Wakeup radio (WUR) packet multi-format design

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device comprises one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
• determine a physical layer (PHY) transmission mode for transmitting a wakeup radio (WUR) packet, wherein the determined PHY transmission mode is selected from a plurality of different PHY transmission modes that comprises a first PHY transmission mode and a second PHY transmission mode,
• generate a first portion of the WUR packet, wherein the first portion of the WUR packet corresponds to a wireless local area network (WLAN) legacy PHY preamble of the WUR packet, and wherein the first portion spans a first frequency bandwidth,
• generate a second portion of the WUR packet, wherein the second portion of the WUR packet spans a second frequency bandwidth that is less than the first frequency bandwidth, and wherein generating the second portion of the WUR packet includes:
• generating the second portion of the WUR packet to include a PHY sync signal that corresponds to the selected PHY transmission mode, wherein the PHY sync signal is selected from a plurality of different PHY sync signals that respectively correspond to the plurality of different PHY transmission modes the plurality of different PHY sync signals comprising i) a first PHY sync signal corresponding to the first PHY transmission mode, and ii) a second PHY sync signal corresponding to the second PHY transmission mode, wherein generating the second portion of the WUR packet comprises:
• generating the second portion of the WUR packet to include the first PHY sync signal when the determined PHY transmission mode is the first PHY transmission mode, and
• generating the second portion of the WUR packet to include the second PHY sync signal when the determined PHY transmission mode is the second PHY transmission mode, and
• wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
• generating a PHY data portion, within the second portion of the WUR packet, according to the selected transmission mode, including:
• generating the PHY data portion according to the first PHY transmission mode, when the determined PHY transmission mode is the first PHY transmission mode, and
• generating the PHY data portion according to the second PHY transmission mode, when the determined PHY transmission mode is the second PHY transmission mode;
• and
• wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to transmit the WUR packet to a second communication device that includes a WUR coupled to a WLAN network interface device.

A method, performed by a communication device that includes i) a wakeup radio (WUR), and ii) a wireless local area network (WLAN) network interface device coupled to the WUR, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the WUR, a WUR packet, wherein the WUR packet includes:
• i) a first portion that a) spans a first frequency bandwidth, and b) includes a WLAN legacy PHY preamble, and ii) a second portion that a) spans a second frequency bandwidth that is less than the first frequency bandwidth, and b) includes a PHY sync signal and a PHY data portion;
• determining, at the WUR, to which known PHY sync signal, from among a plurality of different known PHY sync signals, the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds, wherein the plurality of different known PHY sync signals respectively correspond to a plurality of different PHY transmission modes, wherein the plurality of different PHY transmission modes comprises a first PHY transmission mode and a second transmission mode, and wherein the plurality of different known PHY sync signals comprises:
• a first known PHY sync signal corresponding to the first PHY transmission mode, and a second known PHY sync signal corresponding to the second PHY transmission mode;
• determining, at the WUR, a PHY transmission mode, from among the plurality of different PHY transmission modes, according to which the WUR packet was transmitted using the determination of the known PHY sync signal to which the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds, comprising:
• determining that the WUR packet was transmitted according to the first PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the first known PHY sync signal, and
• determining that the WUR packet was transmitted according to the second PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the second known PHY sync signal;
• and
• processing, at the WUR, the PHY data portion according to the determined PHY transmission mode, comprising:
• processing the PHY data portion according to the first PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the first known PHY sync signal, and
• processing the PHY data portion according to the second PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the second known PHY sync signal.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a wakeup radio WUR associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN) network interface device, wherein the WUR comprises one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
• receive a WUR packet, wherein the WUR packet includes:
• i) a first portion that a) spans a first frequency bandwidth, and b) includes a WLAN legacy PHY preamble, and ii) a second portion that a) spans a second frequency bandwidth that is less than the first frequency bandwidth, and b) includes a PHY sync signal and a PHY data portion,
• determine to which known PHY sync signal, from among a plurality of different known PHY sync signals, the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds, wherein the plurality of different known PHY sync signals respectively correspond to a plurality of different PHY transmission modes, wherein the plurality of different PHY transmission modes comprises a first PHY transmission mode and a second PHY transmission mode, and wherein the plurality of different known PHY sync signals comprises:
• a first known PHY sync signal corresponding to the first PHY transmission mode, and a second known PHY sync signal corresponding to the second PHY transmission mode,
• determine a PHY transmission mode, from among the plurality of different PHY transmission modes, according to which the WUR packet was transmitted using the determination of the known PHY sync signal to which the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds, comprising:
• determining that the WUR packet was transmitted according to the first PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the first known PHY sync signal, and
• determining that the WUR packet was transmitted according to the second PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the second known PHY sync signal;
• and
• wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
• process the PHY data portion according to the determined PHY transmission mode, comprising:
• processing the PHY data portion according to the first PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the first known PHY sync signal, and
• processing the PHY data portion according to the second PHY transmission mode when the WUR determines that the PHY sync signal in the WUR packet corresponds to the second known PHY sync signal.