Block acknowledgment operation

Abstract

A first communication device generates and transmits a first communication frame corresponding to a request to participate in a block acknowledgment procedure. The first communication frame includes: a first field indicating a number of buffers requested to be allocated at a second communication device for buffering data units to be transmitted by the first communication device, and a second field indicating a first maximum bitmap length supported by the first communication device. The first communication device receives a second communication frame corresponding to a response to the first communication frame. The second communication frame includes: a third field indicating a number of buffers allocated at the second communication device for buffering the data units transmitted by the first communication device, and a fourth field indicating a second maximum bitmap length supported by the second communication device. The first communication device performs the block acknowledgment procedure in accordance with the second maximum bitmap length.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for transmitting management information in a wireless communication network, comprising:
 determining, at an access point, that a management frame is to be transmitted to a first client station within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission that includes one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations;   one of:
 i) generating, at the access point, the management frame to include a control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the control field including a subfield that indicates a set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame, or 
 ii) generating, at the access point, an aggregate media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) having a) the management frame, and b) a trigger frame that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the trigger frame including a field that indicates the set of OFDM tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame; and 
   transmitting, by the access point, the DL MU transmission, the DL MU transmission including i) the one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations, and ii) one of a) the management frame having the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, or b) the A-MPDU.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 when the management frame is generated to include the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, generating a single media access control protocol data unit (S-MPDU) to include the management frame;   wherein transmitting the DL MU transmission comprises transmitting the S-MPDU within the DL MU transmission.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 generating, at the access point, the S-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 generating, at the access point, the S-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including a length subfield set to a non-zero value.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 when the management frame is generated to include the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, generating the control field to further include a subfield to indicate a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to use for the acknowledgment frame; and   when the A-MPDU is generated, generating the trigger frame to further include an indication of the MCS to use for the acknowledgment frame.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 when the A-MPDU is generated, generating, at the access point, the A-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 when the A-MPDU is generated, generating, at the access point, the A-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including a length subfield set to a non-zero value.   
     
     
         9 . An access point, comprising:
 a wireless network interface device having one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
 determine that a management frame is to be transmitted to a first client station within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission that includes one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations, and 
 one of:
 i) generate the management frame to include a control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the control field including a subfield that indicates a set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame, or 
 ii) generate an aggregate media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) having a) the management frame, and b) a trigger frame that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the trigger frame including a field that indicates the set of OFDM tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame; 
 
   wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to control the wireless network interface device to transmit the DL MU transmission, the DL MU transmission including i) the one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations, and ii) one of a) the management frame having the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, or b) the A-MPDU.   
     
     
         10 . The access point of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the management frame is generated to include the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, generate a single media access control protocol data unit (S-MPDU) to include the management frame; and   control the wireless network interface device to transmit the S-MPDU within the DL MU transmission.   
     
     
         11 . The access point of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 generate the S-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one.   
     
     
         12 . The access point of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 generate the S-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including a length subfield set to a non-zero value.   
     
     
         13 . The access point of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the management frame is generated to include the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, generate the control field to further include a subfield to indicate a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to use for the acknowledgment frame; and   when the A-MPDU is generated, generate the trigger frame to further include an indication of the MCS to use for the acknowledgment frame.   
     
     
         14 . The access point of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the A-MPDU is generated, generate the A-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one.   
     
     
         15 . The access point of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the A-MPDU is generated, generate the A-MPDU to include a delimiter associated with the management frame, the delimiter including a length subfield set to a non-zero value.   
     
     
         16 . The access point of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 one or more transceivers implemented on the one or more IC devices;   wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to control the one or more transceivers to transmit the DL MU transmission.   
     
     
         17 . A method for receiving management information in a wireless communication network, comprising:
 receiving, at a first client station, a management frame from an access point, wherein the management frame is received from the access point within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission that includes one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations;   determining, at the first client station, whether the management frame includes a control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the control field including a subfield that indicates a set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame;   determining, at the first client station, whether the management frame is included in an aggregate media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) having i) the management frame, and ii) a trigger frame that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the trigger frame including a field that indicates the set of OFDM tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame; and   in response to one of i) determining that the management frame includes the control field, or ii) determining that the management frame is included in the A-MPDU having the trigger frame, transmitting, by the first client station, the acknowledgment frame to the access point.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 when the management frame includes the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, receiving the management frame comprises receiving the management frame within a single media access control protocol data unit (S-MPDU) included in the DL MU transmission.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 determining, at the first client station, whether a delimiter associated with the management frame includes an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one;   wherein transmitting the management frame is further in response to determining that the EoF subfield is set to one.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 when the management frame includes the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, determining, at the first client station, a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to use for the acknowledgment frame using a value within a subfield of the control field; and   generating, at the first client station, the acknowledgment frame according to the MCS.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 when the management frame is included in the A-MPDU determining, at the first client station, whether a delimiter within the A-MPDU and associated with the management frame includes an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one;   wherein transmitting the management frame is further in response to determining that the EoF subfield is set to one.   
     
     
         22 . A first client station, comprising:
 a wireless network interface device having one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
 determine whether a management frame includes a control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the control field including a subfield that indicates a set of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame, the management frame received by the first client station from an access point, wherein the management frame is received from the access point within a downlink (DL) multi-user (MU) transmission that includes one or more other frames intended for one or more second client stations, 
 determine whether the management frame is included in an aggregate media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) having i) the management frame, and ii) a trigger frame that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with an acknowledgment frame, the trigger frame including a field that indicates the set of OFDM tones that the first client station is to use for transmitting the acknowledgment frame, and 
 in response to one of i) determining that the management frame includes the control field, or ii) determining that the management frame is included in the A-MPDU having the trigger frame, control the wireless network interface device to transmit the acknowledgment frame to the access point. 
   
     
     
         23 . The first client station of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the management frame includes the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, receive the management frame within a single media access control protocol data unit (S-MPDU) included in the DL MU transmission.   
     
     
         24 . The first client station of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 determine whether a delimiter associated with the management frame includes an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one; and   control the wireless network interface device to transmit the acknowledgment frame further in response to determining that the EoF subfield is set to one.   
     
     
         25 . The first client station of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the management frame includes the control field that is configured to prompt the first client station to respond to the management frame with the acknowledgment frame, determine a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to use for the acknowledgment frame using a value within a subfield of the control field; and   generate the acknowledgment frame according to the MCS.   
     
     
         26 . The first client station of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to:
 when the management frame is included in the A-MPDU determine whether a delimiter within the A-MPDU and associated with the management frame includes an end of file (EoF) subfield set to one;   control the wireless network interface device to transmit the acknowledgment frame further in response to determining that the EoF subfield is set to one.   
     
     
         27 . The first client station of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 one or more transceivers implemented on the one or more IC devices;   wherein the one or more IC devices are further configured to control the one or more transceivers to transmit the acknowledgment frame.