Methods and apparatus for enhanced dynamic allocation for directional transmission
Methods and apparatus are described herein for dynamic allocation of multiple channels and data streams for multi-channel transmission and multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO). For example, a station (STA) may receive an enhanced poll (EPoll) frame that includes a time offset, a channel offset and antenna/sector settings from an access point (AP). The STA may transmit, based on the received EPoll frame, an enhanced service period request (ESPR) frame that includes a MIMO control field and a multi-channel control field. The MIMO control field may indicate whether the STA supports MIMO transmission. The multi-channel control field may indicate whether the STA supports multi-channel transmission. Upon transmitting the ESPR frame, the STA may receive an enhanced grant frame from the AP. The enhanced grant frame may include an antenna configuration and a multi-channel allocation to enable the STA to perform the MIMO transmission and the multi-channel transmission.
1. A method for use in a station (STA), the method comprising:
receiving, from an access point (AP), a poll frame that indicates a response offset after an end of the poll frame;
transmitting, in response to the poll frame, based on the response offset, a service period request (SPR) frame that includes a multi-channel control field indicating support for multi-channel transmission; and
receiving, from the AP, a grant frame that includes a multi-channel allocation to enable the STA to perform a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), multi-channel transmission.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SPR frame further includes a MIMO control field indicating support for MIMO transmission, wherein the MIMO control field includes a number of data streams subfield that indicates a number of data streams to be transmitted in the MIMO transmission.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-channel control field further includes a channel aggregation subfield that indicates support for channel aggregation or channel bonding in the multi-channel transmission.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grant frame further includes a multi-user MIMO control field, a single-user MIMO control field, and a dynamic allocation information field.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the poll frame further comprises channel information, antenna information and sector information.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the SPR frame is carried in a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) transmitted with single or multiple data streams based on a channel offset indicated in the channel information.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PPDU is transmitted using a Quasi-Omni direction or a beamformed direction based on antenna and sector settings indicated in the antenna information or the sector information.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grant frame further comprises a legacy grant frame and a control trailer appended to the legacy grant frame.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the multi-channel allocation is carried in the control trailer.
10. A station (STA) comprising:
a processor;
a receiver; and
a transmitter,
the processor and the receiver configured to receive, from an access point (AP), a poll frame that indicates a response offset after an end of the poll frame;
the processor and the transmitter configured to transmit, in response to the poll frame, based on the response offset, a service period request (SPR) frame that includes a multi-channel control field indicating support for multi-channel transmission; and
the processor and the receiver configured to receive, from the AP, a grant frame that includes a multi-channel allocation to enable the STA to perform a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), multi-channel transmission.
11. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the SPR frame further includes a MIMO control field indicating support for MIMO transmission, wherein the MIMO control field includes a number of data streams subfield that indicates a number of data streams to be transmitted in the MIMO transmission.
12. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the multi-channel control field further includes a channel aggregation subfield that indicates support for channel aggregation or channel bonding in the multi-channel transmission.
13. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the grant frame further includes a multi-user MIMO control field, a single-user MIMO control field, and a dynamic allocation information field.
14. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the poll frame further comprises channel information, antenna information and sector information.
15. The STA of claim 14 , wherein the SPR frame is carried in a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit (PPDU) transmitted with single or multiple data streams based on a channel offset indicated in the channel information.
16. The STA of claim 15 , wherein the PPDU is transmitted using a Quasi-Omni direction or a beamformed direction based on antenna and sector settings indicated in the antenna information or the sector information.
17. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the grant frame further comprises a legacy grant frame and a control trailer appended to the legacy grant frame.
18. The STA of claim 17 , wherein the multi-channel allocation is carried in the control trailer.
19. The STA of claim 10 , wherein the response offset is a time period beginning an interframe space after the end of the poll frame.
20. The STA of claim 19 , wherein the interframe space is a short interframe space (SIFS).