Communication devices, control methods and procedures

Abstract

The communication device (102) generates and transmits an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Multi-User (MU) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) or a trigger frame, wherein the Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Multi-User (MU) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit includes an Extremely High Throughput Signal B (EHT-SIG-B), the Extremely High Throughput Signal B includes information indicating that multiple Resource Units (RUs) are allocated to the communication device (103), and the trigger frame includes user information, the user information including information indicating that multiple RUs are allocated to the communication device (103).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the allocation of bands in wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] The IEEE 802.11 series of standards are known as the wireless local area network (WLAN) communication standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network. The IEEE 802.11 series of standards includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax. IEEE is considering developing the IEEE 802.11be standard as a new standard in the IEEE 802.11 series.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discusses the use of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) for wireless communication in the IEEE 802.11ax standard. High peak throughput is achieved by using OFDMA in the IEEE 802.11ax standard. Furthermore, multi-user (MU) communication is achieved by using OFDMA in the IEEE 802.11ax standard. In MU communication, one access point (AP) communicates in parallel with multiple stations (STAs). The AP is the device that builds the network, and the STA is the device that participates in the network built by the AP. In MU communication using OFDMA, the AP allocates a portion of the frequency bandwidth (resource element (RU)) used for MU communication to each STA, enabling concurrent communication with multiple STAs.

[0004] Reference List

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0086212 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] In the MU communication discussed in Patent Document 1, one RU is assigned to one STA. However, depending on the number of STAs and the frequency band allocation method, for example, there are RUs that are not assigned to any STA, and the frequency band cannot be used effectively. Alternatively, for example, if the communication quality of some frequency components included in the RUs assigned to STAs deteriorates, it is not possible to further assign RUs with good communication quality to STAs, and the frequency band cannot be used effectively.

[0009] The present invention aims to improve the efficiency of frequency band utilization by enabling communication devices to allocate multiple RUs to different communication devices.

[0010] Technical means to solve the problem

[0011] In view of the above, a communication apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a generation unit configured to generate an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Multi-User (MU) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), wherein the Extremely High Throughput Multi-User Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit includes: a conventional short training field (L-STF); a conventional long training field (L-LTF) following the L-STF; a conventional signal (L-SIG) following the L-LTF; an Extremely High Throughput Signal A (EHT-SIG-A) following the L-SIG; an EHT-SIG-B, which is a field following the EHT-SIG-A and includes information indicating the allocation of multiple Resource Units (RUs) to a different communication apparatus; an Extremely High Throughput Short Training Field (EHT-STF) following the EHT-SIG-B; and an Extremely High Throughput Long Training Field (EHT-LTF) following the EHT-STF; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the EHT MU PPDU generated by the generation unit.

[0012] Additionally, a communication device according to another aspect of the present invention includes: a generation unit configured to generate a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes: frame control; a duration following the frame control; a receiver address (RA) following the duration; a transmitter address (TA) following the RA; common information following the TA; and user information following the common information, and including information indicating the allocation of a plurality of resource units (RUs) to a different communication device; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the trigger frame generated by the generation unit.

[0013] Advantages of the present invention

[0014] According to the present invention, by enabling a communication device to allocate multiple RUs to different communication devices, the efficiency of frequency band utilization can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of a network in which the communication device 102 participates.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the hardware structure of the communication device 102.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the functional block structure of the communication device 102.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the frame format for an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) Multi-User (MU) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) to be transmitted by communication device 102.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a trigger frame to be sent by communication device 102.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the resource unit allocation method employed by the communication device 102 when using a 20 MHz bandwidth as the frequency bandwidth.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for allocating multiple resource units used by the communication device 102.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the processes to be performed by the communication device 102 in the case of downlink (DL)-orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the processes to be performed by the communication device 102 in the case of uplink (UL)-OFDMA communication. Detailed Implementation

[0024] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The constructions described in the following exemplary embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the constructions shown in the figures.

[0025] Figure 1 The configuration of a network in which the communication device 102 participates according to this exemplary embodiment is shown. Communication device 102 is an access point (AP) that functions to construct network 101. Network 101 is a wireless network. Furthermore, communication devices 103, 104, and 105 are each a station (STA) that functions to participate in network 101. Each communication device conforms to the IEEE 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput (EHT)) standard and can perform wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard via network 101. IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. EHT stands for Extremely High Throughput. EHT can be understood as an abbreviation for Extremely High Throughput. Each communication device can perform communication in frequency bands including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bandwidths. Furthermore, each communication device can use bandwidths including 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz bandwidths to perform communication.

[0026] By implementing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard, communication devices 102 to 105 can realize multi-user (MU) communication in which the signals of multiple users are multiplexed. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access. In OFDMA communication, a portion of the allocated frequency band (Resource Unit (RU)) is allocated to each STA while avoiding redundancy, and the carriers allocated to each STA are orthogonal to each other. The AP can therefore communicate in parallel with multiple STAs.

[0027] Furthermore, communication devices 102 to 105 can implement MU communication using multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU MIMO) communication. In this case, communication device 102 includes multiple antennas and can achieve concurrent communication with multiple STAs by using multiple antennas. By adjusting the radio waves transmitted to communication devices 103 to 105 in a manner that does not interfere with each other, communication device 102 can transmit radio waves to multiple STAs in parallel.

[0028] Communication device 102 can implement MU communication by combining OFDMA communication and MU MIMO communication. More specifically, when performing MU communication with multiple STAs, the AP can perform MU MIMO communication in RUs with a subcarrier number equal to or greater than a certain threshold. For example, when RUs are allocated to multiple STAs, the AP can communicate with one STA in RUs with a subcarrier number less than 10⁶, and the AP can perform MU MIMO communication with multiple STAs in RUs with a subcarrier number equal to or greater than 10⁶.

[0029] In this manner, when performing MU communication, communication devices 103 to 105 need to obtain information related to the allocation of RUs to each STA. Therefore, communication device 102 uses physical layer (PHY) frames to notify communication devices 103 to 105 of the allocation of RUs to each STA that will be used in data communication.

[0030] Furthermore, the communication device 102 of this exemplary embodiment can assign two or more RUs to one STA. In this case, the RUs to be assigned can be two or more RUs with continuous frequency components, or they can be two or more RUs with discontinuous frequency components.

[0031] For example, when communication device 102 communicates with communication devices 103 to 105, by assigning two or more RUs only to communication device 103, communication device 102 can prioritize data communication with communication device 103. In this way, by assigning multiple RUs to a STA, the AP can ensure a wide bandwidth for communication with that STA and can prioritize communication with that STA.

[0032] Furthermore, when only one RU is assigned to one STA, depending on the frequency band allocation method, some RUs may not be assigned to any STA in certain situations. For example, if an AP communicates with three STAs, and the frequency band is divided into four, then one RU may not be assigned to any STA. However, by assigning multiple RUs to one STA, as in the communication device 102 of this exemplary embodiment, the RUs that would have been wasted in the case of only assigning one RU to one STA can be utilized.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, if the communication quality of some frequency components included in the RUs allocated to communication device 103 deteriorates due to movement or time elapsed in at least one of communication devices 102 and 103, communication device 102 can allocate multiple discontinuous RUs with good communication quality. Specifically, if communication device 102 allocates RUs with 52 subcarriers to communication device 103, two non-adjacent RUs with 26 subcarriers can be allocated. In this way, by allocating two or more non-adjacent RUs to a STA, the AP can ensure wideband communication with the STA even if the communication quality of adjacent RUs is poor.

[0034] Communication devices 102 to 105 conform to the IEEE 802.11be standard, but may additionally conform to at least one of the conventional standards that predate the IEEE 802.11be standard. Conventional standards refer to the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. In addition to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, communication devices 102 to 105 may also conform to other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA). UWB stands for Ultra Wideband, and MBOA stands for Multiband OFDM Alliance. OFDM stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes Wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), Wireless 1394, Winner's Information Network (WiNET), etc. Furthermore, communication devices 102 to 105 can conform to the communication standards of wired communication such as wired local area networks (LANs).

[0035] Specific examples of communication device 102 include wireless LAN routers, personal computers (PCs), etc., but communication device 102 is not limited to these. Communication device 102 can be any communication device, as long as it can perform MU communication with different communication devices. Additionally, communication device 102 can be an information processing device such as a wireless chip capable of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard. Furthermore, specific examples of communication devices 103 to 105 include cameras, tablet computers, smartphones, PCs, mobile phones, camcorders, etc., but communication devices 103 to 105 are not limited to these. Communication devices 103 to 105 only need to be communication devices capable of performing MU communication with different communication devices. Furthermore, communication devices 103 to 105 can be information processing devices such as wireless chips capable of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard. Figure 1 The network shown includes one access point (AP) and three STAs, but the number of APs and STAs is not limited to this. Furthermore, information processing devices such as wireless chips include antennas for transmitting the generated signals.

[0036] Figure 2 The hardware configuration of a communication device 102 according to this exemplary embodiment is shown. The communication device 102 includes a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a functional unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, a communication unit 206, and an antenna 207.

[0037] Storage unit 201 includes one or more memories such as read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), and stores computer programs for performing various operations described below, as well as various types of information such as communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM stands for read-only memory, and RAM stands for random access memory. In addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), recordable CDs (CD-R), magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, or digital multifunction discs (DVDs) can also be used as storage unit 201. Furthermore, storage unit 201 may include multiple memories.

[0038] For example, control unit 202 includes one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a microprocessor unit (MPU). Control unit 202 controls the entire communication device 102 by executing a computer program stored in storage unit 201. Furthermore, control unit 202 can cooperate with an operating system (OS) and the computer program stored in storage unit 201 to control the entire communication device 102. In addition, control unit 202 generates data and signals to be transmitted in communications with different communication devices. CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and MPU stands for Microprocessor Unit. Furthermore, control unit 202 may include multiple processors such as multi-core processors, and use multiple processors to control the entire communication device 102.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 202 performs predetermined processes such as wireless communication, camera capture, printing, or projection by controlling the functional unit 203. The functional unit 203 is hardware that enables the communication device 102 to perform the predetermined processes.

[0040] Input unit 204 receives various operations from the user. Output unit 205 outputs various signals to the user via a monitor screen and a speaker. The outputs from output unit 205 can include displays on the monitor screen, voice output from the speaker, vibration output, etc. Furthermore, both input unit 204 and output unit 205 can be implemented using a single module (such as a touch panel). Additionally, input unit 204 and output unit 205 can be integrated with communication device 102, or they can be formed separately from communication device 102.

[0041] Communication unit 206 controls wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard. Furthermore, communication unit 206 can control wireless communication conforming to different IEEE 802.11 series standards besides the IEEE 802.11be standard, and can control wired communication such as wired LAN. Communication unit 206 controls antenna 207 and transmits and receives signals for wireless communication generated by control unit 202. When communication device 102 conforms to standards such as NFC and Bluetooth in addition to the IEEE 802.11be standard, communication unit 206 can control wireless communication conforming to these standards. Furthermore, when communication device 102 can perform wireless communication conforming to multiple standards, it can include a communication unit 206 and an antenna 207 corresponding to each standard. Through communication unit 206, communication device 102 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with communication devices 103 to 105. Furthermore, antenna 207 can be formed separately from communication unit 206, or it can be formed as a module together with communication unit 206.

[0042] Furthermore, communication devices 103 to 105 all have a hardware structure similar to that of communication device 102.

[0043] Figure 3 The functional block structure of a communication device 102 according to this exemplary embodiment is shown. The communication device 102 includes a resource unit allocation unit 301, a trigger frame generation unit 302, and an EHT MU physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) generation unit 303.

[0044] Resource unit allocation unit 301 allocates RU blocks to each STA when the communication device 102 is communicating with multiple STAs via OFDMA. Resource unit allocation unit 301 determines the RUs to be allocated to each STA based on the communication quality of each RU and the buffer size of the data being communicated with each STA.

[0045] The trigger frame generation unit 302 generates a block of trigger frames to be transmitted by the communication device 102 during uplink (UL) communication where data is transmitted from the STA to the AP. The following will refer to... Figure 5 Describe the trigger frame.

[0046] The EHT MU PPDU generation unit 303 generates blocks of EHT MU PPDUs to be transmitted by the communication device 102 during downlink (DL) communication where data is transmitted from the AP to the STA. PPDU stands for Physical Layer (PHY) Protocol Data Unit. The following will refer to... Figure 4 Describe EHT MU PPDU.

[0047] Both the trigger frame and the EHT MU PPDU are frames that include information related to the allocation of RUs to the STA with which it will communicate via MU.

[0048] Figure 4An example of the frame format of an EHT MU PPDU to be transmitted by communication device 102 is shown. The EHT MU PPDU has a frame format used when a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard performs DL MU communication. The frame includes, from the header, a Traditional Short Training Field (L-STF) 401, a Traditional Long Training Field (L-LTF) 402, a Traditional Signal (L-SIG) 403, a Repeated Traditional Signal (RL-SIG) 404, an Extremely High Throughput Signal A (EHT-SIG-A) 405, an EHT-SIG-B 406, an Extremely High Throughput Short Training Field (EHT-STF) 407, and an Extremely High Throughput Long Training Field (EHT-LTF) 408. Furthermore, following EHT-LTF 408 is a PHY Service Data Unit (PSDU) 409. PSDU 409 stores data addressed to each STA. However, the arrangement order of the fields in the EHT MU PPDU is not limited to this. STF stands for Short Training Field, LTF for Long Training Field, and SIG for Signal. Additionally, "L-" stands for Traditional. For example, L-STF represents Traditional Short Training Field. Similarly, "EHT-" represents Extremely High Throughput. For example, EHT-STF represents Extremely High Throughput Short Training Field. Furthermore, RL-SIG represents Repetitive Traditional Signal.

[0049] L-STF 401, L-LTF 402, and L-SIG 403 are backward compatible with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards, which are legacy standards predating IEEE 802.11be. More specifically, L-STF 401, L-LTF 402, and L-SIG 403 are legacy fields that can be decoded by communication devices conforming to IEEE 802.11ax and earlier IEEE 802.11 series standards.

[0050] L-STF 401 is used for radio packet signal detection, automatic gain control (AGC), timing detection, etc. L-LTF 402 is used for high-precision frequency / time synchronization, channel state information (CSI) acquisition, etc. L-SIG 403 is used to transmit control information including communication rate and length-related information. RL-SIG 404 can be omitted.

[0051] EHT-SIG-A 405, EHT-SIG-B 406, EHT-STF 407, and EHT-LTF 408 are EHT fields that can be decoded by communication devices conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0052] EHT-SIG-B 406 includes a common field 410, user fields 411 to 419, and padding 440. The number of user fields included in EHT-SIG-B 406 corresponds to the number of STAs to which the communication device 102 assigns RUs. Padding 440 is a field used to adjust the size of EHT-SIG-B and may be omitted. Furthermore, the common fields can be named common information fields. The user fields can be named user information fields.

[0053] Public field 410 includes all STA-common information to which communication device 102 sends EHT MU PPDU. Table 1 lists the subfields included in public field 410.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055]

[0056] The RU allocation subfield 420 is an N×8-bit field that indicates information related to RU allocation. Specifically, the RU allocation subfield 420 stores information indicating the type of mapping performed in PSDU 409. In the case of indicating RU allocation when using a 20MHz bandwidth, the RU allocation subfield includes eight bits (N=1) and indicates the RU allocation within the 20MHz bandwidth. In this exemplary embodiment, since bandwidths up to 320MHz can be used, the RU allocation subfield indicates the RU allocation when using a maximum 320MHz bandwidth. Furthermore, N is a value defined according to the bandwidth to be used, and any value of N=1, 2, 4, or 8 can be substituted depending on the bandwidth to be used for data communication. Table 1 lists the correspondence between N and the various bandwidths (20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and 320MHz). Additionally, the 80+80MHz case refers to the use of two 80MHz bandwidths. Furthermore, the 160+160MHz case refers to the use of two 160MHz bandwidths.

[0057] Figure 6 An example of the RU allocation method indicated by the RU allocation subfield 420 is shown. Figure 6 Examples 601 to 604 in the text indicate the RU partitioning method.

[0058] Figure 6Example 601 illustrates the case where 26 subcarriers are allocated to each STA. In this case, OFDMA communication can be performed simultaneously with nine STAs for each 20MHz frequency bandwidth to be used. Furthermore, an empty subcarrier refers to a subcarrier without an assigned RU. In other words, the frequency components of the second and third RUs from the left are discontinuous. Additionally, an empty subcarrier can exist between the fourth and fifth RUs from the left. Figure 6 Not shown in the diagram. Similarly, empty subcarriers can exist between the fifth and sixth RUs from the left.

[0059] Example 602 illustrates the case of allocating a RU with 52 subcarriers to a subset of STAs. For each 20MHz frequency bandwidth to be used, OFDMA communication can be performed simultaneously with five STAs. In Example 602, the RU with 52 subcarriers is allocated to four STAs, and the RU with 26 subcarriers is allocated to one STA. Alternatively, an RU with 26 subcarriers is obtained by combining the RU with 13 subcarriers located at the center in Example 602 and treating the combined RU as a single RU. Furthermore, because the center RU includes DC frequency modulation, the center RU is still considered a single RU despite the frequency components being discontinuous within the RU.

[0060] Furthermore, Example 602 indicates an allocation method comprising four RUs, each with 52 subcarriers, but the allocation method is not limited to this. RUs can be allocated in a manner comprising one to three RUs, each with 52 subcarriers. In this case, the remaining RUs have 26 subcarriers. Additionally, in Example 602, the frequency components of the first and second RUs from the left are discontinuous. Similarly, the frequency components of the fourth and fifth RUs from the left are discontinuous. Furthermore, also in this case, empty subcarriers can exist at least between the second and third RUs from the left, or between the third and fourth RUs from the left.

[0061] For example, in the case where the AP communicates with four STAs, frequency bands are divided as shown in Example 602. In this case, for example, if only one RU is assigned to one STA, the central RU (with 26 subcarriers) is not assigned to any STA. Therefore, the amount of frequency band corresponding to the RUs not assigned to STAs cannot be used efficiently. However, in this exemplary embodiment, since the communication device 102 can assign multiple RUs to one STA, even if only one RU is assigned to one STA, the RUs not assigned to STAs can still be assigned to STAs, and the efficiency of frequency band utilization can be improved.

[0062] Example 603 illustrates the case of allocating an RU with 106 subcarriers to a subset of STAs. For each 20MHz frequency bandwidth to be used, OFDMA communication can be performed simultaneously with three STAs. In Example 603, an RU with 106 subcarriers is allocated to two STAs, and an RU with 26 subcarriers is allocated to one STA. Alternatively, an RU with 106 subcarriers can be allocated to multiple STAs, and MU-MIMO communication can be performed with multiple STAs. Furthermore, Example 603 illustrates an allocation method including two RUs each with 106 subcarriers, but the allocation method is not limited to this. RUs can be allocated in a manner that includes one RU with 106 subcarriers. In this case, the remaining RUs include at least an RU with 52 subcarriers or an RU with 26 subcarriers, and are allocated such that the total number of subcarriers becomes 132. Additionally, the central RU with 26 subcarriers can be avoided from being allocated to a STA. Furthermore, also in this case, empty subcarriers can exist at least between the first and second RUs from the left, or between the second and third RUs from the left.

[0063] Example 604 indicates the case where an RU with 242 subcarriers is assigned to a single STA. OFDMA communication with this STA is possible for each 20MHz frequency bandwidth to be used. Alternatively, the RU with 242 subcarriers can be assigned to multiple STAs, and MU-MIMO communication can be possible with these multiple STAs.

[0064] RU allocation subfield 420 indicates each octet as follows Figure 6 Examples 601 to 604 illustrate the RU allocation method. For instance, when using an 80MHz bandwidth, the RU allocation as in Example 601 can be indicated in the first 8 bits, and the RU allocation as in Example 603 can be indicated in the second 8 bits. Furthermore, in the case of MIMO communication in RUs with 106 or more subcarriers, the RU allocation subfield 420 also indicates the number of STAs performing MIMO communication in the RU.

[0065] Tail 421 is a field used to adjust the size of common field 410.

[0066] User fields 411 to 419 are fields that include information related to the STA with which it will communicate via MU. The number of user fields included in the EHT MUPPDU corresponds to the number of RUs indicated by the RU allocation subfield 420. For example, in a communication device 102 using a frequency band of 20MHz, and where the RU allocation subfield 420 indicates as follows... Figure 6In the case of RU allocation in Example 601, the EHT MU PPDU includes nine user fields. However, this does not apply to the case where RU allocation subfield 420 indicates MIMO communication in RUs with more than 10⁶ subcarriers.

[0067] The user fields include a Station Identifier (STA-ID) subfield 430 and a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) subfield 431. The STA-ID subfield 430 includes the STA's identification information. Specifically, the identification information included in the STA-ID is part of an Association Identifier (AID), which is an identifier assigned to the STA by the AP (communication device 102) when the STA is associated with it. In user fields 411 to 419, the user fields corresponding to the allocation destination STAs of each RU indicated by the RU allocation subfield 420 are determined according to the order of the user fields. Specifically, in Figure 6 In the RU allocation shown, RUs are allocated sequentially, with the leftmost RU assigned to the STA indicated by the STA-ID subfield 430 of the first user field. More specifically, the second RU from the left is assigned to the STA indicated by the second user field.

[0068] Furthermore, for RUs that are designated to perform MIMO communication in the RU allocation subfield 420, STAs are allocated the number indicated in the RU allocation subfield 420. Because the information included in the RU allocation subfield, in addition to the RU allocation method, also indicates the number of STAs to be allocated to the RUs used for MIMO communication, this information indicates the number of STAs performing MIMO communication in the corresponding RU. For example, consider the case where the RU allocation subfield indicates the allocation method shown in Example 603 and indicates that the number of STAs performing MIMO communication in the leftmost RU is three. In this case, the three STAs indicated by the first to third user fields in the user fields following the RU allocation subfield are the STAs performing MIMO communication in their respective RUs. Additionally, the STA indicated by the fourth user field performs communication in the central RU with 26 subcarriers. Similarly, if the RU allocation subfield indicates that the number of STAs performing MIMO communication in the third RU is two, the STAs indicated by the fifth and sixth user fields perform MIMO communication in their respective RUs. Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, when the communication device 102 allocates RUs to the STA, the communication device 102 may allocate multiple RUs used for performing MIMO communication to the same STA. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may allocate a combination of RUs used for performing MIMO communication and RUs not used for performing MIMO communication to the same STA.

[0069] Furthermore, the MCS subfield 431 stores information indicating the modulation scheme and coding rate used in the PSDU 409 for the STA indicated by the STA-ID subfield 430. Specifically, the MCS subfield 431 includes values ​​corresponding to combinations of modulation schemes and coding rates defined by the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0070] Figure 7 An example of the RU allocation method used when multiple RUs are assigned to a single STA is shown. Figure 7 The following scenario illustrates a 20MHz frequency bandwidth divided into four RUs (Run-In Units) with 52 subcarriers each and one RU with 26 subcarriers each, with multiple non-contiguous RUs assigned to each STA. In this case, the first RU 701 and the fourth RU 704 from the left are assigned to the STA with AID 1 (e.g., communication device 103). Furthermore, the second RU 702 and the fifth RU 705 from the left are assigned to the STA with AID 2 (e.g., communication device 104). Additionally, the third RU 703 from the left (the RU with 26 subcarriers) is assigned to the STA with AID 3 (e.g., communication device 105). In this scenario, the communication device 102, acting as an AP, transmits an EHT MU PPDU that includes multiple user fields with the same STA-ID in EHT-SIG-B 406. Specifically, communication device 102 transmits an EHT MU PPDU including EHT-SIG-B 406, wherein the EHT-SIG-B 406 includes the STA-ID of the STA with AID=1 in the first and fourth user fields, and the STA-ID of the STA with AID=2 in the second and fifth user fields. In this way, communication device 102 can assign multiple RUs with discontinuous frequency components to a STA by including multiple sets of user fields including the same STA-ID in the EHT MU PPDU in an order corresponding to the RUs assigned the corresponding user fields.

[0071] also, Figure 7 The illustration shows a scenario where multiple RUs with discontinuous frequency components are assigned to a single STA, but this is not an limitation. Communication device 102 can also assign multiple RUs with continuous frequency components to a single STA. For example, communication device 102 can assign RU 702 and RU 703 to a STA with AID=2. In this case, the EHT MU PPDU includes an EHT-SIG-B 406 that includes the STA-ID of the STA with AID=2 in the second and third user fields.

[0072] Alternatively, the communication device 102 can divide RU 703 into two RUs, each with 13 subcarriers, and assign each RU to a STA. For example, by assigning the first half of RU 703 (the RU with 13 subcarriers) and RU 702 to the STA with AID=2, a total of 65 subcarriers can be assigned to the STA. Furthermore, by assigning the second half of RU 703 and RU 704 to the STA with AID=1, a total of 65 subcarriers can be assigned to the STA. In this case, the EHT MU PPDU includes an EHT-SIG-B 406 that includes the STA-ID of the STA with AID=2 in the second and third user fields, and the STA-ID of the STA with AID=1 in the fourth and fifth user fields.

[0073] like Figure 7 As shown, by assigning multiple RUs to a single STA, the STA can also be assigned to RUs that would not be assigned a STA in the conventional method. This improves the efficiency of bandwidth utilization.

[0074] In this exemplary embodiment, the RU allocation subfield 420 indicating the RU partitioning method is included in the common field 410 in the EHT MU PPDU, but the frame format is not limited to this. In the EHT MU PPDU, information indicating the RUs allocated to each STA can be included in user fields 411 to 419. In this case, where multiple RUs are allocated to one STA, instead of including multiple user fields indicating the same STA, a single user field can be included that includes information indicating multiple RUs.

[0075] Figure 5 An example of the frame format of a trigger frame to be sent by communication device 102 is shown. The trigger frame has the frame format to be used when a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard performs UL MU communication. Communication device 102 receives data in parallel from the STA via the designated RU by instructing the STA performing UL communication and the RU assigned to each STA.

[0076] The trigger frame includes, starting from the header, fields for frame control 505, duration 506, receiver address (RA) 507, and transmitter address (TA) 508. After TA 508, the trigger frame also includes fields for common information 501, user information 502, padding 503, and frame check sequence (FCS) 504.

[0077] Frame control 505 includes information indicating whether a frame is a management frame, control frame, or data frame, as well as information indicating the subtype of the frame. The subtype of the frame indicates whether the frame is a beacon or an action. In the case of a triggered frame, it includes information indicating that the frame is a control frame and information indicating that the subtype is a Trigger.

[0078] Duration 506 includes information for setting the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) in the STA that has received the trigger frame. The NAV is the duration during which communication has not yet started.

[0079] The receiver address (RA) 507 includes a value determined based on the type of the trigger frame and the presence of a user information field.

[0080] The transmitter address (TA) 508 includes the address of the communication device that sent the trigger frame. Alternatively, when sending the trigger frame to multiple networks, TA 508 includes an identifier (Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)) of the network to which the communication device that sent the trigger frame belongs.

[0081] Public information 501 includes information common to all STAs. Specifically, public information 501 includes, from the beginning, a trigger type 510, a length 511, and a reservation 512 subfield. Trigger type 510 indicates 0, and the communication time common to all STAs is set in length 511.

[0082] When trigger type 510 is 0, user information fields (502-1 to 502-N) are added to the trigger frame. User information 502 includes AID 520 for identifying the STA. RU allocation 521 includes the size of the RU assigned to the STA indicated by AID 520, and information indicating the sequence number of the RU assigned to the STA, counting from the RU with the lowest frequency. Furthermore, the trigger frame includes UL MCS 522, which includes information for specifying the modulation scheme and coding rate of the data to be transmitted by the STA to the AP. Reservation 523 is an area reserved for future use.

[0083] When a RU is assigned to each STA indicated by AID 520 of user information 502, a user information field is included for each STA in a single generated trigger frame. In this exemplary embodiment, when multiple RUs are assigned to one STA, a single generated trigger frame includes multiple user information fields with the same AID. Figure 7 As shown, taking the case where the first and fourth RUs from the left are assigned to the STA with AID=1 as an example, the trigger frame includes user information containing AID=1 and indicating the RU assignment of the first RU, and user information containing AID=1 and indicating the RU assignment of the fourth RU.

[0084] In this exemplary embodiment, when multiple RUs are assigned to the same STA, the trigger frame includes multiple user information entries with the same AID, but the frame format is not limited to this. The communication device 102 can generate a trigger frame indicating multiple RUs within the RU allocation of a single user information entry. In this case, the single RU allocation field included in the single user information entry may include information related to multiple RUs. Alternatively, the single user information entry may include multiple RU allocation fields.

[0085] The padding 503 field is used to adjust the size of the trigger frame and can be omitted.

[0086] FCS 504 stands for Frame Check Sequence and refers to an error detection code used to check whether data errors have occurred during communication.

[0087] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the process performed by the control unit 202 reading the computer program stored in the storage unit 201 and executing the computer program when the communication device 102 is performing DL-OFDMA communication.

[0088] When a user issues an execution command for DL-OFDMA communication with a STA, the communication device 102 begins processing the procedure. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may begin processing the procedure if the buffer size of data addressed to a predetermined STA exceeds a predetermined threshold, or if the buffer size of data addressed to a predetermined number of STAs exceeds a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may begin processing the procedure based on instructions from an application operating within the communication device 102.

[0089] First, in step S800, the communication device 102 obtains the buffer amount of data addressed to each STA stored in the communication device 102. In this step, the communication device 102 only needs to obtain the buffer amount of data addressed to only the STAs that will be used as destination devices to which EHT MU PPDUs will be sent in step S804 described below.

[0090] Next, in step S801, the communication device 102 acquires the communication quality of communication with each STA. In this case, the communication device 102 can acquire the communication quality of the RU used during the previous communication with each STA, or it can acquire the communication quality of a temporarily assigned RU. The communication quality to be acquired in this step is at least the Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). RSSI represents Received Signal Strength Indication. Furthermore, SNR represents Signal-to-Noise Ratio. The communication device 102 can store at least the RSSI or SNR acquired during the previous communication with each STA. Alternatively, the communication quality can be measured by instructing the STA to send frames from the STA to the communication device 102 via the communication device 102 (AP). Specifically, firstly, the STA is instructed to send an NDP frame to the AP by sending an Empty Data PPDU (NDP) advertisement frame from the communication device 102 to the STA. If the STA receives the NDP advertisement frame, the STA sends the NDP frame to the AP. The AP uses the received NDP frame to measure the communication quality. This method of inducing the STA to send an NDP frame is called NDP probing. Alternatively, communication quality can be obtained by sending frames from the AP to the STA, having the STA measure the communication quality, and receiving the measurement results from the STA.

[0091] In step S801, the communication quality of the entire frequency channel used for communication with the STA can be obtained instead of obtaining the communication quality of the RU.

[0092] In step S802, the communication device 102 determines the RUs to be allocated to each STA based on the buffer amount obtained in step S800 and the communication quality obtained in step S801. For example, the communication device 102 determines to allocate multiple RUs to STAs whose buffer amount obtained in step S800 exceeds a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, if at least one of the RSSI and SNR indicators of communication quality obtained in step S801 is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the communication device 102 determines to allocate multiple RUs. Additionally, if at least one of the RSSI and SNR indicators obtained for a certain STA in step S801 is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, a RU different from the RU used in step S801 can be allocated to the STA. For example, consider the following situation: it is desired to allocate a RU with 52 subcarriers to a certain STA, but the communication quality of a certain RU (with 26 subcarriers) and a different RU (with 26 subcarriers) having frequency components continuous with that RU does not meet the predetermined conditions. In this case, the communication device 102 allocates two RUs, each with 26 subcarriers and discontinuous frequency components, to the STA. Furthermore, in step S802, the communication device 102 determines the allocation of the RU based on both buffer size and communication quality, but this determination is not limited to these. The communication device 102 may determine the allocation based on only either of them. In this case, since the communication device 102 does not need to obtain information (buffer size or communication quality) that is not used to determine the RU allocation, the corresponding steps S800 or S801 can be skipped.

[0093] If communication device 102 determines the allocation of RUs to each STA, then in step S803, communication device 102 generates an EHT MU PPDU including user fields corresponding to the RUs. If communication device 102 determines in step S802 that multiple RUs will be allocated to one STA, the EHT MU PPDU generated in step S803 includes multiple user fields with the same STA-ID.

[0094] In this exemplary embodiment, the user field indicates that multiple RUs are assigned to a STA, but the frame format is not limited to this. Different fields included before the user field in the EHT MU PPDU can indicate that multiple RUs are assigned to a STA. If it indicates that multiple RUs are not assigned to a STA, the STA does not need to analyze the user field after detecting the corresponding user field. This can reduce the processing load on the STA.

[0095] In step S804, communication device 102 sends the EHT MUPPDU generated in step S803 to the STA. If communication device 102 determines in step S802 that multiple RUs will be assigned to the same STA, the EHT MUPPDU sent in this step includes data addressing the same STA in the multiple RUs. In this step, according to... Figure 4 The signals corresponding to each field are transmitted sequentially in the order shown: L-STF 401, L-LTF 402, L-SIG 403, RL-SIG 404, EHT-SIG-A 405, and EHT-SIG-B 406. Furthermore, after EHT-SIG-B 406, signals corresponding to each field of EHT-STF 407, EHT-LTF 408, and PSDU 409 are transmitted sequentially. Alternatively, communication device 102 can begin transmission in step S804 after generating all the aforementioned fields in step S803. Alternatively, communication device 102 can perform generation in step S803 and transmission in step S804 in parallel. Specifically, communication device 102 can generate L-LTF 402, which is the field to be transmitted next, in parallel with generating L-STF 401 and transmitting the signal corresponding to the generated L-STF 401. Furthermore, the STA receiving the EHT MU PPDU transmitted in step S804 receives the signals corresponding to each field in the order of L-STF 401, L-LTF 402, L-SIG 403, RL-SIG 404, EHT-SIG-A 405, and EHT-SIG-B 406. Additionally, after EHT-SIG-B 406, the STA receives the signals corresponding to each field in the order of EHT-STF 407, EHT-LTF 408, and PSDU 409.

[0096] As described above, by conducting Figure 8 As shown in the process, communication device 102 can transmit an EHT MU PPDU including information indicating that multiple RUs are assigned to the same STA. Communication device 102 can thus improve bandwidth utilization efficiency. Furthermore, considering the buffer size of data addressed to the STA and the communication quality with each STA, communication device 102 can assign multiple RUs to the same STA or assign one RU to one STA. Communication device 102 can flexibly allocate RUs based on the buffer size of data addressed to each STA and the communication quality with each STA.

[0097] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the process performed by the control unit 202 reading the computer program stored in the storage unit 201 and executing the computer program when the communication device 102 is performing UL-OFDMA communication.

[0098] When a user issues an execution command for UL-OFDMA communication with the STA, the communication device 102 begins processing the procedure. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may begin processing the procedure based on receiving an execution request for UL-OFDMA communication from the STA. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may begin processing the procedure based on instructions from an application operating within the communication device 102.

[0099] In step S900, communication device 102 obtains the buffer amount of transmitted data stored in each STA belonging to network 101. In this step, communication device 102 can obtain the buffer amount of only a portion of the STAs belonging to network 101. Communication device 102 receives notification of the buffer amount from the STAs via a Buffer Status Report (BSR) frame defined in the IEEE 802.11ax standard. Specifically, first, communication device 102 sends a BSR poll to each STA, requesting each STA to notify communication device 102 of the amount of data stored in the respective STA. In response to the request frame, each STA that receives the request frame sends a Buffer Status Report frame to communication device 102, notifying communication device 102 of the amount of data addressed to communication device 102 stored in the respective STA. Communication device 102 can obtain the amount of data addressed to communication device 102 stored in each STA from the received BSR frame.

[0100] In step S901, the communication device 102 acquires the communication quality with each STA. The processing in this step is similar to that in step S801.

[0101] Next, in step S902, the communication device 102 determines the RUs to be allocated to each STA based on the buffer amount obtained in step S900 and the communication quality obtained in step S901. The processing in this step is similar to that in step S802.

[0102] Next, if the communication device 102 determines to allocate RUs to each STA, then in step S903, the communication device 102 generates a trigger frame including user information fields corresponding to the RUs. If the communication device 102 determines in step S902 to allocate multiple RUs to one STA, the trigger frame generated in step S903 includes multiple user information fields with the same AID. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may generate a trigger frame including user information fields that include an RU allocation subfield indicating multiple RUs.

[0103] In cases where multiple user information fields with the same AID are included, these fields can be arranged consecutively in the trigger frame. In this situation, if the STA receiving the trigger frame analyzes the user information field addressed to that STA and then detects a user information field addressed to a different STA, the STA does not need to analyze subsequent user information fields. This reduces the processing load on the STA. Alternatively, the different fields included in the trigger frame can indicate whether multiple RUs are assigned to a single STA. For example, Figure 5 The reserved 512 shown can indicate this information. When reserved 512 indicates that multiple RUs are not assigned to the same STA, the STA does not need to analyze the user information field after the user information field addressed to that STA.

[0104] Next, in step S904, the communication device 102 sends the trigger frame generated in step S903 to the STA. In this step, according to... Figure 5 The signals corresponding to each field are transmitted sequentially in the order of frame control 505, duration 506, RA 507, and TA 508. Furthermore, after TA 508, signals corresponding to each field of common information 501, user information 502, padding 503, and FCS 504 are transmitted sequentially. Additionally, the communication device 102 can begin transmission in step S904 after generating all the aforementioned fields in step S903. Alternatively, the communication device 102 can perform the generation in step S903 and the transmission in step S904 in parallel. Specifically, the communication device 102 can generate the duration 506 of the field to be transmitted next in parallel with generating frame control 505 and transmitting the signal corresponding to the generated frame control 505. Furthermore, the STA receiving the trigger frame transmitted in step S904 receives the signals corresponding to each field in the order of frame control 505, duration 506, RA 507, and TA 508. Additionally, after TA 508, STA receives signals corresponding to each field in the order of common information 501, user information 502, padding 503, and FCS 504.

[0105] Then, communication device 102 receives data from STA using the RU specified in the trigger frame sent in step S904. Specifically, communication device 102 receives data from each STA via an EHT-triggered (TB) PPDU.

[0106] As described above, by conducting Figure 9As shown in the process, communication device 102 can send a trigger frame including information indicating that multiple RUs are assigned to the same STA. Communication device 102 can thus improve bandwidth utilization efficiency. Furthermore, considering the buffer size of data addressed to the AP in each STA and the communication quality with each STA, communication device 102 can assign multiple RUs to the same STA or assign one RU to one STA. Communication device 102 can flexibly allocate RUs based on the buffer size of data addressed to the AP in each STA and the communication quality with each STA.

[0107] In this exemplary embodiment, wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard has been described as an example, but the communication standard is not limited to this. Similar processing can be performed in wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11ax standard, which is a legacy standard. In this case, for example, the EHT field is replaced with the High Efficiency (HE) field, and the name of the EHT-SIG-B field becomes the HE-SIG-B field. Alternatively, this processing can be implemented using wireless communication conforming to a subsequent standard of the IEEE 802.11be standard. Again, in this case, the EHT field is replaced with the corresponding field conforming to the subsequent standard.

[0108] In addition, Figure 8 and Figure 9 At least some or all of the processes performed by the communication device 102 in the flowchart shown can be implemented in hardware. In the case of hardware implementation, it is sufficient, for example, to generate dedicated circuitry on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based on a computer program for implementing the steps using a predetermined compiler, and to use this dedicated circuitry. FPGA stands for Field-Programmable Gate Array. Furthermore, gate array circuitry can be formed and implemented in hardware similar to that of an FPGA. Additionally, the process can be implemented using an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

[0109] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above exemplary embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reading and executing the program. Alternatively, exemplary embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by circuitry (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0110] This invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, the appended claims are made to disclose the scope of this invention.

[0111] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-202783, filed on November 7, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: A generation unit, configured to generate Extremely High Throughput Multi-User Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (EHT MU PPDUs), wherein the EHT MU PPDU includes at least: Traditional short training fields are L-STF. The traditional long training field following L-STF is L-LTF. The traditional signal following L-LTF is L-SIG. The repeating traditional signal field following L-SIG is RL-SIG. The first signal field following RL-SIG The second signal field follows the first signal field, and the second signal field includes a first subfield indicating the allocation of resource units (RUs). The number of first subfields is 1 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 20MHz, 1 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 40MHz, 2 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 80MHz, and 4 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 160MHz. The first subfield indicates that multiple resource units (RUs) are allocated to a communication device different from the communication device itself. The extremely high throughput short training field following the second signal field is EHT-STF, and The extremely high-throughput long training field following EHT-STF is EHT-LTF; and A transmitting unit is configured to transmit the EHT MU PPDU generated by the generating unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, With an EHT MU PPDU bandwidth of 320MHz, the number of the first subfield is 8.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The user field includes a station identifier, or STA-ID, corresponding to the different communication devices.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein, The user field also includes a modulation and coding scheme subfield, namely the MCS subfield, wherein the MCS subfield includes information indicating the coding rate and modulation scheme for addressing data to the different communication devices corresponding to the STA-ID.

5. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein, When the communication device communicates with two or more different communication devices, multiple user fields are stored in the second signal field of the EHT MU PPDU generated by the generation unit, and the RUs indicated in the RU allocation are sequentially allocated starting from the RU with the lowest frequency, in such a way that RUs are allocated to different communication devices corresponding to the STA-ID included in the first user field.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire the buffer size of the data addressed to the different communication devices; The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire the communication quality of the different communication device; as well as A determining unit is configured to determine the allocation of RUs to the different communication devices based on at least one of the buffer size acquired by the first acquiring unit and the communication quality acquired by the second acquiring unit. The generation unit generates the EHT MU PPDU based on the RU allocation determined by the determining unit.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The communication quality acquired by the second acquisition unit is at least the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The generation unit generates EHT MU PPDUs that conform to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be standard.

9. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The frequency components of the multiple RUs are discontinuous.

10. A communication device comprising: A generation unit, configured to generate a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes: Frame control, The duration following the frame control, The receiver address after the specified duration is RA. The transmitter address following RA is TA. The public information following the TA, and The user information following the public information includes a single associated identifier (AID) corresponding to a different communication device and a single RU allocation following the single AID, the single RU allocation indicating the allocation of multiple resource units (RUs) to a different communication device; and A sending unit is configured to send the trigger frame generated by the generating unit.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, further comprising: A receiving unit is configured to receive data from a plurality of different communication devices, including those that have received the trigger frame sent by the sending unit, via the RU indicated in the trigger frame.

12. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein, The user information field also includes an uplink modulation and coding scheme, namely UL MCS, wherein the UL MCS includes information for specifying the modulation scheme and coding rate to be used when the different communication devices send data to the communication device.

13. The communication device according to claim 10, further comprising: The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the different communication devices, the amount of buffered data addressed to the communication devices; The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire the communication quality of the different communication device; as well as A determining unit is configured to determine the allocation of RUs to the different communication devices based on at least one of the buffer size acquired by the first acquiring unit and the communication quality acquired by the second acquiring unit. The generation unit generates the trigger frame based on the allocation of RUs determined by the determining unit.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein, The communication quality acquired by the second acquisition unit is at least the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).

15. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein, The generation unit generates trigger frames that conform to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be standard.

16. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein, The frequency components of the multiple RUs are discontinuous.

17. A control method for a communication device, the control method comprising: Generate an Extremely High Throughput Multi-User Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (EHT MU PPDU), wherein the EHT MU PPDU includes at least: Traditional short training fields are L-STF. The traditional long training field following L-STF is L-LTF. The traditional signal following L-LTF is L-SIG. The repeating traditional signal field following L-SIG is RL-SIG. The first signal field following RL-SIG The second signal field follows the first signal field, and the second signal field includes a first subfield indicating the allocation of resource units (RUs). The number of first subfields is 1 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 20MHz, 1 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 40MHz, 2 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 80MHz, and 4 when the bandwidth of the EHT MU PPDU is 160MHz. The first subfield indicates that multiple resource units (RUs) are allocated to a communication device different from the communication device itself. The extremely high throughput short training field following the second signal field is EHT-STF, and The extremely high-throughput long training field following EHT-STF is EHT-LTF; and Send the generated EHT MU PPDU.

18. A control method for a communication device, the control method comprising: Generate a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame includes: Frame control, The duration following the frame control, The receiver address after the specified duration is RA. The transmitter address following RA is TA. The public information following the TA, and The user information following the public information includes a single associated identifier (AID) corresponding to a different communication device and a single RU allocation following the single AID, the single RU allocation indicating the allocation of multiple resource units (RUs) to a different communication device; and Send the generated trigger frame.

19. A computer program product for causing a computer to perform a control method for the communication device according to claim 18.

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