EP-4736379-A1 - VENDOR-SPECIFIC PPDU FORMAT FOR WI-FI8

Abstract

A format for a Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that can be transmitted over a network is disclosed. The PPDU includes a field having one or more bits identifying whether a vendor-specific signal field (VS-SIG) is present in the PPDU. When present, the VS-SIG includes one or more bits identifying a vendor-specific language in which vendor-specific data is presented. The VS-SIG also includes one or more bits representing the vendor-specific data in the vendor- specific language.

Inventors

• HART, BRIAN D.

Assignees

• Cisco Technology, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240621

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: performing at least one of: generating, transmitting, and receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the PPDll comprising: a payload; and a preamble, comprising: a field having one or more bits identifying whether a vendorspecific signal field (VS-SIG) is present in the PPDU; the VS-SIG including one or more bits identifying a vendorspecific language in which vendor-specific data is presented; and one or more bits representing the vendor-specific data in the vendor-specific language.
2. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field having the one or more bits identifying whether the VS-SIG is present in the PPDU is a universal signal field (U-SIG).
3. 3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the field having the one or more bits identifying whether the VS-SIG is present in the PPDU is positioned before the VS-SIG.
4. 4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the PPDU further comprises one or more validation bits indicating whether a receiving station is required to understand vendor-specific extensions of the PPDU in order to process a remainder of the PPDU.
5. 5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits identifying the vendor-specific language in the VS-SIG is represented by a vendor table.
6. 6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS-SIG is represented by a single OFDM symbol.
7. 7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS-SIG is represented by at least two OFDM symbols.
8. 8. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising: determining a size of the vendor-specific data; selecting, based at least in part on the size of the vendor-specific data, one of: a first predefined vendor-specific configuration with a first number of bits are allocated to the vendor-specific data; and a second predefined vendor-specific configuration with a second number of bits are allocated to the vendor-specific data, the second number of bits includes a greater number of bits than does the first number of bits, and wherein the VS-SIG is configured in the first predefined vendor-specific configuration or the second predefined vendor-specific configuration based at least in part on the selecting.
9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first predefined vendor-specific configuration has a modulation scheme and number of OFDM symbols associated therewith and the second predefined vendor-specific configuration has a modulation scheme and number of OFDM symbols associated therewith, and wherein at least one of: the modulation scheme of the first predefined vendor-specific configuration is different than the modulation scheme of the second predefined vendor-specific configuration, and the number of OFDM symbols of the first predefined vendor-specific configuration is different than the number of OFDM symbols of the second predefined vendor-specific configuration.
10. 10. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the PPDU is received by a station, and wherein the method further comprises: determining, by the station, whether the PPDU includes the VS-SIG; in response to determining, by the station, that the PPDU includes the VS- SIG, decoding the VS-SIG; extracting a vendor identity; and ascertaining whether the station supports the vendor-specific language.
11. 11 . The method of claim 10, further comprising: in response to ascertaining that the station supports the vendor-specific language, processing the PPDU in accordance with the vendor-specific data.
12. 12. The method of claim 10 or claim 11 , further comprising: in response to ascertaining that the station does not support the vendorspecific language, deferring for a duration of the PPDU indicated by a field in the preamble; and applying length refinement information indicated in a field of the preamble.
13. 13. The method of any preceding claim, wherein all fields of the PPDU after the VS-SIG are represented in the vendor-specific language.
14. 14. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits identifying whether the VS-SIG is present in the PPDU are in a field other than the VS-SIG itself.
15. 15. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the PPDU is received by a station, and wherein the method further comprises: decoding, by the station, the VS-SIG; extracting, by the station, a vendor identity to determine the vendor-specific language; and determining, by the station, whether validation is required, as indicated by one or more validation bits in the PPDU.
16. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: in response to the station determining that validation is required, ascertaining whether the station supports the vendor-specific language; and in response to the station ascertaining that the vendor-specific language is not supported by the station, ignoring, by the station, a remainder of the PPDU for a duration of the PPDU.
17. 17. The method of claim 15 or claim 16, further comprising: in response to the station determining that validation is not required, ascertaining whether the station supports the vendor-specific language; and in response to the station ascertaining that the vendor-specific language is not supported by the station, processing, by the station, a remainder of the PPDU without processing vendor-specific extensions of the PPDU.
18. 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: regardless of whether validation is required and upon ascertaining that the station supports the vendor-specific language, processing the PPDU using vendorspecific extensions of the PPDU.
19. 19. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the method of any of claims 1 to 18 to be performed.
20. 20. A system arranged to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 18.

Description

VENDOR-SPECIFIC PPDU FORMAT FOR WI-FI8 CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims benefit of co-pending United States provisional patent application Serial No. 63/510,854 filed June 28, 2023. The aforementioned related patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] Embodiments presented in this disclosure generally relate to Physical layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) that can be transmitted over a network, such as an IEEE 802.11 network. BACKGROUND [0003] Some IEEE 802.11 vendors seek to add proprietary Physical Layer (PHY) features to Physical layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs), and to have such features understood by their other stations without confusing third-party stations on a network. Conventionally, vendors have utilized reserved bits in the PHY header signal fields to add such proprietary PHY features to a PPDU. However, the reserved bits in the PHY header are non-robust, especially for future amendments, because different vendors can use them in different ways. Haphazard use of the reserved bits can lead to confusion on the network. [0004] Accordingly, an improved PPDU format for managing vendor-specific features is needed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0005] So that the manner in which the above-recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate typical embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting; other equally effective embodiments are contemplated. [0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system according to one or more embodiments. [0007] FIG. 2 is an example Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) format according to one or more embodiments. [0008] FIG. 3 is another example PPDU format according to one or more embodiments. [0009] FIG. 4 provides a detailed view of one example format for a VS-SIG of a PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0010] FIG. 5 provides a detailed view of another example format for a VS-SIG of a PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a station configured to generate a PPDU with a vendor-specific signal field. [0012] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram for a method according to one or more embodiments. [0013] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram for a method according to one or more embodiments. [0014] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially used in other embodiments without specific recitation. DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OVERVIEW [0015] One embodiment presented in this disclosure is a method. The method includes performing at least one of: generating, transmitting, and receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the PPDll includes a payload and a preamble. The preamble includes a field having one or more bits identifying whether a vendor-specific signal field (VS-SIG) is present in the PPDU. The preamble also includes the VS-SIG, which includes one or more bits identifying a vendor-specific language in which vendor-specific data is presented. The preamble further includes one or more bits representing the vendor-specific data in the vendor-specific language. [0016] Another embodiment presented in this disclosure is a non-transitory, computer readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform an operation. The operation includes generating a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDU includes a payload and a preamble. The preamble includes a field having one or more bits identifying whether a vendor-specific signal field (VS-SIG) is present in the PPDU. When present, the VS-SIG of the preamble includes i) one or more bits identifying a vendor-specific language in which vendor-specific data is presented; and ii) one or more bits representing the vendor-specific data in the vendor-specific language. [0017] Yet another embodiment presented in this disclosure is a system. The system includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices storing a program executable by the one or more processors to perform an operation. The operation includes generating or receiving a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDU includes a payload a preamble. The preamble includes a field having one or more bits identifying whether a vendor-specific signal field (VS- SIG) is present in the PPDU, and, when present, the VS-SIG includes i) one or more bits identifying a vendor-specific language in which vendor-specific data is presented; and ii) one or more bits r