HE Beacon Frame Segmentation for WLAN Resource Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) face challenges in efficiently managing resources to provide bandwidth and response times due to multiple devices sharing resources, with limitations from communication protocols and hardware bandwidth, especially when operating with both new and legacy devices.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a radio architecture that includes front-end module, radio IC, and baseband processing circuitry, enabling coexistence of WLAN and Bluetooth functionalities, with advanced scheduling and beacon methods to optimize traffic indication maps and location measurement reports, using techniques like OFDMA and HE-MCS/NSS sets to enhance communication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices share the same wireless resources, then network coverage and device connectivity are improved, but resource management efficiency and bandwidth utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beacon transmission process into multiple components: HE beacons for HE devices, legacy beacons for non-HE devices, and TIM information separated into different fields. This segmentation allows each device type to receive optimized information without interfering with other devices, resolving the contradiction between supporting multiple devices and maintaining efficient resource management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension by creating separate beacon formats and information fields for different device types (HE devices vs. legacy devices). Instead of trying to fit all information into a single legacy format, the patent adds HE-specific fields and formats, allowing simultaneous support for multiple device generations without resource conflicts.
2Loss of information
If beacon frames include comprehensive traffic indication information, then device awareness of network status is improved, but beacon frame size and transmission time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of information detail to different device types. HE devices receive comprehensive TIM information in dedicated HE fields, while legacy devices receive simplified information in traditional fields. This localized information quality optimization ensures each device gets appropriate detail without unnecessarily increasing overall beacon size for all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by organizing and pre-processing traffic indication information into structured fields before beacon transmission. The TIM information is prepared in advance with clear bit mappings and field structures, allowing efficient encoding and transmission. This preliminary organization reduces transmission time while maintaining comprehensive information availability for devices that need it.
3Measurement precision
If HE-specific fields are added to beacon frames, then information precision for HE devices is improved, but backward compatibility with legacy devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing beacon frames that serve multiple functions simultaneously. The same beacon frame structure supports both HE devices (with HE-specific fields) and legacy devices (with traditional fields). The HE fields and legacy fields coexist in a unified beacon format, allowing the system to maintain backward compatibility while providing enhanced precision for HE devices through additional specialized information fields.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for high efficiency (HE) beacon and HE formats in a wireless network are disclosed. An apparatus of a high efficiency (HE) access point (AP), where the apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured select a <HE-MCS, NSS=1> tuple from the basic HE-MCS set of tuples, if a basic HE modulation and control scheme (MCS) (HE-MCS) and a number of spatial streams (NSS) set of tuples is not empty, and otherwise select the <HE-MCS, NSS=1> tuple from a mandatory HE-MCS and NSS set of tuples. The processing circuitry may be further configured to encode a beacon frame in a HE single user (SU) physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU), in accordance with the selected <HE-MCS, NSS=1> tuple, and configure the HE AP to transmit the HE SU PPDU. Null data packets formats, methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses are disclosed for multiple 20 MHz operations.