Wireless device, method, and computer readable media for requesting and sending block acknowledgement

A method on a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

• encoding a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) for block acknowledgement requests (BARs), the PPDU for BARs comprising data frames for two or more wireless communication devices, the data frames to be transmitted in accordance with one or both of down link (DL) multi-user multiple input and multiple output (MU-MIMO) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), the PPDU for BARs further comprising an indication of which sub-channel each of the two or more wireless communications devices should use to transmit block acknowledgements (BAs) to the data frames;
• generating signaling to cause the wireless communication device to transmit the PPDU for BARs to the two or more wireless communication devices in accordance with one or both of MU-MIMO and DL OFDMA;
• and
• decoding block acknowledgements (BA) of the data frames from the two or more wireless communication devices in accordance with the sub-channel each of the two or more wireless communications devices should use and one or both of uplink (UL) MU-MIMO and OFDMA.

A first wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device comprising processing circuitry to:

• decode a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) for block acknowledgement requests (BARs), the PPDU for BARs comprising data frames from a second wireless communication device, wherein the data frame are received in accordance with down-link (DL) MU-MIMO and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA);
• the PPDU for BARs further comprising a block acknowledgement request (BAR), the BAR comprising an indication of a sub-channel for the first wireless communication device to transmit a block acknowledgement (BA) of the received data frames to the second wireless communication device;
• and
• in response to the received BAR, transmit the BA to the second wireless communication device in accordance with up-link (UL) MU-MIMO and OFDMA.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for block acknowledgement (BAs), the instructions comprising:

• encoding a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) for block acknowledgement requests (BARs), the PPDU for BARs comprising data frames for two or more wireless communication devices, the data frames to be transmitted in accordance with one or both of down link (DL) multi-user multiple input and multiple output (MU-MIMO) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), the PPDU for BARs further comprising an indication of which sub-channel each of the two or more wireless communications devices should use to transmit block acknowledgements (BAs) to the data frames;
• generating signaling to cause the wireless communication device to transmit the PPDU for BARs, to the two or more wireless communication devices in accordance with one or both of MU-MIMO and DL OFDMA;
• and
• decoding block acknowledgements (BA) of the data frames from the two or more wireless communication devices in accordance with the sub-channel each of the two or more wireless communications devices should use and one or both of uplink (UL) MU-MIMO and OFDMA.