Multi-AP Trigger Frame Scheduling With Unified PPDU Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications systems with multiple access points (APs), the introduction of large bandwidth and spatial streams leads to complex signaling design and inflexible scheduling, particularly in scenarios involving coordinated transmission where a master AP schedules slave APs with different frame formats, increasing receiving complexity.
Innovation Solution
A slave trigger frame is introduced that includes trigger type information and AP indication information, allowing a master AP to flexibly schedule slave APs in a unified frame format, reducing signaling complexity by enabling unified parsing and interaction between multiple APs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a master AP schedules slave APs with different frame formats to meet different transmission requirements, then transmission flexibility is improved, but signaling complexity and receiving complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a unified trigger frame format that can accommodate multiple scheduling scenarios for different slave APs. Instead of creating separate frame formats for different transmission requirements, the system uses a single trigger frame structure with flexible fields that can be configured for various purposes, thereby reducing signaling complexity while maintaining transmission flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the trigger frame into common information fields and user information fields, where the common fields contain scheduling information for multiple slave APs and the user fields contain specific transmission parameters. This segmentation allows the frame to efficiently organize complex scheduling information in a structured manner, reducing processing complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If a master AP schedules slave APs with different frame formats, then transmission adaptability is improved, but receiving complexity of slave APs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified trigger frame format serves multiple functions: it can schedule different slave APs, indicate different transmission types (data, acknowledgment, beamforming report), and specify various transmission parameters all within a single frame structure. This eliminates the need for slave APs to process multiple frame formats, thereby reducing receiving complexity while maintaining high adaptability
3Productivity
If multiple APs are used for coordinated transmission with large bandwidth and spatial streams, then throughput capability is improved, but signaling design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger frame is designed as a universal signaling mechanism that can manage coordinated transmission among multiple APs with different capabilities. The frame includes fields that can indicate the number of spatial streams, bandwidth configuration, and scheduling information for each slave AP, allowing the system to support high throughput scenarios without requiring complex specialized signaling for each configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger frame employs dynamic field configurations where the size and content of certain fields vary based on the number of slave APs and transmission requirements. This dynamic structure allows the signaling to adapt to different coordinated transmission scenarios, maintaining efficiency across various throughput capabilities without fixed complex signaling overhead
Data Source
AI summary
Flexible scheduling of a slave AP in a unified frame format in a multi-AP coordinated transmission scenario provides an information transmission method. A first access point (AP) generates a slave trigger frame, where the slave trigger frame includes trigger type information and AP indication information. The trigger type information is used to indicate a type of the slave trigger frame. The AP indication information includes an identifier of a second AP. The identifier of the second AP is used to indicate the second AP. The slave trigger frame is used to trigger the second AP to send a physical protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDU carries a frame corresponding to a type of the slave trigger frame. The first AP sends the slave trigger frame to the second AP.