Downlink data cache indication method and device and downlink data acquisition method and device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a downlink data cache indication method and device, a downlink data acquisition method and device, an access point, a station and a computer-readable storage medium. The downlink data cache indication method includes: generating a beacon frame, the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has cached downlink data; sending a beacon frame to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band in which the corresponding station listens to obtain downlink data. The embodiment of the present disclosure solves the problem of how an AP sends a beacon frame in multiple frequency bands by sending a beacon frame containing a downlink data cache indication information bit to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a downlink data cache indication method and device, a downlink data acquisition method and device, an access point, a station, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Aggregation and coordination of multiple frequency bands means that devices can communicate simultaneously in the 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz and 6-7 GHz frequency bands. For devices to communicate simultaneously in multiple frequency bands, a new Media Access Control (MAC) mechanism needs to be defined for management.

[0003] The terminal in the power saving state may obtain downlink cache data by periodically waking up to listen to the beacon frame broadcast by the access point (AP), and parsing the corresponding Traffic Indication Map (TIM) information to determine whether there is cached downlink data.

[0004] Under the existing technology, an AP can send beacon frames in multiple frequency bands at the same time. So how does an AP send beacon frames in multiple frequency bands? For a station in power saving mode, how to listen to beacon frames to obtain downlink data is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present application discloses a downlink data cache indication method and device, user equipment, and computer-readable storage medium to solve how an AP sends beacon frames in multiple frequency bands and how a site listens to beacon frames to obtain downlink data.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a downlink data buffer indication method is provided, which is applied to an access point, and the method includes:

[0007] Generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached;

[0008] The beacon frame is sent to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding station listens to and obtains downlink data.

[0009] In one embodiment, before sending the beacon frame to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, the method further includes:

[0010] An association is established with each of the sites, and a frequency band at which the association is established is determined as a listening frequency band of each of the sites.

[0011] In one embodiment, before sending the beacon frame to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, the method further includes:

[0012] Establish an association with each of the sites, and negotiate with each of the sites about the sleep period of each of the sites through a negotiation frame, wherein the negotiation frame carries a listening frequency band of each of the sites, and the frequency band at which the association is established is different from the listening frequency band.

[0013] In one embodiment, after establishing association with each site, the method further includes:

[0014] For all working frequency bands, a unique association identifier is assigned to each station in the order in which the association is established, wherein all working frequency bands include the frequency band in which the association is established; or

[0015] A unique association identifier is allocated to each associated site in each working frequency band.

[0016] In one embodiment, generating a beacon frame includes:

[0017] According to the priority of the downlink data to be cached, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the wake-up period is located is set to indicate that there is downlink data cached.

[0018] In one embodiment, establishing association with each site includes:

[0019] Broadcasting a beacon frame in a set frequency band, receiving an association request frame sent by at least one station, and returning an association response frame to the corresponding station according to the association request frame to establish an association with each station; or

[0020] Receive a probe request frame sent by at least one site, return a probe response frame to the at least one site, receive an association request frame sent by the at least one site, and return an association response frame to the corresponding site according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with each of the sites.

[0021] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for acquiring downlink data is provided, which is applied to a site, and the method includes:

[0022] Listen to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station;

[0023] If the beacon frame is intercepted, parsing the downlink data buffer indication information bit from the beacon frame;

[0024] If the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0025] In one embodiment, before listening to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station, the method further includes:

[0026] An association is established with the access point, and the frequency band at which the association is established is determined as the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0027] In one embodiment, before listening to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station, the method further includes:

[0028] Establish an association with the access point, and negotiate a sleep cycle with the access point through a negotiation frame, wherein the negotiation frame carries the listening frequency band of the current site, and the frequency band when establishing the association is different from the listening frequency band.

[0029] In one embodiment, establishing an association with the access point includes:

[0030] receiving a beacon frame broadcast by the access point in a set frequency band, sending an association request frame to the access point, and returning an association response frame to the access point according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with the access point; or

[0031] A probe request frame is sent to the access point, a probe response frame returned by the access point is received, an association request frame is sent to the access point, and an association response frame is returned to the access point according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with the access point.

[0032] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a downlink data buffer indication device is provided, which is applied to an access point, and the device includes:

[0033] A generating module is configured to generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached;

[0034] The sending module is configured to send the beacon frame generated by the generating module to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding station listens to and obtains downlink data.

[0035] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a downlink data acquisition device is provided, which is applied to a site, and the device includes:

[0036] A listening module, configured to listen to a beacon frame sent by an access point in a listening frequency band of a current station;

[0037] a parsing module, configured to parse a downlink data cache indication information bit from the beacon frame if the listening module listens to the beacon frame;

[0038] The sending module is configured to send a power saving polling frame to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain downlink data if the downlink data cache indication information bit parsed by the parsing module indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, an access point is provided, including:

[0040] processor;

[0041] a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

[0042] Wherein, the processor is configured to:

[0043] Generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached;

[0044] The beacon frame is sent to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding station listens to and obtains downlink data.

[0045] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a site is provided, including:

[0046] processor;

[0047] a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

[0048] Wherein, the processor is configured to:

[0049] Listen to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station;

[0050] If the beacon frame is intercepted, parsing the downlink data buffer indication information bit from the beacon frame;

[0051] If the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0052] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the above-mentioned downlink data cache indication method are implemented.

[0053] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the above-mentioned downlink data acquisition method are implemented.

[0054] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure may have the following beneficial effects:

[0055] By sending a beacon frame containing a downlink data buffer indication information bit to the corresponding site in the listening frequency band of each site, the problem of how the AP sends beacon frames in multiple frequency bands is solved.

[0056] By listening to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current site, and parsing the downlink data cache indication information bit from the detected beacon frame, if the downlink data cache indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain downlink data, thereby solving the problem of how sites in multiple frequency bands listen to beacon frames to obtain downlink data.

[0057] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0059] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a downlink data cache indication method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for acquiring downlink data shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 3 is a signaling flow chart of a method for acquiring downlink data shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 4 is a signaling flow chart of another downlink data acquisition method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a downlink data buffer indication device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0064] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a downlink data acquisition device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0065] Figure 7is a block diagram of a downlink data buffer indication device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0066] Figure 8 The figure is a block diagram of a device for acquiring downlink data according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0068] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a downlink data buffer indication method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described from the AP side. Figure 1 As shown, the downlink data cache indication method includes:

[0069] In step S101, a beacon frame is generated, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data buffer indication information bit, wherein the downlink data buffer indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data buffered therein.

[0070] Among them, when the downlink data cache indication information bit is a first preset value, such as "1", it indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data, and when the downlink data cache indication information bit is a second preset value, such as "0", it indicates that the beacon frame does not cache downlink data.

[0071] In this embodiment, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the awake period is located may be set to indicate that downlink data is cached according to the priority of the downlink data to be cached.

[0072] For example, for low-priority downlink data, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the wake-up period is located can be set to indicate that downlink data is cached, that is, the downlink data cache indication information bit and the wake-up period are set in the same beacon frame. At the same time, the site obtains the time synchronization function (TSF) information in the beacon frame to maintain time synchronization with the access point. In this way, the TSF and downlink data cache indication information bits in the beacon frame are multiplexed, which is beneficial to saving power of the site.

[0073] In step S102, a beacon frame is sent to a corresponding station in a listening frequency band of each station, wherein the listening frequency band is a frequency band in which the corresponding station listens to obtain downlink data.

[0074] Optionally, before executing step S102, the method may further include: determining a listening frequency band of each site.

[0075] Determining the listening frequency band of each site may include: establishing an association with each site, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of each site.

[0076] Since the AP determines the monitoring frequency band of each station according to the load conditions under different frequency bands and the conflicts that occur during the contention period, the determined monitoring frequency band may be different from the frequency band in which the association is established. In this case, the listening frequency band determined for each station can be carried by the negotiation frame, and the listening frequency band is used to listen to the beacon frame broadcast by the access point with the downlink data cache indication information bit. Among them, the negotiation frame is also used for the AP to negotiate the sleep period of each station with each station.

[0077] In this embodiment, after the listening frequency band of each station is determined, a beacon frame is sent to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station. Each station listens to the beacon frame in the corresponding listening frequency band and parses the detected beacon frame to obtain downlink data.

[0078] The above embodiment solves the problem of how an AP sends beacon frames in multiple frequency bands by sending a beacon frame including a downlink data buffer indication information bit to a corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station.

[0079] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a method for acquiring downlink data shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described from the perspective of the site side. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0080] In step S201, a beacon frame sent by an access point is listened to in a listening frequency band of the current station.

[0081] Optionally, before executing step S201, the method may further include: establishing an association with an access point, and determining the frequency band in which the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0082] Since the AP determines the monitoring frequency band of each station according to the load conditions under different frequency bands and the conflicts that occur during the contention period, the determined monitoring frequency band may be different from the frequency band in which the association is established. In this case, the listening frequency band determined for each station can be carried by a negotiation frame. The negotiation frame is used to negotiate the sleep period of the current station between the current station and the AP.

[0083] After determining the listening frequency band of the current station, the beacon frame sent by the access point is listened to in the listening frequency band.

[0084] In step S202, if a beacon frame is detected, the downlink data buffer indication information bit is parsed from the beacon frame.

[0085] In step S203, if the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving (PS) polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period (CP) of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0086] The above embodiment listens to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current site, and parses the downlink data cache indication information bit from the listened beacon frame. If the downlink data cache indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain downlink data, thereby solving the problem of how sites in multiple frequency bands listen to beacon frames to obtain downlink data.

[0087] Figure 3 is a signaling flow chart of a downlink data acquisition method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described from the perspective of interaction between the AP and the current site. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes:

[0088] In step S301, the current station establishes an association with an AP.

[0089] Each station can establish an association with an AP in multiple ways, such as the following two ways:

[0090] Method 11) The AP broadcasts a beacon frame in a set frequency band. After receiving the broadcast beacon frame, at least one station sends an association request frame to the AP. The AP returns an association response frame to the corresponding station based on the association request frame to establish an association with each station.

[0091] The set frequency band may be one of a plurality of working frequency bands.

[0092] Method 12) At least one station sends a probe request frame to the AP. After receiving the probe request frame, the AP returns a probe response frame to the corresponding station. After receiving the probe response frame, the corresponding station sends an association request frame to the AP. The AP returns an association response frame to the corresponding station based on the association request frame to establish an association with each station.

[0093] In step S302, the AP allocates an Association Identifier (AID) to the current station, and determines the frequency band where the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0094] Since an AP may send beacon frames in multiple frequency bands, an AP can only manage a maximum of 2007 stations in a basic service set (BSS). Therefore, for access points that can communicate in multiple frequency bands at the same time, AIDs can be assigned to each station in the following way:

[0095] Mode 21) For all working frequency bands, a unique association identifier is assigned to each site in the order in which the association is established.

[0096] For example, all working frequency bands are f1, f2, and f3. Site 1 first establishes an association with the AP under f1, then site 2 establishes an association with the AP under f1, and then site 3 establishes an association with the AP under f2. In this case, the AP first allocates AID1 to site 1, then allocates AID2 to site 2, and then allocates AID3 to site 3.

[0097] With this allocation method, each station operating in multiple frequency bands can only obtain one AID.

[0098] Method 22) allocates a unique association identifier to each site established with association in each working frequency band.

[0099] In this embodiment, the access points can be divided into virtual access points of equal number to all working frequency bands, that is, one working frequency band corresponds to one virtual access point. Then, the virtual access point allocates a unique AID to the station associated through the corresponding frequency band.

[0100] For example, if all working frequency bands are f1, f2, and f3, the AP is divided into three virtual APs, AP11, AP12, and AP13. AP11 allocates an AID to a site associated with f1, AP12 allocates an AID to a site associated with f2, and AP13 allocates an AID to a site associated with f3.

[0101] Through this allocation method, each site working in multiple frequency bands can obtain multiple AIDs, and each AID corresponds to each frequency band. For example, if site 1 can work in three frequency bands, site 1 has three AIDs, and these three AIDs correspond to the three frequency bands respectively.

[0102] In step S303, the AP generates a beacon frame, which includes a downlink data buffer indication information bit, and the downlink data buffer indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data buffered.

[0103] In step S304, the AP sends a beacon frame to the current station in the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0104] In step S305, the current station listens to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0105] In step S306, if the current station detects a beacon frame, the downlink data buffer indication information bit is parsed from the beacon frame.

[0106] In step S307, if the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, the current station sends a power saving polling frame to the AP during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0107] It should be noted that this embodiment describes the process of obtaining downlink data by taking one site as an example. For a case of multiple sites, the implementation process is similar to that of a case of one site and will not be described in detail here.

[0108] In the above-mentioned embodiment, through the interaction between the AP and the current site, the AP determines the frequency band in which the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current site, and sends a beacon frame to the current site in the listening frequency band of the current site, so that the current site listens to the beacon frame sent by the AP in the listening frequency band of the current site to obtain downlink data, thereby solving the problem of the AP sending beacon frames in multiple frequency bands and the current site listening to beacon frames to obtain downlink data, so that the AP and the current site can communicate in multiple frequency bands, thereby improving the system throughput and data rate, and indirectly improving the effective utilization of the spectrum.

[0109] Figure 4 is a signaling flow chart of another downlink data acquisition method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described from the perspective of interaction between the AP and the current site, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method includes:

[0110] In step S401, the current station establishes an association with an AP.

[0111] In step S402, the AP allocates an association identifier (AID) to the current station.

[0112] The AP may allocate an AID to the current station using allocation method 21) or allocation method 22) in step S302.

[0113] In step S403, the current station negotiates the sleep period of the current station with the AP through a negotiation frame, wherein the negotiation frame carries the listening frequency band of the current station, and the frequency band at which the association is established is different from the listening frequency band.

[0114] After the current station establishes an association with the AP, if it wants to be in a sleep state, it negotiates with the AP for its sleep cycle, wherein the negotiation frame carries the listening frequency band of the current station, and the frequency band when establishing the association is different from the listening frequency band.

[0115] In step S404, the AP generates a beacon frame, which includes a downlink data buffer indication information bit, and the downlink data buffer indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data buffered.

[0116] If a STA in sleep state wants to keep time synchronization with AP, it needs to wake up periodically to listen to the time synchronization function information in the beacon frame to keep time synchronization with AP. For downlink data with lower priority, AP can put the downlink data cache indication information bit and the current station wake-up period in the same beacon frame to save station power.

[0117] In step S405, the AP sends a beacon frame to the current station in the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0118] In step S406, the current station listens to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station.

[0119] In step S407, if the current station detects a beacon frame, the downlink data buffer indication information bit is parsed from the beacon frame.

[0120] In step S408, if the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, the current station sends a power saving polling frame to the AP during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0121] It should be noted that this embodiment describes the process of obtaining downlink data by taking one site as an example. For a case of multiple sites, the implementation process is similar to that of one site and will not be described in detail here.

[0122] In the above-mentioned embodiment, through the interaction between the AP and the current site, the listening frequency band of the current site is carried by the negotiation frame, and a beacon frame is sent to the current site in the listening frequency band of the current site, so that the current site listens to the beacon frame sent by the AP in the listening frequency band of the current site to obtain downlink data, thereby solving the problem of the AP sending beacon frames in multiple frequency bands and the current site listening to beacon frames to obtain downlink data, so that the AP and the current site can communicate in multiple frequency bands, thereby improving the system throughput and data rate, and indirectly improving the effective utilization of the spectrum.

[0123] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a downlink data buffer indication device according to an exemplary embodiment, wherein the downlink data buffer indication device is located in an AP, such as Figure 5 As shown, the downlink data buffer indication device includes: a generating module 51 and a sending module 52.

[0124] The generating module 51 is configured to generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached.

[0125] Among them, when the downlink data cache indication information bit is a first preset value, such as "1", it indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data, and when the downlink data cache indication information bit is a second preset value, such as "0", it indicates that the beacon frame does not cache downlink data.

[0126] In this embodiment, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the awake period is located may be set to indicate that downlink data is cached according to the priority of the downlink data to be cached.

[0127] For example, for low-priority downlink data, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the wake-up period is located can be set to indicate that downlink data is cached, that is, the downlink data cache indication information bit and the wake-up period are set in the same beacon frame. At the same time, the site obtains the time synchronization function (TSF) information in the beacon frame to maintain time synchronization with the access point. In this way, the TSF and downlink data cache indication information bits in the beacon frame are multiplexed, which is beneficial to saving power of the site.

[0128] The sending module 52 is configured to send the beacon frame generated by the generating module 51 to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, where the listening frequency band is the frequency band in which the corresponding station listens to obtain downlink data.

[0129] Optionally, before the sending module 52 sends the beacon frame generated by the generating module 51 to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, the sending module 52 may also determine the listening frequency band of each station.

[0130] Determining the listening frequency band of each site may include: establishing an association with each site, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of each site.

[0131] Since the AP determines the monitoring frequency band of each station according to the load conditions under different frequency bands and the conflicts that occur during the contention period, the determined monitoring frequency band may be different from the frequency band in which the association is established. In this case, the listening frequency band determined for each station can be carried by the negotiation frame, and the listening frequency band is used to listen to the beacon frame broadcast by the access point with the downlink data cache indication information bit. Among them, the negotiation frame is also used for the AP to negotiate the sleep period of each station with each station.

[0132] In this embodiment, after the listening frequency band of each station is determined, a beacon frame is sent to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station. Each station listens to the beacon frame in the corresponding listening frequency band and parses the detected beacon frame to obtain downlink data.

[0133] The above embodiment solves the problem of how an AP sends beacon frames in multiple frequency bands by sending a beacon frame including a downlink data buffer indication information bit to a corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station.

[0134] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a downlink data acquisition device according to an exemplary embodiment. The downlink data acquisition device is located in a site, such as Figure 6 As shown, the downlink data acquisition device includes:

[0135] The monitoring module 61 is configured to monitor the beacon frame sent by the access point in the monitoring frequency band of the current station.

[0136] Optionally, before monitoring the beacon frame sent by the access point, the monitoring module 61 also establishes an association with the access point, and determines the frequency band at which the association is established as the monitoring frequency band of the current station.

[0137] Since the AP determines the monitoring frequency band of each station according to the load conditions under different frequency bands and the conflicts that occur during the contention period, the determined monitoring frequency band may be different from the frequency band in which the association is established. In this case, the listening frequency band determined for each station can be carried by a negotiation frame. The negotiation frame is used to negotiate the sleep period of the current station between the current station and the AP.

[0138] After determining the listening frequency band of the current station, the beacon frame sent by the access point is listened to in the listening frequency band.

[0139] The parsing module 62 is configured to parse the downlink data buffer indication information bit from the beacon frame if the listening module 61 listens to the beacon frame.

[0140] The sending module 63 is configured to send a power saving polling frame to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data if the downlink data buffer indication information bit parsed by the parsing module 62 indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data.

[0141] The above embodiment listens to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current site, and parses the downlink data cache indication information bit from the listened beacon frame. If the downlink data cache indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain downlink data, thereby solving the problem of how sites in multiple frequency bands listen to beacon frames to obtain downlink data.

[0142] Figure 7 700 is a block diagram of a downlink data buffer indication device according to an exemplary embodiment. The device 700 may be provided as an AP. Figure 7 The device 700 includes a processing component 722, a wireless transmission / reception component 724, an antenna component 726, and a signal processing part specific to the wireless interface. The processing component 722 may further include one or more processors.

[0143] One of the processors in the processing component 722 may be configured to:

[0144] Generate a beacon frame, the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached;

[0145] A beacon frame is sent to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, where the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding station listens to and obtains downlink data.

[0146] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, and the instructions can be executed by the processing component 722 of the device 700 to complete the above-mentioned downlink data cache indication method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0147] Figure 8 800 is a block diagram of a device for acquiring downlink data according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the device 800 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, or other station.

[0148] Reference Figure 8 , the device 800 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 802 , a memory 804 , a power component 806 , a multimedia component 808 , an audio component 810 , an input / output (I / O) interface 88 , a sensor component 814 , and a communication component 816 .

[0149] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operation of the device 800, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned method. In addition, the processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate the interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0150] One of the processors 820 in the processing component 802 may be configured to:

[0151] Listen to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station;

[0152] If a beacon frame is detected, the downlink data buffer indication information bit is parsed from the beacon frame;

[0153] If the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

[0154] The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the device 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 800, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0155] The power supply component 806 provides power to the various components of the device 800. The power supply component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 800.

[0156] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, slide, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 800 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0157] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC), and when the device 800 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a speech recognition mode, the microphone is configured to receive an external audio signal. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 804 or sent via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0158] I / O interface 88 provides an interface between processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0159] The sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of status assessment for the device 800. For example, the sensor assembly 814 can detect the open / closed state of the device 800, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 800, the sensor assembly 814 can also detect the position change of the device 800 or a component of the device 800, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 800 and the temperature change of the device 800. The sensor assembly 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 814 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 814 may also include an accelerometer, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor or a temperature sensor.

[0160] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 800 and other devices. The device 800 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 also includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology and other technologies.

[0161] In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 800 may be implemented by one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors or other electronic components to perform the above method.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 804 including instructions, and the instructions can be executed by the processor 820 of the device 800 to perform the above method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, etc.

[0163] For the device embodiment, since it basically corresponds to the method embodiment, the relevant parts can refer to the partial description of the method embodiment. The device embodiment described above is only schematic, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative work.

[0164] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. The terms "include", "comprises" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "comprises a ..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The description and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0166] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A downlink data buffer indication method, characterized in that: Applied to an access point, the access point operates in multiple frequency bands, and the access point supports communication with a station in multiple frequency bands simultaneously, and the method includes: Generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached; Establishing an association with each site, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of each site; Allocate a unique association identifier to each associated station in each working frequency band; The beacon frame is sent to the corresponding multiple sites in the listening frequency band of each site, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding site listens to and obtains downlink data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Before sending the beacon frame to the corresponding station in the listening frequency band of each station, the method further includes: Establish an association with each of the sites, and negotiate with each of the sites about the sleep period of each of the sites through a negotiation frame, wherein the negotiation frame carries a listening frequency band of each of the sites, and the frequency band at which the association is established is different from the listening frequency band.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: After establishing association with each site, the method further includes: For all working frequency bands, a unique association identifier is allocated to each site in the order of establishing association, wherein all working frequency bands include the frequency band where the association is established.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The generating of a beacon frame comprises: According to the priority of the downlink data to be cached, the downlink data cache indication information bit in the beacon frame where the wake-up period is located is set to indicate that there is downlink data cached.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The establishing of association with each of the sites includes: Broadcasting a beacon frame in a set frequency band, receiving an association request frame sent by at least one station, and returning an association response frame to the corresponding station according to the association request frame to establish an association with each station; or Receive a probe request frame sent by at least one site, return a probe response frame to the at least one site, receive an association request frame sent by the at least one site, and return an association response frame to the corresponding site according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with each of the sites.

6. A method for acquiring downlink data, characterized in that: Applied to a site, the method comprises: Establishing an association with an access point, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current station; wherein the access point operates in multiple frequency bands, and the access point and the station support communication in multiple frequency bands at the same time; Listening to beacon frames sent by an access point at a listening frequency band of a current station; wherein the beacon frames are beacon frames sent by the access point to a plurality of corresponding stations at a listening frequency band of each station; and establishing an identifier uniquely associated with the station at each working frequency band; If the beacon frame is intercepted, parsing the downlink data buffer indication information bit from the beacon frame; If the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before listening to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current station, the method further includes: Establish an association with the access point, and negotiate a sleep cycle with the access point through a negotiation frame, wherein the negotiation frame carries the listening frequency band of the current site, and the frequency band when establishing the association is different from the listening frequency band.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The establishing an association with the access point includes: receiving a beacon frame broadcast by the access point in a set frequency band, sending an association request frame to the access point, and returning an association response frame to the access point according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with the access point; or A probe request frame is sent to the access point, a probe response frame returned by the access point is received, an association request frame is sent to the access point, and an association response frame is returned to the access point according to the association request frame, so as to establish an association with the access point.

9. A downlink data buffer indication device, characterized in that: Applied to an access point, the access point operates in multiple frequency bands, the access point supports communication with a station in multiple frequency bands at the same time, and the device includes: A generating module is configured to generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached; The sending module is configured to establish an association with each site, determine the frequency band in which the association is established as the listening frequency band of each site; assign a unique association identifier to each site with which the association is established in each working frequency band; and send the beacon frame generated by the generating module to the corresponding multiple sites in the listening frequency band of each site, where the listening frequency band is the frequency band in which the corresponding site listens to obtain downlink data.

10. A downlink data acquisition device, characterized in that: Applied to a site, the device comprises: A listening module is configured to establish an association with an access point, determine the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current site; listen to the beacon frame sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current site; wherein the beacon frame is a beacon frame sent by the access point to the corresponding multiple sites in the listening frequency band of each site, the access point works in multiple frequency bands, and the access point and the site support communication in multiple frequency bands at the same time; an identifier uniquely associated with the site is established in each working frequency band; a parsing module, configured to parse a downlink data cache indication information bit from the beacon frame if the listening module listens to the beacon frame; The sending module is configured to send a power saving polling frame to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain downlink data if the downlink data cache indication information bit parsed by the parsing module indicates that the beacon frame cache has downlink data.

11. An access point, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; Wherein, the processor is configured to: Generate a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame includes a downlink data cache indication information bit, and the downlink data cache indication information bit is used to indicate whether the beacon frame has downlink data cached; Establishing an association with each site, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of each site; wherein the access point operates in multiple frequency bands, and the access point and the site support communication in multiple frequency bands at the same time; Allocate a unique association identifier to each associated station in each working frequency band; The beacon frame is sent to the corresponding multiple sites in the listening frequency band of each site, and the listening frequency band is the frequency band that the corresponding site listens to and obtains downlink data.

12. A site, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; Wherein, the processor is configured to: Establishing an association with an access point, and determining the frequency band at which the association is established as the listening frequency band of the current site; wherein the access point operates in multiple frequency bands; Listening to beacon frames sent by the access point in the listening frequency band of the current site; wherein the beacon frames are beacon frames sent by the access point to the corresponding multiple sites in the listening frequency band of each site; an identifier uniquely associated with the site is established in each working frequency band, and the access point and the site support communication in multiple frequency bands at the same time; If the beacon frame is intercepted, parsing the downlink data buffer indication information bit from the beacon frame; If the downlink data buffer indication information bit indicates that the beacon frame buffer has downlink data, a power saving polling frame is sent to the access point during the contention period of the listening frequency band to obtain the downlink data.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed by the processor, the steps of the downlink data cache indication method described in any one of claims 1-5 are implemented.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed by the processor, the steps of the downlink data acquisition method described in any one of claims 6-8 are implemented.

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