802.11be EHT PPDU Uplink Signaling with Reused Trigger Frames
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The IEEE 802.11ax standard lacks a method for indicating uplink parameters of Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, necessitating new trigger frame designs for IEEE 802.11be, which increases complexity and signaling overheads.
Innovation Solution
Reusing the trigger frame in IEEE 802.11ax to indicate uplink parameters for both EHT and High Efficiency (HE) PPDUs by incorporating an uplink length field, allowing both types of stations to perform data transmission without requiring new frame designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a new trigger frame is designed for IEEE 802.11be to indicate uplink parameters of EHT PPDU, then the indication capability for EHT uplink transmission is improved, but the device complexity and signaling overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing trigger frame structure from IEEE 802.11ax is extended to serve dual purposes: scheduling both HE PPDUs (for 802.11ax stations) and EHT PPDUs (for 802.11be stations). The trigger frame includes an uplink length field that can indicate lengths for both HE TB PPDU and EHT PPDU, allowing a single frame structure to handle multiple protocol types without requiring separate trigger frame designs for each protocol version.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a new trigger frame is designed for IEEE 802.11be to indicate uplink parameters of EHT PPDU, then the indication capability for EHT uplink transmission is improved, but the signaling overheads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger frame reuses existing fields from the 802.11ax specification while adding minimal new elements. The uplink length field is configured to carry information applicable to both HE and EHT protocols, and the common information field includes parameters that can be interpreted by both protocol versions, thereby minimizing additional signaling overhead while maintaining broad compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger frame utilizes parameter encoding strategies where the same field can represent different meanings based on context. For example, the uplink length field can indicate the length of HE TB PPDU or EHT PPDU depending on the protocol version being scheduled, and the bandwidth field can represent different bandwidth configurations for HE versus EHT transmissions, reducing the need for separate dedicated fields.
3Device complexity
If the existing trigger frame in IEEE 802.11ax is reused to schedule EHT PPDU, then the complexity and signaling overheads are reduced, but the indication precision for EHT-specific parameters may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger frame employs flexible parameter encoding where fields can represent different precision levels based on the target protocol. The uplink length field can indicate lengths with the precision required for EHT PPDUs, and the bandwidth field can specify ultra-wide bandwidths (e.g., 320 MHz) needed for EHT while maintaining compatibility with narrower bandwidths for HE protocols. This adaptive parameter encoding ensures sufficient precision for EHT without requiring completely new frame structures.
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to the wireless communications field applied to, for example, a wireless local area network supporting the 802.11be standard. In an example method, an access point (AP) sends a trigger frame. The trigger frame includes an uplink length field, the uplink length field is used to indicate a length indicated by a legacy signal (L-SIG) field in an extremely high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (EHT PPDU), and a length value indicated by the uplink length field is a positive integer and is a multiple of 3 minus 2. The AP receives the EHT PPDU, wherein the length indicated by the L-SIG field in the EHT PPDU is equal to a length value indicated by the uplink length field plus 2.