IMPROVED SIGNALLING FIELD IN UPLINK MU-MIMO
Disclosed in some examples are devices (e.g., APs, STAs, and the like), methods, and machine readable mediums which provide for proper channel estimation and frame reception in Uplink MU-MIMO systems by changing the way transmission parameters from the VHT-SIG-A are communicated to the recipients in the preamble. The transmission parameters contained in the VHT-SIG-A field may be communicated to the STAs in advance of the MU-MIMO transmissions. In other examples the transmission parameters contained in the VHT-SIG-A field may be moved to locations in the preamble that come after the VHT-STF and VHT-LTF so that the transmission parameters may be decoded.
1 - 22 . (canceled)
23 . A wireless station (STA) comprising:
a first protocol layer module configured to:
receive STA specific Uplink Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output (UL MU-MIMO) transmission parameters in a protocol message of a protocol that is of a higher layer than a physical layer;
a physical layer module configured to:
receive an medium access control protocol data unit (MPDU) for transmission; and
generate a physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU) based upon the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters and the MPDU; and
a transmission and reception module configured to:
send the PPDU utilizing the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters.
24 . The STA of claim 23 , wherein the PPDU includes a Very High Throughput Signal A (VHT-SIG A) field which does not include the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters.
25 . The STA of claim 23 , wherein the first protocol layer module is configured to receive general UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters that are not specific to a particular STA in the protocol message, wherein the general UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters provide the same transmission parameters to a plurality of stations that are arranged for the UL-MU-MIMO transmissions.
26 . The STA of claim 23 , wherein the protocol message is a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.
27 . The STA of claim 23 , wherein the STA specific parameters includes one or more of: modulation and coding scheme information (MCS), a length of a data field, a coding type, and spatial stream information.
28 . The STA of claim 23 , wherein the PPDU excludes at least one of the Legacy Short Training Field, Legacy Long Training Field, Legacy Signal, and Very High Throughput Signal A fields.
29 . A non-transitory machine readable medium that stores instructions, which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
receiving station (STA) specific Uplink Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output (UL MU-MIMO) transmission parameters in a protocol message of a protocol that is of a higher layer than a physical layer;
receiving an medium access control protocol data unit (MPDU) for transmission;
generating a physical layer convergence protocol data unit (PPDU) based upon the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters and the MPDU; and
sending the PPDU utilizing the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters.
30 . The machine readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the PPDU includes a Very High Throughput Signal A (VHT-SIG A) field which does not include the STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters.
31 . The machine readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving general UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters that are not specific to a particular STA in the protocol message, wherein the general UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters provide the same transmission parameters to a plurality of stations that are arranged for the UL-MU-MIMO transmissions.
32 . The machine readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the protocol message is a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol.
33 . The machine readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the STA specific parameters includes one or more of: modulation and coding scheme information (MCS), a length of a data field, a coding type, and spatial stream information.
34 . The machine readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the PPDU excludes at least one of the Legacy Short Training Field, Legacy Long Training Field, Legacy Signal, and Very High Throughput Signal A fields.
35 . An Access Point (AP) comprising:
a transmission and reception module configured to:
transmit to a plurality of stations (STA) STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters in a protocol message of a protocol that is of a higher layer than a physical layer; and
receive a plurality of PPDUs from the plurality of STA;
a physical layer module configured to:
decode the plurality of PPDUs from the plurality of STA by utilizing the transmitted STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters and ignoring any STA specific parameters in a preamble field of the PPDUs that is prior to a MU-MIMO training field.
36 . The AP of claim 35 , wherein the preamble field is a Very High Throughput Signal A field.
37 . The AP of claim 35 , wherein the MU-MIMO training field is one of a Very High Throughput Short Training Field, Very High Throughput Long Training Field.
38 . The AP of claim 35 , wherein the protocol message is a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol message.
39 . A non-transitory machine readable medium that stores instructions, which when performed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
transmitting to a plurality of stations (STA) STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters in a protocol message of a protocol that is of a higher layer than a physical layer;
receiving a plurality of PPDUs from the plurality of STA by utilizing the transmitted STA specific UL MU-MIMO transmission parameters and ignoring any STA specific parameters in a preamble field of the PPDUs that is prior to a MU-MIMO training field.
40 . The machine readable medium of claim 39 , wherein the preamble field is a Very High Throughput Signal A field.
41 . The machine readable medium of claim 39 , wherein the MU-MIMO training field is one of a Very High Throughput Short Training Field, Very High Throughput Long Training Field.
42 . The machine readable medium of claim 39 , wherein the protocol message is a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol message.