Orthogonal frequency division multiple access for wireless local area network

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network interface device having one or more integrated circuits, the network interface device comprising:
• a media access control layer (MAC) processing unit implemented on the one or more integrated circuits, the MAC processing unit configured to:
• assign a plurality of different orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) tone blocks for a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel to a plurality of devices, wherein at least a first assigned OFDM tone block has a first frequency bandwidth that is less than a smallest bandwidth of a legacy WLAN communication protocol;
• and
• wherein the network interface device further comprises a physical layer (PHY) processing unit implemented on the one or more integrated circuits and coupled to the PHY processing unit, the PHY processing unit configured to:
• generate an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) PHY data unit for transmission in the WLAN communication channel, including:
• generating a preamble portion of the OFDMA PHY data unit, the preamble portion including a legacy signal field having a bandwidth equal to the smallest bandwidth of the legacy WLAN communication protocol, and
• generating a data portion of the OFDMA PHY data unit, the data portion including respective independent data for the plurality of devices modulated to respective OFDM tone blocks, including data for a first communication device modulated to the first assigned OFDM tone block having the first frequency bandwidth less than the smallest bandwidth of the legacy WLAN communication protocol.

A method, comprising:

• determining, at a communication device, an assignment of a first orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) tone block within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel, wherein a bandwidth of the first OFDM tone block is less than a smallest bandwidth of a legacy WLAN communication protocol;
• and
• generating, at the first communication device, a first physical layer (PHY) data unit for transmission on the WLAN communication channel using data tones and pilot tones within the first OFDM tone block, including
• generating a preamble portion of the first PHY data unit, the preamble portion including a legacy signal field having a bandwidth equal to the smallest bandwidth of the legacy WLAN communication protocol, and
• generating a data portion of the first PHY data unit, the data portion including data modulated to the first OFDM tone block, the data portion of the first PHY data unit spanning the bandwidth of the first OFDM tone block less than the smallest bandwidth of a legacy WLAN communication protocol;
• wherein the first PHY data unit is for simultaneous transmission in the WLAN communication channel with a transmission of a second PHY data unit in the WLAN communication channel by a second communication device as part of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission, wherein a data portion of the second PHY data unit spans a bandwidth of a second OFDM tone block within the WLAN communication channel.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network interface device having one or more integrated circuits, the network interface device associated with a first communication device, wherein the network interface device includes:
• a media access control layer (MAC) processing unit implemented on the one or more integrated circuits, the MAC processing unit configured to:
• determine an assignment of a first orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) tone block within a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel, wherein a bandwidth of the first OFDM tone block is less than a smallest bandwidth of a legacy WLAN communication protocol;
• and
• wherein the network interface device further includes a physical layer (PHY) processing unit implemented on the one or more integrated circuits and coupled to the PHY processing unit, the PHY processing unit configured to:
• generate a first PHY data unit for transmission on the WLAN communication channel using data tones and pilot tones within the first OFDM tone block, including
• generating a preamble portion of the first PHY data unit, the preamble portion including a legacy signal field having a bandwidth equal to the smallest bandwidth of the legacy WLAN communication protocol, and
• generating a data portion of the first PHY data unit, the data portion including data modulated to the first OFDM tone block, the data portion of the first PHY data unit spanning the bandwidth of the first OFDM tone block less than the smallest bandwidth of a legacy WLAN communication protocol;
• wherein the PHY processing unit is further configured to transmit the first PHY data unit simultaneous with a transmission of a second PHY data unit in the WLAN communication channel by a second communication device as part of an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission, wherein a data portion of the second PHY data unit spans a bandwidth of a second OFDM tone block within the WLAN communication channel.