CN-121986537-A - Multi-hop support for coordinated media access

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems for multi-hop support for coordinated media access. Some aspects relate more particularly to one or more mechanisms by which an Access Point (AP) may indicate a number of hops to re-advertise a medium access schedule throughout a wireless network. In some examples, the first AP may select a medium access schedule and may transmit timing information indicating a communication period associated with the medium access schedule and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information. The second AP may receive the timing information and the value, and may selectively transmit the timing information according to the value. For example, if the value indicates greater than or equal to the threshold hop value, the second AP may propagate timing information associated with the communication period of the first AP.

Inventors

• A. K. Ajami
• G. Cheryan
• A. Asterjadi
• A.P. Patil
• S.Y.D.He
• NAIK GAAURI
• Y.SUN
• X.HUANG

Assignees

• 高通股份有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240812

Priority Date

20231006

Claims (20)

1. 1. A first wireless Access Point (AP), the first wireless Access Point (AP) comprising: a processing system comprising a processor circuit and a memory circuit storing code, the processing system configured to cause the first wireless AP to: receiving timing information associated with a communication period of a second wireless AP and values associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information via one or more frames, and The timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP is selectively transmitted via a frame of the first wireless AP according to the value.
2. 2. The first wireless AP of claim 1, wherein to receive the value associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information, the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: The value is received via a broadcast Target Wake Time (TWT) Identifier (ID) field.
3. 3. The first wireless AP of claim 2, wherein the broadcast TWT ID field is associated with a second value according to a TWT schedule information subfield.
4. 4. The first wireless AP of claim 2, wherein the value indicates that there are one or more additional fields associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information within a TWT element associated with the broadcast TWT ID field.
5. 5. The first wireless AP of claim 4, wherein the one or more additional fields comprise a group ID field, a Basic Service Set (BSS) color field, an acceptable interference field, a field indicating a list of other AP IDs, or any combination thereof, the one or more additional fields to be propagated with the timing information.
6. 6. The first wireless AP of claim 1, wherein to receive the value associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information, the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: The value is received via a hop count field of a frame or element dedicated to conveying information associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information.
7. 7. The first wireless AP of claim 6, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: one or more additional fields associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information are received via the frame or element.
8. 8. The first wireless AP of claim 7, wherein the one or more additional fields comprise a schedule start time field, a periodicity field, a service period duration field, a persistence field, a group ID field, a Basic Service Set (BSS) color field, a transmission parameters field, or any combination thereof, the one or more additional fields to be propagated with the timing information.
9. 9. The first wireless AP of claim 1, wherein to selectively transmit the timing information, the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: The timing information is sent in association with the value indicating that the first wireless AP is to propagate the timing information.
10. 10. The first wireless AP of claim 9, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: An updated value is sent in association with sending the timing information via the frame of the first wireless AP, wherein the updated value is associated with an increment or decrement of the value.
11. 11. The first wireless AP of claim 10, wherein the updated value is sent via the frame or a second frame of the first wireless AP.
12. 12. The first wireless AP of claim 1, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: Scheduling information is transmitted to one or more wireless Stations (STAs) associated with the first wireless AP in accordance with the value, wherein the value is further associated with a coordination state between the first wireless AP and the second wireless AP.
13. 13. The first wireless AP of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: Communicating with the one or more wireless STAs outside of the communication period of the second wireless AP according to the value indicating a first coordination state associated with the communication period expected to adhere to the second wireless AP, or Communicate with the one or more wireless STAs during at least a portion of the communication period of the second wireless AP according to the value indicating a second coordination state associated with the communication period that is expected not to adhere to the second wireless AP.
14. 14. A first wireless Access Point (AP), the first wireless Access Point (AP) comprising: a processing system comprising a processor circuit and a memory circuit storing code, the processing system configured to cause the first wireless AP to: generating one or more frames to include timing information associated with a communication period of the first wireless AP and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information, and The timing information and the value associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information are transmitted via the one or more frames.
15. 15. The first wireless AP of claim 14, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: information is sent, via the one or more frames, indicating a group to which the first wireless AP belongs, wherein one or more other wireless APs are expected to propagate the timing information associated with and adhere to the communication period of the first wireless AP in accordance with the first wireless AP and the one or more other wireless APs belonging to the same group.
16. 16. The first wireless AP of claim 14, wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the first wireless AP to: Information indicative of one or more communication parameters is transmitted via the one or more frames, wherein one or more other wireless APs are expected to propagate the timing information associated with and respect the communication period of the first wireless AP in accordance with one or more criteria met at the one or more other wireless APs by the one or more communication parameters.
17. 17. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless Access Point (AP), the method comprising: receiving timing information associated with a communication period of a second wireless AP and values associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information via one or more frames, and The timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP is selectively transmitted via a frame of the first wireless AP according to the value.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising: Receiving the timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP and a second value associated with the multi-hop propagation of the timing information via one or more second frames, and The value is selected instead of the second value according to one or more criteria.
19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein selecting the value instead of the second value further comprises: selecting the value based on the value being relatively lower than the second value; selecting the value based on the value being relatively higher than the second value, or The value is selected based on the one or more frames belonging to the second wireless AP.
20. 20. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising: Transmitting a first frame to a third wireless AP, the first frame including a request for information indicating a set of up-to-date medium access schedules, and A second frame is received from the third wireless AP, the second frame including the information indicating the set of up-to-date medium access schedules, the set of up-to-date medium access schedules including one or more first medium access schedules of the third wireless AP and one or more second medium access schedules of one or more other wireless APs propagated by the third wireless AP.

Description

Multi-hop support for coordinated media access Cross reference This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/482,808, entitled "MULTI-HOP SUPPORT FOR COORDINATED MEDIUM ACCESS (Multi-hop support for coordinated media Access)" filed by AJAMI et al at 2024, 10/6, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to multi-hop support for coordinated media access. Background A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) may be formed of one or more wireless Access Points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by a plurality of client devices, also referred to as wireless Stations (STAs). The basic building block of WLANs conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards is the Basic Service Set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within wireless range of the AP to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN. Disclosure of Invention The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have some innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein. One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless Access Point (AP). The first wireless AP may include a processing system including a processor circuit and a memory circuit storing code. The processing system may be configured to cause the first wireless AP to receive timing information associated with a communication period of the second wireless AP and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information via one or more frames and to selectively transmit the timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP via the frame of the first wireless AP according to the value. Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication by a first wireless AP. The method may include receiving, via one or more frames, timing information associated with a communication period of a second wireless AP and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information, and selectively transmitting, via a frame of a first wireless AP, the timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP according to the value. Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a first wireless AP. The first wireless AP may include means for receiving, via one or more frames, timing information associated with a communication period of the second wireless AP and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information, and means for selectively transmitting, via the frames of the first wireless AP, the timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP in accordance with the value. Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication by a first wireless AP. The code may include instructions executable by the processor to receive, via one or more frames, timing information associated with a communication period of the second wireless AP and a value associated with multi-hop propagation of the timing information, and selectively transmit, via the frames of the first wireless AP, the timing information associated with the communication period of the second wireless AP according to the value. In some examples of the methods, first wireless APs, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, receiving a value associated with multi-hop propagation of timing information may include receiving the value via a broadcast Target Wake Time (TWT) Identifier (ID) field for an operation, feature, component, or instruction. In some examples of the methods, first wireless APs, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, the broadcast TWT ID field may be associated with a value according to the TWT schedule information subfield being set to a second value. In some examples of the methods, first wireless APs, and non-transitory computer-readable media described herein, receiving a value associated with multi-hop propagation of timing information may include receiving the value via a hop count field dedicated to conveying frames or elements of information associated with multi-hop propagation of timing information. In some examples of the methods, first wireless AP, and non-transitory computer-readable medium described herein, selectively transmitting timing i