Enhanced high-throughput synchronous and constrained multi-link transmissions in WLAN

A method, comprising:

• communicating, by a processor of a first apparatus, with a second apparatus via a first link in a first frequency band and via a second link in a second frequency band different than the first frequency band by performing operations comprising:
• performing an independent enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) on each of the first link and the second link;
• obtaining a transmit opportunity (TXOP);
• and
• refraining from either transmitting on the first link and receiving on the second link simultaneously or receiving on the first link and transmitting on the second link simultaneously,
• wherein the first apparatus functions as an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD),
• wherein the second apparatus functions as a non-simultaneous-transmit-and-receive (NSTR) non-AP MLD,
• wherein a synchronizing of either or both of a starting time and an ending time of a transmission and a reception on the first link and the second link comprises aligning an ending time of a downlink (DL) Physical Layer Conformance Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) carrying a frame that solicits a response simultaneously sent to the second apparatus on the first link and the second link, and
• wherein a difference between a first ending time of a first transmission on the first link and a second ending time of a second transmission on the second link is less than a short inter-frame space (SIFS).

An apparatus as a first apparatus, comprising:

• a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly;
• and
• a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform operations comprising:
• communicating, via the transceiver, with a second apparatus via a first link in a first frequency band and via a second link in a second frequency band different than the first frequency band by performing operations comprising:
• performing an independent enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) on each of the first link and the second link;
• obtaining a transmit opportunity (TXOP);
• and
• synchronizing either or both of a starting time and an ending time of a transmission and a reception on the first link and the second link,
• wherein a physical carrier sense (CSI is checked during a point coordination function (PCF) inter-frame space (PIFS),
• wherein the synchronizing of either or both of the starting time and the ending time of the transmission and the reception on the first link and the second link comprises:
• calculating a first minimum transmission time of a response frame based on a transmit vector (TXVECTOR) parameter of a soliciting Physical Layer Conformance Procedure (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) on the first link;
• calculating a second minimum transmission time of the response frame based on another TXVECTOR parameter of another soliciting PPDU on the second link;
• determining either the first minimum transmission time or the second minimum transmission time, whichever is higher, to be a transmission time of the response frame;
• applying a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer padding, a physical (PHY) layer padding, or both, on the first link and the second link in determining the transmission time;
• and
• transmitting the response frame at the transmission time on the first link and the second link.