Methods and systems for improved WLAN channel information gathering mechanism
The present disclosure provides for methods and systems for improved channel information gathering mechanism. An aspect of the disclosure provides a method. The method includes sending, to one or more stations (STAs), a request for channel information. The channel information being related to one or more channels between an access point (AP) and the one or more STAs. The method further includes receiving, from the one or more (STA), one or more physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs). The PPDUs includes channel feature information (CFI) associated with the one or more channels. In some embodiments, the request includes a beamforming report poll (BFRP) trigger frame having a user information field. The user information subfield indicating one or more thresholds associated with one or more parameters of the channel feature information.
1. A method by an access point (AP), the method comprising:
sending, to one or more stations (STAs), a request for channel information related to one or more channels between the AP and the one or more STAs, the request associated with a first channel sounding phase; and
receiving, from the one or more (STAs), one or more physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs) comprising channel feature information (CFI) associated with the one or more channels, wherein the CFI is received in a data frame which also includes traffic data, and wherein the CFI is received after channel state information (CSI) provided by the one or more STAs in response to the first channel sounding phase.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a beamforming report poll (BFRP) trigger frame comprising a user information field including a first subfield for indicating one or more thresholds associated with one or more parameters of the channel feature information; and wherein the received channel feature information is based on the one or more thresholds.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein presence of the first subfield is indicated via a second subfield in the user information field.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more parameters indicate one or more of: a level of channel variation, a level of frequency-domain correlation, and temporary sparsity level of channel impulse response (CIR).
5. The method of 1 , wherein:
the channel feature information is in data payload portion of the one or more PPDUs; and
the channel information comprises information indicative of one or more of: channel state information (CSI), channel quality information, channel frequency response (CFR), channel impulse response (CIR), a level of channel variation, a level of frequency domain correlation, and a temporary sparsity level of CIR.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, from the one or more STA, one or more beamforming report (BR) frames comprising real-time channel state information (CSI) based on the request of the first channel sounding phase; and
sending, to the one or more STAs, a second request for at least one of: additional real-time CSI feedback and additional CFI feedback, wherein:
the second request is associated with a second channel sounding phase subsequent to the first channel sounding phase;
the second request comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame including a STA info field, the STA info field comprising a first subfield indicating the request; and
the second request is based on at least one of: the received real-time CSI and the received CFI.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: receiving, from the one or more STAs, one of:
one or more additional BR frames comprising the additional real-time CSI;
one or more additional PPDUs comprising the additional CFI; and
one or more additional BR frames comprising the additional real-time CSI and one or more additional PPDUs comprising the additional CFI.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the STA info field comprises a second subfield for indicating the type of information the one or more STAs should feedback for the additional real-time CSI, the type of information comprising one or more of: compressed CSI, channel frequency response (CFR), and channel impulse response (CIR).
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the STA info field comprises a second subfield for indicating the type of information the one or more STAs should feedback for the additional CFI, the type of information comprising one or more of: compressed CSI, channel frequency response (CFR), channel impulse response (CIR), a level of channel variation, a level of frequency domain correlation, and a temporary sparsity level of CIR.
10. A method by an access point (AP), the method comprising:
sending, to one or more stations (STAs), a request for: real-time channel state information (CSI) feedback and channel feature information (CFI) feedback, wherein:
the request includes a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame including a STA info field, the STA info field including a first subfield indicating the request;
receiving, from the one or more STA, channel information comprising
the real-time CSI and the CFI, wherein the CFI is received in a data frame which also includes traffic data, and wherein the data frame is transmitted after the CSI feedback.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving one of:
one or more beamforming report (BR) frames comprising the real-time CSI;
one or more physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs) comprising the CFI; and
one or more BR frames comprising the real-time CSI and one or more PPDUs comprising the CFI.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the STA info field comprises one or more additional subfields for indicating the type of information the one or more STAs should feedback for the real-time CSI and the CFI, the type of information comprising one or more of: compressed CSI, channel frequency response (CFR), channel impulse response (CIR), a level of channel variation, a level of frequency domain correlation, and a temporary sparsity level of CIR.
13. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor and at least one machine-readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor configure the apparatus for:
sending, to one or more stations (STAs), a request for channel information related to one or more channels between an access point (AP) and the one or more STAs, the request associated with a first channel sounding phase; and
receiving, from the one or more of the at least one (STA), one or more physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs) comprising channel feature information (CFI) associated with the one or more channels, wherein the CFI is received in a data frame which also includes traffic data, and wherein the CFI is received after channel state information (CSI) provided by the one or more STAs in response to the first channel sounding phase.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the request comprises a beamforming report poll (BFRP) trigger frame comprising a user information field including a first subfield for indicating one or more thresholds associated with one or more parameters of the channel feature information; and wherein the received channel feature information is based on the one or more thresholds.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein presence of the first subfield is indicated via a second subfield in the user information field.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more parameters indicate one or more of: a level of channel variation, a level of frequency-domain correlation, and temporary sparsity level of channel impulse response (CIR).
17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the channel feature information is in data payload portion of the one or more PPDUs; and
the channel information comprises information indicative of one or more of: channel state information (CSI), channel quality information, channel frequency response (CFR), channel impulse response (CIR), a level of channel variation, a level of frequency domain correlation, and a temporary sparsity level of CIR.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor further configure the apparatus for:
receiving, from the one or more STA, one or more beamforming report (BR) frames comprising real-time channel state information (CSI) based on the request of the first channel sounding phase; and
sending, to the one or more STAs, a second request for at least one of: additional real-time CSI feedback and additional CFI feedback, wherein:
the second request is associated with a second channel sounding phase subsequent to the first channel sounding phase;
the second request comprises a null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame including a STA info field, the STA info field comprising a first subfield indicating the request; and
the second request is based on at least one of: the received real-time CSI and the received CFI.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the executable instructions which when executed by the at least one processor further configure the apparatus for:
receiving, from the one or more STAs, one of:
one or more additional BR frames comprising the additional real-time CSI;
one or more additional PPDUs comprising the additional CFI; and
one or more additional BR frames comprising the additional real-time CSI and one or more additional PPDUs comprising the additional CFI.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the STA info field comprises one or more additional subfields for indicating the type of information the one or more STAs should feedback for the additional real-time CSI and the additional CFI, the type of information comprising one or more of: compressed CSI, channel frequency response (CFR), channel impulse response (CIR), a level of channel variation, a level of frequency domain correlation, and a temporary sparsity level of CIR.