Methods and apparatus for channel state information sounding and feedback
Methods and apparatus for channel state information sounding and feedback are provided. In an aspects, a first message is transmitted to one or more wireless communication devices requesting channel state information. In accordance with this aspects, the first message comprises a header and a payload, the header comprising a plurality of fields of a first field type which are useable to determine the channel state information, and the payload comprising parameters for estimating the channel state information. In certain aspects, the channel state information parameters are also provided in the header of the first message. In various aspects a second message comprising the channel state information is received from the one or more wireless communication devices. In one aspect, the first message is a physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), and the first field type is a long training field (LTF).
1. A method of communication in a wireless network, the method comprising:
transmitting a first message to one or more wireless communication devices, the first message requesting channel state information from the one or more wireless communication devices, the first message comprising a header and a payload, the header comprising a plurality of fields of a first field type which are useable to determine the channel state information, and the payload comprising:
a sounding announcement configured to identify intended recipients of the sounding announcement and identify parameters for channel state information transmission; and
parameters for estimating the channel state information,
wherein the header further comprises a field of a second field type, the field of the second field type comprising one or more bits indicating a presence or number of the plurality of fields of the first field type in the header, and wherein the first field type is a long training field (LTF) and the second field type is either a high-efficiency SIG-A field or a high-efficiency SIG-B field.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second message from the one or more wireless communication devices, the second message comprising the channel state information.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the channel state information is received simultaneously from at least two of the one or more wireless communication devices on two or more tones, spatial streams, or sub-bands.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload further comprises identifiers of the one or more wireless communication devices.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the header further comprises identifiers of the one or more wireless communication devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload comprises a sounding physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), and wherein the sounding PPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) medium access control (MAC) frame.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload comprises an aggregated medium access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU), wherein an MPDU of the A-MPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA), and wherein the header further comprises an indication that a group of wireless communication devices with a first set of capabilities are to decode the A-MPDU, at least until the NDPA is decoded.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload comprises a high-efficiency (HE) control field comprising the parameters for estimating the channel state information.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload is transmitted on two or more tones or sub-bands, and wherein the payload further comprises tone or sub-band allocation information identifying the one or more wireless communication devices.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payload further comprises an indication of a tone or sub-band for which the channel state information is requested.
11. An apparatus for wireless communication in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to generate a first message, the first message requesting channel state information from one or more wireless communication devices, the first message comprising a header and a payload, the header comprising a plurality of fields of a first field type which are useable to determine the channel state information, and the payload comprising:
a sounding announcement configured to identify intended recipients of the sounding announcement and identify parameters for channel state information transmission; and
parameters for estimating the channel state information;
a transmitter configured to transmit the first message to the one or more wireless communication devices,
wherein the header further comprises a field of a second field type, the field of the second field type comprising one or more bits indicating a presence or number of the plurality of fields of the first field type in the header, and wherein the first field type is a long training field (LTF) and the second field type is either a high-efficiency SIG-A field or a high-efficiency SIG-B field.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a second message from the one or more wireless communication devices, the second message comprising the channel state information.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the channel state information is received simultaneously from at least two of the one or more wireless communication devices on two or more tones, spatial streams, or sub-bands.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the payload comprises a sounding physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), and wherein the sounding PPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) medium access control (MAC) frame.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the payload comprises an aggregated medium access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU), wherein an MPDU of the A-MPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA), and wherein the header further comprises an indication that a group of wireless communication devices with a first set of capabilities are to decode the A-MPDU, at least until the NDPA is decoded.
16. An apparatus for wireless communication in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising:
means for generating a first message, the first message requesting channel state information from one or more wireless communication devices, the first message comprising a header and a payload, the header comprising a plurality of fields of a first field type which are useable to determine the channel state information, and the payload comprising:
a sounding announcement configured to identify intended recipients of the sounding announcement and identify parameters for channel state information transmission; and
parameters for estimating the channel state information;
means for transmitting the first message to the one or more wireless communication devices,
wherein the header further comprises a field of a second field type, the field of the second field type comprising one or more bits indicating a presence or number of the plurality of fields of the first field type in the header, and wherein the first field type is a long training field (LTF) and the second field type is either a high-efficiency SIG-A field or a high-efficiency SIG-B field.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
means for receiving a second message from the one or more wireless communication devices, the second message comprising the channel state information.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the channel state information is received simultaneously from at least two of the one or more wireless communication devices on two or more tones, spatial streams, or sub-bands.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the payload comprises a sounding physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), and wherein the sounding PPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) medium access control (MAC) frame.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the payload comprises an aggregated medium access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU), wherein an MPDU of the A-MPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA), and wherein the header further comprises an indication that a group of wireless communication devices with a first set of capabilities are to decode the A-MPDU, at least until the NDPA is decoded.
21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon, instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of an apparatus to:
transmit a first message to one or more wireless communication devices, the first message requesting channel state information from the one or more wireless communication devices, the first message comprising a header and a payload, the header comprising a plurality of fields of a first field type which are useable to determine the channel state information, and the payload comprising:
a sounding announcement configured to identify intended recipients of the sounding announcement and identify parameters for channel state information transmission; and
parameters for estimating the channel state information,
wherein the header further comprises a field of a second field type, the field of the second field type comprising one or more bits indicating a presence or number of the plurality of fields of the first field type in the header, and wherein the first field type is a long training field (LTF) and the second field type is either a high-efficiency SIG-A field or a high-efficiency SIG-B field.
22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed, also cause a processor of the apparatus to:
receive a second message from the one or more wireless communication devices, the second message comprising the channel state information.
23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the channel state information is received simultaneously from at least two of the one or more wireless communication devices on two or more tones, spatial streams, or sub-bands.
24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the payload comprises a sounding physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU), and wherein the sounding PPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) medium access control (MAC) frame.
25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the payload comprises an aggregated medium access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU), wherein an MPDU of the A-MPDU comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA), and wherein the header further comprises an indication that a group of wireless communication devices with a first set of capabilities are to decode the A-MPDU, at least until the NDPA is decoded.