Multi-Link Group Cast Retries for Reliable Legacy-Compatible Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in improving reliability and reducing latency for group cast transmissions while maintaining compatibility with legacy devices and utilizing multi-link operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing group cast with retries (GCR) for multi-link operation (MLO) using an access point multi-link device (AP MLD) that establishes GCR-MLO agreements, manages sequence numbers, and generates group temporal keys for encryption, enabling retransmissions across multiple links while ensuring backward compatibility with legacy stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GCR service is implemented for single-link operation to improve reliability and reduce latency of group addressed frames, then delivery reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to retransmission management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments GCR operations into separate link-specific service periods (GCR-SPs) for each link in the multi-link system. Each link independently manages its own GCR transmissions and retransmissions within its designated SP, rather than treating all links as a single unified resource. This segmentation reduces the complexity of retransmission management by localizing control to individual links while still providing reliable group cast delivery across the multi-link system.
2Reliability
If multi-link operation is used for GCR retransmissions to improve reliability, then delivery reliability is improved, but compatibility with legacy devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces GCR-capable stations as intermediaries in the communication system. These stations understand and can process the multi-link GCR protocol, serving as mediators between the advanced multi-link GCR system and legacy devices. When legacy devices receive group addressed frames, GCR-capable stations can perform retransmissions using multi-link operations while legacy devices continue to operate with their simpler single-link expectations, thus maintaining backward compatibility while enabling improved reliability through MLO.
3Productivity
If link-specific GCR service periods are implemented to optimize performance, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to SP management across multiple links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the multi-link GCR system into independent link-specific service periods (GCR-SPs), where each link operates its own GCR transmission schedule. This segmentation allows each link to be optimized independently for its specific performance characteristics while maintaining overall system coordination through the shared group cast delivery mechanism, thereby improving productivity without requiring complex cross-link SP management.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are disclosed for group cast with retries (GCR) in a multi-link wireless communications system. In some embodiments, an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) can exchange information with a non-AP MLD to establish a GCR-multi-link operation (MLO) agreement corresponding to a group address, wherein the information includes, but is not limited to: a GCR primary link or a GCR primary link set of the AP MLD, an association identifier (AID) that corresponds to the group address. In some embodiments, the AP MLD can transmit a GCR frame subject to the GCR-MLO agreement, where the GCR frame includes a sequence number assigned from sequence number space (SNS)_GCR_MLO defined at a MLD level, and generate a Group Temporal Key (GTK)_GCR_ML at the MLD level, where the GTK_GCR_ML enables encryption and decryption of the GCR frame.