Patent ID: 8681815

Claim:
A method, comprising: generating an aggregated physical layer (PHY) data unit for transmission of independent data for a plurality of stations via a communication channel, wherein the aggregated PHY data unit includes i) a plurality of individual PHY data units corresponding to the plurality of stations, ii) a midamble included in one of the plurality of individual PHY data units, and iii) information that indicates locations of at least some of the plurality of individual PHY data units within the aggregated PHY data unit, and wherein at least some of the information that indicates locations of at least some of the plurality of individual PHY data units is included in the midamble; controlling beamforming while the aggregated PHY data unit is being transmitted, including: i) causing transmission in an omnidirectional or quasi-omnidirectional manner while the information that indicates locations of at least some of the plurality of individual PHY data units is transmitting, and ii) for each of the individual PHY data units, beamforming to the corresponding station while at least some of the corresponding individual PHY data unit is being transmitted.