EP-4740374-A1 - PPDU FORMAT SUPPORTING VENDOR SPECIFIC PER-USER PARAMETERS

Abstract

A format for a Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that can be transmitted over a network is disclosed. The PPDU includes one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU. The PPDU also includes one or more bits signaling a VS language in which the VS per user content is presented. The PPDU further includes bits representing the VS per user content in the VS language. The VS per-user content is arranged in the PPDU to provide individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU.

Inventors

• HART, BRIAN D.

Assignees

• Cisco Technology, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240627

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: providing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the PPDll comprising: a payload; and a preamble, comprising: one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU; one or more bits signaling a VS language in which the VS peruser content is presented; and VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language, the VS per-user content is arranged in the PPDU to provide individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU; and transmitting the PPDU.
2. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU are included in a universal signal field (U- SIG).
3. 3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU and the one or more bits signaling the VS language in which the VS per-user content are included in a VS signal field (VS-SIG).
4. 4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU indicate a number of the VS bits assigned per user.
5. 5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU indicate a number of the VS bits assigned per user encoding block.
6. 6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU indicate a number of extra user fields or user encoding blocks per content channel in a signal field that contains the VS bits.
7. 7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU indicate a number of extra OFDM symbols in a signal field that contains the VS bits.
8. 8. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are included in respective user fields or user encoding blocks that are each dedicated to one or more of the users intended to receive the PPDU, and wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are added to existing bits of respective ones of the user fields or the user encoding blocks.
9. 9. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are included in extra user fields or extra user encoding blocks at an end of each content channel in a signal field, and wherein the VS per-user content is organized as a linearized version of a product of a number of users per content channel and a number of the VS bits per user or as a product of a number of users that understand the VS per-user content and a number of the VS bits per user.
10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the VS per-user content is fragmented so that each fragment fits into available bits in respective ones of the extra user fields or the extra user encoding blocks.
11. 11 . The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are included after user encoding blocks of a signal field, and wherein the VS per-user content is organized as a linearized version of a product of a number of users per content channel and a number of the VS bits per user or as a product of a number of users that understand the VS per-user content and a number of the VS bits per user.
12. 12. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are included in a per-user VS signal field.
13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the per-user VS signal field includes a plurality of user fields or a plurality of encoding blocks each dedicated to one or more of the users, and wherein each user field or user encoding block includes at least some of the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language.
14. 14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language are included in the per-user VS signal field, and wherein the VS per-user content is organized as a linearized version of a product of a number of users per content channel and a number of the VS bits per user or as a product of a number of users that understand the VS per-user content and a number of the VS bits per user.
15. 15. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the one or more bits signaling that the VS per-user content is present in the PPDU indicate a modulation coding scheme associated with the VS per-user content.
16. 16. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the VS per-user content indicates a change in meaning of at least one existing per-user field or at least one existing per-user bit in the PPDU.
17. 17. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the preamble includes: in a vendor-specific signal field (VS-SIG), one or more bits representing vendor-specific data, the vendor-specific data is represented in the VS language and provides instructions to a group of at least two users of the users intended to receive the PPDU.
18. 18. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU includes individualized VS information for at least a first user and a second user, wherein the individualized VS information for the first user is different than the individualized VS information for the second user.
19. 19. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation comprising: providing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the PPDll comprising: a payload; and a preamble, comprising: one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU; one or more bits signaling a VS language in which the VS peruser content is presented; and VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language, the VS per-user content is arranged in the PPDU to provide individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU; and causing transmission of the PPDU.
20. 20. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operation further comprises the method of any of claims 2 to 18.

Description

PPDU FORMAT SUPPORTING VENDOR SPECIFIC PER-USER PARAMETERS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims benefit of co-pending United States provisional patent application Serial No. 63/512,550 filed July 7, 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] 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. [0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system according to one or more embodiments. [0006] FIG. 2 is an example Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) according to one or more embodiments. [0007] FIG. 3 is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0008] FIG. 4 is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0009] FIG. 5 is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0010] FIG. 6 is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0011] FIG. 7A is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0012] FIG. 7B is another example PPDU according to one or more embodiments. [0013] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram for a method according to one or more embodiments. [0014] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a system according to one or more embodiments. [0015] 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 [0016] One embodiment presented in this disclosure is a method. The method includes providing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDll includes a payload and a preamble. The preamble includes one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU. The preamble also includes one or more bits signaling a VS language in which the VS per-user content is presented. The preamble further includes VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language, the VS per-user content is arranged in the PPDU to provide individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU. The method also includes transmitting the PPDU. [0017] 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 providing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDU includes a payload and a preamble. The preamble includes one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU. The preamble also includes one or more bits signaling a VS language in which the VS per-user content is presented. The preamble further includes VS bits representing the VS per-user content in the VS language, the VS per-user content is arranged in the PPDU to provide individualized VS information for respective users intended to receive the PPDU. The operation further includes causing transmission of the PPDU. [0018] Yet another embodiment presented in this disclosure is a station. The station 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 providing a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The PPDU includes a payload and a preamble. The preamble includes one or more bits signaling that vendor-specific (VS) per-user content is present in the PPDU. The preamble also includes one or more bits signaling a VS language in which