OFDMA RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT RULES TO ACHIEVE ROBUSTNESS
A method for a wireless communications system in which an access point wirelessly communicates with a plurality of stations over a wireless channel includes transmitting a frame, including a schedule, from the access point to a plurality of stations, the schedule including assignments of one or more sub-bands in at least one sub-channel of the wireless channel to each station in the plurality of stations. Each station in the plurality of stations uses the assigned sub-band for a multi-user, simultaneous communication with the access point.
1 . A method for a wireless communications system in which an access point wirelessly communicates with a plurality of stations over a wireless channel, the method comprising:
transmitting a frame, including a schedule from the access point to a plurality of stations, the schedule including assignments of one or more sub-bands in at least one sub-channel of the wireless channel to each station in the plurality of stations,
wherein each station in the plurality of stations uses the assigned sub-band for a multi-user, simultaneous communication with the access point.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sub-bands are assigned from a primary channel of the wireless channel.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless channel includes a plurality of sub-channels and one or more sub-bands are assigned to each station in the plurality of stations from each of the plurality of sub-channels such that the each station in the plurality of stations is assigned at least one sub-band in each of the plurality of sub-channels.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein each sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a 20 MHz channel.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless channel includes a plurality of sub-channels, and
wherein sub-bands in one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels are assigned to at least two separate stations in the plurality of stations.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein one sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a primary sub-channel such that all transmissions on the wireless channel includes the primary sub-channel,
wherein the assignment of sub-bands, in one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels to at least two separate stations in the plurality of stations, prioritizes the primary sub-channel over the other sub-channels in the plurality of sub-channels.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein one sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a primary sub-channel such that all transmissions on the wireless channel includes the primary sub-channel,
wherein the assignment of sub-bands, in one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels to at least two separate stations in the plurality of stations, prioritizes a sub-channel other than the primary sub-channel.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein (1) one sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a primary sub-channel such that all transmissions on the wireless channel includes the primary sub-channel and (2) one sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a secondary sub-channel such that all transmissions that are double a bandwidth of the primary sub-channel includes the secondary sub-channel,
wherein the assignment of sub-bands, in one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels to at least two separate stations in the plurality of stations, prioritizes the secondary sub-channel over the other sub-channels in the plurality of sub-channels.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a set of stations in the plurality of stations with a highest signal strength over a period of time,
wherein one or more stations from the set of stations is assigned to one or more sub-channels in the plurality of sub-channels.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein one sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels is a primary sub-channel such that all transmissions on the wireless channel includes the primary sub-channel,
wherein the assignment of the one or more stations from the set of stations to one or more sub-channels in the plurality of sub-channels prioritizes the primary sub-channel over the other sub-channels in the plurality of sub-channels.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule is represented in one of (1) a trigger frame, which schedules an uplink transmission from the plurality of stations, and (2) a signaling field of a downlink multi-user transmission from the access point to the plurality of stations.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless channel includes a plurality of sub-channels, and
wherein at least two stations in the plurality of stations is assigned to each sub-channel in the plurality of sub-channels.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an interfering wireless signal from a device outside a basic service set (BSS) of the access point, the interfering wireless signal at least partially occupies one or more sub-bands of one or more sub-channels of the wireless channel; and
precluding assignment of the one or more sub-bands, upon which the interfering wireless signal is detected, to a station in the plurality of stations in response to/detecting the interfering wireless signal.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the schedule indicates that the one or more sub-bands, upon which the interfering wireless signal is detected, are avoided for multi-user, simultaneous communication with the access point while other sub-bands, upon which the interfering wireless signal has not been detected, are used for multi-user, simultaneous communication with the access point.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the schedule indicates a non-contiguous set of sub-channels upon which multi-user, simultaneous communication is conducted with the access point.
16 . A method for a wireless communications system in which an access point wirelessly communicates with a plurality of stations, the method comprising:
transmitting a frame including a schedule from the access point to a plurality of stations, the schedule including assignment of at least one station in the plurality of stations to at least one sub-band in each sub-channel of a wireless channel occupied by the frame,
wherein each station in the plurality of stations uses the assigned sub-band for a multi-user, simultaneous communication with the access point.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each sub-channel of the wireless channel is assigned at least one common station from the plurality of stations.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each sub-channel of the wireless channel is assigned a different station from the plurality of stations.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least two sub-channels of the wireless channel are assigned different stations from the plurality of stations.
20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the schedule includes assignment of at least two stations in the plurality of stations to at least two sub-bands in each sub-channel of a wireless channel occupied by the frame.