MIMO channel access
Methods and apparatuses for multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) channel access are provided herein. A method performed by a station may include receiving, from an access point (AP), a frame including information indicating a broadcast address. The frame may further include a control trailer including information indicating that a multi-user multiple input-multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame is to be transmitted by the AP and information indicative of a designation of a plurality of STAs, the plurality of STAs including the STA. The frame may solicit response frames from at least the designated plurality of STAs. The method may further include transmitting a response frame to the indicated broadcast address and receiving the MU-MIMO frame from the AP.
1. A station (STA) comprising:
a processor; and
a transceiver;
the processor and the transceiver configured to receive, from an access point (AP), a request-to-send (RTS) frame including:
a receive address (RA) field indicating a broadcast address, and
a control trailer including information indicating that a multi-user multiple input-multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame is to be transmitted by the AP, and including information indicative of a designation of a plurality of STAs, the plurality of STAs including the STA,
wherein the RTS frame solicits response frames from at least the designated plurality of STAs;
the processor and the transceiver configured to transmit a response frame to the broadcast address indicated by the RA of the RTS frame; and
the processor and the transceiver configured to receive the MU-MIMO frame from the AP.
2. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the information indicative of a designation of the plurality of STAs is a group identifier.
3. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the control trailer includes information indicative of a MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
4. The STA of claim 3 , wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive the MU-MIMO frame from the AP using the MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
5. The STA of claim 3 , wherein the RTS frame is transmitted using the MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
6. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the response frame is transmitted using a single-input singe-output (SISO) antenna configuration.
7. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the response frame is performed substantially simultaneously with a transmission of a response frame from at least another STA of the plurality of STAs.
8. The STA of claim 2 , wherein the response frame is transmitted at approximately the same time as the response frame from the at least another STA of the plurality of STAs, with a small delay between them.
9. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted response frame is a clear-to-send (CTS) frame.
10. A method performed by a station (STA), the method comprising:
receiving, from an access point (AP), a request-to-send (RTS) frame including:
a receive address (RA) field indicating a broadcast address, and
a control trailer including information indicating that a multi-user multiple input-multiple output (MU-MIMO) frame is to be transmitted by the AP, and including information indicative of a designation of a plurality of STAs, the plurality of STAs including the STA,
wherein the RTS frame solicits response frames from at least the designated plurality of STAs;
transmitting a response frame to the broadcast address indicated by the RA of the RTS frame; and
receiving the MU-MIMO frame from the AP.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the information indicative of a designation of the plurality of STAs is a group identifier.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the control trailer includes information indicative of a MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving the MU-MIMO frame from the AP using the MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the RTS frame is transmitted using the MU-MIMO antenna configuration.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the response frame is transmitted using a single-input singe-output (SISO) antenna configuration.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmission of the response frame is performed substantially simultaneously with a transmission of a response frame from at least another STA of the plurality of STAs.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the response frame is transmitted at approximately the same time as the response frame from the at least another STA of the plurality of STAs, with a small delay between them.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmitted response frame is a clear-to-send (CTS) frame.