Sounding techniques for ultra-high reliability communications

Inventors: Alfred Asterjadhi (San Diego, CA); Sameer Vermani (San Diego, CA); Jialing Li Chen (San Diego, CA); George Cherian (San Diego, CA); Bin Tian (San Diego, CA)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

H04L5/0051 H04B7/0617 H04W84/12

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12700968
App. No.: 18/331,738
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

This disclosure provides methods, components, devices, and systems that support sounding techniques for ultra-high reliability (UHR) communications. In some implementations, a first communication device may receive a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame associated with a UHR NDPA variant type. The NDPA frame may include sounding information for communication devices that support UHR communications. The first communication device may receive a null data packet (NDP) in accordance with the sounding information, and may perform UHR communications based on measurements of the NDP. In some other implementations, the first communication device may receive a trigger frame that indicates the NDPA, a sounding mode for transmission of the NDP, and parameters for transmission of a compressed beamforming frame (CBF) associated with the NDP. The first communication device may transmit or receive the NDP in accordance with the sounding mode, and may receive or transmit the CBF using the parameters.

Claims (36)

1 . An apparatus for wireless communications at a first communication device, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor; and

instructions stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a null data packet announcement frame associated with an ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type, the null data packet announcement frame comprising sounding information for communication devices that support ultra-high reliability communications and a null data packet announcement variant extension sub-field that indicates the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type;

receive a null data packet in accordance with the sounding information from the null data packet announcement frame associated with the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type based at least in part on a capability of the first communication device to support ultra-high reliability communications; and

perform ultra-high reliability communications with a second communication device according to the capability of the first communication device to support ultra-high reliability communications using one or more communication parameters that are based at least in part on measurements of the null data packet.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive, via the null data packet announcement frame, a sounding dialog token field comprising a four-bit null data packet announcement variant type sub-field that indicates the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type of the null data packet announcement frame.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive, via the null data packet announcement frame, a station information field comprising an association identifier associated with the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type, one or more beamforming parameters that pertain to a sounding sequence associated with the null data packet, a sounding mode for transmission of the null data packet, or a combination thereof.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sounding mode comprises a non-trigger-based sounding mode, a trigger-based sounding mode, an uplink sounding mode, a joint sounding mode, or a multi-AP sounding mode.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to receive the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive, via the null data packet announcement frame, a last bit of a station information field indicating the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type of the null data packet announcement frame.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a compressed beamforming frame based at least in part on receiving the null data packet, wherein the compressed beamforming frame indicates compressed beamforming information associated with the null data packet, a channel quality indicator associated with the null data packet, or both.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a beamforming report poll trigger frame in accordance with a trigger-based sounding mode, wherein transmitting the compressed beamforming frame is based at least in part on receiving the beamforming report poll trigger frame.

8 . An apparatus for wireless communications at a second communication device, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled with the at least one processor; and

instructions stored in the at least one memory and executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a null data packet announcement frame associated with an ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type, the null data packet announcement frame comprising sounding information for communication devices that support ultra-high reliability communications and a null data packet announcement variant extension sub-field that indicates the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type;

transmit a null data packet in accordance with the sounding information from the null data packet announcement frame associated with the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type based at least in part on a capability of the second communication device to support ultra-high reliability communications; and

perform ultra-high reliability communications with a first communication device according to the capability of the second communication device to support ultra-high reliability communications using one or more communication parameters that are based at least in part on measurements of the null data packet.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, to transmit the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, via the null data packet announcement frame, a sounding dialog token field comprising a four-bit null data packet announcement variant type sub-field that indicates the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type of the null data packet announcement frame.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, to transmit the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, via the null data packet announcement frame, a station information field comprising an association identifier associated with the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type, one or more beamforming parameters that pertain to a sounding sequence associated with the null data packet, a sounding mode for transmission of the null data packet, or a combination thereof.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the sounding mode comprises a non-trigger-based sounding mode, a trigger-based sounding mode, an uplink sounding mode, a joint sounding mode, or a multi-AP sounding mode.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, to transmit the null data packet announcement frame, the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit, via the null data packet announcement frame, a last bit of a station information field indicating the ultra-high reliability null data packet announcement variant type of the null data packet announcement frame.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

receive a compressed beamforming frame based at least in part on transmitting the null data packet, wherein the compressed beamforming frame indicates compressed beamforming information associated with the null data packet, a channel quality indicator associated with the null data packet, or both.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a beamforming report poll trigger frame in accordance with a trigger-based sounding mode, wherein receiving the compressed beamforming frame is based at least in part on transmitting the beamforming report poll trigger frame.