Centralized channel access for primary and secondary channels in a wireless local-area network

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an access point (AP) or Personal Basic Service Set (PBSS) control point (PCP), the instructions to configure the one or more processors to:

• encode an extended schedule element, the extended schedule element comprising channel allocation fields, the channel allocation fields indicating channels for allocations,
• the channel allocation fields comprising allocation start subfields, allocation duration subfields, source association identification (AID) subfields, destination AID subfields, and bandwidth (BW) subfields,
• wherein the allocation start subfields indicate start times for the allocations,
• wherein the allocation duration subfields indicate durations, in microseconds, of the allocations,
• wherein the allocation type subfields indicate whether a channel access mechanism is a service period (SP) or a contention-based access period (CBAP) for the allocations,
• wherein the BW fields comprise bits to indicate which 2.16 GHz channels are allocated for the allocations,
• wherein the source AID fields comprise AIDs of stations (STAs) that are to initiate channel access during the allocations,
• wherein the destination AID fields comprise AIDs of STAs that are to be targeted by the STAs identified by the source AID fields, and
• wherein when the channel access method is SP and when the channel allocation fields indicate at least two allocations that overlap in time and indicate different 2.16 GHz channels, the source AID fields and the destination AID fields of the at least two allocations are different from one another;
• and
• generate signaling to cause the AP or PCP to transmit the extended schedule element to the STAs indicated by the source ID fields and the destination ID fields.

A method performed by an apparatus of an access point (AP) or Personal Basic Service Set (PBSS) control point (PCP), the method comprising:

• encoding an extended schedule element, the extended schedule element comprising channel allocation fields, the channel allocation fields indicating channels for allocations,
• the channel allocation fields comprising allocation start subfields, allocation duration subfields, source association identification (AID) subfields, destination AID subfields, and bandwidth (BW) subfields,
• wherein the allocation start subfields indicate start times for the allocations,
• wherein the allocation duration subfields indicate durations, in microseconds, of the allocations,
• wherein the allocation type subfields indicate whether a channel access mechanism is a service period (SP) or a contention-based access period (CBAP) for the allocations,
• wherein the BW fields comprise bits to indicate which 2.16 GHz channels are allocated for the allocations,
• wherein the source AID fields comprise AIDs of stations (STAs) that are to initiate channel access during the allocations,
• wherein the destination AID fields comprise AIDs of STAs that are to be targeted by the STAs identified by the source AID fields, and
• wherein when the channel access method is SP and when the channel allocation fields indicate at least two allocations that overlap in time and indicate different 2.16 GHz channels, the source AID fields and the destination AID fields of the at least two allocations are different from one another;
• and
• generating signaling to cause the AP or PCP to transmit the extended schedule element to the STAs indicated by the source ID fields and the destination ID fields.

An apparatus of a station (STA), the apparatus comprising:

• memory and processing circuitry configured to:
• decode an extended schedule element, the extended schedule element comprising channel allocation fields, the channel allocation fields indicating channels for allocations,
• the channel allocation fields comprising allocation start subfields, allocation duration subfields, source association identification (AID) subfields, destination AID subfields, bandwidth (BW) subfields, and an indication of whether the 2.16 GHz channels indicated in the BW fields are aggregated,
• wherein the allocation start subfields indicate start times for the allocations,
• wherein the allocation duration subfields indicate durations, in microseconds, of the allocations,
• wherein the allocation type subfields indicate whether a channel access mechanism of the allocation is a service period (SP) or a contention-based access period (CBAP),
• wherein the BW fields comprise bits to indicate which 2.16 GHz channels are allocated for the allocation,
• wherein the source ID fields indicate association identifications (AIDs) of stations (STAs) that are to initiate channel access during the allocation,
• wherein the destination ID fields indicate AIDs of STAs that are to be targeted by the STAs indicated by the source ID fields, and
• wherein the channel allocation fields indicate at least two channel allocations that overlap in time and indicate different 2.16 GHz channels, and wherein the source AID fields and the destination AID fields of the at least two allocations are different from one another;
• and
• if a first source ID subfield of the source ID subfields indicates the STA, decode a first frame from a first wireless device indicated by a first corresponding destination ID subfield of the destination ID subfields at a first time indicated by a first corresponding allocation start subfield on first 2.16 GHz channels indicated by a first corresponding BW field, wherein the first 2.16 GHz channels are aggregated;
• and
• if a second destination ID subfield of the destination ID subfields indicates the STA, encode a second frame to a second wireless device indicated by a second corresponding destination ID subfield of the destination ID subfields, and generate signaling to cause the STA to transmit the second frame at a second time indicated by a second corresponding allocation start subfield on second 2.16 GHz channels indicated by a second corresponding BW field, wherein the second 2.16 GHz channels are aggregated.