Fast wireless local area network communication method and apparatus using multiple transfer rate partitioning and cooperative transmission

An access point (AP) for communication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) unit for sending and/or receiving radio signals;
• and
• a processor,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• receive a first uplink data frame from a STA,
• transmit, when a downlink data to be transmitted to the STA is present, a first downlink data frame in response to the first uplink data frame without sending back an acknowledgement frame with regard to the first uplink data frame,
• wherein, when the first downlink data frame is successfully received by the STA, the successful reception of the first downlink data frame is accepted as a successful acknowledgement of the first uplink data frame by the STA;
• receive a second uplink data frame from the STA in response to the first downlink data frame,
• wherein, when the second uplink data frame is successfully received by the AP, the successful reception of the second uplink data frame is accepted as a successful acknowledgement of the first downlink data frame by the AP;
• and
• terminate, when the downlink data to be transmitted to the STA is not present, a frame exchange with the STA by sending the acknowledgement frame in response to the second uplink data frame.