Group transmissions in wireless local area networks

A multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) channel sounding station (STA), the STA comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a receiver configured to receive, from an access point (AP), sounding information and training symbols;
• wherein the sounding information includes an indication of a first STA in an order of a group of STAs to transmit feedback;
• the receiver further configured to receive, from the AP, a frame addressed to the group of STAs, wherein the frame includes a PHY preamble including a very high throughput signal (VHT-SIG) field, the VHT-SIG field including a group identification (group ID) field;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit, on a condition the STA is the first STA in the order of the group of STAs, a first sounding response frame to the AP, wherein the first sounding response frame includes quantized sounding feedback determined from the received training symbols.

A multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) station (STA), the STA comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive, from an access point (AP), a management frame comprising:
• a group identifier (group ID) corresponding to a group of STAs and an indication of an order of the STA within the group;
• the receiver further configured to receive, from the AP, an MU frame with a PHY preamble comprising a very high throughput signal (VHT-SIG) field, the VHT-SIG field including the group ID;
• and
• a processor and memory configured to process data in accordance with the order of the STA within the group.