Search

WO-2026092859-A1 - DEVICES AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED CHANNEL SOUNDING IN A WLAN

WO2026092859A1WO 2026092859 A1WO2026092859 A1WO 2026092859A1WO-2026092859-A1

Abstract

An access point, AP, for communication with one or more non-AP stations associated with the AP in a wireless local area network, the AP being capable of supporting a set of sounding modes comprising (i) regular sounding and (ii) coordinated beamforming using (a) sequential sounding or (b) joint sounding, the AP being configured to: select in which of the said modes to operate for communication with a non-AP station; form in dependence on that selection a station information, STA Info, field for a null data physical protocol data unit announcement, NDPA, frame, the STA Info field comprising an indication of the selected mode; and transmit to the non-AP station an NDPA frame comprising the formed STA Info field. There is also provided a corresponding non-AP station device. There is also provided a method for operating the AP and non-AP.

Inventors

  • Tsodik, Genadiy
  • SHILO, Shimon
  • KLEIN, ARIK
  • REDLICH, ODED
  • KEREN, RANI
  • EZRI, DORON

Assignees

  • HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241104

Claims (20)

  1. 1. An access point, AP, for communication with one or more non-AP stations associated with the AP in a wireless local area network, the AP being capable of supporting a set of sounding modes comprising (i) regular sounding and (ii) coordinated beamforming using (a) sequential sounding or (b) joint sounding, the AP being configured to: select in which of the said modes to operate for communication with a non-AP station; form in dependence on that selection a station information, STA Info, field for a null data physical protocol data unit announcement, NDPA, frame, the STA Info field comprising an indication of the selected mode; and transmit to the non-AP station an NDPA frame comprising the formed STA Info field.
  2. 2. The AP according to claim 1 , wherein the indication is at least partially given by one or more reserved bits of the STA info field.
  3. 3. The AP according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the indication is at least partially given by one or more of bits 11 to 24 and 29 to 31 of the STA Info field as defined according to WLAN in 802.1 Ibe.
  4. 4. The AP according to any preceding claim, wherein the AP is configured to set the state of one bit of the STA Field in dependence on whether the selected mode is coordinated beamforming.
  5. 5. The AP according to any preceding claim, wherein the AP is configured to, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding or joint sounding, set the state of three bits of the STA Field to indicate (i) that the selected mode is sequential sounding or (ii) a starting index of Overlapping Basic Service Set, OBSS, AP for joint sounding.
  6. 6. The AP according to claim 5, wherein the AP is configured to set the three bits to one of the values 0 and 7 to indicate that the selected mode is sequential sounding.
  7. 7. The AP according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the AP is configured to, if the selected mode is sequential sounding, select whether a null data physical layer protocol, NDP, frame is to be transmitted by a Basic Service Set, BSS, AP or an OBSS AP and to determine in dependence on that selection whether to set the three bits to the value 0 or 7.
  8. 8. The AP according to claim 5, wherein the AP is configured to set the three bits to either of two values to indicate that the selected mode is sequential sounding where a null data physical layer protocol, NDP, frame is transmitted by a Basic Service Set, BSS, AP or an OBSS AP.
  9. 9. The AP according to claim 8, wherein the two values are 0 or 7.
  10. 10. The AP according to any preceding claim, wherein the AP is configured to select a precoder matrix with a number of columns, Nc, for each of BSS AP and OBSS AP and to determine in dependence on that selection a value for four bits in an Nc index field of the STA Field so as to indicate that selection.
  11. 11. The AP according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the AP is configured to set two bits of the STA Field to a first value in dependence on the selected mode being regular sounding.
  12. 12. The AP according to claim 11, wherein the AP is configured to set the two bits of the STA Field to a second value different from the first value, in dependence on the selected mode being joint sounding.
  13. 13. The AP according to any of claims 11 or 12, wherein the AP is configured to set the two bits of the STA Field to a third value different from the first and second values, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding with BSS AP.
  14. 14. The AP according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the AP is configured to, set the two bits of the STA Field to a fourth value different from the first to third values, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding with OBSS AP.
  15. 15. The AP according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the first value is zero.
  16. 16. The AP according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein one of the two bits has the same state to represent the third and fourth values.
  17. 17. A method (500) for operating an access point, AP, (110a) for communication with one ormore non-AP stations (120a, b) associated with the AP (110a) in a wireless local area network, WLAN, (100), the AP and non-AP station being capable of supporting a set of sounding modes comprising (i) regular sounding and (ii) coordinated beamforming using (a) sequential sounding or (b) joint sounding, wherein the method (500) comprises: sending (502) a Null Data Physical Protocol Data Unit Announcement, NDPA, frame (201a) to the one or more non- AP stations (120a,b), the NDPA comprising a station information, STA Info, field, where the STA Info field comprises an indication of the selected mode; and receiving (504) one or more beamforming feedback report, BFR, frames (207) from the one or more non-AP stations (120a, b), wherein each BFR frame (207) comprises feedback information (207a, 207b) based on a subset (203a, 203b) used in a Sounding Null Data Packet NDP (203) according to the selected mode.
  18. 18. A non-access point, non-AP, station (120) for communication with one or more APs (110) in a wireless local area network, the non-AP station being capable of supporting a set of sounding modes comprising (i) regular sounding and (ii) coordinated beamforming using (a) sequential sounding or (b) joint sounding, the non-AP station being configured to: receive from an AP of the one or more APs which is associated with the non-AP station a null data physical protocol data unit announcement, NDPA, frame (201) comprising a station information, STA Info, field, the STA Info field comprising an indication of the selected mode; and process a received Sounding Null Data Packet, NDP, (203) based on the selected mode to generate feedback information; form a beamforming report, BFR, frame (207) comprising the feedback information; and transmit the BFR frame to the AP.
  19. 19. The non-AP station according to claim 18, wherein the indication is at least partially given by one or more reserved bits of the STA info field.
  20. 20. The non-AP station according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the indication is at least partially given by one or more of bits 11 to 24 and 29 to 31 of the STA Info field as defined according to WLAN in 802.1 Ibe.

Description

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED CHANNEL SOUNDING IN A WLAN TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to wireless communications. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for improved channel sounding in a wireless local area network, WLAN, in particular a WLAN (also referred to as Wi-Fi network) according to the IEEE 802.11 framework of standards. BACKGROUND IEEE 802.11-based wireless local area networks, WLANs, (also referred to as Wi-Fi networks) have become popular at an unprecedented rate. Coordinated Beamforming, CoBF, is a Multi-AP, M-AP, coordination scheme where two or more APs transmit concurrently using the same channel bandwidth by utilizing beamforming techniques to minimize mutual interference. Beamforming depends on channel sounding to determine how to radiate energy in a preferred direction. Many factors may influence how to steer a beam in a particular direction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide devices and methods for improved channel sounding in a wireless local area network, WLAN, in particular a WLAN (also referred to as Wi-Fi network) according to the IEEE 802.11 framework of standards. The foregoing and other objectives are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further implementation forms are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the figures. According to one aspect there is provided an access point, AP, for communication with one or more non-AP stations associated with the AP in a wireless local area network, the AP being capable of supporting a set of sounding modes comprising (i) regular sounding and (ii) coordinated beamforming using (a) sequential sounding or (b) joint sounding, the AP being configured to: select in which of the said modes to operate for communication with a non-AP station; form in dependence on that selection a station information, STA Info, field for a null data physical protocol data unit announcement, NDPA, frame, the STA Info field comprising an indication of the selected mode; and transmit to the non-AP station an NDPA frame comprising the formed STA Info field. In an embodiment, the indication is at least partially given by one or more reserved bits of the STA info field. In an embodiment, the indication may be at least partially given by one or more of bits 11 to 24 and 29 to 31 of the STA Info field as defined according to WLAN in 802.1 Ibe. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set the state of one bit of the STA Field in dependence on whether the selected mode is coordinated beamforming. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding or joint sounding, set the state of three bits of the STA Field to indicate (i) that the selected mode is sequential sounding or (ii) a starting index of Overlapping Basic Service Set, OBSS, AP for joint sounding. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set the three bits to one of the values 0 and 7 to indicate that the selected mode is sequential sounding. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to, if the selected mode is sequential sounding, select whether a null data physical layer protocol, NDP, frame is to be transmitted by a Basic Service Set, BSS, AP or an OBSS AP and to determine in dependence on that selection whether to set the three bits to the value 0 or 7. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set the three bits to either of two values to indicate that the selected mode is sequential sounding where a null data physical layer protocol, NDP, frame is transmitted by a Basic Service Set, BSS, AP or an OBSS AP. In an embodiment, the two values may be 0 or 7. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to select a precoder matrix with a number of columns, Nc, for each of BSS AP and OBSS AP and to determine in dependence on that selection a value for four bits in an Nc index field of the STA Field so as to indicate that selection. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set two bits of the STA Field to a first value in dependence on the selected mode being regular sounding. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set the two bits of the STA Field to a second value different from the first value, in dependence on the selected mode being joint sounding. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to set the two bits of the STA Field to a third value different from the first and second values, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding with BSS AP. In an embodiment, the AP may be configured to, set the two bits of the STA Field to a fourth value different from the first to third values, in dependence on the selected mode being sequential sounding with OBSS AP. In an embodiment, the first value may be zero. In an embodiment, one of the two bits may have the same state to represent the third and fourth values. According to another aspect there is provided a method for operating an acc