Multiple user allocation signaling in a wireless communication network

An apparatus configured to operate in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the apparatus comprising:

• a network interface device configured to
• form an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) group that includes two or more communication devices;
• allocate respective sub-channel blocks to the two or more communication devices, wherein allocating the sub-channel blocks includes
• statically allocating a respective primary sub-channel block to each of the two or more second communication devices, wherein the respective statically allocated primary sub-channel blocks remain allocated to the second communication devices for transmission of at least two PHY data units, and
• dynamically allocating at least some of remaining sub-channel blocks, that are not allocated as primary sub-channel blocks to the two or more second communication devices, among the two or more second communication devices, wherein the at least some of the remaining sub-channel blocks are dynamically allocated for transmission of each of the at least two PHY data units;
• provide, to the two or more communication devices, indications of the respective sub-channel blocks allocated to the two or more second communication devices;
• and
• perform one of (i) transmit an OFDMA data unit to the two or more second communication devices or (ii) receive an OFDMA data unit from the two or more second communication devices, wherein the PHY data unit includes respective orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) data units transmitted using respective sub-channel blocks allocated to the two or more second communication devices.

A method for simultaneous communication by multiple communication devices in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

• forming, at a first communication device, (i) an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) group that includes two or more second communication devices and (ii) a multi-user multiple input multiple output MU-MIMO group that includes two or more third communication devices;
• allocating, at the first communication device, respective sub-channel blocks to the two or more second communication devices in the OFDMA group;
• allocating, at the first communication device, respective spatial streams to the two or more third communication devices in the MU MIMO group;
• and
• performing one of (i) transmitting a physical layer (PHY) data unit (ii) receiving a physical layer (PHY) data unit, wherein the PHY data unit includes an OFDMA portion and an MU MIMO portion, wherein (i) the OFDMA portion includes respective OFDM data units transmitted using the respective sub-channel blocks allocated to the two or more second communication devices and the (ii) the MU MIMO portion includes respective data streams transmitted using the respective spatial streams allocated to the two or more third communication devices.

A first communication device configured to operate in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the first communication device comprising:

• a network interface device configured to
• form (i) an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) group that includes two or more second communication devices and (ii) a multi-user multiple input multiple output MU-MIMO group that includes two or more third communication devices;
• allocate respective sub-channel blocks to the two or more second communication devices in the OFDMA group;
• allocate respective spatial streams to the two or more third communication devices in the MU MIMO group;
• and
• perform one of (i) transmitting a physical layer (PHY) data unit and (ii) receiving a physical layer (PHY) data unit, wherein the PHY data unit includes an OFDMA portion and an MU MIMO portion, wherein (i) the OFDMA portion includes respective OFDM data units transmitted using the respective sub-channel blocks allocated to the two or more second communication devices and the (ii) the MU MIMO portion includes respective data streams transmitted using the respective spatial streams allocated to the two or more third communication devices.