Method and apparatus for supporting sectorization coordination

Abstract

A method and apparatus may be used to support coordinated and cooperative sectorized transmissions. Power control and clear channel assessment for sectorized transmissions may be used, along with sectorized beacon and associated procedures. Transmissions in a network may be protected by a first access point (AP) sending an omni-directional transmission and a beamformed or sectorized transmission to a station (STA), an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) confirming a spatially orthogonal (SO) condition based on the omni-directional transmission, and a second AP monitoring the omni-directional transmission and confirming the SO condition. The STA may be configured to receive a request-to-send (RTS) frame indicating data is available for transmission, and transmit a cooperative sectorized (CS) clear-to-send (CTS) frame indicating an ability for multiple AP reception.

1 . A method for performing coordinated sectorized transmissions in wireless communications, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a first station (STA), from a first access point (AP), a first null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame using a first plurality of sectors;   receiving, at the first STA, from a second AP, a second NDPA frame using a second plurality of sectors;   receiving, at the first STA, a first null data packet (NDP) frame from the first AP;   receiving, at the first STA, a second NDP frame from the second AP;   receiving, at the first STA, a first feedback packet destined to the second AP from a second STA based on the second NDP frame, wherein the first feedback packet indicates a first sector usable by the second AP for communicating with the second STA;   transmitting, from the first STA, a second feedback packet to the first AP and the second AP, wherein the second feedback packet is based on the first NDP frame received from the first AP and the first feedback packet received from the second STA, and indicates a second sector usable by the first AP for communicating with the first STA, wherein the second sector for communicating with the first STA is compatible with the first sector for communicating with the second STA thereby enabling coordinated spatial orthogonality of the first sector and the second sector; and   receiving data from the first AP via the indicated sector for communicating with the first STA.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first NDP frame and the second NDP frame are received after a short interframe space (SIFS) duration from the first NDPA frame and the second NDPA frame, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first NDP frame and the second NDP frame are used to estimate transmit sectorization. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second feedback packet further indicates the first sector usable by the second AP for communicating with the second STA. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first feedback packet indicates a sector from the second AP. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates an undesired sector. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the first AP. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates a transmit power for the first AP. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a sectorization confirmation signal from the first AP. 
 
     
     
         10 . A station (STA) for performing coordinated sectorized transmissions in wireless communications, the STA comprising:
 a receiver configured to:
 receive, from a first access point (AP), a first null data packet announcement (NDPA) frame using a first plurality of sectors; 
 receive, from a second AP, a second NDPA frame using a second plurality of sectors; 
 receive a first null data packet (NDP) frame from the first AP; 
 receive a second NDP frame from the second AP; and 
 receive a first feedback packet destined to the second AP from a second STA based on the second NDP frame, wherein the first feedback packet indicates a first sector usable by the second AP for communicating with the second STA; and 
   a transmitter configured to transmit a second feedback packet to the first AP and the second AP, wherein the second feedback packet is based on the first NDP frame received from the first AP and the first feedback packet received from the second STA, and indicates a second sector usable by the first AP for communicating with the STA, wherein the second sector for communicating with the STA is compatible with the first sector for communicating with the second STA thereby enabling coordinated spatial orthogonality of the first sector and the second sector; and   wherein the receiver is further configured to receive data from the first AP via the indicated sector for communicating with the STA.   
     
     
         11 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the first NDP frame and the second NDP frame after a short interframe space (SIFS) duration from the first NDPA frame and second NDPA frame, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The STA of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a processor configured to estimate a transmit sectorization based on the first NDP frame and the second NDP frame. 
 
     
     
         13 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the first feedback packet indicates a sector from the second AP. 
     
     
         14 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates an undesired sector. 
     
     
         15 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the first AP. 
     
     
         16 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the second feedback packet indicates a transmit power for the first AP. 
     
     
         17 . The STA of  claim 10 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a sectorization confirmation signal from the first AP. 
     
     
         18 . A method of providing training and feedback for cooperative sectorized transmission, the method comprising:
 transmitting a probe request from a station (STA);   receiving a probe response from each of a first access point (AP) and a second AP, wherein each of the received probe responses indicate multiple AP association capability and cooperative sectorization capability; and   transmitting, from the STA, an association request to the first AP and the second AP, wherein the association request is aggregated with a capability frame that indicates the multiple AP association capability and cooperative sectorization capability of the STA.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the first AP is set as a primary AP and the second AP is set as a secondary AP. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein data for the STA is received via a distribution system (DS) or by a direct link between the first AP and the second AP.