Mu-mimo access point and user station including methods for multi-user group management

Abstract

Embodiments of a MU-MIMO access point, user station and method for multi-user group management are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a MU-MIMO access point may assign a MU group identifier (GID) and a group member index (GMI) to each of a plurality of associated user stations. The MU-MIMO access point may transmit a MU-MIMO transmission that includes a plurality of spatial streams. The MU-MIMO transmission may be destined for the user stations of a single MU group indicated by a GID that is included within the MU-MIMO transmission. A subset of the spatial streams may be intended for each user station of the indicated MU group that is identified by the GID transmitted within the MU-MIMO transmission. A user station may use its assigned GMI along with an N sts field in the MU-MIMO transmission to determine which of the spatial streams to demodulate.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus of an access point, the apparatus comprising a memory and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to:
 determine an assignment of an associated station to one or more groups and a corresponding user position for each of the one or more groups, wherein each of the one or more groups is associated with a group identifier (ID);   encode a group ID management frame to transmit the assignment, wherein the ID management frame comprises a membership status array, wherein the membership status array is an array of bits with each bit indicating whether the associated station is a member of the group with the group ID equal to a first index of the array of bits, and wherein the group ID management frame further comprises a user position array with two bits to indicate a user position of the associated station for each of the corresponding one or more groups; and   configure the access point to transmit the group ID management frame to the associated station.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the two bits indicate an ordinate position of the associated station in the corresponding group with the group ID of a second index of the user position array. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 decode an acknowledgement (ACK) from the associated station to acknowledge receipt of the group ID management frame.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 select a group of the one or more groups;   determine a second assignment of a plurality of space-time streams for the selected group based on user positions in the selected group of one or more associated stations, wherein the selected group of one or more stations includes the associated station; and   configure the access point to transmit a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission to the selected group, the MU-MIMO transmission to include the plurality of separate space-time streams and the group ID of the selected group, the plurality of separate space-time streams to be transmitted on a transmission bandwidth that comprises one or more channels.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein each space-time stream of the plurality of space-time streams is for one of the one or more associated stations. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the user position of the associated station determines a subset of the plurality of space-time streams to be transmitted to the associated station. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the MU-MIMO transmission comprises a simultaneous transmission of data packets to two or more stations of the group with the group ID. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the MU-MIMO transmission further comprises a preamble comprising a bandwidth indicator and a number of the space-time streams that the associated station is to demodulate, the bandwidth indicator indicating the transmission bandwidth of the plurality of space-time streams. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more channels are each 20 MHz. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 configure the access point to transmit the preamble of the MU-MIMO transmission in a non-directional fashion, and wherein a subsequent portion of the MU-MIMO transmission includes the plurality of space-time streams and is transmitted in a directional fashion.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the group ID management frame is a fixed length unicast frame that includes a membership status array field that is eight octets long and a user position array field that is sixteen octets long. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 one or more antennas coupled to the processing circuitry.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the access point is an Institute of Electronical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 ac access point. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors, the instructions to configure the one or more processors to cause an access point to:
 determine an assignment of an associated station to one or more groups and a corresponding user position for each of the one or more groups, wherein each of the one or more groups is associated with a group identifier (ID);   encode a group ID management frame to transmit the assignment, wherein the ID management frame comprises a membership status array, wherein the membership status array is an array of bits with each bit indicating whether the associated station is a member of the group with the group ID equal to a first index of the array of bits, and wherein the group ID management frame further comprises a user position array with two bits to indicate a user position of the associated station for each of the corresponding one or more groups; and   configure the access point to transmit the group ID management frame to the associated station.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the two bits indicate an ordinate position of the associated station in the corresponding group with the group ID of a second index of the user position array. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause a wireless apparatus to:
 decode an acknowledgement (ACK) from the associated station to acknowledge receipt of the group ID management frame.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further configure the one or more processors to cause a wireless apparatus to:
 select a group of the one or more groups;   determine a second assignment of a plurality of space-time streams for the selected group based on user positions in the selected group of one or more associated stations, wherein the selected group of one or more stations includes the associated station; and   configure the access point to transmit a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission to the selected group, the MU-MIMO transmission to include the plurality of separate space-time streams and the group ID of the selected group, the plurality of separate space-time streams to be transmitted on a transmission bandwidth that comprises one or more channels.   
     
     
         19 . A method performed by an access point (AP), the method comprising:
 determining an assignment of an associated station to one or more groups and a corresponding user position for each of the one or more groups, wherein each of the one or more groups is associated with a group identifier (ID);   encoding a group ID management frame to transmit the assignment, wherein the ID management frame comprises a membership status array, wherein the membership status array is an array of bits with each bit indicating whether the associated station is a member of the group with the group ID equal to a first index of the array of bits, and wherein the group ID management frame further comprises a user position array with two bits to indicate a user position of the associated station for each of the corresponding one or more groups; and   configuring the access point to transmit the group ID management frame to the associated station.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , the method further comprising:
 selecting a group of the one or more groups;   determining a second assignment of a plurality of space-lime streams for the selected group based on user positions in the selected group of one or more associated stations, wherein the selected group of one or more stations includes the associated station; and   configuring the access point to transmit a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission to the selected group, the MU-MIMO transmission to include the plurality of separate space-time streams and the group ID of the selected group, the plurality of separate space-fl me streams to be transmitted on a transmission bandwidth that comprises one or more channels.   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus of a station comprising a memory and processing circuitry coupled to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to:
 decode a group ID management frame comprising an assignment of the station to one or more groups and a corresponding user position for each of the one or more groups, wherein each of the one or more groups is associated with a group identifier (ID), and wherein the ID management frame comprises a membership status array, wherein the membership status array is an array of bits with each bit indicating whether the station is a member of the group with the group ID equal to a first index of the membership status, and wherein the group ID management frame further comprises a user position array with two bits to indicate a user position of the station for each of the corresponding one or more groups;   encode an acknowledgement frame to acknowledge receipt of the group ID management frame; and   configure the station to transmit the acknowledgement frame to an access point.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 decode a preamble of a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission comprising a group ID;   if a bit with an index of group ID of the membership status array is set, determine one or more space time streams of the MU-MIMO transmission are for the station based on the user position of the user position array indexed by the group ID; and   configure the station to receive the one or more space time streams.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the MU-MIMO transmission comprises a simultaneous transmission of data packets to two or more stations of the group with the group ID. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the MU-MIMO transmission further comprises a preamble comprising a bandwidth indicator and a number of the space-time streams that the associated station is to demodulate, the bandwidth indicator indicating the transmission bandwidth of the plurality of space-time streams. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the station is an Institute of Electronical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ac access point. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 one or more antennas coupled to the processing circuitry.