Optimizing media access control and physical layer transmission timing relationships in wireless communication

An apparatus for communication in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform one or more operations comprising:

• receiving a first portion of a frame from an over the air (OTA) medium at a first time;
• receiving a last portion of the frame from the OTA medium at a second time after the first time;
• determining, at a third time after the first time and before the second time, based at least in part on the first portion of the frame, whether one or more conditions for transmitting a response are met;
• and
• in response to determining that the one or more conditions for transmitting a response are met:
• pre-configuring the apparatus to transmit the response before the second time;
• and
• transmitting the response to the OTA medium after the second time;
• otherwise:
• ignoring the frame.

A method for communicating packets in a wireless communication network, the method comprising, at a device:

• at a first slot time interval for an over the air (OTA) medium prior to a backoff counter for the device expiring, determining whether the OTA medium is busy;
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the first slot time interval is not busy:
• determining information for transmission;
• at a second slot time interval for the OTA medium with the backoff counter for the device expired, determining whether the OTA medium at the second slot time interval is busy;
• pre-configuring the device to transmit the information for transmission independent of determining whether the OTA medium at the second slot time interval is busy;
• and
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the second slot time is not busy, transmitting to the OTA medium after an end of the second slot time interval;
• and
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the first slot time interval is busy, ignoring the first slot time interval.

A apparatus for communicating in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform one or more operations comprising:

• at a first slot time interval for an over the air (OTA) medium prior to a backoff counter for the apparatus expiring, determining whether the OTA medium is busy;
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the first slot time interval is not busy:
• determining information for transmission;
• at a second slot time interval for the OTA medium with the backoff counter for the apparatus expired, determining whether the OTA medium at the second slot time interval is busy;
• pre-configuring the apparatus to transmit the information for transmission independent of determining whether the OTA medium at the second slot time interval is busy;
• and
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the second slot time interval is not busy, transmitting to the OTA medium after an end of the second slot time interval;
• and
• in response to determining that the OTA medium at the first slot time interval is busy, ignoring the first slot time interval.