Rules for handling multiple EDCA parameters

A method operating for a wireless station device STA, comprising:

• accessing the wireless channel for uplink (UL) transmissions to an access point (AP) either using a first set of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters, referred to as multi-user (MU) EDCA parameters that favor MU operations in which the AP schedules UL transmissions via trigger frames or using second set of (EDCA parameters, referred to as legacy EDCA parameters, that favor single user (SU) operations in which the STA contends for access to the wireless channel for UL transmissions to the AP;
• when a medium access control (MAC) service data unit (MSDU) in an empty first access category (AC) is queued for UL transmission, access the wireless channel using legacy EDCA parameters to transmit the MSDU as an SU operation;
• and,
• switching to MU EDCA parameters in response to a trigger frame from the AP that schedules transmission of the additional UL data.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a wireless station device (STA), upon execution of the instructions by processing circuitry of the STA, to:

• access a wireless channel for uplink (UL) transmissions to an access point (AP) either using a first set of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters, referred to as multi-user (MU) EDCA parameters that favor MU operations in which the AP schedules UL transmissions via trigger frames or using second set of (EDCA parameters, referred to as legacy EDCA parameters, that favor single user (SU) operations in which the STA contends for access to the wireless channel for UL transmissions to the AP;
• when a medium access control (MAC) service data unit (MSDU) in an empty first access category (AC) is queued for UL transmission, access the wireless channel using legacy EDCA parameters to transmit the MSDU as an SU operation;
• and,
• switch to MU EDCA parameters in response to a trigger frame from the AP that schedules transmission of the additional UL data.

An apparatus for a wireless access point (AP), the apparatus comprising:

• memory and processing circuitry to configure the AP to communicate in a wireless network with one or more stations (STAs) over a wireless channel;
• wherein the processing circuitry is to:
• communicate to the STAs a first set of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters, referred to as multi-user (MU) EDCA parameters that favor MU operations in which the AP schedules uplink (UL) transmissions via trigger frames and a second set of EDCA parameters, referred to as legacy EDCA parameters, that favor single user (SU) operations in which the STA contends for access to the wireless channel for UL transmissions to the AP;
• and,
• communicate a timeout period to the STAs wherein a STA may switch from MU EDCA parameters to legacy EDCA parameters if the STA has not been scheduled for UL transmission for the length of the timeout period after the last UL MU transmission.