Method for determining resource unit type

Abstract

This invention provides a method for determining resource element types. The method is applied to a non-access point device (NAPD) and includes: determining a recommended resource element type for the NAPD; sending a first indication to an access point device (APD), wherein the first indication indicates the recommended resource element type; and, if the APD accepts the recommended resource element type, determining the recommended resource element type as a resource element type for data transmission. This invention solves the problem in related technologies of determining the required resource element type for NAPD devices supporting RRUs and DRUs, thereby improving overall spectrum efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a method for determining resource unit types. Background Technology

[0002] The transmit power of Wi-Fi devices is subject to regulatory power spectral density (PSD) limitations, especially in the 6GHz band. For non-access point devices in the LPI (Low Power Indoor) band, the PSD limit is as low as -1dBm / MHz. If the subcarriers in the resource unit (RU) used for transmission are continuous, i.e., a regular resource unit (RRU), the uplink communication rate and line-of-sight communication distance of non-access point devices are severely limited due to PSD limitations.

[0003] In a Distributed Resource Unit (DRU), subcarriers are non-contiguous and distributed. Introducing DRUs provides new options for resource scheduling. If DRUs are used, the PSD limitation can be overcome and transmit power can be significantly improved, thereby increasing spectral efficiency and expanding coverage.

[0004] Traditional non-access point devices only support RRUs. For non-access point devices that support both RRUs and DRUs, determining the required resource unit type is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method for determining resource unit types, thereby at least addressing the problem in related technologies of determining the resource unit types required for non-access point devices that support RRU and DRU.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining a resource unit type is provided, comprising: applying to a non-access point device, including: determining a resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; sending a first indication to an access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; and, if the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, determining the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device as a resource unit type for data transmission.

[0007] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining a resource type is provided, applied to an access point device, comprising: receiving a first indication sent by a non-access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate a resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; and, if the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, determining the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device as the resource unit type used for allocating data transmission for the non-access point device.

[0008] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is also provided, comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0011] Through the above embodiments of the present invention, the non-access point device sends the determined non-access point device to the access point device via a first instruction. When the access point device receives the resource element type recommended by the non-access point device, the non-access point device determines that resource element type as the resource element type for data transmission. Therefore, the problem in related technologies of needing to determine the required resource element type for non-access point devices supporting RRUs and DRUs can be solved, thereby improving overall spectrum efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the subcarrier distribution of DRU and RRU according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a WLAN network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of different RU allocations according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the uplink OFDMA process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the general format of the Control subfield according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the Control Information field format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the general format of the trigger frame according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the MAC frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the OM control field format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode field format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode notification element format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of an operation mode notification frame according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the Action field format in the operation mode notification according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of a method for determining the resource unit type according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the region division according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode control subfield format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the OM notification element format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the OM notification frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the BSR control subfield format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 20This is a schematic diagram of the Basic trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the data transmission process between the AP and STA according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the BA frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 23 This is a flowchart of a method for determining the resource unit type according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the BSRP trigger frame or MU-RTS trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the BSR response frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0039] With the widespread adoption of mobile internet and the continuous optimization of wireless network services, wireless communication technology has developed rapidly, and a wide variety of smart devices such as tablets, sensors, and smartphones have become integrated into our lives. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have gained increasing attention due to their advantages such as flexible networking methods and low deployment costs.

[0040] Future Wi-Fi standards may introduce Distributed RUs (DRUs), where subcarriers within an RU are non-contiguous and distributed. The introduction of DRUs provides new options for resource scheduling; if DRUs are used, PSD (Power Slot Depth) limitations can be overcome and transmit power can be significantly increased, thereby improving spectral efficiency and expanding coverage. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the subcarrier distribution of DRU and RRU according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, under a 20MHz bandwidth, compared with the 26Tone RRU (Regular RU), the subcarriers of the 26Tone DRU are continuously distributed, while the subcarriers of the DRU are dispersed.

[0041] Future WLAN networks will include two types of non-access point (STA) devices: RRU and DRU. Wi-Fi devices that support DRU also support RRU. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a WLAN network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the WLAN network comprises one or more wireless communication devices (i.e., WLAN devices), specifically including: an Access Point (AP) device 102, and a STA 104 that supports RRUs and DRUs, also known as a wireless terminal device. These devices are capable of exchanging data according to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. IEEE 802.11 wireless communication technology can also be referred to as Wi-Fi technology.

[0042] The technologies defined by the IEEE 802.11 series of standards include Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) protocols. Wireless communication technologies based on IEEE 802.11 can also be referred to as Wi-Fi technology.

[0043] A Basic Service Set (BSS) is the basic service unit of a wireless local area network (WLAN), consisting of one access point (AP) and several STAs (Stations). The BSS defines the coverage area of ​​an AP, within which STAs can communicate with each other. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within its wireless range to establish and maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0044] In layman's terms, a channel, or frequency range, determines the frequency range within which a WLAN device communicates. Wi-Fi devices can operate on one or more frequency bands, such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, and 60GHz. The 802.11 standard specifies multiple channels within each frequency band. If channels overlap, interference can occur, leading to a degrade in the overall performance of the wireless network. In practical use, adjacent access points (APs) should typically choose non-overlapping channels.

[0045] Wireless communication channel bandwidths offer a variety of options, including but not limited to 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and combinations such as 80+80MHz. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the channel bandwidth may reach 320MHz, or appear in a combination of 160+160MHz. For narrower channels, bandwidth options may include subdivisions from 1MHz to 10MHz, or combinations thereof, or other bandwidths less than or equal to the available bandwidth may also be used.

[0046] The concept of Resource Units (RUs) was introduced in IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). For example, an 80MHz channel is divided into multiple RUs within the same time domain. Each RU carries a certain number of subcarriers, and each STA transmits and receives information through the RU. Depending on the number of subcarriers carried, RUs can be classified as 26-tone, 52-tone, 106-tone, 242-tone, 484-tone, 996-tone, and 2x996-tone. Wi-Fi 7 also defines different combinations of RUs, such as 26+52-tone and 242+484-tone. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of different RU allocations according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating different RU allocations at 80MHz.

[0047] Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) introduces OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology. The access point (AP) divides channel resources into multiple root units (RUs), and then allocates one RU as a communication resource to the STA (Station). This fully utilizes channel resources, improving channel utilization, channel access efficiency, and system throughput. The AP can trigger uplink data transmission by assigning resources to the STA through a triggering mechanism.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the uplink OFDMA process according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the uplink OFDMA process includes the following three stages:

[0049] Phase 1: The AP sends a trigger frame requesting buffer information from the STA. The trigger frame can be of the Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) type. The STA can explicitly pass the BSR (i.e., directly carry the BSR control subfield) in any frame it passes to the AP in response to the BSRP Trigger Frame. The AP determines the RU to allocate to the STA based on the buffer information fed back by the STA in the BSR (Buffer Status Reports).

[0050] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the general format of the Control subfield according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrates the general format of the Control subfield in the IEEE 802.11ax standard, wherein the control ID is 4, and the control ID of the BSRControl subfield is 3.

[0051] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the Control Information field format according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the Control Information field format in BSRControlsubfield, wherein the Queue Size related field indicates buffer status information.

[0052] Phase 2: The AP sends a trigger frame, which can be of the Multi-user Ready-to-send (MU-RTS) type. It can be transmitted using traditional OFDM technology, and all STAs can receive it. Traditional STAs will set their local NAV timer by receiving the Duration / ID field in the MU-RTS frame to ensure that they do not initiate contention during the remaining UL-OFDMA time.

[0053] Phase 3: The AP sends a trigger frame, which can be of Basic type, to trigger the STA to perform uplink transmission on the allocated RU. The trigger frame will carry some information required for uplink transmission, such as RU resource allocation, ULMC, ULTarget ReceiVePower (uplink target reception, i.e., the AP's expected receive power), number of spatial streams, guard interval (GI), etc.

[0054] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the general format of the trigger frame according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the general format of the trigger frame can carry one Common Info and multiple User Info fields. Depending on the specific trigger frame type, the Common Info and User Info fields are not completely consistent.

[0055] In addition, the STA can also proactively report the cache without the AP triggering it, and the BSR is carried in the QoS control field or BSR control subfield of any frame sent to the AP, that is, the above-mentioned stage 1 is not mandatory.

[0056] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the MAC frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 8As shown, QoS control is a MAC layer field. The QoS Control field has 2 bytes. Bits 0-3 represent the Traffic Identifier (TID), which is the ID number related to the service flow. Bit 4:=1 represents uplink data. Bits 8-15 represent the Queue size.

[0057] In this embodiment of the invention, a HE STA (High Efficiency Station) can change its operating mode setting through an operating mode change notification or an Operating Mode Indication (OMI) procedure. An HE STA should not simultaneously send the Operating Mode (OM) control subfield and the operating mode field in the same Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU).

[0058] OMI, or Operating Mode Indicator, is used to negotiate transmission parameters between the STA and AP. The current OMI mechanism includes two modes: "Receive Operating Mode (ROM)" and "Transmit Operating Mode (TOM)".

[0059] During the OMI process, the OMI initiator sends a frame with an OM control subfield to the AP, which is the OMI responder. This method allows for the switching of transmission modes. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the OM control field format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the OM control field includes Control ID and Control Information. The Control Information format includes Rx Nss, ChannelWidth, UL MU Disable, Tx NSTS, and UL MU Data Disable.

[0060] If it is an OM Control Subfield transmitted by AP, then UL MU Disable and UL MU Data Disablesubfields are reserved fields.

[0061] AP does not act as the OMI initiator for Transmit Operating Mode (TOM) indication.

[0062] In this embodiment of the invention, the operation mode change notification may be an operation mode notification frame, an action frame, and a frame containing an operation mode notification element; wherein, the aforementioned operation mode field may exist in the operation mode notification frame and the operation mode notification element.

[0063] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode field format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the Operating Mode field includes Channel Width, 160 / 80+80BW, No LDPC, Rx NSS, and RxNSS Type.

[0064] The Operating Mode Notification element may exist in Beacon frames, (re)Association request / response frames, Probe response frames, etc. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode notification element format according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the element ID and format of the operation mode notification element. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of an operation mode notification frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the Action field format in the operation mode notification according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] This invention proposes a resource management method in which one of the AP / STA initiates a request for a suggested / recommended RU type, and both parties can accept / reject the other's suggestion. The RU type is then finalized for resource allocation in subsequent use.

[0066] The process for RU type requests initiated by STAs (Standard Operating Procedures) includes:

[0067] Step S11: The STA determines that the recommended RU type has changed based on its own area and sends a change indication to the AP. The indication method includes one of the following: TOM indication of the OMI mechanism, Operating Mode Notification element, Operating Mode Notification frame, BSR in the reporting cache or implicit reporting scenario indicating the new recommended RU type, and ACK / BA response frame of the corresponding downlink data.

[0068] In step S12, the AP determines whether to accept the STA's request based on the usage of the two types of resources. If accepted, the AP will subsequently allocate resources using the RU type suggested by the STA; if not accepted, the AP will subsequently allocate resources using another RU type.

[0069] The process for AP-initiated suggestion / recommendation RU type request includes:

[0070] In step S2v, the AP determines the preferred RU type based on resource utilization. If there is a change, it sends a change instruction to the STA. The instruction method includes one of the following: BSRP TF frame, MU-RTS TF frame, instruction carried in the OperatingMode Notification element in the Beacon, or OperatingMode Notification frame.

[0071] In step S22, the STA determines whether to accept the AP's suggestion based on its own location and indicates the negotiated RU type in the corresponding response frame. If accepted, the existing process is followed, and the AP allocates resources according to its suggested RU type. If not accepted, the STA re-initiates the RU type change indication process.

[0072] The above-mentioned resource management method includes a method for determining resource unit types, which allows STAs to increase transmit power by utilizing specific resource unit allocation methods. However, the use of specific resource unit allocation methods is controlled to reduce the impact on the STA itself (such as processing complexity) and the overall spectrum efficiency.

[0073] This embodiment provides a method for determining the resource unit type operating in the aforementioned WLAN network. Figure 14 This is a flowchart of a method for determining resource unit types according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0074] Step S1402: Determine the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device and send a first indication to the access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

[0075] In this embodiment, the resource unit types include: continuous resource unit type (i.e., RRU) and distributed resource unit type (i.e., DRU).

[0076] from Figure 1 It can be seen that DRU leads to spectrum resource fragmentation, reducing spectrum efficiency, and also affects resource scheduling for non-access point devices using RRU in the network. From the perspective of access point devices, a balance must be struck between the gains and negative effects of DRU. DRU technology is similar to UL OFDMA and RRU technologies, the difference being the different subcarrier distribution within the RU. For example... Figure 1 As shown, DRUs distribute subcarriers very widely. For non-access point devices (NAPDs), using DRUs will lead to more complex frequency domain processing, potentially resulting in higher power consumption and increased internal resource usage. Furthermore, interference between adjacent subcarriers of DRUs reduces demodulation performance. Also, when NAPDs are in non-edge areas, the line-of-sight transmission distance is not an issue, and RRUs can be used instead of DRUs. For access point devices, if DRU resources are scarce but RRU resources are available, NAPDs should be encouraged to use RRU resources; conversely, the same applies.

[0077] Therefore, although the non-access point device in this embodiment of the invention can support DRU, it does not mean that DRU must be used to transmit data. The non-access point device can determine whether to enable / disable DRU capability based on its location. When DRU capability needs to be enabled, it sends a request to the access point device, which considers various factors to decide whether to allow enabling / disabling. Typically, the non-access point device uses RRU by default.

[0078] In one embodiment, determining the recommended resource unit type for a non-access point device includes: determining the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device based on the straight-line distance between the non-access point device and the access point device.

[0079] In one embodiment, determining the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device (NAPD) based on the straight-line distance between the NAPD and the access point device includes: determining the continuous resource unit type as the recommended resource unit type for the NAPD when the straight-line distance between the NAPD and the access point device is less than a first preset threshold; and determining the distributed resource unit type as the recommended resource unit type for the NAPD when the straight-line distance between the NAPD and the access point device is greater than a second preset threshold; wherein the second preset threshold is greater than the first preset threshold.

[0080] In one exemplary embodiment, the area where the STA is located is divided into regions based on the straight-line distance between the STA and the AP. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the region division according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 15 As shown, the area is divided with the location of AP as the center and the different straight-line distances d between STA and AP as the radius. When d is less than the first preset threshold, the area where STA is located is determined to be area 1; when d is greater than the second preset threshold, the area where STA is located is determined to be area 3; when d is greater than the first preset threshold and less than the second preset threshold, the area where STA is located is determined to be area 2. Wherein, the second preset threshold is greater than the first preset threshold.

[0081] The recommended resource unit type varies depending on the region where the STA is located, for example:

[0082] Area 1 is the preferred area for using RRU. When the STA is in Area 1, the STA is close to the AP, so it is recommended to use RRU.

[0083] Area 2 is the preferred area for using DRU. When the STA is in Area 2, the STA is a bit far from the AP, and the uplink signal quality is not very good. It is recommended to use DRU to improve the transmit power.

[0084] Area 3 is a mandatory DRU area. When a STA is in Area 3, if the STA is too far from the AP, the STA is forced to use the DRU, that is, the DRU must be used to increase the transmission power, otherwise the access point equipment will not be able to receive the signal.

[0085] In one embodiment, determining the recommended resource element type for the non-access point device includes: determining the recommended resource element type based on the measurement results of the downlink signal by the non-access point device; wherein the measurement results include at least one of the following: the measurement results of signal quality measurement and the measurement results of signal strength measurement.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, by measuring the signal quality or signal strength of the downlink signal, if the signal quality or signal strength of the downlink signal is lower than a third preset threshold, then the STA is considered to have entered region 2; otherwise, the STA is considered to have entered region 1, and corresponding measures to prevent the ping-pong effect are required.

[0087] In one embodiment, the area where the STA is located can also be divided into regions based on the positioning mechanism described in 802.11az / bk, etc.

[0088] When switching from one area to another, the non-access point device (NAP) indicates the recommended RU type to the access point device (AP). After evaluation, if the current resource conditions can meet the recommended resource type, the AP will allocate resources according to the RU type recommended by the NAP. Otherwise, it will still use a different RU type than the one recommended by the NAP for resource allocation.

[0089] In one embodiment, the access point device evaluates whether it supports the STA's request and then uses the determined RU type during subsequent resource allocation. The evaluation principles of the access point device may include:

[0090] (1) Low DRU resource utilization and / or high RRU resource utilization: Enable DRU.

[0091] (2) High DRU resource utilization and / or low RRU resource utilization: Enable RRU.

[0092] In one embodiment, when switching from one area of ​​a non-access point device to another, sending a first indication to an access point device includes: sending the first indication to the access point device via a Media Access Control (MAC) frame carrying an operating mode control subfield; wherein the operating mode control subfield carries information about the resource element type recommended by the non-access point device. Alternatively, the first indication can be sent to the access point device via an operating mode notification frame or an uplink MAC frame carrying an operating mode field; wherein the operating mode field carries information about the resource element type recommended by the non-access point device.

[0093] In one embodiment, the media access control layer frame includes one of the following: a data frame, a management frame, or a control frame.

[0094] In one exemplary embodiment, the STA proactively initiates an Operating Mode Indication (OMI), which involves setting the suggested / recommended resource type as a transmission parameter in the Operating Mode Control subfield to send a first indication to the AP. Specifically, when the STA's location changes, the STA sends its suggested / recommended resource type to the AP via an Operating Mode (OM) change notification. Since DRUs are primarily used for ULOFDMA, the STA's suggested / recommended resource type can be used as a parameter for transmitting the Operating Mode (TOM).

[0095] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the operation mode control subfield format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 16 As shown, OMI adds a parameter indication of DRU enable or DRU disable to the OM Control subfield to send the resource type suggested / recommended by the STA as a parameter of TOM to the AP. The OM Control subfield can be set in data frames, management frames, and control frames, so the STA can carry the indication of DRU enable or DRU disable in these messages.

[0096] After evaluation, if the AP accepts the RU type recommended by the STA, it will use the RU type recommended by the STA in subsequent resource allocations; otherwise, it will still use another RU type.

[0097] In one exemplary embodiment, the STA proactively initiates an OM notification frame / element, setting the suggested / recommended resource type as a transmission parameter in the operation mode field to send a first indication to the AP. Specifically, when the STA's location changes, the STA sends the suggested / recommended resource type to the AP via an OM notification element, which can be set in an uplink data frame, management frame, or control frame; alternatively, the STA sends the suggested / recommended resource type to the AP via an OM notification frame (OperatingModeNotification frame), i.e., a UHRAction frame.

[0098] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the OM notification element format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 17As shown, the OM notification element adds a parameter indicating DRU enable or DRU disable in the Operating Mode field to send the STA's suggested / recommended resource types to the AP via DRU enable or DRU disable.

[0099] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the OM notification frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 18 As shown, the OM notification frame contains options to enable or disable DRU, used to notify the AP of the recommended RU type to enable. For forward compatibility, the Category must differ from those in existing technologies.

[0100] After evaluation, if the AP accepts the RU type recommended by the STA, it will use the RU type recommended by the STA in subsequent resource allocations; otherwise, it will still use another RU type.

[0101] In one embodiment, when switching from one area of ​​a non-access point device to another area, sending a first indication to an access point device includes: sending a cache status report response frame to the access point device based on a trigger frame requesting cache information sent by the access point device; and sending the first indication to the access point device through the cache status report response frame, wherein the cache status report response frame carries a cache status report control subfield, and the cache status report control subfield is provided with a subfield for indicating information on the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

[0102] In one exemplary embodiment, in Figure 4 In the uplink OFDMA process shown, the STA responds to the trigger frame that receives the AP's request for buffer information. In the corresponding Buffer Status Reports (BSR) response frame, in addition to uploading the buffer information, it also sends a first indication to the AP through the BSR response frame to inform the AP whether to enable DRU capability.

[0103] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the BSR control subfield format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 19 As shown, the BSR control subfield in the BSR response frame has been expanded to include a subfield for DRU enable or DRU disable, which is used to indicate the recommended RU type to be enabled.

[0104] After evaluation, if the AP accepts the RU type recommended by the STA, it will use the RU type recommended by the STA in subsequent resource allocations; otherwise, it will still use another RU type.

[0105] In one exemplary embodiment, AP in Figure 4 In stage 3 shown, the negotiated RU type is indicated in the Basic trigger frame. Figure 20 This is an illustration of the Basic trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 20 As shown, this Basic trigger frame adds an RU type indicator and an AID to the User Info field in the general format of the trigger frame. The AID corresponds to the requested STA.

[0106] In one embodiment, when switching from one area of ​​a non-access point device to another area, sending a first indication to the access point device includes: when implicitly reporting cache information, sending the first indication to the access point device via a QoS control field or a cache status report subfield.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, during phase 1 of the uplink OFDMA process, the STA can implicitly report cached information. When the STA implicitly reports cached information, it sends a first indication to the AP, including: using 1 / 2 bit in the QoS control field or BSR control subfield to indicate the suggested RU type.

[0108] The format of the BSR comrol subfield is as follows: Figure 19 As shown, for the QoS control field, in the scenario of reporting the Queue size: add a DRU enable or DRU disable field to the QoS control field; or add a DRU enable or DRU disable subfield to an existing field in the MAC frame header.

[0109] After evaluation, if the AP accepts the RU type recommended by the STA, it will use the RU type recommended by the STA in subsequent resource allocations; otherwise, it will still use another RU type.

[0110] In one embodiment, when switching from one area of ​​a non-access point device to another area, sending a first indication to an access point device includes: upon receiving downlink data sent by the access point device, sending a first indication to the access point device via a block acknowledgment frame, wherein the block acknowledgment frame carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device in its block acknowledgment field.

[0111] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the data transmission process between the AP and STA according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 21 As shown, in response to the downlink data sent by the AP, the STA sends a first indication to the AP via a BA frame, which carries the RU type suggested by the STA.

[0112] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the BA frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 22 As shown, the BA control field of the BA frame has a reserved field that can be used to indicate the RU type recommended by the STA.

[0113] After evaluation, if the AP accepts the RU type recommended by the STA, it will use the RU type recommended by the STA in subsequent resource allocations; otherwise, it will still use another RU type.

[0114] Step S1404: If the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device is determined as the resource unit type for data transmission.

[0115] In one embodiment, the method further includes: if the access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, determining the resource unit type currently used by the non-access point device as the resource unit type for data transmission.

[0116] Access point devices can also proactively suggest / recommend the types of resources to be enabled based on factors such as global resources, and then notify non-access point devices; non-access point devices can also determine whether to agree to the access point device's suggestion based on their own location. Once the negotiation is complete, the access point device allocates resources according to the negotiated types.

[0117] In one embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a second indication sent by the access point device, wherein the second indication is used to indicate a resource unit type recommended by the access point device; if the non-access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, determining the resource unit type recommended by the access point device as a resource unit type for data transmission; if the non-access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, determining the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device as a resource unit type for data transmission.

[0118] In one embodiment, the method further includes: sending a third indication to the access point device via the cache status report response frame, wherein the cache status report response frame carries a cache status report control subfield, and the cache status report control subfield is provided with a subfield for instructing the non-access point device to accept or reject information on the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

[0119] Through the above steps, the non-access point device (NAP) sends the identified NAP device to the access point device via a first instruction. Upon receiving the resource element type recommended by the NAP, the NAP determines that resource element type as the resource element type for data transmission. Therefore, this solves the problem in related technologies of determining the required resource element type for NAP devices supporting RRUs and DRUs, thereby improving overall spectrum efficiency.

[0120] This invention also provides a method for determining resource unit type, which is applied to access point equipment. Figure 23 This is a flowchart of a method for determining resource unit types according to another embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 23 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0121] Step S2302: Receive a first indication sent by the non-access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

[0122] Step S2304: If the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device is determined as the resource unit type used to allocate data transmission for the non-access point device.

[0123] Following step S2304 in this embodiment, the method further includes: sending a fourth indication to the non-access point device via an operation mode notification frame or a downlink media access control layer frame carrying an operation mode field; wherein the fourth indication is used to indicate that data transmission is performed according to the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; and the operation mode field carries information on accepting the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

[0124] In this embodiment of the invention, the access point device may also proactively suggest / recommend the types of resources to be enabled based on considerations such as global resources, and then notify the non-access point devices.

[0125] When an access point device actively recommends enabling a certain resource type to a non-access point device, the method includes: determining the resource unit type recommended by the access point device; sending a second indication to the non-access point device, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the access point device; and, if the non-access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, determining the resource unit type recommended by the access point device as the resource unit type for data transmission.

[0126] In this embodiment, the resource unit types include: continuous resource unit type and distributed resource unit type.

[0127] In one embodiment, before sending the second indication to the non-access point device, the method further includes: determining the currently recommended resource unit type of the access point device based on the utilization rate of wireless channel resources; and setting the recommended resource unit type in the second indication.

[0128] In one embodiment, sending a second indication to a non-access point device includes: sending a second indication to the non-access point device via a cached status report polling trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

[0129] In one exemplary embodiment, in Figure 4 In phase 1 or phase 2 of the uplink OFDMA process shown, after the AP determines the recommended RU type, it can also send a second indication to the STA via a BSRP trigger frame or a MU-RTS trigger frame to send the AP-recommended RU resource type to the STA.

[0130] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the BSRP trigger frame or MU-RTS trigger frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 24 As shown, in the User Info List field of the general format of BSRP trigger frames or MU-RTS trigger frames, add an indication field for DRU enable or DRU disable, as well as the AID corresponding to the target STA.

[0131] Based on its location, the STA determines whether to accept the AP's suggestion. When the AP sends a second instruction to the STA via a BSRP trigger frame, the STA responds to the BSRP trigger frame by returning a response frame to the AP. The response frame carries the RU type negotiated between the STA and the AP.

[0132] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the BSR response frame format according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 25 As shown, when the response frame is a BSR response frame, a field indicating the negotiated RU type, namely RUType, is added to the BSR Control field of the BSR response frame.

[0133] When the response frame is a control frame, the negotiated RU type is indicated in the Frame control of the control frame.

[0134] When the AP sends a second indication to the STA via a MU-RTS trigger frame, the STA will reply with a CTS if it receives the RU type suggested by the AP; otherwise, it will not reply with a CTS.

[0135] In one embodiment, sending a second indication to a non-access point device includes: sending the second indication to the non-access point device via an operation mode notification frame or a beacon frame carrying an operation mode notification element; wherein the operation mode notification frame or the beacon frame carrying an operation mode notification element is provided with an operation mode field, the operation mode field carrying information about the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

[0136] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP proactively initiates an OM notification frame / element to set the suggested / recommended resource type as a transmission parameter in the OM notification frame / element.

[0137] For example, the AP may indicate the proposed RU type in the Operating Mode Notification element carried in the beacon frame; or, the AP may indicate the proposed RU type in the Operating Mode Notification frame. For forward compatibility, the Category must differ from the Category in the prior art.

[0138] Based on its location, the STA determines whether to accept the RU type recommended by the AP; if not, it can re-initiate the RU type instruction / notification using the method described in the above embodiments.

[0139] In one embodiment, the method further includes: if the non-access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, determining the resource unit type currently used by the access point device as the resource unit type for data transmission.

[0140] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0141] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0142] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0143] Embodiments of the present invention also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0144] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0145] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0146] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of the present invention described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those described herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0147] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for determining the type of resource unit, characterized in that, Applied to non-access point devices, including: Determine the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, and send a first indication to the access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; If the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device shall be determined as the resource unit type for data transmission.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, The resource unit types include: continuous resource unit type and distributed resource unit type.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The determination of the recommended resource unit type for non-access point devices includes: The recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device is determined based on the straight-line distance between the non-access point device and the access point device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Based on the straight-line distance between the non-access point device and the access point device, the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device is determined, including: If the straight-line distance between the non-access point device and the access point device is less than a first preset threshold, the continuous resource unit type is determined as the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device. If the straight-line distance between the non-access point device and the access point device is greater than a second preset threshold, the distributed resource unit type is determined as the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device; wherein the second preset threshold is greater than the first preset threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The determination of the recommended resource unit type for non-access point devices includes: The recommended resource unit type is determined based on the measurement results of the downlink signal by the non-access point device; wherein the measurement results include at least one of the following: the measurement results of signal quality measurement and the measurement results of signal strength measurement.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Send a first instruction to the access point device, including: A first instruction is sent to the access point device via a media access control layer frame carrying an operation mode control subfield; wherein the operation mode control subfield carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Send a first instruction to the access point device, including: A first instruction is sent to the access point device via an operation mode notification frame carrying an operation mode field or an uplink media access control layer frame; wherein the operation mode field carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, in, The media access control layer frame includes one of the following: data frame, management frame, or control frame.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Send a first instruction to the access point device, including: Based on the trigger frame for requesting cache information sent by the access point device, send a cache status report response frame to the access point device; The cache status report response frame sends a first indication to the access point device, wherein the cache status report response frame carries a cache status report control subfield, and the cache status report control subfield is provided with a subfield for indicating information on the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Send a first instruction to the access point device, including: When implicitly reporting cache information, the first instruction is sent to the access point device through the QoS control field or the cache status report subfield.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Send a first instruction to the access point device, including: Upon receiving downlink data sent by the access point device, a first indication is sent to the access point device via a block confirmation frame, wherein the block confirmation field carried by the block confirmation frame contains information about the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, the resource unit type currently used by the non-access point device is determined as the resource unit type for data transmission.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second indication sent by the access point device, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the access point device; If the non-access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the access point device shall be determined as the resource unit type for data transmission. If the non-access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device shall be determined as the resource unit type for data transmission.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third indication is sent to the access point device via a cache status report response frame, wherein the cache status report response frame carries a cache status report control subfield, and the cache status report control subfield is configured with a subfield for instructing the non-access point device to accept or reject information on the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

15. A method for determining a resource type, characterized in that, Applied to access point devices, including: Receive a first indication sent by the non-access point device, wherein the first indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; If the access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device is determined as the resource unit type used to allocate data transmission for the non-access point device.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, After determining the recommended resource unit type for the non-access point device as the resource unit type used for allocating data transmission to the non-access point device, the method further includes: A fourth indication is sent to the non-access point device via an operation mode notification frame carrying an operation mode field or a downlink media access control layer frame; wherein the fourth indication is used to indicate that data transmission is performed according to the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device; the operation mode field carries information on accepting the resource unit type recommended by the non-access point device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The resource unit type recommended by the access point device is determined, and a second indication is sent to the non-access point device, wherein the second indication is used to indicate the resource unit type recommended by the access point device; If the non-access point device accepts the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, the resource unit type recommended by the access point device shall be determined as the resource unit type for data transmission.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, in, The resource unit types include: continuous resource unit type and distributed resource unit type.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Before sending the second instruction to the non-access point device, the method further includes: Based on the utilization rate of wireless channel resources, determine the currently recommended resource unit type for the access point device; and set the recommended resource unit type in the second indication.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, Send a second instruction to the non-access point device, including: A second indication is sent to the non-access point device via a cache status report polling trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17-20, characterized in that, Send a second instruction to the non-access point device, including: The second instruction is sent to the non-access point device via an operation mode notification frame or a beacon frame carrying an operation mode notification element; wherein the operation mode notification frame or the beacon frame carrying an operation mode notification element is provided with an operation mode field, and the operation mode field carries information about the resource unit type recommended by the access point device.

22. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the non-access point device rejects the resource unit type recommended by the access point device, the resource unit type currently used by the access point device is determined as the resource unit type used for data transmission.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 14, or implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 15 to 22.

24. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 14, or the steps of the method described in any one of claims 15 to 22.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 15 to 22.

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