Random access trigger frame based uplink OFDMA scheduling mechanism

A device comprising:

• an interface unit configured to enable network communications;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the interface unit and the memory, and configured to:
• determine whether a next beacon to be sent by an access point in a wireless local area network includes a delivery traffic indication map;
• when the next beacon to be sent by the access point does not include a delivery traffic indication map, determine whether a scheduled access trigger frame is scheduled during a beacon interval beginning with the next beacon;
• when a scheduled access trigger frame is not scheduled during the beacon interval beginning with the next beacon, determine whether, one of, a first weighted average calculated as a function of buffer status reports is greater than a first threshold, or a second weighted average calculated as a function of users sending single user uplink traffic is greater than the first threshold;
• when either the first weighted average or the second weighted average is greater than the first threshold, allocate a predetermined number of random access resource units along with at least one scheduled access resource unit in a buffer status report poll trigger frame and schedule the buffer status report poll trigger frame for transmission;
• and
• wirelessly transmit the buffer status report poll trigger frame with the predetermined number of random access resource units and the at least one scheduled access resource unit to clients in the wireless local area network.

A non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• determine whether a next beacon to be sent by an access point in a wireless local area network includes a delivery traffic indication map;
• when the next beacon to be sent by the access point does not include a delivery traffic indication map, determine whether a scheduled access trigger frame is scheduled during a beacon interval beginning with the next beacon;
• when a scheduled access trigger frame is not scheduled during the beacon interval beginning with the next beacon, determine whether, one of, a first weighted average calculated as a function of buffer status reports is greater than a first threshold, or a second weighted average calculated as a function of users sending single user uplink traffic is greater than the first threshold;
• when the first weighted average is greater than the first threshold, allocate a predetermined number of random access resource units along with at least one scheduled access resource unit in a buffer status report poll trigger frame and schedule the buffer status report poll trigger frame for transmission;
• and
• wirelessly transmit the buffer status report poll trigger frame with the predetermined number of random access resource units and the at least one scheduled access resource unit to clients in the wireless local area network.