Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) structures for high efficiency wireless communications

A wireless communication device comprising:

• a communication interface;
• and
• a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to:
• generate a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) packet based on a first OFDMA frame structure of a plurality of OFDMA frame structures that includes a first resource unit (RU) of first contiguous sub-carriers that includes first data sub-carriers and first pilot sub-carriers, wherein the first OFDMA packet includes first data modulated within a first subset of the first data sub-carriers and intended for a first other wireless communication device, and wherein the first OFDMA packet also includes second data modulated within a second subset of the first data sub-carriers and intended for a second other wireless communication device;
• transmit the first OFDMA packet to the first other wireless communication device and the second other wireless communication device;
• generate a second OFDMA packet based on a second OFDMA frame structure of the plurality of OFDMA frame structures that includes a second RU of second contiguous sub-carriers that includes second data sub-carriers and second pilot sub-carriers, wherein the second RU includes more sub-carriers than the first RU, and a first ratio of the first pilot sub-carriers to the first data sub-carriers within the first RU is greater than a second ratio of the second pilot sub-carriers to the second data sub-carriers within the second RU;
• and
• transmit the second OFDMA packet to at least one of the first other wireless communication device or the second other wireless communication device.

A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

• generating a first orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) packet based on a first OFDMA frame structure of a plurality of OFDMA frame structures that includes a first resource unit (RU) of first contiguous sub-carriers that includes first data sub-carriers and first pilot sub-carriers, wherein the first OFDMA packet includes data modulated within the first data sub-carriers and intended for a first other wireless communication device;
• transmitting, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, the first OFDMA packet to the first other wireless communication device;
• generating a second OFDMA packet based on a second OFDMA frame structure of the plurality of OFDMA frame structures that includes a second RU of second contiguous sub-carriers that includes second data sub-carriers and second pilot sub-carriers, wherein the second RU includes more sub-carriers than the first RU, and a first ratio of the first pilot sub-carriers to the first data sub-carriers within the first RU is greater than a second ratio of the second pilot sub-carriers to the second data sub-carriers within the second RU;
• and
• transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, the second OFDMA packet to at least one of the first other wireless communication device or a second other wireless communication device.