Protocol for mu mimo operation in a wireless network
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsMichelle G. Gong, Dmitry Akhmetov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments of the invention may modify the techniques used in conventional networks, to achieve techniques that are better suited for networks that use highly directional communications. A novel method is described for determining whether a channel in such a network is idle. In addition, various protocols and formats are disclosed that are intended for such a network.
Claims38
A method, comprising:
- sensing, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, whether a spatial channel is idle for a time having a duration of at least
- a time to transmit a Request-to-Send, plus
- an interframe space, plus
- a time to perform a direct carrier sense;
- plus
- a time allowed for devices to switch from receive operation to transmit operation;
- transmitting to multiple mobile devices subsequent to said sensing, if the spatial channel was idle for the entire time;
- and
- repeating said sensing operation if the spatial channel was not idle for the entire time.
An apparatus, comprising a wireless communications device containing a processor, memory, and radio for:
- sensing, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, whether a spatial channel is idle for a time having a duration of at least
- a time to transmit a Request-to-Send, plus
- an interframe space, plus
- a time to perform a direct carrier sense;
- plus
- a time allowed for devices to switch from receive operation to transmit operation;
- transmitting to multiple mobile devices subsequent to said sensing, if the spatial channel was idle for the entire time;
- and
- repeating said sensing operation if the spatial channel was not idle for the entire time.
An article comprising a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
- sensing, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, whether a spatial channel is idle for a time having a duration of at least
- a time to transmit a Request-to-Send, plus
- a short interframe space, plus
- a time to perform a direct carrier sense;
- plus
- a time allowed for devices to switch from receive operation to transmit operation;
- transmitting to multiple mobile devices subsequent to said sensing, if the spatial channel was idle for the entire time;
- and
- repeating said sensing operation if the spatial channel was not idle for the entire time.
A method, comprising:
- transmitting an MU MIMO RTS to multiple mobile devices in a MU MIMO network;
- and
- receiving, simultaneously over multiple spatial channels from the multiple mobile devices, an MU MIMO CTS in the MU MIMO network.
An apparatus, comprising a wireless communications device containing a processor, memory, and radio for:
- transmitting an MU MIMO RTS to multiple mobile devices in a MU MIMO network;
- and
- receiving, simultaneously over multiple spatial channels from the multiple mobile devices, an MU MIMO CTS in the MU MIMO network.
An article comprising a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
- transmitting an MU MIMO RTS to multiple mobile devices in a MU MIMO network;
- and
- receiving, simultaneously over multiple spatial channels from the multiple mobile devices, an MU MIMO CTS in the MU MIMO network.
A method, comprising:
- communicating, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, a portion of data comprising an element ID field, a length field, and multiple allocation fields (AF), each AF containing information indicating an identification of a different particular mobile device in the network, each AF further containing information about subsequent simultaneous communications with the identified mobile device.
An apparatus, comprising a wireless communications device containing a processor, memory, and radio for:
- communicating, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, a portion of data comprising an element ID field, a length field, and multiple allocation fields (AF), each AF containing information indicating an identification of a different particular mobile device in the network, each AF further containing information about subsequent simultaneous communications with the identified mobile device.
An article comprising a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
- communicating, in a wireless network using multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU MIMO) communications, a portion of data comprising an element ID field, a length field, and multiple allocation fields (AF), each AF containing information indicating an identification of a different particular mobile device in the network, each AF further containing information about subsequent simultaneous communications with the identified mobile device.
A method comprising:
- transmitting a MU MIMO CTS to multiple mobile devices simultaneously over multiple spatial channels;
- and
- receiving data transmissions, in response to the MU MIMO CTS, from the multiple mobile devices simultaneously over the multiple spatial channels;
- wherein the MU MIMO CTS includes information indicating a desired received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the received data transmissions.
An apparatus, comprising a wireless communications device containing a processor, memory, and radio for:
- transmitting a MU MIMO CTS to multiple mobile devices simultaneously over multiple spatial channels;
- and
- receiving data transmissions, in response to the MU MIMO CTS, from the multiple mobile devices simultaneously over the multiple spatial channels;
- wherein the MU MIMO CTS includes information indicating a desired received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the received data transmissions.
An article comprising a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
- transmitting a MU MIMO CTS to multiple mobile devices simultaneously over multiple spatial channels;
- and
- receiving data transmissions, in response to the MU MIMO CTS, from the multiple mobile devices simultaneously over the multiple spatial channels;
- wherein the MU MIMO CTS includes information indicating a desired received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for each of the received data transmissions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.