Search

US-20260129470-A1 - INDICATING COORDINATED BEAMFORMING PARAMETERS IN ONE OR MORE SPECIAL STATION INFORMATION FIELDS

US20260129470A1US 20260129470 A1US20260129470 A1US 20260129470A1US-20260129470-A1

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices and systems for techniques for coordinated beamforming (COBF). Some aspects more specifically relate to COBF sounding. In some examples, a first AP may transmit, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement indicating a sounding occasion and including one or more station information fields that indicate a plurality of parameters for a first null data packet transmission and a second null data packet transmission. The first AP may transmit, during the sounding occasion, the first null data packet transmission in accordance with the plurality of parameters and monitor for one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the first null data packet transmission and associated with the second null data packet transmission. The first AP may transmit, based at least in part on the one or more sounding feedback messages, a coordinated beamforming transmission.

Inventors

  • Sameer Vermani
  • Bin Tian
  • Youhan Kim
  • Jialing Li Chen

Assignees

  • QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251103

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A first access point (AP), comprising: a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first AP to: transmit, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, wherein the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a plurality of parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields further indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion; and transmit, based at least in part on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the transmitted null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission.
  2. 2 . The first AP of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises two or more bits indicating a starting spatial stream index and a quantity of spatial streams for the second AP.
  3. 3 . The first AP of claim 2 , wherein the two or more bits comprise a first bit that indicates the starting spatial stream index for the second AP and a second bit that indicates the quantity of spatial streams for the second AP.
  4. 4 . The first AP of claim 3 , wherein the two or more bits comprise two bits.
  5. 5 . The first AP of claim 3 , wherein a first value of the first bit corresponds to a first starting spatial stream index and a second value of the first bit corresponds to a second starting spatial stream index, the second starting spatial stream index different to the first starting spatial stream index.
  6. 6 . The first AP of claim 3 , wherein a first value of the second bit corresponds to a first quantity of spatial streams for the second AP and a second value of the second bit corresponds to a second quantity of spatial streams for the second AP, wherein the first quantity is different to the second quantity.
  7. 7 . The first AP of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises a parameter indicating a number of long training fields in the null data packet transmission, the number of long training fields corresponding to a matrix size.
  8. 8 . The first AP of claim 7 , wherein the parameter comprises a single bit, and a first value of the single bit corresponds to a first matrix size and a second value of the single bit corresponds to a second matrix size, wherein first matrix size is different to the second matrix size.
  9. 9 . The first AP of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises a station identifier that identifies the second AP.
  10. 10 . The first AP of claim 9 , wherein the station identifier comprises a first value within a subset of values for the station identifier that identifies the second AP, and wherein an overall set of possible values for the station identifier is larger than the subset of values and includes the subset of values.
  11. 11 . The first AP of claim 1 , wherein the one or more station information fields indicate a version identifier.
  12. 12 . A method by a first access point (AP), comprising: transmitting, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, wherein the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a plurality of parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields further indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion; and transmitting, based at least in part on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the transmitted null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises two or more bits indicating a starting spatial stream index and a quantity of spatial streams for the second AP.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the two or more bits comprise a first bit that indicates the starting spatial stream index for the second AP and a second bit that indicates the quantity of spatial streams for the second AP.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the two or more bits comprise two bits.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a first value of the first bit corresponds to a first starting spatial stream index and a second value of the first bit corresponds to a second starting spatial stream index, the second starting spatial stream index different to the first starting spatial stream index.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a first value of the second bit corresponds to a first quantity of spatial streams for the second AP and a second value of the second bit corresponds to a second quantity of spatial streams for the second AP, wherein the first quantity is different to the second quantity.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises a parameter indicating a number of long training fields in the null data packet transmission, the number of long training fields corresponding to a matrix size.
  19. 19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to: transmit, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, wherein the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a plurality of parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion; and transmit, based at least in part on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission.
  20. 20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of parameters comprises two bits indicating a starting spatial stream index and a quantity of spatial streams for the second AP.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE The present Application for Patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/716,522 by Vermani et al., entitled “INDICATING COORDINATED BEAMFORMING PARAMETERS IN A SINGLE SPECIAL STA INFO FIELD,” filed Nov. 5, 2024, assigned to the assignee hereof, and expressly incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication and, more specifically, to techniques for coordinated beamforming and indication of related parameters. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY Wireless communication networks may include various types of wireless communication devices including network entities (such as wireless access points (AP) or base stations (BS)), client devices (such as wireless stations (STAs) or user equipment (UEs)), and other wireless nodes. These wireless communication devices may communicate with one another via a variety of technologies and wireless communication protocols, including wireless local area network (WLAN) or Wi-Fi-based protocols or cellular (such as 4G, 5G, or 6G)-based protocols. The wireless communication networks may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (such as time, frequency, and spatial resources). To enable features or provide improved performance, the wireless communication devices may employ technologies such as orthogonal frequency divisional multiple access (OFDMA), multi-user Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO), spatial multiplexing, and beamforming. For greater inter-operability, the wireless communication networks may support backwards compatibility (such as supporting legacy wireless communication devices) as well as forward compatibility (such as supporting communication with wireless communication devices compatible with next-generation wireless communication standards). SUMMARY The systems, methods, and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein. A method by a first access point (AP) is described. The method may include transmitting, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, where the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a set of multiple parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion, and transmitting, based on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission. A first AP is described. The first AP may include a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code. The processing system may be configured to cause the first AP to, transmit, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, where the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a set of multiple parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion, and transmit, based on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission. Another first AP is described. The first AP may include means for a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first AP to, means for transmitting, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, where the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a set of multiple parameters associated with joint sounding or sequential sounding, the one or more station information fields indicating the second AP is to transmit a null data packet transmission for the joint sounding or the sequential sounding during the sounding occasion, and means for and transmitting, based on one or more sounding feedback messages associated with the null data packet transmission, a coordinated beamforming transmission. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code is described. The code may include instructions executable by one or more processors to a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the first AP to, transmit, to a second AP, a null data packet announcement, where the null data packet announcement indicates a sounding occasion and includes one or more station information fields that indicate a set of