Multi-user communication group management and signaling
Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes generating one or more assignment records for a wireless communication device, generating an assignment message that includes the one or more generated assignment records, and transmitting the assignment message to cause the wireless communication device to initialize or update a multi-user group table based on the assignment message and filter one or more received multi-user transmissions based on the multi-user group table. The assignment message can indicate one or more group identifiers and one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the wireless communication device and one or more group identifiers that are not assigned to the wireless communication device.
1. A method, comprising:
maintaining assignment records for multi-user communication groups, the assignment records being used to communicate with one or more wireless communication devices, the assignment records comprising an assigned group identifier and an assigned group member identifier, wherein the assigned group identifier identifies at least one of the multi-user communication groups, wherein the assigned group member identifier identifies at least one spatially steered stream within a multi-user transmission that is associated with the assigned group identifier;
generating one or more assignment records for an additional wireless communication device;
generating an assignment message that includes the one or more generated assignment records, wherein the assignment message indicates (i) one or more group identifiers and one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device and (ii) one or more group identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more first values included in the assignment message, and the one or more group member identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more second values included in the assignment message; and
transmitting the assignment message to cause the additional wireless communication device to (i) initialize or update a multi-user group table based on the assignment message and (ii) filter one or more received multi-user transmissions based on the multi-user group table.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the assignment message comprises sending the assignment message via a unicast channel, the assignment message causing the additional wireless communication device to send an acknowledgement and wherein the one or more first values are one or more nonzero values, and the one or more second values are one or more zero values.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, based on the maintained assignment records, an assignment record based on a performance characteristic,
wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises
assigning a group identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device, and
assigning a group member identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the assignment record based on the performance characteristic comprises identifying a device associated with the identified assignment record and informing the identified device that the identified device is no longer assigned to the identified assignment record.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the assignment record based on the performance characteristic comprises identifying at least one of the maintained assignment records that is associated with a lack of spatial diversity for a spatial division multiple access based transmission.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises assigning a combination of a group identifier and a group member identifier to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the combination is shared among two or more wireless communication devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning a group identifier to two or more device groupings,
wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises generating an assignment record that includes the group identifier that is assigned to the two or more device groupings.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the assignment message includes a message integrity check (MIC) value,
wherein the additional wireless communication device is configured to send (i) a confirmation based on a successful verification of the MIC value or (ii) a suspected attack notification based on an unsuccessful verification of the MIC value.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a memory to store assignment records for multi-user communication groups, the assignment records being used to communicate with one or more wireless communication devices, the assignment records comprising an assigned group identifier and an assigned group member identifier, wherein the assigned group identifier identifies at least one of the multi-user communication groups, wherein the assigned group member identifier identifies at least one spatially steered stream within a multi-user transmission that is associated with the assigned group identifier; and
processor electronics configured to
generate one or more assignment records for an additional wireless communication device;
generate an assignment message that includes the one or more generated assignment records, wherein the assignment message indicates (i) one or more group identifiers and one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device and (ii) one or more group identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more first values included in the assignment message, and the one or more group member identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more second values included in the assignment message; and
control a transmission of the assignment message to cause the additional wireless communication device to (i) initialize or update a multi-user group table based on the assignment message and (ii) filter one or more received multi-user transmissions based on the multi-user group table.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the assignment message is transmitted via a unicast channel, the assignment message causing the additional wireless communication device to send an acknowledgement, and wherein the one or more first values are one or more nonzero values, and the one or more second values are one or more zero values.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor electronics are configured to
identify, based on the maintained assignment records, an assignment record based on a performance characteristic,
assign a group identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device, and
assign a group member identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor electronics are configured to
identify a device associated with the identified assignment record, and
inform the identified device that the identified device is no longer assigned to the identified assignment record.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the identified assignment record is associated with a lack of spatial diversity for a spatial division multiple access based transmission.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor electronics are configured to assign a combination of a group identifier and a group member identifier to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the combination is shared among two or more wireless communication devices.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor electronics are configured to
assign a group identifier to two or more device groupings, and
generate, for the additional wireless communication device, an assignment record that includes the group identifier that is assigned to the two or more device groupings.
16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein
the assignment message includes a message integrity check (MIC) value,
wherein the additional wireless communication device is configured to send (i) a confirmation based on a successful verification of the MIC value or (ii) a suspected attack notification based on an unsuccessful verification of the MIC value.
17. A system, comprising:
devices configured for multi-user communications, wherein at least one of the devices is configured to perform operations comprising:
maintaining assignment records for multi-user communication groups, the assignment records being used to communicate with one or more wireless communication devices, the assignment records comprising an assigned group identifier and an assigned group member identifier, wherein the assigned group identifier identifies at least one of the multi-user communication groups, wherein the assigned group member identifier identifies at least one spatially steered stream within a multi-user transmission that is associated with the assigned group identifier;
generating one or more assignment records for an additional wireless communication device;
generating an assignment message that includes the one or more generated assignment records, wherein the assignment message indicates (i) one or more group identifiers and one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device and (ii) one or more group identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the one or more group member identifiers that are assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more first values included in the assignment message, and the one or more group member identifiers that are not assigned to the additional wireless communication device are indicated by one or more second values included in the assignment message; and
transmitting the assignment message to cause the additional wireless communication device to (i) initialize or update a multi-user group table based on the assignment message and (ii) filter one or more received multi-user transmissions based on the multi-user group table.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein transmitting the assignment message comprises sending the assignment message via a unicast channel, the assignment message causing the additional wireless communication device to send an acknowledgement and wherein the one or more first values are one or more nonzero values, and the one or more second values are one or more zero values.
19. The system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
identifying, based on the maintained assignment records, an assignment record based on a performance characteristic,
wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises
assigning a group identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device, and
assigning a group member identifier of the identified assignment record to the additional wireless communication device.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein identifying the assignment record based on the performance characteristic comprises identifying a device associated with the identified assignment record and informing the identified device that the identified device is no longer assigned to the identified assignment record.
21. The system of claim 19 , wherein identifying the assignment record based on the performance characteristic comprises identifying at least one of the maintained assignment records that is associated with a lack of spatial diversity for a spatial division multiple access based transmission.
22. The system of claim 17 , wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises assigning a combination of a group identifier and a group member identifier to the additional wireless communication device, wherein the combination is shared among two or more wireless communication devices.
23. The system of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
assigning a group identifier to two or more device groupings,
wherein generating the one or more assignment records comprises generating an assignment record that includes the group identifier that is assigned to the two or more device groupings.
24. The system of claim 17 , wherein
the assignment message includes a message integrity check (MIC) value,
wherein the additional wireless communication device is configured to send (i) a confirmation based on a successful verification of the MIC value or (ii) a suspected attack notification based on an unsuccessful verification of the MIC value.