IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,464,457
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,457 · App. 17/942,020 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Device, method, and system for periodic wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing

Inventors: Dong Wei (Austin, TX); Rui Cao (Sunnyvale, CA); Hongyuan Zhang (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
H04W52/0216H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,457
App. No.
17/942,020
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of a device, a method, and a system for periodic wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing are disclosed. In an embodiment, the device includes a wireless network interface device implemented on one or more integrated circuits (ICs), where the wireless network interface device is configured to negotiate parameters for performing periodic sensing measurements, and implement the negotiated parameters when performing the periodic sensing measurements.

Claims (64)

1 . A wireless local area network (WLAN) device, comprising:

an access point (AP) or a non-access point (non-AP) station (STA) configured to:

negotiate Target Wake Time (TWT) service period (SP) and/or Availability Window (AW) parameters for performing periodic environmental sensing measurements based on characteristics of WLAN compliant wireless signals transmitted between the WLAN device and another WLAN device; and

implement the negotiated parameters when performing the periodic environmental sensing measurements;

negotiate parameters of a first function scheduling agreement and parameters of a second function scheduling agreement; and

implement the negotiated parameters of the first function scheduling agreement and the negotiated parameters of the second function scheduling agreement concurrently.

2 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the negotiated parameters include a sleep mode schedule of the device.

3 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the negotiated parameters include a sleep mode schedule of the device, and wherein the sleep mode schedule is a duration of a wake interval during which the device is in a sleep mode.

4 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the negotiated parameters include a sleep mode schedule of the device, and wherein implementation of the sleep mode schedule includes the device transitioning from a wake state to a doze state during a wake interval.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the device is in:

the wake state during at least one of the Target Wake Time (TWT) service period (SP) and the availability window (AW) of the wake interval; and

the doze state after at least one of the TWT SP and the AW.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein negotiation of the parameters includes:

transmitting proposed parameters via a request message; and

receiving a response message, wherein the response message indicates the negotiated parameters accepted from the proposed parameters.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the negotiated parameters are scheduling parameters that determine:

a wake interval;

at least one of the TWT SP and the AW; and

a sleep mode schedule of the device.

8 . The device of claim 1 ,

wherein implementation of the negotiated parameters includes the device transmitting a Null Data Packet (NDP) during at least one of the TWT SP and the AW.

9 . The device of claim 8 ,

wherein the device transmits the NDP in response to receiving a Trigger frame (TF) during at least one of the TWT SP and the AW.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein implementation of the negotiated parameters includes the device:

transmitting an NDP during at least one of the TWT SP and the AW; and

transitioning from a wake state during at least one of the TWT SP and the AW to a doze state after at least one of the TWT SP and the AW.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device:

negotiates parameters of a first sensing scheduling agreement and parameters of a second sensing scheduling agreement;

implements the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement; and

switches from the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement to the negotiated parameters of the second scheduling agreement after a predetermined period.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device:

negotiates parameters of a first sensing scheduling agreement and parameters of a second sensing scheduling agreement;

implements the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement;

suspends the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement after a predetermined period; and

implements the negotiated parameters of the second sensing scheduling agreement after suspending the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device:

negotiates parameters of a first sensing scheduling agreement and parameters of a second sensing scheduling agreement; and

implements the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement and the negotiated parameters of the second sensing scheduling agreement concurrently.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first function scheduling agreement is a sensing scheduling agreement; and

the second function scheduling agreement is at least one of a data communication scheduling agreement, a ranging scheduling agreement, and a positioning scheduling agreement.

15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the WLAN device is at least one of the AP or the non-AP STA that serves as at least one of a sensing responder, a sensing transmitter, or a sensing receiver.

16 . The device of claim 1 :

wherein the periodic environmental sensing measurements are based on physical layer (PHY) characteristics of the WLAN compliant wireless signals transmitted between the WLAN device and the another WLAN device.

17 . The device of claim 1 :

wherein a protocol for performing the periodic environmental sensing measurements are defined by IEEE802.11bf.

18 . The device of claim 1 :

wherein wireless communication channel state information from the WLAN compliant wireless signals transmitted between the WLAN device and the another WLAN device enable the environmental sensing measurements to be obtained.

19 . A method for periodic wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing, the method comprising:

negotiating Target Wake Time (TWT) service period (SP) and/or Availability Window (AW) parameters for performing periodic environmental sensing measurements based on characteristics of WLAN compliant wireless signals transmitted between a first WLAN device and a second WLAN device; and

implementing the negotiated parameters when performing the periodic environmental sensing measurements;

wherein the first and second WLAN devices include at least one of an access point (AP) and a non-access point (non-AP) station (STA);

negotiating parameters of a first sensing scheduling agreement and parameters of a second sensing scheduling agreement; and

implementing the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement and the negotiated parameters of the second sensing scheduling agreement concurrently.

20 . A wireless local area network (WLAN) device, comprising:

an access point (AP) or a non-access point (non-AP) station (STA) configured to:

negotiate Target Wake Time (TWT) service period (SP) and/or Availability Window (AW) parameters for performing periodic environmental sensing measurements based on characteristics of WLAN compliant wireless signals transmitted between the WLAN device and another WLAN device; and

implement the negotiated parameters when performing the periodic environmental sensing measurements;

negotiate parameters of a first sensing scheduling agreement and parameters of a second sensing scheduling agreement;

implement the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement; and

switches from the negotiated parameters of the first sensing scheduling agreement to the negotiated parameters of the second scheduling agreement after a predetermined period.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2022
From: WEI, DONG; CAO, RUI; ZHANG, HONGYUAN
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 061139/0630 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63261044 · Sep 9, 2021
Related Publication 20230073352A1 · Mar 9, 2023
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Cited By (1)
US 12,621,696