Determining a network allocation vector setting and a response to a multi-user transmission opportunity

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an apparatus of a high-efficiency (HE) access point (AP), the instructions to configure the one or more processors to:

• encode a trigger frame for multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS), the trigger frame comprising a plurality of HE station (STA) fields, each HE STA field of the plurality of HE STA fields comprising an association identification (AID) of a HE STA and a corresponding channel allocation for the HE STA identified by the AID,
• the trigger frame to solicit from each HE STA of a plurality of HE STAs identified by the plurality of HE STA fields simultaneous clear-to-send (CTS) frame responses on 20 MHz channels, the 20 MHz channels indicated by the corresponding channel allocation;
• generate signaling to cause the HE AP to transmit the trigger frame;
• encode another trigger frame, the another trigger frame comprising downlink (DL) data for one or more of the plurality of HE STAs and further comprising UL resource allocations for the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs;
• generate signaling to cause the HE AP to transmit the another trigger frame to the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs;
• and
• decode UL frames from the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs, wherein the decoding is in accordance with the UL resource allocations, and wherein the UL frames comprise acknowledgements of the DL data.

A method performed by an apparatus of a high-efficiency (HE) access point (AP), the method comprising:

• encoding a trigger frame for multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS), the trigger frame comprising a plurality of HE station (STA) fields, each HE STA field of the plurality of HE STA fields comprising an association identification (AID) of a HE STA and a corresponding channel allocation for the HE STA identified by the AID,
• the trigger frame to solicit from each HE STA of a plurality of HE STAs identified by the plurality of HE STA fields simultaneous clear-to-send (CTS) frame responses on 20 MHz channels , the 20 MHz channels indicated by the corresponding channel allocation;
• generating signaling to cause the HE AP to transmit the trigger frame;
• encoding another trigger frame, the another trigger frame comprising downlink (DL) data for one or more of the plurality of HE STAs and further comprising UL resource allocations for the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs;
• generating signaling to cause the HE AP to transmit the another trigger frame to the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs;
• and
• decoding UL frames from the one or more of the plurality of HE STAs, wherein the decoding is in accordance with the UL resource allocations, and wherein the UL frames comprise acknowledgements of the DL data.

An apparatus of a high-efficiency (HE) station (STA), the apparatus comprising:

• memory;
• and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to:
• decode a trigger frame from an HE access point (AP), the trigger frame for multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS), the trigger frame comprising a HE STA field for the HE STA, the HE STA field comprising an association identification (AID) of the HE STA and a channel allocation for the HE STA, wherein the trigger frame further comprises a first duration that indicates how long other wireless devices are to defer;
• determine whether to response to the trigger frame based at least on a network allocation vector (NAV) of the HE STA;
• in response to a determination to respond to the trigger frame, encode a clear-to-send (CTS) frame for each 20 MHz channel indicated in the channel allocation to include a second duration field, wherein a value of the second duration field is based on a value of the first duration field, and
• generating signaling to cause the HE STA to simultaneously transmit the CTS frame on each 20 MHz channel indicated in the channel allocation:
• and
• if the NAV is set to the first duration, reset the NAV, if a CTS is not received from another HE STA within a first predetermined time after the MU-RTS is received and data is not received from the HE AP within a second predetermined time.