inserted into the DC band and one 26-RU corresponding to 13 tones on each side of the DC band, the EHT PPDU has 23 DC tones inserted into the DC band and one 26-RU corresponding to 13 tones on each side of the DC band. Unlike the HE PPDU, which has one null subcarrier between the 242-RUs other than the center band, the EHT PPDU has five null subcarriers. In the HE PPDU, one 484-RU does not contain a null subcarrier, but in the EHT PPDU, one 484-RU contains five null subcarriers.

[0162] Also, as shown, when used for a single user, 996-RU can be used, in which case the insertion of 5 DC tones is common in both HE PPDU and EHT PPDU.

[0163] An EHT PPDU of 160MHz or higher may be configured with multiple 80MHz subblocks as shown in FIG. 10. The RU layout for each 80MHz subblock may be the same as the RU layout of the 80MHz EHT PPDU as shown in FIG. 10. If an 80MHz subblock of a 160MHz or 320MHz EHT PPDU is not punctured and the entire 80MHz subblock is used as part of an RU or MRU (Multiple RU), the 80MHz subblock may use 996-RU as shown in FIG. 10.

[0164] Here, an MRU corresponds to a group of subcarriers (or tones) composed of multiple RUs, and the multiple RUs constituting an MRU may be RUs of the same size or different sizes. For example, a single MRU may be defined as 52+26-tones, 106+26-tones, 484+242-tones, 996+484-tones, 996+484+242-tones, 2X996+484-tones, 3X996-tones, or 3X996+484-tones. Here, the multiple RUs constituting one MRU may correspond to RUs of small size (e.g., 26, 52, 106) or RUs of large size (e.g., 242, 484, 996, etc.). That is, a single MRU containing both small-sized RUs and large-sized RUs may not be configured / defined. Furthermore, multiple RUs constituting a single MRU may or may not be consecutive in the frequency domain.

[0165] If an 80MHz subblock contains RUs smaller than 996 tones, or portions of the 80MHz subblock are punctured, the 80MHz subblock may use RU layouts other than the 996-tone RUs.

[0166] The RU of the present disclosure can be used for uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) communication. For example, when trigger-based UL-MU communication is performed, an STA (e.g., an AP) transmitting a trigger can allocate a first RU (e.g., 26 / 52 / 106 / 242-RU, etc.) to a first STA and a second RU (e.g., 26 / 52 / 106 / 242-RU, etc.) to a second STA through trigger information (e.g., a trigger frame or triggered response scheduling (TRS)). Thereafter, the first STA can transmit a first trigger-based (TB) PPDU based on the first RU, and the second STA can transmit a second TB PPDU based on the second RU. The first / second TB PPDU can be transmitted to the AP in the same time interval.

[0167] For example, when a DL MU PPDU is configured, an STA (e.g., an AP) transmitting a DL MU PPDU may allocate a first RU (e.g., 26 / 52 / 106 / 242-RU, etc.) to a first STA, and a second RU (e.g., 26 / 52 / 106 / 242-RU, etc.) to a second STA. That is, the transmitting STA (e.g., the AP) may transmit X-STF (e.g., X is HE, EHT, etc.), X-LTF, and Data fields for the first STA through the first RU within one MU PPDU, and may transmit X-STF, X-LTF, and Data fields for the second STA through the second RU. Information about the arrangement of RUs may be signaled through an X-SIG (e.g., X is HE, EHT, U) field of the X-PPDU format.

[0168] trigger frame

[0169] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an exemplary format of a trigger frame to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0170] A trigger frame may allocate resources for the transmission of one or more TB PPDUs and request the transmission of TB PPDUs. The trigger frame may also include other information required by the STA transmitting the TB PPDU in response. The trigger frame may include common information and a user information list field in the frame body.

[0171] The common information field may include information that is common to one or more TB PPDU transmissions requested by a trigger frame, such as trigger type, UL length, presence of a subsequent trigger frame (e.g., More TF), whether CS (channel sensing) is required, UL BW (bandwidth), DRU / RRU indication, etc. Fig. 11 shows an example of a UHR variant common information field format.

[0172] The 4-bit trigger type subfield can have values ​​from 0 to 15. Among them, the values ​​0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the trigger type subfield are defined to correspond to basic, Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP), multi user-block acknowledgement request (MU-BAR), multi user-request to send (MU-RTS), Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP), groupcast with retries (GCR), MU-BAR, Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP), and NDP Feedback Report Poll (NFRP), respectively, and the values ​​8 to 15 are defined as reserved.

[0173] The DRU / RRU indication subfield indicates whether distributed RU (DRU) or regular RU (RRU) transmission is requested in each 80MHz frequency subblock. The indication by the DRU / RRU indication subfield can be configured in units of 80MHz frequency subblocks. For example, if the DRU / RRU indication subblock format consists of 4 bits (B0, B1, B2, B3), B0 can be used for DRU / RRU indication for the lowest 80MHz frequency subblock, B1 can be used for DRU / RRU indication for the second-lower 80MHz frequency subblock, B2 can be used for DRU / RRU indication for the second-highest 80MHz frequency subblock, and B3 can be used for DRU / RRU indication for the highest 80MHz frequency subblock. When the UL BW is 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz, bits B1-B3 of the DRU / RRU Indication subfield may be reserved. When the UL BW is 160 MHz, bits B2-B3 of the DRU / RRU Indication subfield may be reserved. To request a UHR TB PPDU using DRU transmission in the 80 MHz frequency subblock, the corresponding bit in the DRU / RRU Indication subfield shall be set to 0, otherwise it shall be set to 1.

[0174] Among the common information, the trigger dependent common info subfield may include information that is optionally included based on the trigger type.

[0175] A special user info field may be included within the trigger frame. The special user info field does not contain user-specific information, but rather extended common information not provided in the common information field.

[0176] The user information list contains zero or more user information fields. Figure 11 illustrates an example of the UHR variant user information field format.

[0177] The AID12 subfield basically indicates that it is a user information field for an STA with the corresponding AID. In addition, if the AID12 field has a predetermined specific value, it may be utilized for other purposes, such as allocating a random access (RA)-RU, or being configured in the form of a special user information field. The special user information field is a user information field that does not contain user-specific information, but contains extended common information not provided in the common information field. For example, the special user information field can be identified by the AID12 value of 2007, and the special user information field flag subfield within the common information field can indicate whether the special user information field is included.

[0178] The RU allocation subfield may indicate the size and location of an RU / MRU. For this purpose, the RU allocation subfield may be interpreted together with the PS160 (primary / secondary 160MHz) subfield of the user information field, the UL BW extension subfield of the special user information field, the UL BW subfield of the common information field, etc. In addition, if an RU allocated in the RU allocation of the user information field is located in an 80MHz frequency subblock in which the corresponding bit in the DRU / RRU indication subfield of the UHR variant common information field is set to 1, or in two or more 80MHz frequency subblocks in which the corresponding bits in the DRU / RRU indication subfields of the UHR variant common information field are all set to 1, the allocated RU may be an RRU or an MRU.

[0179] For example, Table 2 shows an example of encoding of the UL BW subfield of the common information field within a trigger frame.

[0180]

[0181] For example, Table 3 shows an example of encoding of the UL BW extension subfield of the Special User Information field in a trigger frame for an EHT variant TB PPDU.

[0182]

[0183] For example, the mapping of B7-B1 of the RU Allocation subfield can be defined together with the settings of the B0 and PS160 subfields of the RU Allocation subfield as shown in Table 4 below. Table 4 shows an example of encoding of the PS160 subfield and the RU Allocation subfield of the UHR Variant User Information Field.

[0184]

[0185]

[0186]

[0187] When B0 of the RU Allocation subfield is set to 0, it may indicate that the RU / MRU allocation is applied to the primary 80 MHz channel, and when its value is set to 1, it may indicate that the RU allocation is applied to the secondary 80 MHz channel of the primary 160 MHz. When B0 of the RU Allocation subfield is set to 0, it may indicate that the RU / MRU allocation is applied to the lower 80 MHz of the secondary 160 MHz, and when its value is set to 1, it may indicate that the RU allocation is applied to the upper 80 MHz of the secondary 160 MHz.

[0188] In the trigger frame RU allocation table of Table 4, the parameter N can be calculated based on the formula N=2*X1+X0. For a bandwidth of 80 MHz or less, the values ​​of PS160, B0, X0, and X1 can be set to 0. For a bandwidth of 160 MHz and a bandwidth of 320 MHz, the values ​​of PS160, B0, X0, and X1 can be set as shown in Table 5. These settings represent the absolute frequency order for the primary and secondary 80 MHz and 160 MHz channels. The order from left to right represents the order from low frequency to high frequency. The primary 80 MHz channel is represented as P80, the secondary 80 MHz channel is represented as S80, and the secondary 160 MHz channel is represented as S160.

[0189]

[0190] PPDU transmission and reception with 240MHz bandwidth

[0191] In a wireless LAN system, channelization is defined, and based on this, the BSS bandwidth and PPDU bandwidth can be configured.

[0192] FIG. 12 illustrates a 5 GHz band spectrum applicable to the present disclosure.

[0193] Referring to (a) of FIG. 12, in the 5 GHz band spectrum, the bands of 5170 MHz to 5330 MHz, 5490 MHz to 5730 MHz, and 5735 MHz to 5835 MHz may be available.

[0194] In this regard, as shown in (b) of FIG. 12, a method of supporting 100 MHz bandwidth transmission in a specific band (e.g., a band between 5735 MHz and 5835 MHz) within the 5 GHz band spectrum may be applied to achieve a higher data transmission rate. For example, 100 MHz bandwidth transmission can provide an increase in channel capacity of approximately 25% compared to 80 MHz.

[0195] If 100MHz bandwidth is defined / supported, 100MHz OFDMA transmission and 100MHz non-OFDMA transmission can be considered as follows.

[0196] For example, for OFDMA transmission, the introduction of new RUs or MRUs may not be necessary to support 100 MHz full bandwidth transmission. For example, a 100 MHz transmission may be based on a 484-tone RU, a 484-tone RU, and a 242-tone RU, with two 484-tone RUs corresponding to 80 MHz and one 242-tone RU corresponding to 20 MHz. In this case, the direct current (DC) may be located at the center of 80 MHz or between the 484-tone RU and the 242-tone RU (e.g., between 80 MHz and 20 MHz within 100 MHz). In this regard, the RU / MRU within 80 MHz may be based on a combination of existing RU / MRUs in 20 MHz units, and preamble puncturing may also be additionally applied within the 80 MHz channel. Additionally, in terms of PPDU bandwidth setting / instruction, the existing 160MHz setting / instruction may be reused, or a 100MHz setting / instruction may be newly introduced.

[0197] For example, for non-OFDMA transmission, a new MRU type, 996+242-tone MRU, can be defined to support 100MHz full bandwidth transmission. For preamble puncturing, a newly defined puncturing pattern for 100MHz can be used, or an existing puncturing pattern for 80MHz can be reused. In this case, the direct current (DC) can be located at the center of 80MHz (e.g., the center of the 996-tone in the 996+242-tone MRU) or between the 996-tone RU and the 242-tone RU. In addition, in terms of PPDU bandwidth configuration / indication, the existing 160MHz configuration / indication can be used, or a new 100MHz configuration / indication can be introduced.

[0198] Additionally, a method for supporting 240 MHz bandwidth transmission based on one or more bands within the 5 GHz band spectrum may be applied. For example, a 240 MHz bandwidth may be defined by combining three 80 MHz channels located within the 5490 MHz to 5730 MHz band. In another example, a 240 MHz bandwidth may be defined by combining a 160 MHz channel in the 5170 MHz to 5330 MHz band and an 80 MHz channel in the 5735 MHz to 5835 MHz band.

[0199] In the present disclosure, when defining a 240 MHz bandwidth in one or more bands of 5 GHz, we propose bandwidth indication and various signaling methods in transmission using the 240 MHz bandwidth.

[0200] Specifically, a bandwidth indication / signaling method in DL OFDMA transmission / non-OFDMA transmission using a 240 MHz bandwidth (hereinafter, Embodiment 1) and a bandwidth indication / RU allocation method in a trigger frame that solicits / triggers a TB PPDU using a 240 MHz bandwidth (hereinafter, Embodiment 2) are described through specific embodiments.

[0201] Example 1

[0202] This embodiment relates to a method for indicating information about a 240MHz bandwidth and a method for indicating / providing information about a punctured channel when transmitting a 240MHz DL OFDMA / non-OFDMA PPDU.

[0203] In this embodiment, for the sake of clarity of explanation, signaling methods in MU PPDU transmission are described as representative examples, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0204] As mentioned above, the bandwidth of an MU PPDU can be indicated using the bandwidth field of the U-SIG. For a 240MHz PPDU transmission, the bandwidth field can be set to a value indicating 320MHz (e.g., 4 or 5), or a new value indicating 240MHz (e.g., 6 or 7) to indicate a 240MHz bandwidth.

[0205] For example, if the bandwidth field is set to a value indicating 320MHz, the use / application of 240MHz bandwidth can be implicitly indicated / interpreted through the band used by the BSS (e.g., BSS band). Here, information about the band used by the BSS can be included in an operating element, and the operating element can be included in a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a combination response frame, etc. transmitted by the AP.

[0206] As a specific example, if the bandwidth field in the U-SIG is set to a value indicating 320 MHz and the BSS band is indicated as one or more specific bands that can support 240 MHz (for example, if the band of 5490 MHz to 5730 MHz is indicated, if one of the bands of 5170 MHz to 5330 MHz or 5735 MHz to 5835 MHz is indicated), the STA receiving this can recognize that the bandwidth of the corresponding PPDU is 240 MHz.

[0207] In DL OFDAM transmission and non-OFDMA transmission based on the aforementioned 240MHz bandwidth indication, the signaling method for the UL / DL field, PPDU type and compression mode field, and punctured channel information field of U-SIG can be defined as described below.

[0208] First, we describe the signaling method in DL OFDMA transmission with a bandwidth of 240 MHz.

[0209] DL OFDMA transmission can be indicated by setting the UL / DL field of the U-SIG to value 0 and setting the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields to value 0.

[0210] Additionally, information about the punctured channel (e.g., preamble puncturing pattern) may be indicated via the punctured channel information field of the U-SIG. For example, in the case of DL OFDMA transmission, for each 80 MHz channel, the puncturing pattern for that 80 MHz channel may be indicated in a bitmap format.

[0211] In this regard, even if the bandwidth field in the U-SIG of the PPDU is set to a value indicating 320 MHz, the bandwidth of the PPDU may be implicitly indicated as 240 MHz through information about the BSS band, in which case a puncturing pattern may be indicated for each of three 80 MHz channels, rather than four 80 MHz channels. This is different from the puncturing pattern indication in a general 320 MHz bandwidth PPDU transmission, i.e., the method of indicating a puncturing pattern for each of four 80 MHz channels.

[0212] Next, we describe the signaling scheme in non-OFDMA transmission with a bandwidth of 240 MHz.

[0213] For non-OFDMA transmission, the cases of DL non-OFDMA MU MIMO transmission, DL SU transmission (or DL ​​EHT sounding NDP transmission), and UL SU transmission (or UL EHT sounding NDP) can be considered.

[0214] Specifically, a DL non-OFDMA MU MIMO transmission may be indicated by setting the UL / DL field of the U-SIG to value 0 and setting the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields to value 2. In addition, a DL SU transmission (or a DL EHT sounding NDP transmission) may be indicated by setting the UL / DL field of the U-SIG to value 0 and setting the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields to value 1. In addition, a UL SU transmission (or a UL EHT sounding NDP transmission) may be indicated by setting the UL / DL field of the U-SIG to value 1 and setting the PPDU Type and Compression Mode fields to value 1.

[0215] In the three transmission situations described above, a new preamble puncturing pattern applicable to a 240 MHz bandwidth can be defined, and each preamble puncturing pattern can be assigned and indicated to a specific value in the puncturing channel information field.

[0216] In this regard, even if the bandwidth field in the U-SIG of the PPDU is set to a value indicating 320 MHz, the bandwidth of the PPDU may be implicitly indicated as 240 MHz through information about the BSS band, in which case a puncturing pattern defined for a 240 MHz bandwidth rather than a 320 MHz bandwidth may be indicated. This is different from the puncturing pattern indication in a general 320 MHz bandwidth PPDU transmission, i.e., the way in which a puncturing pattern defined for a 320 MHz bandwidth is indicated.

[0217] Example 2

[0218] This embodiment relates to a method for indicating a bandwidth in a trigger frame that solicits / triggers a TB PPDU using the 240 MHz bandwidth and a RU allocation method when defining a 240 MHz bandwidth in a specific band of 5 GHz.

[0219] When triggering a TB PPDU based on a UHR variant (e.g., a UHR TB PPDU), an existing trigger frame (e.g., a trigger frame based on an EHT variant) may be reused or extended and defined.

[0220] First, in the proposed method of the present disclosure, the UL BW subfield of the UHR variant common information field and the UL bandwidth extension subfield of the UHR variant special user information field in the trigger frame can be used to indicate the bandwidth of a UHR variant-based TB PPDU (see, for example, the trigger frame format of FIG. 11).

[0221] According to the proposed method of the present disclosure, the indication of 240 MHz bandwidth by a trigger frame may be based on at least one of the following examples.

[0222] For example, if the value of the UL BW subfield of the UHR variant common information field is set to 0, 1, or 2, STAs of existing versions / variants (e.g., STAs of versions / variants prior to EHT) can interpret the information of the UL BW subfield as a bandwidth of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz. In this case, a bandwidth of 240 MHz can be indicated / defined by setting the value of the UL bandwidth extension subfield of the UHR variant special user information field to 1, 2, or 3.

[0223] For another example, if the value of the UL BW subfield of the UHR variant common information field is set to 3, STAs of existing versions / variants (e.g., STAs of versions / variants prior to EHT) can interpret the information of the UL BW subfield as a bandwidth of 160 MHz. At this time, a bandwidth of 240 MHz can be indicated / defined by setting the value of the UL bandwidth extension subfield of the UHR variant special user information field to 0.

[0224] As another example, a 320MHz bandwidth can be indicated by setting the value of the UL BW subfield of the UHR variant common information field to 3 and setting the value of the UL bandwidth extension subfield of the UHR variant special user information field to 2 or 3. In the case of such settings, STAs of the existing version / variant (e.g., STAs of the EHT version / variant) can also interpret this as a 320MHz bandwidth. In this case, a 240MHz bandwidth can be implicitly indicated / defined through the band used by the BSS (e.g., the BSS band). For example, if the BSS band is indicated as a specific band that can support 240 MHz (e.g., the band of 5490 MHz to 5730 MHz in FIG. 12, or a combination of the band of 5170 MHz to 5330 MHz and the band of 5735 MHz to 5835 MHz), the STA receiving it can recognize that the bandwidth of the TB PPDU triggered by the trigger frame is 240 MHz.

[0225] According to the proposed method of the present disclosure, RU allocation considering a 240 MHz bandwidth by a trigger frame can be performed based on the following method.

[0226] RU allocation by trigger frame can be indicated using the RU allocation subfield and PS160 subfield of the UHR variant user information field.

[0227] First, a 160MHz channel constituting a 240MHz bandwidth may be a primary 160MHz channel (or a secondary 160MHz channel). The RU allocation subfield and the PS160 subfield of the UHR variant user information field for an STA allocated to an RU / MRU within the 160MHz channel may be defined in the same manner as the RU allocation method within the previously defined primary 160MHz channel (or secondary 160MHz channel), and MU / MRUs of 2x996-tone RUs or less may be allocated to the 160MHz channel.

[0228] For example, in a situation where the B0 value of the RU allocation subfield is set to 0 or 1 and the value of the PS160 subfield is set to 0, RU / MRU of 2x996-tone RU or less can be allocated using the B7-B1 values ​​corresponding to 160MHz in the bandwidth column of Table 4 described above. In other words, in Table 4, a 240MHz bandwidth can be included / defined in the bandwidth column corresponding to the values. However, the case where 996+484+242-tone DRU is indicated can be excluded. In addition, a case where 160MHz exists in the bandwidth column in a situation where the RU / MRU size is Reserved can also be included. In other words, the reserved value can be used for a specific RU / MRU allocation.

[0229] Alternatively, a 160MHz channel comprising a 240MHz bandwidth may be a secondary 160MHz channel. The RU allocation subfield and the PS160 subfield of the UHR variant user information field for STAs allocated to RUs / MRUs within the 160MHz channel may be defined in the same manner as the RU allocation method within the previously defined secondary 160MHz channel, and MUs / MRUs of 2x996-tone RUs or less may be allocated to the 160MHz channel.

[0230] For example, in a situation where the B0 value of the RU allocation subfield is set to 0 or 1 and the value of the PS160 subfield is set to 1, RUs / MRUs of 2x996-tone RUs or less can be allocated using the B7-B1 values ​​corresponding to 160 MHz in the bandwidth column of Table 4 described above. In other words, in Table 4, a bandwidth of 240 MHz can be included / defined in the bandwidth column corresponding to the values. In addition, a case where 160 MHz exists in the bandwidth column in a situation where the RU / MRU size is Reserved can also be included. In other words, the reserved value can be used for a specific RU / MRU allocation.

[0231] Next, for an STA allocated to an RU within an 80MHz channel that constitutes a 240MHz bandwidth together with the aforementioned 160MHz channel, an RU allocation method within a lower 80MHz channel of a previously defined secondary 160MHz channel can be similarly defined.

[0232] For example, in a situation where the B0 value of the RU allocation subfield is set to 0 and the value of the PS160 subfield is set to 1, RUs / MRUs of 996-tone RUs or less can be allocated using the B7-B1 values ​​corresponding to 80 MHz in the bandwidth column of Table 4 described above. In other words, in Table 4, a bandwidth of 240 MHz can be included / defined in the bandwidth column corresponding to the values. In addition, a case where 80 MHz exists in the bandwidth column in a situation where the RU / MRU size is Reserved can also be included. In other words, the reserved value can be used for a specific RU / MRU allocation.

[0233] Alternatively, for STAs allocated to RUs within an 80MHz channel that constitutes a 240MHz bandwidth together with the aforementioned 160MHz channel, the RU allocation scheme within the previously defined primary 80MHz channel may be similarly defined.

[0234] For example, in a situation where the B0 value of the RU allocation subfield is set to 0 and the value of the PS160 subfield is set to 0, a RU / MRU of 996-tone RU or less can be allocated using the B7-B1 values ​​corresponding to 80 MHz in the bandwidth column of Table 4 described above. In other words, in Table 4, a bandwidth of 240 MHz can be included / defined in the bandwidth column corresponding to the values. In addition, a case where 80 MHz exists in the bandwidth column in a situation where the RU / MRU size is Reserved can also be included. In other words, the reserved value can be used for a specific RU / MRU allocation.

[0235] Additionally, some MRUs defined for the 320MHz bandwidth may be allocated to STAs in the entire 240MHz bandwidth channel. For example, for the 240MHz bandwidth, 2x996+484-tone MRUs 1 to 6 and 3x996-tone MRU 4 may be allocated. In other words, in Table 4, the 240MHz bandwidth may be included / defined in the bandwidth column corresponding to the corresponding MRUs.

[0236] Additionally, specific new MRU(s) may be defined for non-OFDMA transmissions in the 240 MHz bandwidth. The allocation for these MRU(s) may be defined using the reserved values ​​in Table 4 described above. In this regard, such as the 996+484+242-tone MRU for the 160 MHz bandwidth, it may be defined only for the 240 MHz bandwidth, or it may also be defined for the 320 MHz bandwidth.

[0237] Additionally, the above-mentioned Table 5 (e.g., Lookup table for X1 and N) may also include a case for a 240 MHz bandwidth. In this case, the configuration may be in the form of [P80 S80 80], and the inputs and outputs may be the same as those of [P80 S80 S160] of a 320 MHz bandwidth. Here, the case where the PS160 subfield value is 1 and the B0 value is 1 may be excluded. Alternatively, the configuration may be in the form of [S160 P80], and the inputs and outputs may be the same as those of [S160 P80 S80] of a 320 MHz bandwidth. Here, the case where the PS160 subfield value is 0 and the B0 value is 1 may be excluded. In this regard, different names may be applied to each P80 / S80 / 80 / S160 in the configuration.

[0238] Below, STA operations based on various examples of the present disclosure described above are described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14 . The examples in FIGS. 13 and 14 may correspond to some of the various examples of the present disclosure.

[0239] For example, in FIGS. 13 and 14, the first STA may correspond to an STA transmitting a PPDU, and the second STA may correspond to an STA receiving the PPDU. As a specific example, if the PPDU is a DL PPDU, the first STA may correspond to an AP, and the second STA may correspond to a non-AP STA. Conversely, if the PPDU is a UL PPDU, the first STA may correspond to a non-AP STA, and the second STA may correspond to an AP.

[0240] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a first STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0241] Referring to FIG. 13, a first STA can generate a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth (S1310) and transmit the PPDU to a second STA (S1320).

[0242] The PPDU may contain information related to the indication of a 240 MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, and the PPDU may further contain information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

[0243] According to the present disclosure, the 240 MHz bandwidth may be indicated through bandwidth information within a PPDU set to a value indicating 240 MHz (e.g., an explicit method). Alternatively, the 240 MHz bandwidth may be indicated through bandwidth information within a PPDU set to a value indicating 320 MHz and information about a basic service set (BSS) band (e.g., an implicit method). In this regard, information about the BSS band may be included in an operating element, and the operating element may be included in at least one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a combined response frame transmitted by the second STA.

[0244] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, the 240 MHz bandwidth includes a first 80 MHz channel, a second 80 MHz channel, and a third 80 MHz channel, and when the corresponding PPDU is indicated as a PPDU type for OFDMA transmission, information about the corresponding puncturing pattern may include first bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the first 80 MHz channel, second bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the second 80 MHz channel, and third bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the third 80 MHz channel.

[0245] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, if the PPDU is indicated as a PPDU type for non-OFDMA transmission, the information about the puncturing pattern may be set to a value indicating one of one or more pre-defined puncturing patterns for a 240 MHz bandwidth.

[0246] The method described in the example of FIG. 13 may be performed by the first device (100) of FIG. 1. For example, one or more processors (102) of the first device (100) of FIG. 1 may be configured to generate a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth and transmit the generated PPDU. Furthermore, one or more memories (104) of the first device (100) may store commands for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 13 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (102).

[0247] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a second STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0248] Referring to FIG. 14, the second STA can receive a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from the first STA (S1410) and process the PPDU (S1420).

[0249] Here, processing of the PPDU may include an operation(s) of decoding the field(s) included in the PPDU to obtain the indicated / included information.

[0250] The PPDU may contain information related to the indication of a 240 MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, and the PPDU may further contain information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

[0251] In the example of Fig. 14, the specific details of the instruction for 240 MHz bandwidth, the puncturing pattern instruction for the PPDU type for OFDMA transmission, the puncturing pattern instruction for the PPDU type for non-OFDMA transmission, the puncturing pattern / MRU for 240 MHz bandwidth, etc. are the same as those described in the example of Fig. 13, so redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0252] The method described in the example of FIG. 14 may be performed by the second device (200) of FIG. 1. For example, one or more processors (202) of the second device (200) of FIG. 1 may be configured to receive a PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth and process the PPDU. Furthermore, one or more memories (204) of the second device (200) may store commands for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 14 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (202).

[0253] Below, STA operations based on various examples of the present disclosure described above are described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 . The examples in FIGS. 15 and 16 may correspond to some of the various examples of the present disclosure.

[0254] For example, in FIGS. 15 and 16, the first STA may correspond to an STA (e.g., an AP) that transmits a trigger frame requesting a TB PPDU, and the second STA may correspond to an STA (e.g., a non-AP STA) that receives the trigger frame.

[0255] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a first STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0256] Referring to FIG. 15, a first STA may receive a trigger frame requesting a TB PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a second STA (S1510), and in response to the trigger frame, may transmit a TB PPDU to the second STA (S1520).

[0257] In this regard, the trigger frame may include information related to an indication of a 240 MHz bandwidth. In this case, the trigger frame may include a first field (e.g., a UL BW subfield) and a second field (a UL bandwidth extension subfield) for indicating the bandwidth.

[0258] For example, a 240 MHz bandwidth can be indicated by setting the first field to a value indicating 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz (e.g., 0, 1, or 2), and setting the second field to a value other than the value indicating 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz (e.g., 1, 2, or 3).

[0259] As another example, a 240 MHz bandwidth could be indicated by setting the first field to a value indicating 160 MHz (e.g., 3) and setting the second field to a value other than the values ​​indicating 160 MHz and 320 MHz (e.g., 1, 2, or 3).

[0260] As another example, a 240 MHz bandwidth may be (implicitly) indicated based on a first field set to a value indicating 160 MHz (e.g., 3), a second field set to a value indicating 320 MHz (e.g., 2 or 3), and information about a basic service set (BSS) band. In this case, the information about the BSS band is included in an operating element, and the operating element may be included in at least one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a combined response frame transmitted by the second STA and transmitted to the first STA.

[0261] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, the trigger frame includes information on resource unit (RU) allocation in a 240 MHz bandwidth, and the information on the RU allocation may include first RU allocation information for a 160 MHz channel included in the 240 MHz bandwidth and second RU allocation information for the remaining 80 MHz channel.

[0262] For example, the 160MHz channel corresponds to a primary 160MHz channel or a secondary 160MHz channel, in which case the first RU allocation information may be set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU (multiple RU) of a size less than or equal to 2x996-tone RUs. In addition, the remaining 80MHz channels correspond to lower 80MHz channels within the secondary 160MHz channel or the primary 80MHz channel, in which case the second RU allocation information may be set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU of a size less than or equal to 996-tone RUs.

[0263] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, the trigger frame includes information on RU allocation in the 240 MHz bandwidth, and the information on the RU allocation may be set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU of a size less than or equal to a 3x996-tone MRU.

[0264] Additionally, according to the present disclosure, a 240 MHz bandwidth may be composed of a primary 80 MHz channel, a secondary 80 MHz channel, and an 80 MHz channel, in which case {X1, N} for calculating a PHY (physical) index for RU allocation or MRU allocation in the 240 MHz bandwidth may be defined as {0, 0} for the primary 80 MHz channel, {0, 1} for the secondary 80 MHz channel, and {1, 2} for the 80 MHz channel. Alternatively, the 240 MHz bandwidth may be composed of a secondary 160 MHz channel and a primary 80 MHz channel, in which case {X1, N} for calculating a PHY (physical) index for RU allocation or MRU allocation in the 240 MHz bandwidth may be defined as {1, 2} for the primary 80 MHz channel, {0, 0} for the lower 80 MHz channel within the secondary 160 MHz channel, and {0, 1} for the upper 80 MHz channel within the secondary 160 MHz channel.

[0265] The method described in the example of FIG. 15 may be performed by the first device (100) of FIG. 1. For example, one or more processors (102) of the first device (100) of FIG. 1 may be configured to receive a trigger frame requesting a TB PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth and transmit a TB PPDU in response to the trigger frame. Furthermore, one or more memories (104) of the first device (100) may store commands for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 15 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (102).

[0266] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation by a second STA in a PPDU transmission and reception method according to the present disclosure.

[0267] Referring to FIG. 16, the second STA can generate a trigger frame requesting a TB PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth (S1610) and transmit the trigger frame to the first STA (S1620).

[0268] In this regard, the trigger frame may include information related to an indication of a 240 MHz bandwidth. In this case, the trigger frame may include a first field (e.g., a UL BW subfield) and a second field (a UL bandwidth extension subfield) for indicating the bandwidth.

[0269] In the example of Fig. 16, the specific details of various methods for indicating a 240 MHz bandwidth, various methods for allocating RU / MRU in a 100 MHz bandwidth, definition of {X1, N} values ​​for calculating a PHY index for RU / MRU allocation, etc. are the same as those described in the example of Fig. 15, so redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0270] The method described in the example of FIG. 16 may be performed by the second device (200) of FIG. 1. For example, one or more processors (202) of the second device (200) of FIG. 1 may be configured to generate a trigger frame requesting a TB PPDU based on a 240 MHz bandwidth and transmit the trigger frame. Furthermore, one or more memories (204) of the second device (200) may store commands for performing the method described in the example of FIG. 16 or the examples described above when executed by one or more processors (202).

[0271] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a PPDU transmission and reception procedure between a transmitting STA and a receiving STA according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Some of the steps shown in FIG. 17 may be omitted depending on circumstances and / or settings. The transmitting device and the receiving STA may be APs and / or non-AP STAs.

[0272] The transmitting STA may obtain control information related to the aforementioned tone plan (or RU / DRU) (S105). The control information related to the tone plan may include the size and location of the RU, control information related to the RU, information about the frequency band in which the RU is included, information about the STA receiving the RU, etc.

[0273] The transmitting STA may configure / generate a PPDU based on the acquired control information (S110). Configuring / generating a PPDU may mean configuring / generating each field of the PPDU. That is, the step of configuring / generating a PPDU may include a step of configuring a SIG field (e.g., U-SIG / UHR-SIG) that includes control information regarding a tone plan.

[0274] That is, the step of configuring / generating a PPDU may include a step of configuring a field including control information (e.g., N bitmap) indicating the size / position of the RU and / or a step of configuring a field including an identifier (e.g., AID) of an STA receiving the RU.

[0275] Additionally, the step of configuring / generating a PPDU may include a step of generating an STF / LTF sequence to be transmitted via a specific RU. The STF / LTF sequence may be generated based on a preset STF generation sequence / LTF generation sequence. For example, the LTF portion (e.g., LTF field) included in the PPDU may be configured based on the UHR-LTF sequence proposed in the present disclosure.

[0276] Additionally, the step of constructing / generating a PPDU may include a step of generating a data field (i.e., an MPDU) to be transmitted via a specific RU.

[0277] The transmitting STA can transmit the configured / generated PPDU to the receiving STA (S115).

[0278] Specifically, the transmitting STA can perform at least one of cyclic shift diversity (CSD), spatial mapping, inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) / inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) operation, and guard interval (GI) insertion operation.

[0279] The receiving STA can decode the PPDU and obtain control information related to the tone-plan (or RU) (S120).

[0280] Specifically, the receiving STA can decode the L-SIG and SIG fields (e.g., U-SIG / UHR-SIG) of the PPDU based on the L-STF / LTF, and obtain information included in the L-SIG and SIG fields. Information about various tone plans (i.e., RUs) of the present disclosure can be included in the SIG field (e.g., U-SIG / UHR-SIG), and the receiving STA can obtain information about the tone plan (i.e., RU) through the corresponding SIG field.

[0281] The receiving STA can decode the remaining portion of the PPDU based on the acquired tone plan (i.e., RU) information (S125). For example, the receiving STA can decode the STF / LTF portion (e.g., the STF / LTF field) of the PPDU based on the tone plan (i.e., RU) information. In particular, the LTF portion can be configured by the UHR-LTF sequence proposed in the present disclosure and can be used for channel estimation purposes for decoding the data portion (e.g., the data field).

[0282] Additionally, the receiving STA can decode the data field of the PPDU based on information about the tone plan (i.e., RU) and obtain the MPDU included in the data field.

[0283] Additionally, the receiving STA may perform a processing operation to forward the decoded data to a higher layer (e.g., the MAC layer). Furthermore, if the higher layer instructs the PHY layer to generate a signal in response to the data forwarded to the higher layer, the receiving STA may perform a subsequent operation.

[0284] This disclosure proposes a method for supporting / indicating a 100 MHz bandwidth, a bandwidth not defined in existing wireless LAN systems, and a method for defining / indicating preamble puncturing information that takes this into account. The proposed method of this disclosure can improve channel utilization, thereby achieving the technical benefit of increasing throughput during PPDU transmission.

[0285] The embodiments described above are combinations of components and features of the present disclosure in a predetermined form. Each component or feature should be considered optional unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each component or feature may be implemented without being combined with other components or features. Furthermore, it is also possible to form embodiments of the present disclosure by combining some components and / or features. The order of operations described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed. Some components or features of one embodiment may be included in another embodiment or may be replaced with corresponding components or features of another embodiment. It is self-evident that claims that do not have an explicit citation relationship in the patent claims may be combined to form embodiments or incorporated as new claims through post-application amendments.

[0286] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but rather as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the scope of equivalents of the present disclosure are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0287] The scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable instructions (e.g., an operating system, an application, firmware, a program, etc.) that cause operations according to the methods of various embodiments to be executed on a device or a computer, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having such software or instructions stored thereon and executable on the device or computer. Instructions that can be used to program a processing system to perform the features described in the present disclosure can be stored on / in a storage medium or a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product including such a storage medium can be used to implement the features described in the present disclosure. The storage medium can include, but is not limited to, high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state memory devices, and can include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. The memory optionally includes one or more storage devices remotely located from the processor(s). The memory or, alternatively, the non-volatile memory device(s) within the memory comprise a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The features described in this disclosure may be incorporated into software and / or firmware stored on any of the machine-readable media, which may control the hardware of the processing system and allow the processing system to interact with other mechanisms that utilize results according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Such software or firmware may include, but is not limited to, application code, device drivers, operating systems, and execution environments / containers.

[0288] The method proposed in this disclosure has been described with a focus on examples applied to IEEE 802.11-based systems, but can be applied to various wireless LANs or wireless communication systems in addition to IEEE 802.11-based systems.

Claims

1. A step of generating a PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth by a first station (STA); and A step of transmitting the PPDU to the second STA by the first STA, The above PPDU contains information related to the indication of the 240MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, A method wherein the PPDU further includes information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

2. In paragraph 1, The above 240MHz bandwidth is indicated through the bandwidth information in the PPDU set to a value indicating 2400MHz, or The above 240MHz bandwidth is indicated through the bandwidth information in the PPDU set to a value indicating 320MHz and information on the BSS (basic service set) band.

3. In paragraph 1, The above 240MHz bandwidth includes a first 80MHz channel, a second 80MHz channel, and a third 80MHz channel, Based on the above PPDU being indicated as a PPDU type for OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) transmission, A method wherein the information about the puncturing pattern includes first bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the first 80 MHz channel, second bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the second 80 MHz channel, and third bitmap information about the puncturing pattern of the third 80 MHz channel.

4. In paragraph 1, Based on the above PPDU being indicated as a PPDU type for non-OFDMA transmission, A method wherein the information about the above puncturing pattern is set to a value indicating one or more pre-defined puncturing patterns for the 240 MHz bandwidth.

5. One or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: By the first station (STA), a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth is generated; By the first STA, the PPDU is set to be transmitted to the second STA, The above PPDU contains information related to the indication of the 240MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, A device wherein the PPDU further includes information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

6. A step of receiving a PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a first STA by a second station (STA); and A step of processing the PPDU by the second STA, The above PPDU contains information related to the indication of the 240MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, A method wherein the PPDU further includes information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

7. One or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: By the second station (STA), a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth is received from the first STA; By the second STA, the PPDU is set to be processed, The above PPDU contains information related to the indication of the 240MHz bandwidth and information about the PPDU type, A device wherein the PPDU further includes information about a puncturing pattern based on the 240 MHz bandwidth and the PPDU type.

8. A step of receiving a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger-based) PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a second STA by a first station (STA); and A step of transmitting, by the first STA, the TB PPDU to the second STA in response to the trigger frame, A method wherein the trigger frame includes information related to an instruction of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

9. In paragraph 8, The above trigger frame includes a first field and a second field for indicating a bandwidth, A method in which the above 240 MHz bandwidth is indicated by setting the first field to a value indicating 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz, and setting the second field to a value other than a value indicating 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz.

10. In paragraph 8, The above trigger frame includes a first field and a second field for indicating a bandwidth, A method in which the above 240 MHz bandwidth is indicated by setting the first field to a value indicating 160 MHz and setting the second field to a value other than values ​​indicating 160 MHz and 320 MHz.

11. In paragraph 8, The above trigger frame includes a first field and a second field for indicating a bandwidth, A method in which the above 240 MHz bandwidth is indicated based on the first field set to a value indicating 160 MHz, the second field set to a value indicating 320 MHz, and information about a BSS (basic service set) band.

12. In paragraph 11, Information about the above BSS band is included in the operating element, A method wherein the above-described operating element is included in at least one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or an association response frame transmitted by the second STA.

13. In paragraph 8, The above trigger frame includes information about RU (resource unit) allocation in the 240 MHz bandwidth, A method in which the information on the above RU allocation includes first RU allocation information for a 160 MHz channel included in the 240 MHz bandwidth and second RU allocation information for the remaining 80 MHz channel.

14. In paragraph 13, The above 160MHz channel corresponds to a primary 160MHz channel or a secondary 160MHz channel. A method in which the above first RU allocation information is set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU (multiple RU) of a size less than or equal to 2x996-tone RU.

15. In paragraph 13, The remaining 80MHz channels above correspond to the lower 80MHz channels within the secondary 160MHz channel or the primary 80MHz channel. A method in which the above second RU allocation information is set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU of a size less than or equal to a 996-tone RU.

16. In paragraph 8, The above trigger frame includes information about RU (resource unit) allocation in the 240 MHz bandwidth, A method in which information on the above RU allocation is set to a value for allocating an RU or MRU of a size smaller than 3x996-tone MRU.

17. In paragraph 8, The above 240MHz bandwidth consists of a primary 80MHz channel, a secondary 80MHz channel, and an 80MHz channel. A method for calculating a PHY (physical) index for RU allocation or MRU allocation in the above 240 MHz bandwidth, wherein {X1, N} is defined as {0, 0} for the primary 80 MHz channel, {0, 1} for the secondary 80 MHz channel, and {1, 2} for the 80 MHz channel.

18. In paragraph 8, The above 240MHz bandwidth consists of a secondary 160MHz channel and a primary 80MHz channel. A method for calculating a PHY (physical) index for RU allocation or MRU allocation in the above 240 MHz bandwidth, wherein {X1, N} is defined as {1, 2} for the primary 80 MHz channel, {0, 0} for the lower 80 MHz channel within the secondary 160 MHz channel, and {0, 1} for the higher 80 MHz channel within the secondary 160 MHz channel.

19. In paragraph 8, The above first STA corresponds to a non-access point (AP) STA, The method wherein the second STA corresponds to an AP to which the non-AP STA is coupled.

20. One or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: A first station (STA) receives a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger-based) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth from a second STA; By the first STA, in response to the trigger frame, the TB PPDU is set to be transmitted to the second STA, A device wherein the trigger frame includes information related to the indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

21. A step of generating a trigger frame requesting a TB (trigger-based) PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth by a second station (STA); and A step of transmitting the trigger frame to the first STA by the second STA, A method wherein the trigger frame includes information related to an instruction of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

22. One or more transmitters and receivers; and comprising one or more processors connected to said one or more transceivers, One or more of the above processors: By the second station (STA), a trigger frame is generated requesting a TB (trigger-based) PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit) based on a 240 MHz bandwidth; By the second STA, the trigger frame is set to be transmitted to the first STA, A device wherein the trigger frame includes information related to the indication of the 240 MHz bandwidth.

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