Methods and apparatus for protecting transmissions in a wireless communication network

1. A method for protecting transmissions in a shared communication medium, the method comprising:

setting, at a communication device, a channel access timer to a duration for which a shared communication medium is expected to be busy in a basic service set (BSS) heard by the communication device;

counting down, with the communication device, the channel access timer; and

before the channel access timer reaches zero

recording, with the communication device in a BSS record maintained by the communication device, respective indications of respective contention free period durations in multiple basic service sets (BSSs) heard by the communication device, including recording, for each particular BSS of the multiple BSSs heard by the communication device, (i) an identifier of the particular BSS and (ii) a time offset value indicating a time difference between an end of a contention free period in the particular BSS and an end of a contention free period in the BSS based on which the channel access timer is currently set at the communication device, so that the communication device can keep track of the respective contention free periods in the multiple BSSs heard by the communication device,

receiving, at the communication device, a data unit,

determining, with the communication device based on a comparison of (i) a duration indication included in the data unit and (ii) a current value of the channel access timer, whether the channel access timer should be reset, and

when it is determined that the duration indicated in the data unit is greater than the current value of the channel access timer,

resetting, with the communication device, the channel access timer based on the duration indicated in the data unit, and

updating, with the communication device, time offset values in the BSS record to indicate offsets with respect to the channel access timer, reset based on the duration indicated in the data unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the channel access timer comprises setting the channel access timer based on a duration indication included in a data unit that (i) is received by the communication device and (ii) is addressed to another communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier of the particular BSS is a BSS color obtained from a signal field of a preamble of a data unit corresponding to the particular BSS, wherein the data unit (i) is received by the communication device and (ii) is addressed to another communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BSS record comprises one of (i) a linear data structure, (ii) a min heap data structure or (iii) a max heap data structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the channel access timer reaches zero,

receiving, at the communication device, a contention free end (CF-end) data unit;

identifying, at the communication device, a BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds;

determining, at the communication device, whether the channel access timer is currently set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds; and

when it is determined that the channel access timer is currently set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds,

determining, with the communication device based on the BSS record, a value for resetting the channel access timer, and

resetting, with the communication device, the channel access timer to the determined value.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, when it is determined that the channel access timer is currently not set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds, deleting, with the communication device, a corresponding entry from the BSS record.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the channel access timer reaches zero

receiving, at the communication device, a trigger data unit to trigger an uplink transmission by the communication device, and

determining, with the communication device based on the BSS record, whether the communication device is to refrain from transmitting the uplink transmission triggered by the trigger data unit.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the communication device is associated with a particular BSS, and wherein determining whether the communication device is to refrain from transmitting the uplink transmission includes determining whether the BSS record indicates on-going contention free periods in one or more BSSs other than the particular BSS with which the communication device is associated.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising in response to determining that the BSS record indicates an on-going contention free period in only the BSS with which the communication device is associated, transmitting, with the communication device, the uplink transmission triggered by the trigger data unit.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a network interface having one or more integrated circuits configured to set a channel access timer to a duration for which a shared communication medium is expected to be busy in a basic service set (BSS) heard by the communication device; count down the channel access timer; and

before the channel access timer reaches zero

record, in a BSS record maintained by the communication device, respective indications of respective contention free period durations in multiple basic service sets (BSSs) heard by the communication device, including recording, for each particular BSS of the multiple BSSs heard by the communication device, (i) an identifier of the particular BSS and (ii) a time offset value indicating a time difference between an end of a contention free period in the particular BSS and an end of a contention free period in the BSS based on which the channel access timer is currently set at the communication device, so that the communication device can keep track of the respective contention free periods in the multiple BSSs heard by the communication device,

receive a data unit,

determine based on a comparison of (i) a duration indication included in the data unit and (ii) a current value of the channel access timer, whether the channel access timer should be reset, and

when it is determined that the duration indicated in the data unit is greater than the current value of the channel access timer,

reset the channel access timer based on the duration indicated in the data unit, and

update time offset values in the BSS record to indicate offsets with respect to the channel access timer reset based on the duration indicated in the data unit.

11. The communication device of claim 10 , the one or more integrated circuits are configured to set the channel access timer based on a duration indication included in a data unit that (i) is received by the communication device and (ii) is addressed to another communication device.

12. The communication device of claim 10 , wherein the identifier of the particular BSS is a BSS color obtained from a signal field of a preamble of a data unit corresponding to the particular BSS, wherein the data unit (i) is received by the communication device and (ii) is addressed to another communication device.

13. The communication device of claim 10 , wherein the BSS record comprises one of (i) a linear data structure, (ii) a min heap data structure or (iii) a max heap data structure.

14. The communication device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, before the channel access timer reaches zero,

receive a contention free end (CF-end) data unit;

identify a BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds;

determine, whether the channel access timer is currently set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds; and

when it is determined that the channel access timer is currently set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds,

determine, based on the BSS record, a value for resetting the channel access timer, and

reset the channel access timer to the determined value.

15. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, when it is determined that the channel access timer is currently not set based on the BSS to which the CF-end data unit corresponds, delete a corresponding entry from the BSS record.

16. The communication device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, before the channel access timer reaches zero,

receive a trigger data unit to trigger an uplink transmission by the communication device, and

determine, based on the BSS record, whether the communication device is to refrain from transmitting the triggered uplink transmission.

17. The communication device of claim 16 , wherein the communication device is associated with a particular BSS, and wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to determine whether the communication device is to refrain from transmitting the uplink transmission at least by determining whether the BSS record indicates on-going contention free periods in one or more BSSs other than the particular BSS with which the communication device is associated.

18. The communication device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, in response to determining that the BSS record indicates an on-going contention free period in only the BSS with which the communication device is associated, the uplink transmission triggered by the trigger data unit.