Spatial reuse in WLAN multi-AP network
Systems and methods of WLAN communication including efficient spatial reuse mechanisms for relay transmissions between a repeater network and non-AP STAs in OFDMA. The non-AP STAs are grouped based on their connectivity with the individual repeaters and the radio coverage regions of the repeaters. Each group is either a non-overlapping group with the constituent non-AP STAs located in a non-overlapping coverage region of a particular repeater, or an overlapping group with the constituent non-AP STAs located in an overlapping coverage region of two or more repeaters. Based on the grouping, certain RUs (or subchannels) are reused for multiple groups without causing inter-group interference, thereby expanding the bandwidths used in the relay operations. RU allocation based on grouping can be used in combination with transmit power adjustment to achieve efficient spatial reuse in OFDMA.
1. A method of wireless communication; said method comprising:
at a wireless communication device, assigning a plurality of non-access-point (non-AP) stations (STAs) into a set of groups, wherein:
an AP is configured to serve said plurality of non-AP STAs through a coordinated transmission network comprising a first coordinated device and a second coordinated device;
said first coordinated device and said second coordinated device have an overlapping coverage area with respect to a first Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission; and
said set of groups comprises: an overlapping group located within said overlapping coverage area; and a first non-overlapping group and a second non-overlapping group located outside said overlapping coverage area;
allocating a first set of resource units (RUs) for a first coordinated transmission operation between said first coordinated device and a first set of non-AP STAs in said first non-overlapping group;
allocating said first set of RUs for a second coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a second set of non-AP STAs in said second non-overlapping group;
allocating a second set of RUs for a third coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a third set of non-AP STAs in said overlapping group, wherein said first set and said second set of RUs are exclusive of each other, and wherein each set of said first, said second and said third sets of non-AP STAs comprises one or more non-AP STAs, wherein said first, said second and said third coordinated transmission operations are simultaneous;
initiating said first Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission comprising said first, said second and said third coordinated transmissions, wherein said first OFDMA transmission is a downlink transmission;
further allocating said second set of RUs for said first coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission; and
adjusting a transmit power of said first coordinated device associated with said first coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission based on a spatial reuse parameter carried in a prior uplink transmission from a non-AP STA in said overlapping group to said second coordinated device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said allocating said first set of RUs is based on first information indicating that: said first set of non-AP STAs is within a coverage area of said first coordinated device and outside said overlapping coverage area; and said second set of non-AP STAs is within said overlapping coverage area, wherein said first information originates from said first set of non-AP STAs and said second set of non-AP STAs and comprises one of: a received power ratio; a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR); and Channel Status Information (CSI).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first OFDMA transmission is a downlink transmission from said coordinated transmission network to said plurality of non-AP STAs.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said plurality of non-AP STAs are assigned into a different set of groups during an uplink OFDMA transmission from said plurality of non-AP STAs to said coordinated transmission network, wherein said different groups comprise an overlapping group and a non-overlapping groups.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first OFDMA transmission is an uplink transmission from said plurality of non-AP STAs to said coordinated transmission network.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said set of groups further comprises a fourth set of non-AP STAs in said overlapping group, and further comprising allocating said a third set of RUs for a fourth coordinated transmission operation between said first coordinated device and said fourth set of non-AP STAs, wherein said first OFDMA transmission further comprises said fourth coordinated transmission operation, wherein said first, said second and said third sets of RUs are exclusive of each other.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
further allocating said first set of RUs for said third coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission; and
adjusting a transmit power used for said third coordinated transmission operation based on a spatial reuse parameter carried in a prior downlink transmission from said first coordinated device to a non-AP STA in said first non-overlapping group.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a coordinating signal to initiate a coordinated nulling, transmission between said plurality of non-AP STAs and said coordinated transmission network.
9. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising transmitting a coordinating signal to initiate a coordinated Multi-User-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) transmission between said plurality of non-AP STAs and said coordinated transmission network.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allocating both said first and said second sets of RUs for:
a fifth coordinated transmission operation between said first coordinated device and a set of non-AP STAs comprised in said first non-overlapping group; and
a sixth coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a set of non-AP STAs comprised in said second non-overlapping group; and
initiating a second OFDMA transmission comprising said fifth and said sixth coordinated transmission operations.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising aligning ends of packets transmitted in said first coordinated transmission operation and said second coordinated transmission operation.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a trigger frame to initiate said OFDMA transmission.
13. A wireless communication device comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to said memory;
an antenna; and
a transceiver comprising a signal processor and coupled to said processor, said memory and said antenna, wherein said memory stores instructions that, when executed by said processor, causing said wireless communication device to perform a method of:
assigning a plurality of non-access-point (non-AP) stations (STAs) into a set of groups, wherein:
a coordinating AP STA is configured to serve said plurality of non-AP STAs through a coordinated wireless network comprising a first coordinated device and a second coordinated device;
said first coordinated device and said second coordinated device have an overlapping coverage area; and
said set of groups comprises: an overlapping group located within said overlapping coverage area; and a first non-overlapping group and a second non-overlapping group located outside said overlapping coverage area;
allocating first set of RUs for a first coordinated operation between said first coordinated device and a first set of non-AP STAs in said first non-overlapping group;
allocating said first set of RUs for a second coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a second set of non-AP STAs in said second non-overlapping group;
allocating a second set of RUs for a third coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a third set of non-AP STAs in said overlapping group, wherein said first set and said second set of RUs are exclusive of each other, and wherein each set of said first set, said second set and said third set of non-AP STAs comprises one or more non-AP STAs;
initiating a first Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission comprising said first, said second and said third coordinated transmission operations, wherein said first OFDMA transmission is a downlink transmission;
further allocating said second set of RUs for said first coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission; and
adjusting a transmit power of said first coordinated device associated with said first coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission based on a spatial reuse parameter carried in a prior uplink transmission from a non-AP STA in said overlapping group to said second coordinated device.
14. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said allocating said first set of RUs is based on first information indicating that: said first set of non-AP STAs are within a coverage area of said first coordinated device and outside said overlapping area; and said second set of non-AP STAs are within said overlapping coverage area, wherein said first information originates from said first set non-AP STAs and said second set of non-AP STAs and comprises one of: a received power ratio; a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR); and Channel Status Information (CSI).
15. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said first OFDMA transmission is a downlink transmission from said coordinated wireless network to said plurality of non-AP STAs.
16. The wireless communication device of claim 15 , wherein said plurality of non-AP STAs are assigned into a different set of groups during an uplink OFDMA transmission by using said first coordinated device and said second coordinated device.
17. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said first OFDMA transmission is an uplink transmission from said plurality of non-AP STAs to said coordinated wireless network.
18. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said plurality of non-AP STAs further comprises a fourth set of non-AP STAs in said overlapping group, and wherein said method further comprises allocating said a third set of RUs for a fourth coordinated transmission operation between said first coordinated device and said fourth set of non-AP STAs, wherein said first OFDMA transmission further comprises said fourth coordinated transmission operation, wherein said first, said second and said third sets of RUs are exclusive of each other.
19. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said method further comprises:
further allocating said first set of RUs for said third coordinated transmission operation in said first OFDMA transmission; and
adjusting a transmit power used for said third coordinated transmission operation based on a spatial reuse parameter carried in a prior downlink transmission from said first coordinated device to a non-AP STA in said first non-overlapping group.
20. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said method further comprises:
allocating both said first and said second sets of RUs for:
a fifth coordinated transmission operation between said first coordinated device and a set of non-AP STAs comprised in said first non-overlapping group; and
a sixth coordinated transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a set of non-AP STAs comprised in said second non-overlapping group; and
initiating a second OFDMA transmission comprising said fifth and said sixth coordinated transmission operations.
21. The wireless communication device of claim 13 , wherein said method further comprises aligning ends of packets transmitted in said first relay operation and said second relay operation.
22. A method of wireless communication, said method comprising:
at a wireless communication device, assigning a plurality of non-access-point (non-AP) stations (STAs) into a set of groups, wherein:
an AP is configured to serve said plurality of non-AP STAs through a coordinated transmission network comprising a first coordinated device and a second coordinated device;
said first coordinated device and said second coordinated device have an overlapping coverage area with respect to a transmit power control transmission; and
said set of groups comprises: an overlapping group located within said overlapping coverage area; and a first non-overlapping group located outside said overlapping coverage area;
adjusting a transmit power used in at least one of: a first Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission operation between said first coordinated device and a first set of non-AP STAs in said first non-overlapping group; and a second OFDMA transmission operation between said second coordinated device and a second set of non-AP STAs in said overlapping group; and
initiating said transmit power control transmission comprising: said first OFDMA transmission operation; and said second OFDMA transmission operation, wherein said adjusting mitigates interference between said first OFDMA transmission operation and said second OFDMA transmission operation, wherein each set of said first set and said second set of STAs comprises one or more non-AP STAs, and wherein the said adjusting is based on Spatial Reuse Parameters (SRP).
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said adjusting are based on first information indicating that: said first set of non-AP STAs is within a coverage area of said first coordinated device and outside said overlapping coverage area; and said second set of non-AP STAs are within said overlapping coverage area, wherein said first information originates from said first set of non-AP STAs and said second set of non-AP STAs and comprises one of: a received power ratio; a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR); and Channel Status Information (CSI).