Trigger Frame Multiplexing for Mixed Wi-Fi Generations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in multiplexing clients of different generations in trigger-based transmissions, particularly in efficiently scheduling uplink transmissions across various bandwidths without frequency collisions, especially when supporting both legacy and extremely-high throughput (EHT) stations.
Innovation Solution
The system generates a legacy trigger frame that includes resource unit (RU) allocation tables compatible with both legacy and EHT stations, allowing EHT stations to identify and use a wider bandwidth by additional indicators, while legacy stations operate within a narrower bandwidth, thus enabling simultaneous scheduling without frequency collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single trigger frame is used to schedule both legacy and EHT stations, then device complexity is reduced and backwards compatibility is maintained, but resource allocation complexity increases due to different bandwidth requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger frame is segmented into multiple RU allocation tables, with each table corresponding to a specific bandwidth configuration. Legacy stations use the first table while EHT stations can access extended tables for wider bandwidths, allowing the system to handle different bandwidth requirements without creating entirely separate trigger frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger frame structure is designed to be universal by incorporating multiple RU allocation tables that can serve different station types. The same trigger frame format and processing logic can accommodate both legacy and EHT stations, making the system multi-functional without requiring separate scheduling mechanisms.
2Productivity
If EHT stations use wider bandwidth than legacy stations, then transmission capacity increases, but frequency collision risk increases when scheduling both station types simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the frequency spectrum are allocated to different station types based on their bandwidth requirements. Legacy stations are assigned resource units in narrower bandwidth portions, while EHT stations can utilize extended bandwidth portions. This local differentiation of frequency resource quality allows simultaneous operation without collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system resolves bandwidth conflicts by introducing an additional dimension of resource allocation through multiple RU allocation tables. Instead of competing in a single bandwidth dimension, stations are allocated resources across multiple table dimensions, where each table represents a different bandwidth configuration, thereby eliminating frequency collisions.
3Measurement precision
If separate trigger frames are used for legacy and EHT stations, then resource allocation precision improves, but system efficiency decreases due to increased overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of separate trigger frames into a single unified trigger frame that contains multiple RU allocation tables. This consolidation maintains the precise resource allocation capabilities of separate frames while eliminating the overhead of transmitting multiple frames, thereby improving system efficiency without sacrificing allocation precision.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for multiplexing clients of different generations in trigger-based transmissions, including trigger-based transmissions in extremely-high throughput (EHT) Wi-Fi systems. An access point (AP) may generate a trigger frame compatible with two types of stations (STAs), such as EHT STAs and legacy (or high efficiency (HE)) STAs. The AP may transmit the trigger frame to a group of STAs, where legacy STAs may process the trigger frame a legacy trigger frame. EHT STAs may process the trigger frame to determine resource unit (RU) allocations for uplink transmissions in a bandwidth greater than a legacy bandwidth. An EHT STA may determine the resources in the larger bandwidth based on an EHT RU allocation table, a legacy RU allocation table and an additional bit in the trigger frame, or an ordering of RU allocations in the trigger frame.