PPDU Signaling Field Segmentation for Wi-Fi Overhead Reduction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of user fields in the signaling field of a PPDU transmitted by an access point to support multiple stations in WLAN systems leads to significant signaling overheads.

Innovation Solution

The channel bandwidth is divided into frequency domain segments, with stations parking on each segment, and the access point transmits a PPDU preamble part that includes only the necessary scheduling information for each segment, reducing the need for stations to receive signaling fields across the entire channel bandwidth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the access point transmits complete signaling fields with all user fields to each station, then all stations can be supported, but signaling overheads become increasingly large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of supported stationsVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the frequency domain into multiple segments, with each segment having its own signaling field. This segmentation allows each station to receive only the signaling information relevant to its allocated frequency segment, reducing the total signaling overhead while still supporting multiple stations across different frequency segments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If all user fields are transmitted in the signaling field, then complete scheduling information is provided, but transmission efficiency decreases due to excessive overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling information completenessVSAvoidtransmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and transmits only the necessary user fields corresponding to the frequency segment each station is receiving. By taking out only the relevant scheduling information for each segment rather than transmitting all user fields, the system maintains complete scheduling information for each station while significantly reducing overall signaling overhead and improving transmission efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4132173B1Data transmission method and related apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4132173B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4132173B1 patent drawingFigure 1C
  • EP4132173B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

This application discloses a data transmission method and a related apparatus. The method includes: generating a signaling field of a PPDU, and sending a signaling field on a first frequency domain segment, where a channel bandwidth for transmitting the PPDU includes at least two frequency domain segments, at least two frequency domain segments include the first frequency domain segment, and a resource unit allocation subfield in the signaling field indicates a resource unit RU included in the channel bandwidth for transmitting the PPDU, and indicates a quantity of user fields corresponding to an RU that is in the RU and that is allocated to a station parking on the first frequency domain segment. In this way, overheads of the signaling field can be reduced by omitting a user field not allocated to the first frequency domain segment. This application may be applied to a Wi-Fi system such as 802.11be or an extremely high throughput EHT.