Apparatus and methods for channel access in WLAN

1. A method implemented by an Access Point (AP) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to facilitate an unassociated station (STA) to participate in an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission, the method comprising:

receiving a request frame from the unassociated STA;

generating a response frame, wherein the response frame includes timing information regarding a future transmission, by the AP, of a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes scheduling information for scheduling an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission, wherein at least one transmission resource unit allocated for the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission allows random access, wherein the timing information includes an indication of a target trigger time (TTT) of the trigger frame that represents a time at which the AP will transmit the trigger frame, wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a trigger frame transmission period (TTP) that represents a period between the trigger frame and a next trigger frame, and wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a TTP limit that represents a time at which the TTP expires; and

transmitting the response frame to the unassociated STA through a wireless medium.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the trigger frame; and

transmitting the trigger frame through the wireless medium at a time according to the timing information included in the response frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a transmission resource unit allows random access when the transmission resource unit is available to more than one STA during the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request frame is a probe request frame and the response frame is a probe response frame.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request frame is an association request frame and the response frame is an association response frame.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request frame is a first authentication frame and the response frame is a second authentication frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger frame is the next trigger frame, after the response frame, that allocates at least one transmission resource unit that allows random access.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the response frame includes an indication that the trigger frame will include scheduling information for scheduling an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission that allows random access.

9. A method implemented by a station (STA) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to participate in an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission to an Access Point (AP), where the STA is an unassociated STA with respect to the AP, the method comprising:

transmitting a request frame to the AP through a wireless medium; and

receiving a response frame from the AP, wherein the response frame includes timing information regarding a future transmission, by the AP, of a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes scheduling information for scheduling an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission, wherein at least one transmission resource unit allocated for the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission allows random access, wherein the timing information includes an indication of a target trigger time (TTT) of the trigger frame that represents a time at which the AP will transmit the trigger frame, wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a trigger frame transmission period (TTP) that represents a period between the trigger frame and a next trigger frame, and wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a TTP limit that represents a time at which the TTP expires.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transitioning to a sleep state until a time when the AP is expected to transmit the trigger frame, according to the timing information; and

transitioning to an awake state based on the time when the AP is expected to transmit the trigger frame.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving the trigger frame after transitioning to the awake state; and

transmitting a follow-up frame to the AP through the wireless medium during the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission using the at least one transmission resource unit that allows random access.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request frame is a probe request frame and the response frame is a probe response frame.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the follow-up frame includes buffer status information of the STA.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request frame is an association request frame and the response frame is an association response frame.

15. A network device to function as a station (STA) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to participate in an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission to an Access Point (AP), where the STA is an unassociated STA with respect to the AP, the network device comprising:

a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver;

a set of one or more processors; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored therein a random access module, which when executed by the set of one or more processors, causes the network device, when functioning as the STA, to transmit a request frame to the AP through a wireless medium and receive a response frame from the AP, wherein the response frame includes timing information regarding a future transmission, by the AP, of a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes scheduling information for scheduling an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission, wherein at least one transmission resource unit allocated for the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission allows random access, wherein the timing information includes an indication of a target trigger time (TTT) of the trigger frame that represents a time at which the AP will transmit the trigger frame, wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a trigger frame transmission period (TTP) that represents a period between the trigger frame and a next trigger frame, and wherein the timing information further includes an indication of a TTP limit that represents a time at which the TTP expires.

16. The network device of claim 15 , wherein the random access module, when executed by the set of one or more processors, further causes the network device to transition to a sleep state until a time when the AP is expected to transmit the trigger frame, according to the timing information, and transition to an awake state based on at the time when the AP is expected to transmit the trigger frame.

17. The network device of claim 16 , wherein the random access module, when executed by the set of one or more processors, further causes the network device to receive the trigger frame after transitioning to the awake state and transmit a follow-up frame to the AP through the wireless medium during the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission using the at least one transmission resource unit that allows random access.