Power saving mechanism for MU-MIMO transmissions
Techniques for power saving by remote wireless mobile devices are provided, in particular by stations (STAs) during downlink (DL) multiple-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmissions in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ay network when reverse direction (RD) transmissions are either enabled and not enabled. Various embodiments enable each STA in a group of STAs to determine an order in which the STAs are requested to send a block acknowledgement (BACK) and which STAs will be granted an RD transmission. Further, a duration of each RD transmission is provided to each STA. Based on the provided information, each STA can determine times to enter a power saving mode. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory of a first station (STA); and
processing circuitry of the first STA coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry to:
process a first multiple-user PHY protocol data unit (MU-PPDU) communicated in a downlink (DL) multiple-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) communication to initiate a reverse direction communication;
cause transmission of the reverse direction communication including a first block acknowledgement and data in response to reception of the first MU-PPDU;
cause the first STA to be in a power save state between the first block acknowledgement until receipt of a second MU-MIMO PPDU including a second aggregate medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (A-MPDU); and
process a second block acknowledgement communicated to acknowledge the reverse direction communication.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a bit of a reverse direction (RD) indication set to 1 to initiate a reverse direction communication.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a Response Duration for a reverse direction (RD) responder.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a request for a block acknowledgement frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a quality of service (QoS) frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a block acknowledgement request frame and a QoS Null frame are aggregated in a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) of the MU-PPDU.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the MU-PPDU is received from one of an access point (AP) and personal basic service set (PBSS) control point (PCP).
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first STA is one of a plurality of STAs in a MU-MIMO group.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a transceiver; and
one or more antennas coupled with the transceiver.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , the processing circuitry to cause transmission of the reverse direction communication to one of an access point (AP) and a personal basic service set (PBSS) control point (PCP) via the transceiver and one or more antennas.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions, that when executed, enable processing circuitry to:
process a first multiple-user PHY protocol data unit (MU-PPDU) communicated in a downlink (DL) multiple-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) communication to initiate a reverse direction communication;
cause transmission of the reverse direction communication including a first block acknowledgement and data in response to reception of the first MU-PPDU;
cause a first STA to be in a power save state between the first block acknowledgement until receipt of a second MU-MIMO PPDU including a second aggregate medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (A-MPDU); and
process a second block acknowledgement communicated to acknowledge the reverse direction communication.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a bit of a reverse direction (RD) indication set to 1 to initiate a reverse direction communication.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a Response Duration for a reverse direction (RD) responder.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a request for a block acknowledgement frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a quality of service (QoS) frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
processing a first multiple-user PHY protocol data unit (MU-PPDU) communicated in a downlink (DL) multiple-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) communication to initiate a reverse direction communication;
causing transmission of the reverse direction communication including a first block acknowledgement and data in response to reception of the first MU-PPDU;
causing the a STA to be in a power save state between the first block acknowledgement until receipt of a second MU-MIMO PPDU including a second aggregate medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (A-MPDU); and
processing a second block acknowledgement communicated to acknowledge the reverse direction communication.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a bit of a reverse direction (RD) indication set to 1 to initiate a reverse direction communication.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a Response Duration for a reverse direction (RD) responder.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a request for a block acknowledgement frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , the first MU-PPDU comprising a quality of service (QoS) frame to initiate a reverse direction communication.
21. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , comprising causing transmission of the reverse direction communication to one of an access point (AP) and personal basic service set (PBSS) control point (PCP) via a transceiver coupled one or more antennas.