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