Access point and method for aggregate MPDU (A-MPDU) and power-save multi-poll (PSMP) operation
Embodiments of wireless devices and methods for aggregate MPDU (A-MPDU) communications in an IEEE 802.11n network are generally described herein. Two or more A-MPDU subframes are aggregated to form an A-MPDU. In some embodiments, an access point (AP) that is configured for power-save multi-poll (PSMP) operation transmits a PSMP burst comprising a PSMP sequence of two or more A-MPDUs to a plurality of mobile stations (STA) during a downlink phase of the PSMP sequence. During PSMP operation, the AP is to receive a PSMP sequence of two or more A-MPDUs from the STAs during an uplink phase of the PSMP sequence.
1. An apparatus of an access point (AP), the apparatus comprising memory; and
logic circuitry coupled to the memory, the logic circuitry configured to:
generate a power-save multi-poll (PSMP) frame as part of a PSMP sequence, the PSMP frame comprising a first mapping; configure aggregated MAC protocol data units (A-MPDUs) for transmission as part of the PSMP sequence,
the PSMP sequence configurable to include both group-addressed frames and individually addressed frames to two or more scheduled mobile stations; configure the AP to transmit the A-MPDUs during a downlink phase of the PSMP sequence;
decode during an uplink phase of the PSMP sequence, uplink A-MPDUs sequentially from the two or more scheduled mobile stations in accordance with the first mapping, each received uplink A-MPDU including at least an acknowledgement; and
configure the AP to transmit a second mapping when an acknowledgement is not received from one or more of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase, the second mapping for the one or more mobile stations for which the acknowledgement was not received.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the logic circuitry is further configured to decode uplink A-MPDUs in accordance with the second mapping.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the logic circuitry is configured to decode the uplink A-MPDUs from each scheduled mobile station during the uplink phase without the scheduled mobile station having to perform a clear-channel assessment procedure.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the logic circuit is configured to obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for the PSMP sequence,
wherein the receipt of the uplink A-MPDUs occurs during the TXOP.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the PSMP frame is transmitted after a point coordination function (PCF) interframe spacing (PIFS) when an acknowledgement is expected to be received but had not yet been received from one of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the logic circuitry is further configured to transmit the first mapping prior to the downlink phase, the first mapping to indicate the mapping.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the PSMP sequence is further configured to include A-MPDUs with multiple traffic identifiers, and
wherein the logic circuitry further configures the AP to transmit an additional A-MPDU that includes a multi-traffic-ID block acknowledgement to acknowledge uplink data as part of an additional PSMP sequence that is part of a PSMP burst.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein after the uplink phase, the apparatus configures the AP to transit an additional PSMP sequence for resource allocation and error recovery.
9. A method performed by an apparatus of an access point (AP), the method comprising:
generating a power-save multi-poll (PSMP) frame as part of a PSMP sequence, the PSMP frame comprising a first mapping;
configuring aggregated medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (A-MPDUs) for transmission as part of the PSMP sequence, the PSMP sequence configurable to include both group-addressed frames and individually addressed frames to two or more scheduled mobile stations;
configuring the AP to transmit the A-MPDUs during a downlink phase of the PSMP sequence;
decoding during an uplink phase of the PSMP sequence, uplink A-MPDUs sequentially from the two or more scheduled mobile stations in accordance with the first mapping, each received uplink A-MPDU including at least an acknowledgement; and
configuring the AP to transmit a second mapping frame when an acknowledgement is not received from one or more of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase, the second mapping of the one or more mobile stations for which the acknowledgement was not received.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising decoding uplink A-MPDUs in accordance with the second mapping.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising decoding the uplink A-MPDUs from each scheduled mobile station during the uplink phase without the scheduled mobile station having to perform a clear-channel assessment procedure.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising obtaining a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for the PSMP sequence,
wherein the receipt of the uplink A-MPDUs occurs during the TXOP.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the PSMP frame is to be transmitted after a point coordination function (PCF) interframe spacing (PIFS) when an acknowledgement is expected to be received but had not yet been received from one of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising configuring the AP to transmit the first mapping prior to the downlink phase, the first mapping to indicate the mapping.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the PSMP sequence is further configured include A-MPDUs with multiple traffic identifiers, and
wherein the method further comprises configuring the AP to transmit an additional A-MPDU that includes a multi-traffic-ID block acknowledgement to acknowledge uplink data as part of an additional PSMP sequence that is part of a PSMP burst.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein after the uplink phase, the AP is configured to transit an additional PSMP sequence for resource allocation and error recovery.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors,
the instructions to configure the one or more processors to cause an apparatus of an access point (AP) to:
generate a power-save multi-poll (PSMP) frame as part of a PSMP sequence, the PSMP frame comprising a first mapping;
configure aggregated medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (A-MPDUs) for transmission as part of the PSMP sequence,
the PSMP sequence configurable to include both group-addressed frames and individually addressed frames to two or more scheduled mobile stations; configure the AP to transmit the A-MPDUs during a downlink phase of the PSMP sequence; and
decode during an uplink phase of the PSMP sequence, uplink A-MPDUs sequentially from the two or more scheduled mobile stations in accordance with the first mapping, each received uplink A-MPDU including at least an acknowledgement;
configure the AP to transmit a second mapping when an acknowledgement is not received from one or more of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase, the second mapping for the one or more mobile stations for which the acknowledgement was not received.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to:
configure the AP to transmit a second mapping when an acknowledgement is not received from one or more of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase, the second mapping for the one or more mobile stations for which the acknowledgement was not received; decode uplink A-MPDUs in accordance with the second mapping.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the instructions configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to receive the uplink A-MPDUs from each scheduled mobile station during the uplink phase without the scheduled mobile station having to perform a clear-channel assessment procedure.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to obtain a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for the PSMP sequence,
wherein the receipt of the uplink A-MPDUs occurs during the TXOP.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the PSMP frame is transmitted after a point coordination function (PCF) interframe spacing (PIFS) when an acknowledgement is expected to be received but had not yet been received from one of the scheduled mobile stations during the uplink phase.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to configure the AP to transmit the first mapping prior to the downlink phase, the first mapping to indicate the mapping.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the PSMP sequence is further configured to include A-MPDUs with multiple traffic identifiers, and wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to transmit an additional A-MPDU that includes a multi-traffic-ID block acknowledgement to acknowledge uplink data as part of an additional PSMP sequence that is part of a PSMP burst.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to configure the AP to transit an additional PSMP sequence after the uplink phase for resource allocation and error recovery.
25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is to generate the PSMP sequence to include one or more packet protocol data units (PPDUs).