Relay operations for wireless networks

A method performed by a relay station (STA) implemented by a wireless device to act as a relay between a non-relay STA and an access point (AP), the method comprising:

• wirelessly receiving an association request frame for associating with the AP from the non-relay STA;
• relaying the association request frame from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• wirelessly receiving an association response frame from the AP;
• relaying the association response frame from the AP to the non-relay STA;
• wirelessly receiving a data frame from the non-relay STA, wherein the data frame includes data originated by the non-relay STA that is intended for the AP;
• wirelessly transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) frame to the non-relay STA, wherein a source address of the ACK frame is an address of the AP;
• and
• relaying the data originated by the non-relay STA from the non-relay STA to the AP.

A method performed by an access point (AP) implemented by a wireless device to communicate with a non-relay station (STA) via a relay STA, the method comprising:

• wirelessly receiving an association request frame that was relayed by the relay STA from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• responsive to receiving the association request frame, wirelessly transmitting an association response frame, wherein the relay STA relays the association response frame from the AP to the non-relay STA;
• and
• wirelessly receiving data that was relayed by the relay STA from the non-relay STA to the AP.

A method performed by a non-relay station (STA) implemented by a wireless device to communicate with an access point (AP) via a relay STA, the method comprising:

• wirelessly transmitting an association request frame for associating with the AP, wherein the relay STA relays the association request frame from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• wirelessly receiving an association response frame that was relayed by the relay STA from the AP to the non-relay STA;
• wirelessly transmitting a data frame that includes data intended for the AP, wherein the relay STA relays the data from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• wirelessly receiving a first acknowledgement (ACK) frame from the relay STA that acknowledges that the relay STA received the data;
• and
• wirelessly receiving a second ACK frame that acknowledges that the AP received the data.

A method performed by a relay station (STA) implemented by a wireless device to act as a relay between a non-relay STA and an access point (AP), the method comprising:

• wirelessly receiving an association request frame for associating with the AP from the non-relay STA;
• relaying the association request frame from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• wirelessly receiving an association response frame from the AP;
• relaying the association response frame from the AP to the non-relay STA;
• wirelessly receiving a data frame from the non-relay STA, wherein the data frame includes data originated by the non-relay STA that is intended for the AP;
• wirelessly transmitting a first acknowledgement (ACK) frame to the non-relay STA that acknowledges that the relay STA received the data;
• relaying the data originated by the non-relay STA from the non-relay STA to the AP;
• and
• wirelessly transmitting a second ACK frame to the non-relay STA that acknowledges that the AP received the data.