Device, system and method of simultaneously communicating with a group of wireless communication devices

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor configured to cause an Access Point (AP) to:
• transmit a sounding frame in a sounding sequence between the AP and a plurality of wireless communication stations;
• receive a plurality of beamforming feedbacks from the plurality of wireless communication stations, respectively, the plurality of beamforming feedbacks based on the sounding frame;
• determine a beamforming scheme based on the plurality of beamforming feedbacks;
• transmit a downlink beamformed transmission to the plurality of wireless communication stations according to the beamforming scheme;
• transmit a block acknowledgement request to the plurality of wireless communication stations after the downlink beamformed transmission;
• and
• receive a simultaneous uplink transmission including two or more simultaneous block acknowledgements in response to the block acknowledgement request, the two or more simultaneous block acknowledgements from two or more respective wireless communication stations of the plurality of wireless communication stations.

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor configured to cause a wireless communication station to:
• process a sounding frame from an Access Point (AP), the sounding frame in a sounding sequence between the AP an a plurality of wireless communication stations comprising the wireless communication station;
• transmit a beamforming feedback to the AP based on the sounding frame;
• receive data for the wireless communication station in a downlink beamformed transmission from the AP to the plurality of wireless communication stations according to a beamforming scheme, the beamforming scheme based on the beamforming feedback from the wireless communication station;
• process a block acknowledgement request from the AP after the downlink beamformed transmission;
• and
• transmit a block acknowledgement to the AP in response to the block acknowledgement request, the block acknowledgement configured for communication as part of a simultaneous uplink transmission from two or more wireless communication stations of the plurality of wireless communication stations.

A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to cause a wireless communication station to:

• process a sounding frame from an Access Point (AP), the sounding frame in a sounding sequence between the AP an a plurality of wireless communication stations comprising the wireless communication station;
• transmit a beamforming feedback to the AP based on the sounding frame;
• receive data for the wireless communication station in a downlink beamformed transmission from the AP to the plurality of wireless communication stations according to a beamforming scheme, the beamforming scheme based on the beamforming feedback from the wireless communication station;
• process a block acknowledgement request from the AP after the downlink beamformed transmission;
• and
• transmit a block acknowledgement to the AP in response to the block acknowledgement request, the block acknowledgement configured for communication as part of a simultaneous uplink transmission from two or more wireless communication stations of the plurality of wireless communication stations.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for causing an Access Point (AP) to transmit a sounding frame in a sounding sequence between the AP and a plurality of wireless communication stations;
• means for causing the AP to receive a plurality of beamforming feedbacks from the plurality of wireless communication stations, respectively, the plurality of beamforming feedbacks based on the sounding frame;
• means for determining a beamforming scheme based on the plurality of beamforming feedbacks;
• means for causing the AP to transmit a downlink beamformed transmission to the plurality of wireless communication stations according to the beamforming scheme;
• means for causing the AP to transmit a block acknowledgement request to the plurality of wireless communication stations after the downlink beamformed transmission;
• and
• means for causing the AP to receive a simultaneous uplink transmission including two or more simultaneous block acknowledgements in response to the block acknowledgement request, the two or more simultaneous block acknowledgements from two or more respective wireless communication stations of the plurality of wireless communication stations.