Management procedure in multi-link aggregation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. The described techniques may increase throughput of a wireless network, improve utilization of available channels, or provide other benefits. For example, the ability for a single traffic flow to span across different channels may increase the capacity of the network, may reduce communication latency, etc. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a wireless device supporting multi-link communication may identify an anchor link and one or more supplementary links. For example, the anchor link may provide reliable communications while the supplementary links may provide increased throughput relative to the anchor link As an example, the anchor link may be dedicated for use to communicate management or control information, as well as data, while the supplementary links in the multi-link session may be used to communicate data according to the control and management information transmitted on the anchor link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
 a processor;   memory in electronic communication with the processor; and   instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 identify an anchor link dedicated to the communication of control and management frames for a multi-link session; 
 receive a control or management frame from a wireless device over the identified anchor link; and 
 communicate in parallel between the apparatus and the wireless device over plurality of wireless links of the multi-link session based at least in part on the control or management frame. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from the wireless device, an indication of the anchor link over the anchor link, or over a second link of the plurality of wireless links different than the anchor link, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from the wireless device, an indication of the anchor link in a beacon, or a discovery transmission, or a measurement transmission, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit, on the identified anchor link, a request to associate with the wireless device.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to communicate in parallel between the apparatus and the wireless device over the plurality of wireless links are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit, over the anchor link, data frames and the control and management frames, the anchor link comprising one of the plurality of wireless links; and   transmit data frames over non-anchor links of the plurality of wireless links.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit data frames over one or more of the plurality of wireless links; and   receive, over the anchor link, one or more acknowledgements in response to the transmitted data frames.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 measure a signal strength for a transmission received on the anchor link, or on a second link, or a combination thereof; and   select a wireless link of the plurality of wireless links for communications during the multi-link session based at least in part on the measured signal strength.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit one or more frames on a second link during the multi-link session; and   determine whether the second link is suitable for communications in parallel between the apparatus and the wireless device during the multi-link session based at least in part on the one or more frames transmitted on the second link.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive an indication of a plurality of links supported by the wireless device, including an initial anchor link;   identify that the apparatus does not support the initial anchor link;   transmit, on the anchor link, an indication that the apparatus does not support the initial anchor link; and   establish the multi-link session between the apparatus and the wireless device based at least in part on transmitting the indication that the apparatus does not support the initial anchor link.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify the anchor link are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit, to the wireless device, an indication of a preferred anchor link of the apparatus; and   receive, from the wireless device, an indication of the anchor link to be used by the apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to receive the control or management frame from the wireless device are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, on the anchor link, aggregation capability information for the wireless device, the aggregation capability information indicating a capability of the wireless device to communicate in parallel over the plurality of wireless links.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the aggregation capability information comprises a capability of the wireless device to communicate in parallel over the plurality of wireless links, or current operating parameters of the wireless device, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions to receive the aggregation capability information are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive a beacon, or a probe response, or an association response, or a reassociation response, or a combination thereof, that includes the aggregation capability information.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit aggregation capability information for the apparatus, the aggregation capability information indicating a capability of the apparatus to communicate in parallel over the plurality of wireless links.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions to transmit the aggregation capability information are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit a probe request, or an association request, or a reassociation request, or a combination thereof, that includes the aggregation capability information.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from the wireless device, a first operational mode indicator indicating a change in a link aggregation preference for the multi-link session; or   transmit, to the wireless device, a second operational mode indicator indicating the change in the link aggregation preference for the multi-link session.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to establish the multi-link session between the apparatus and the wireless device are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 establish a first wireless link of the plurality of wireless links between a first lower media access control (MAC) layer of the apparatus and a first lower MAC layer of the wireless device; and   establish a second wireless link between a second lower MAC layer of the apparatus and a second lower MAC layer of the wireless device, wherein the first lower MAC layer and the second lower MAC layer of the apparatus are in communication with a common upper MAC layer of the apparatus.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor link comprises a frequency resource, or a time resource, or a spatial stream, or a portion of a packet, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor link uses a first bandwidth and a second link of the plurality of wireless links uses a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, over the anchor link, one or more control or management frames to maintain a second wireless link of the plurality of wireless links, the second wireless link limited such that the second wireless link is unable to be maintained between the apparatus and the wireless device absent the one or more control or management frames received over the anchor link.   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
 a processor;   memory in electronic communication with the processor; and   instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 identify an anchor link dedicated to the communication of control and management frames for a multi-link session; 
 transmit a control or management frame over the identified anchor link; and 
 communicate in parallel between the apparatus and a wireless device over a plurality of wireless links of the multi-link session based at least in part on the control or management frame. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit an indication of the anchor link on the anchor link, or on a second link different than the anchor link, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit an indication of the anchor link in a beacon, or a discovery transmission, or a measurement transmission, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 transmit an indication of a plurality of links supported by the apparatus, including an initial anchor link;   receive an indication that the wireless device does not support the initial anchor link; and   establish the multi-link session between the apparatus and the wireless device based at least in part on receiving the indication that the wireless device does not support the initial anchor link.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from the wireless device, an indication of a preferred anchor link of the wireless device; and   transmit, to the wireless device, an indication of the anchor link to be used by the wireless device for the association procedure.   
     
     
         26 . A method for wireless communication at a first wireless device, comprising:
 identifying an anchor link dedicated to the communication of control and management frames for a multi-link session;   receiving a control or management frame from a second wireless device over the identified anchor link; and   communicating in parallel between the first wireless device and the second wireless device over plurality of wireless links of the multi-link session based at least in part on the control or management frame.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second wireless device, an indication of the anchor link over the anchor link, or over a second link of the plurality of wireless links different than the anchor link, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the second wireless device, an indication of the anchor link in a beacon, or a discovery transmission, or a measurement transmission, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 transmitting, on the identified anchor link, a request to associate with the second wireless device.   
     
     
         30 . A method for wireless communication at a first wireless device, comprising:
 identifying an anchor link dedicated to the communication of control and management frames for a multi-link session;   transmitting a control or management frame over the identified anchor link; and   communicating in parallel between the first wireless device and a second wireless device over a plurality of wireless links of the multi-link session based at least in part on the control or management frame.