Distributed signal field for communications within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications
View Patent ↗Distributed signal field for communications within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. In accordance with wireless communications, a signal (SIG) field employed within such packets is distributed or partitioned into at least two separate signal fields (e.g., SIG A and SIG B) that are located in different portions of the packet. A first of the SIG fields includes information that may be processed and decoded by all wireless communication devices, and a second of the SIG fields includes information that is specific to one or more particular wireless communication devices (e.g., a specific wireless communication device or a specific subset of the wireless communication devices). The precise locations of the at least first and second SIG fields within a packet may be varied, including placing a second of the SIG fields (e.g., including user-specific information) adjacent to and preceding a data field in the packet.
1. A wireless communication device comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor, the processor and communication interface configured to:
generate a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields;
set a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or set the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet:
the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and
the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and
transmit the packet.
2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein when the packet is a MU packet, the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
generate the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and
generate the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.
3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
transmit the first SIG field of the packet using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet using beamforming transmission.
4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
transmit at least a portion of the packet using beamforming transmission to the first or second other wireless communication device when the packet is a SU packet.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field.
6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
generate the packet as the MU packet;
generate another packet as a SU packet;
transmit the MU packet; and
transmit the SU packet.
7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:
an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first or second other wireless communication devices is a wireless station (STA).
8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:
a wireless station (STA), wherein at least one of the first or second other wireless communication devices is an access point (AP).
9. A wireless communication device comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor, the processor and communication interface configured to:
generate a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields, wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field;
set a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or set the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet:
the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and
the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and
transmit the packet such that the first SIG field of the packet is transmitted using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet is transmitted using beamforming transmission.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein when the packet is a MU packet, the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
generate the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and
generate the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.
11. The wireless communication device of claim 9 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
generate the packet as the MU packet;
generate another packet as a SU packet;
transmit the MU packet; and
transmit the SU packet.
12. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:
an access point (AP), wherein at least one of the first or second other wireless communication devices is a wireless station (STA).
13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:
a wireless station (STA), wherein at least one of the first or second other wireless communication devices is an access point (AP).
14. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
generating a packet that includes a first signal (SIG) field, a second SIG field, and at least one other field located between the first and second SIG fields;
setting a plurality of bits within a group identification field (GroupID) of the first SIG field to a first value to indicate the packet is a single user (SU) packet or setting the plurality of bits within the GroupID of the first SIG field to a second value to indicate the packet is a multiple user (MU) packet, wherein when the packet is a MU packet:
the first SIG field includes information for use by both first and second other wireless communication devices to process a first other field in the MU packet; and
the second SIG field includes information for use by one or both of the first and second other wireless communication devices to process a second other field in the MU packet; and
transmitting the packet via a communication interface of the wireless communication device.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein when the packet is a MU packet, further comprising:
generating the second SIG field to include first information for use by the first other wireless communication device to process the second other field in the MU packet; and
generating the second SIG field also to include second information for use by the second other wireless communication device to process a third other field in the MU packet.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
transmitting the first SIG field of the packet using omni-directional transmission and the second SIG field of the packet using beamforming transmission.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
transmitting at least a portion of the packet using beamforming transmission to the first or second other wireless communication device when the packet is a SU packet.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the packet includes a first short training field (STF), followed by a first long training field (LTF), followed by the first SIG field, followed by a second STF, followed by a second LTF, followed by the second SIG field, followed by a data field.
19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
generating the packet as the MU packet;
generating another packet as a SU packet;
transmitting the MU packet; and
transmitting the SU packet.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless communication device is an access point (AP), and at least one of the first or second other wireless communication devices is a wireless station (STA).