Bandwidth indication, TXOP protection, and bandwidth negotiation

A method performed by a first wireless device for bandwidth negotiation or bandwidth indication for frame exchange in a TXOP with a second wireless device, comprising:

• announcing by the first wireless device a channel puncture scheme indicating whether some channels covering a BSS operating bandwidth are punctured or not;
• transmitting a frame to the second wireless device indicating a bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• receiving a frame from the second wireless device indicating a negotiated bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• and
• exchanging frames with the second wireless device using the negotiated bandwidth;
• wherein one bit of reserved bits in a service field indicates if the bandwidth is 320/160+160 MHz;
• wherein four bits of the reserved bits in the service field indicates the channel puncture scheme,
• wherein for a 80 MHz frame, 4 values are used to indicate one channel being punctured and 1 value is used to indicate one 40 MHz channel being puncture;
• wherein for a 160 MHz frame, 8 values are used to indicate one channel being punctured and 4 values are used to indicate one 40 MHz channel being punctured;
• wherein for a 320 MHz frame with punctured 40 MHz channels or punctured 80 MHz channels, 8 values are used to indicate one 40 MHz channel being punctured and 4 values are used to indicate one 80 MHz channel being punctured;
• and
• wherein for a 320 MHz frame with punctured 120 MHz channels, 12 values are used to indicate 120 MHz being punctured.

A method performed by a first wireless device for bandwidth negotiation or bandwidth indication for frame exchange in a TXOP with a second wireless device, comprising:

• announcing by the first wireless device a channel puncture scheme indicating whether some channels covering a BSS operating bandwidth are punctured or not;
• transmitting a frame to the second wireless device indicating a bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• receiving a frame from the second wireless device indicating a negotiated bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• and
• exchanging frames with the second wireless device using the negotiated bandwidth;
• wherein eight bits of reserved bits in a service field indicates the channel puncture scheme;
• and
• wherein for a bandwidth less than or equal to 160 MHz each bit indicates where a related 20 MHz channel is punctured and for a 320 MHz bandwidth each bit indicates where a related 40 MHz channel is punctured.

A first wireless device configured to perform a bandwidth negotiation or bandwidth indication for frame exchange in a TXOP with a second wireless device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a network interface connected to the processor, wherein the network interface is configured to,
• announce by the first wireless device a channel puncture scheme indicating whether some channels covering a BSS operating bandwidth are punctured or not;
• transmit a frame to the second wireless device indicating a bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• receive a frame from the second wireless device indicating a negotiated bandwidth for the frame exchange;
• and
• exchange frames with the second wireless device using the negotiated bandwidth;
• wherein when the bandwidth negotiation is a dynamic bandwidth negotiation, the transmitted frame indicates that the announced channels is further punctured.