US-12621820-B2 - WLAN private control channel

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for wireless local area network (WLAN) private control channel are disclosed. Apparatuses of a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) are disclosed, where the apparatuses comprise processing circuitry configured to: associate, a first non-AP of the non-AP MLD, with an AP MLD and encode a first packet for transmission, by the first non-AP, to a first AP of the AP MLD, the first AP operating on a first frequency band, the packet indicating a request for a resource from a second AP of the AP MLD, the second AP operating on a second frequency band. The processing circuitry is further configured to decode a second packet from the first AP, the second packet indicating a resource unit (RU) for a second non-AP of the non-AP MLD to use to transmit a packet to or receive a packet from the second AP.

Inventors

• Thomas J. Kenney
• Laurent Cariou

Assignees

• INTEL CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220630

Claims (18)

1. 1 . An apparatus for a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), the apparatus comprising memory; and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to: associate, by a first non-AP of the non-AP MLD, with an AP MLD; encode, by the first non-AP, a first packet for transmission to a first AP of the AP MLD, the first AP operating on a first frequency band, the first packet indicating a request for a resource from a second AP of the AP MLD, the second AP operating on a second frequency band; and decode a second packet from the first AP, the second packet indicating a resource unit (RU) for a second non-AP of the non-AP MLD to use to transmit a packet to or receive a packet from the second AP, wherein the second packet is a schedule, the schedule indicating times when the non-AP MLD is allocated uplink (UL) RUs and downlink (DL) RUs to access the second AP, and wherein the first packet indicates a level of service requirement from the second AP and the schedule indicates periodic fixed times for the second non-AP that satisfy the level of service requirement.
2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the schedule indicates a time when a beacon frame is to be transmitted periodically by the second AP.
3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: encode a third packet comprising UL data for the second AP; and configure the second non-AP to transmit the third packet to the second AP at a time indicted by the schedule.
4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first packet is a physical (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) encoded in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol and wherein the third packet is encoded in accordance with a proprietary communication standard.
5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: receive a third packet comprising DL data from the second AP at a time indicated by the schedule.
6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: decode a beacon frame from the first AP, the beacon frame indicating random access (RA) periods for the first non-AP to access a channel of the first frequency band to request resources of the second AP from the first AP.
7. 7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: before the encode, contend for access to a channel of the first frequency band in accordance with enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA).
8. 8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are each one of a 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, or a 1 GHz to 10 GHz band.
9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of the first frequency band or the second frequency band is a local license band.
10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: refrain from transmitting on the second frequency band without the RU.
11. 11 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first non-AP is configured to operate in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.
12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising transceiver circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry, the transceiver circuitry coupled to two or more patch antennas for receiving signaling in accordance with a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique.
13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second packet is a trigger frame.
14. 14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an apparatus for a non access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), the instructions to configure the one or more processors to: associate, by a first AP of the AP MLD, with a first non-AP of a non-AP MLD; decode a first packet, from the first AP of the AP MLD, the first AP operating on a first frequency band, the packet indicating a request for a resource from a second AP of the AP MLD, the second AP operating on a second frequency band; and encode a second packet for transmission by the first AP to the first non-AP, the second packet indicating a resource unit (RU) for a second non-AP of the non-AP MLD to use to transmit a third packet to or receive the third packet from the second AP, wherein the second packet is a schedule, the schedule indicating times when the non-AP MLD is allocated uplink (UL) RUs and downlink (DL) RUs to access the second AP, and wherein the first packet indicates a level of service requirement from the second AP and the schedule indicates periodic fixed times for the second non- AP that satisfy the level of service requirement.
15. 15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the second packet is a schedule, the schedule indicating times when the non-AP MLD is allocated uplink (UL) RUs and downlink (DL) RUs to access the second AP.
16. 16 . An apparatus for an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), the apparatus comprising memory; and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to: associate with a first non-AP of a non-AP MLD; decode a first packet from the first non-AP, received by a first AP of the AP MLD, the first AP operating on a first frequency band, the first packet indicating a request for a resource from a second AP of the AP MLD, the second AP operating on a second frequency band; and encode a second packet for transmission by the first AP, the second packet indicating a resource unit (RU) for a second non-AP of the non-AP MLD to use to transmit a third packet to or receive the third packet from the second AP, wherein the second packet is a schedule, the schedule indicating times when the non-AP MLD is allocated uplink (UL) RUs and downlink (DL) RUs to access the second AP, and wherein the first packet indicates a level of service requirement from the second AP and the schedule indicates periodic fixed times for the second non-AP that satisfy the level of service requirement.
17. 17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second packet is a schedule, the schedule indicating times when the non-AP MLD is allocated uplink (UL) RUs and downlink (DL) RUs to access the second AP.
18. 18 . The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: decode, at a time indicated by the schedule, the third packet comprising UL data from the second non-AP.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments relate to using a private control channel in accordance with wireless local area networks (WLANs) and Wi-Fi networks including networks operating in accordance with different versions or generations of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. Some embodiments relate to multi-link devices (MLD) communicating using at least two different bands where one band is a local license band and where one band is used as a private control channel to manage communications on the other band. BACKGROUND Efficient use of the resources of a wireless local-area network (WLAN) is important to provide bandwidth and acceptable response times to the users of the WLAN. However, often there are many devices trying to share the same resources and some devices may be limited by the communication protocol they use or by their hardware bandwidth. Moreover, wireless devices may need to operate with both newer protocols and with legacy device protocols. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a radio architecture in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a front-end module circuitry for use in the radio architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates a radio IC circuitry for use in the radio architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4 illustrates a baseband processing circuitry for use in the radio architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 5 illustrates a WLAN in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine upon which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein may perform. FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless device upon which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies or operations) discussed herein may perform. FIG. 8 illustrates multi-link devices (MHLDs), in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 9 illustrates the managed band and the control band, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 10 illustrates a method for WLAN private control channel, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 11 illustrates a method for WLAN private control channel, in accordance with some embodiments. DESCRIPTION The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims. Some embodiments relate to methods, computer readable media, and apparatus for ordering or scheduling location measurement reports, traffic indication maps (TIMs), and other information during SPs. Some embodiments relate to methods, computer readable media, and apparatus for extending TIMs. Some embodiments relate to methods, computer readable media, and apparatus for defining SPs during beacon intervals (BI), which may be based on TWTs. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a radio architecture 100 in accordance with some embodiments. Radio architecture 100 may include radio front-end module (FEM) circuitry 104, radio IC circuitry 106 and baseband processing circuitry 108. Radio architecture 100 as shown includes both Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) functionality and Bluetooth (BT) functionality although embodiments are not so limited. In this disclosure, “WLAN” and “Wi-Fi” are used interchangeably. FEM circuitry 104 may include a WLAN or Wi-Fi FEM circuitry 104A and a Bluetooth (BT) FEM circuitry 104B. The WLAN FEM circuitry 104A may include a receive signal path comprising circuitry configured to operate on WLAN RF signals received from one or more antennas 101, to amplify the received signals and to provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the WLAN radio IC circuitry 106A for further processing. The BT FEM circuitry 104B may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on BT RF signals received from one or more antennas 101, to amplify the received signals and to provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the BT radio IC circuitry 106B for further processing. FEM circuitry 104A may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify WLAN signals provided by the radio IC circuitry 106A for wireless transmission by one or more of the antennas 101. In addition, FEM circuitry 104B may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify BT signals provided by the radio IC circuitry 106B for wireless transmission by the one or more antennas. In the embodiment of FIG. 1