Beam training method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a beam training method and device. The method comprises: an access point (AP) sending training configuration information to a plurality of stations (STAs); the STAs determining a second uplink beam for sending a training frame according to the training configuration information, and sending the training frame to the AP based on the corresponding second uplink beam; and the AP determining a third uplink beam used by the STAs for sending uplink data based on the training frame sent by the STAs. Compared with the STAs sending training frames on all uplink beams, the method and device provided by the application can improve the efficiency of beam training.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to beam training methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] High-frequency wireless communication is one of the hot research technologies in current 5G and Wi-Fi communication systems. IEEE 802.11ad and IEEE 802.11ay are standards for high-frequency wireless communication applications in Wi-Fi communication systems. Both 802.11ay and 802.11ad operate in the 60GHz millimeter-wave band. The 60GHz millimeter-wave band has a wide available bandwidth, which can bring high communication rates. However, millimeter-wave channels suffer from high path loss and severe signal attenuation. Therefore, beamforming (BF) technology is needed to provide additional antenna gain to overcome signal attenuation. When using beamforming technology, beam training is required. How to improve the efficiency of beam training and shorten the beam training time is a key issue in improving the transmission efficiency of high-frequency communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a beam training method and apparatus to improve the efficiency of beam training.

[0004] In a first aspect, a beam training method is provided, comprising: an access point (AP) sending training configuration information to multiple stations (STAs), the training configuration information including a first antenna configuration for indicating multiple first uplink beams, one of the multiple first uplink beams being used by one of the multiple STAs to determine a second uplink beam for transmitting a training frame, the first uplink beam including the second uplink beam; the AP receiving the training frame transmitted by each of the multiple STAs through its corresponding second uplink beam; and the AP determining multiple third uplink beams used by the multiple STAs to transmit uplink data based on the training frames transmitted by the multiple STAs.

[0005] As can be seen from the above, the AP can send training configuration information to the STA. This training configuration information can be used to indicate multiple first uplink beams. The STA can determine a second uplink beam based on these multiple first uplink beams and perform beam training on the second uplink beam. Compared to the STA performing beam training on all uplink beams, this improves the efficiency of beam training. Furthermore, the AP can select a first uplink beam with low inter-user interference for the STA to reference based on previous beam scanning and measurement results, avoiding the STA blindly training all beam directions, shortening the beam training time, and improving training efficiency.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the AP sending transmission configuration information to the plurality of STAs, the transmission configuration information including a third antenna configuration for indicating the plurality of third uplink beams, one of the plurality of third uplink beams being an uplink beam for uplink data transmission of the corresponding STA, and the plurality of second uplink beams including the plurality of third uplink beams.

[0007] As can be seen from the above, the transmission configuration frame can carry the transmission configuration information of multiple STAs. The mutual interference between the multiple third uplink beams indicated by the transmission configuration information of the multiple STAs is small. Therefore, when multiple STAs perform parallel uplink data transmission, that is, when multiple STAs are transmitting in UL MU MIMO, the interference between them is small, which can improve the communication quality between multiple users of MU MIMO and improve the transmission efficiency.

[0008] Secondly, a beam training method is provided, comprising: a station (STA) receiving training configuration information sent by an access point (AP), the training configuration information including a first antenna configuration for indicating a plurality of first uplink beams, one of the plurality of first uplink beams being used by one of the plurality of STAs to determine a second uplink beam for transmitting a training frame, the first uplink beam including the second uplink beam; the station transmitting the training frame through the corresponding second uplink beam, the training frame being used by the AP to determine a third uplink beam used by the STA to transmit uplink data.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the STA receiving transmission configuration information sent by the AP, the transmission configuration information including a third antenna configuration for indicating the plurality of third uplink beams, one of the plurality of third uplink beams being the uplink beam for uplink data transmission of the corresponding STA, and the plurality of second uplink beams including the plurality of third uplink beams.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: a transmit antenna ID, a transmit sector ID, a count value, or an antenna weighted vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam. The training configuration information also includes an identifier of the downlink beam from which the AP receives the training frame, and one or more of the following: a receive antenna ID, a receive sector ID, or an AWV ID.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the third antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, counter value, or AWV ID used by the corresponding STA to transmit uplink data. The transmission configuration information also includes the downlink beam identifier of the AP receiving the uplink data, and one or more of the following: receive antenna ID, receive sector ID, or AWV ID.

[0012] As can be seen from the above, the transmission configuration information of multiple STAs can also include the antenna configuration for each STA to transmit uplink data and the antenna configuration for the AP to receive uplink data. This allows the AP to coordinate the receiving antennas of the STAs, avoiding antenna conflicts caused by STAs selecting receiving antennas. For example, for STA1 and STA2, the AP can allocate antennas 1 and 2 to receive STA1's signal, and antennas 3 and 4 to receive STA2's signal. However, if the STAs select receiving antennas, STA1 might choose antennas 1 and 2 to receive its signal, while STA2 might choose antennas 2 and 3. Since AP antenna 2 cannot simultaneously point to the beams of STA1 and STA2 for reception, antenna conflict will occur.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the transmission configuration information further includes multiple session identifiers, which include the identifiers of the sessions in which the multiple training frames reside.

[0014] Thirdly, a beam training device is provided, which can be an access point (AP) or a chip within the AP. This device has the functionality to implement the APs described in the above embodiments. This functionality can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0015] In one possible design, when the device is an access point (AP), the access point AP may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be, for example, a processor, and the transceiver module may be, for example, a transceiver, which may include radio frequency circuitry and baseband circuitry.

[0016] Optionally, the device may further include a storage unit, such as a memory. When the access point (AP) includes a storage unit, the storage unit is used to store computer-executed instructions. The processing module is connected to the storage unit and executes the computer-executed instructions stored in the storage unit to enable the device to perform the beam training method related to AP functionality described above.

[0017] In another possible design, when the device is a chip within an access point (AP), the chip includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be, for example, a processor, and the transceiver module may be, for example, an input / output interface, pins, or circuitry on the chip. Optionally, the device may also include a storage unit, and the processing module may execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the chip within the AP to perform any of the aforementioned methods related to the channel resource coordination and allocation of access point (AP) functions.

[0018] Optionally, the storage unit is a storage unit within the chip, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the storage unit can be a storage unit located outside the chip within the access point (AP) (parent node), such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0019] Fourthly, this application provides a beam training device, which can be a station (STA) or a chip within the STA. This device has the functions to implement the various embodiments relating to the STA described above. These functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0020] In one possible design, when the device is an STA, the STA includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be, for example, a processor, and the transceiver module may be, for example, a transceiver including radio frequency circuitry. Optionally, the STA also includes a storage unit, which may be, for example, a memory. When the STA includes a storage unit, the storage unit is used to store computer-executed instructions. The processing module is connected to the storage unit and executes the computer-executed instructions stored in the storage unit to cause the STA to perform any of the aforementioned beam training methods related to STA functionality.

[0021] In another possible design, when the device is a chip within the STA, the chip includes a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module may be, for example, a processor, and the transceiver module may be, for example, an input / output interface, pins, or circuitry on the chip. The processing module can execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory unit to cause the STA's chip to perform the beam training methods described above. Optionally, the memory unit can be an in-chip memory unit, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the memory unit can be an external memory unit within the STA, such as ROM or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as RAM.

[0022] The processor mentioned above can be a CPU, a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits that execute programs to control the aforementioned method of channel resource coordination and allocation.

[0023] Fifthly, a computer storage medium is provided, which stores program code for instructing instructions to perform the methods described in the first aspect or the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0024] In a sixth aspect, a processor is provided for coupling with a memory for calling and executing instructions stored in the memory, such that a communication device equipped with the processor performs the methods of the first aspect or the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0025] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of the first aspect or the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0026] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising: an access point (AP) and at least one STA as described in any one of the first to fourth aspects above. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of an AP or STA provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 A flowchart of the beam training method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 4 Another flowchart of the beam training method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 5a , Figure 5b as well as Figure 5c A schematic diagram of a transmission configuration frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a configuration frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a transmission configuration frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8Another schematic diagram of the transmission configuration frame provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 A session flow provided for embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a configuration frame carrying a session identifier provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the beam training device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the beam training device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the beam training device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0040] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a beam training device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solution of this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0042] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: wireless LAN (WLAN) communication systems, global system of mobile communication (GSM) systems, code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, future 5th generation (5G) systems, or new radio (NR) systems, etc.

[0043] In this application, a station (STA) is a communication device with wireless transceiver capabilities. It can be a user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. For example, an STA can be a station in a WLAN. An STA can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in a future 5G network, or terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. This application uses an STA as an example for illustration, but this application does not limit the scope of the application.

[0044] In this application embodiment, the access point (AP) is a communication device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can provide services to a site. It can be a device used to communicate with a STA. The AP can be a base station (BTS) in a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a base station (NodeB, NB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB) in an LTE system, a radio controller in a cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenario, or a relay station, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable devices, and network equipment in future 5G networks or future evolved PLMN networks, etc. It can also be an access point in a WLAN. This application embodiment uses an AP as an example for illustration, but this application embodiment does not limit it.

[0045] Taking WLAN as an example, such as Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a wireless-fidelity (WIFI) communication system 100. The WIFI communication system 100 may include an access point (AP) 101, stations (STAs) 102, and STAs 103. The number of APs and STAs in the WIFI communication system 100 is not limited. In this application embodiment, an example of a WIFI communication system 100 including one AP and two STAs is provided for illustration.

[0046] In this embodiment of the application, AP101 can communicate with STA102 and STA103 through beamforming (BF) technology, and at least one of STA102 and STA103 has simulated beamforming capability.

[0047] In this embodiment, when AP101 uses multiple antenna weight vectors (AWVs) or beams to communicate in parallel with STA102 and STA103 on the same target spectrum, it can be referred to as multi-user multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO). Specifically, when STA102 and STA103 transmit data to AP101 in parallel in the airspace, it can be referred to as uplink multi-user multi-input multi-output (UL MU-MIMO); when AP101 transmits data to STA102 and STA103 in parallel in the airspace, it can be referred to as downlink multi-user multi-input multi-output (DL MU-MIMO).

[0048] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the application, the AP101 in the WIFI communication system 100 can be a virtual AP or a physical AP. A virtual AP may include multiple physical APs, and the antennas of multiple physical APs can be combined to form MIMO to provide services to STA102.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, AP101, STA102, or STA103 may include one or more of the following: an application layer module, a transmission control protocol / user datagram protocol (TCP / UDP) processing module, an IP processing module, a logical link control (LLC) module, a media access control (MAC) layer module, a physical layer (PHY) baseband module, a radio frequency (RF) module, or an antenna.

[0050] In one example of this application, the beam training method provided in this embodiment can be implemented through a MAC layer module and its lower-level modules. That is, AP101 or STA102 may include a MAC layer module, a PHY layer baseband module, and a radio frequency module, etc. In this example, the upper-level modules of AP101 or STA102 are not limited. For example, in specific applications, such as dedicated video streaming systems, AP101 or STA102 may not include a TCP / UDP processing module or an IP processing module, and may directly perform packet transmission of multimedia bitstreams or transmit them as non-packetized data streams at the application layer module.

[0051] In another example of this application, the beam training method provided in this embodiment can be implemented through a logical link control LLC module and a media access control MAC layer module. The control and adjustment of the antenna and beamforming are implemented by the physical layer PHY baseband module, the radio frequency module, and the antenna.

[0052] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 2 As shown, the antenna can be connected to the RF module. The connection between the antenna and the RF module can be a fixed one-to-one connection or a switchable connection. The RF chain module is used to convert the baseband signal generated by the physical layer baseband module to the target spectrum, or to convert the signal from the target spectrum to a baseband signal and transmit it to the physical layer baseband module. The target spectrum can be in the millimeter-wave band or other frequency bands. The antenna is used to transmit or receive signals in the target spectrum using a specific antenna or beam direction.

[0053] The RF chain can be connected to the physical layer PHY baseband module, which is mainly used for signal processing, such as digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion, as well as processing transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the physical layer PHY baseband module can also modulate signals to the target frequency band or demodulate received signals.

[0054] The physical layer PHY baseband module is connected to the logical link control LLC module and media access control MAC module in the upper layer protocol module. It performs packet encapsulation and decapsulation ("packet" has a packet header with a predefined format) or data segmentation or aggregation ("block" does not contain a packet header), and executes the packet transmission and reception sequence agreed upon by the protocol, including sending training frames, receiving training frames, and replying with response frames.

[0055] The physical layer baseband module can generate a reference signal for measurement, receive the reference signal, estimate the signal strength, or estimate the channel quality, or estimate the channel coefficients.

[0056] It should be noted that, in Figure 2The example shown is merely one illustration of the layering of AP101, STA102, and STA103, and is not intended to limit this application. For instance, in the embodiments of this application, the Logical Link Control LLC layer module and the Media Access Control MAC layer module can also be integrated into a single, more generalized MAC layer module, which will not be illustrated here.

[0057] based on Figure 1 The application scenarios provided, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a flow chart of a beam training method, wherein the AP in the flow chart can be specifically described above. Figure 1 The AP101 and STA shown can be specifically as described above. Figure 1 The STA102 or STA103 shown.

[0058] It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the functions of the AP can also be implemented by other devices or modules, such as by a chip applied to the AP; the functions of the STA can also be implemented by other devices or modules, such as by a chip applied to the STA.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the process can be specifically as follows: Step S301: AP sends training configuration information.

[0060] The training configuration information includes a first antenna configuration for indicating multiple first uplink beams. One of the multiple first uplink beams is used by one of the multiple STAs to determine a second uplink beam for transmitting training frames. The first uplink beam includes the second uplink beam. In one example of this application embodiment, the first antenna configuration of the first uplink beam is one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or antenna weight vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam. In this application embodiment, the count value can be called a number, and the count value can be the count value of a series of reference signals or reference frames (reference, scan, or training) transmitted in their respective beam transmission modes. The count can be from small to large or from large to small. The count value number of the first signal or frame can be 0 or 1, or the count value number of the last signal or frame can be 0 or 1. When the count is from large to small, the count value can be called counting down (CDOWN). The AWV can be a vector composed of a set of signal weighting coefficients acting on multiple antenna elements or arrays. Optionally, the training configuration information may also include: the identifier of the downlink beam for the AP to receive training frames, and one or more of the following: receive antenna ID, receive sector ID, or AWVID.

[0061] In the embodiments of the present application, the number of multiple first uplink beams involved may be the same as the number of multiple STAs that send training frames. For example, the AP may respectively indicate 5 first uplink beams to 5 STAs. Among them, the 5 first uplink beams correspond to the 5 STAs one by one, that is, 1 STA is indicated 1 first uplink beam. In another example, the number of multiple first uplink beams involved in the embodiments of the present application may be greater than the number of multiple STAs that send training frames. For example, the AP may indicate 10 first uplink beams to 5 STAs. Among them, each STA is indicated 2 first uplink beams. In yet another example, the number of first uplink beams indicated by the AP for different STAs may be the same or different. For example, the AP may also indicate 20 first uplink beams to 5 STAs. Among them, some STAs are indicated 2 first uplink beams, some STAs are indicated 3 first uplink beams, and the remaining STAs are indicated 1 first uplink beam.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present application, the multiple first uplink beams indicated by the AP in the training configuration information may be randomly selected by the AP, may be obtained by the AP based on a preset rule, or may be the multiple first uplink beams selected by the AP according to the training results obtained from previous beam training.

[0063] In an example of the present application, the AP may obtain a beam set with a signal strength greater than a first threshold based on the previous preliminary wide beam scanning and measurement results, and form beam set 0. The AP selects a beam set with uplink interference less than or equal to a second threshold in beam set 0 to form beam set 1. For example, the beams in beam set 1 may satisfy the following formula: I_(i,j)<I_threshold1, where I_(i,j) represents the estimated interference intensity of the uplink signal of user j on the received signal of user i, and I_threshold1 represents the first threshold. The AP selects a beam set with uplink interference greater than the second threshold and less than the third threshold in beam set 0 to form beam set 2. For example, the beams in beam set 2 may satisfy the following formula: I_threshold1<I_(i,k)<I_threshold2, where I_(i,k) represents the estimated interference intensity of the uplink signal of user k on the received signal of user i, I_threshold1 represents the first threshold, and I_threshold2 represents the second threshold.

[0064] The AP can select the first uplink beam from beam set 1. When the beams in beam set 1 do not meet the preset conditions, such as the beams in beam set 1 being empty, the gain of the beams in beam set 1 being insufficient, or the number of beams in beam set 1 being insufficient, the following solutions can be adopted: Solution 1: Further refine the beams in beam set 1 through beam training to obtain the first uplink beam that meets the conditions. Solution 2: Perform a refined search on the beams in beam set 2 to find more narrow beams and obtain the first uplink beam that meets the conditions.

[0065] In another example of this application, the AP can directly select an uplink beam that meets certain conditions as the first uplink beam. For example, it can select a beam whose interference is less than a certain threshold.

[0066] In this embodiment, the AP can send training configuration information to the STA. This training configuration information can be used to indicate multiple first uplink beams. The STA can determine a second uplink beam based on these first uplink beams and perform beam training on the second uplink beam. Compared to the STA performing beam training on all uplink beams, this improves the efficiency of beam training. Furthermore, the AP can select a first uplink beam with low inter-user interference for the STA to reference based on previous beam scanning and measurement results, avoiding the STA blindly training all beam directions, shortening the beam training time, and improving training efficiency.

[0067] Step S302: The STA receives the training configuration information and determines the second uplink beam based on the training configuration information.

[0068] In this embodiment, the STA can receive training configuration information, obtain the first uplink beam indicated in the training configuration information, and determine the second uplink beam based on the first uplink beam. In one example, the STA can determine the second uplink beam as the first uplink beam, that is, the second uplink beam selected by the STA is the same as the first uplink beam; or, the STA can select a portion of the first uplink beams as the second uplink beam. For example, when an STA is indicated with a first uplink beam, the width of the second uplink beam selected by the STA can be narrower than the width of the first uplink beam, etc. When an STA is indicated with multiple first uplink beams, the second uplink beam selected by the STA can be a portion of the multiple first uplink beams.

[0069] Step S303: STA transmits training frames via the second uplink beam.

[0070] The STA sends training frames to the AP through the second uplink beam determined in step S302. Based on the first uplink beam indicated in the training configuration information for the STA to refer to, the STA can determine the second uplink beam to send training frames, avoiding the STA blindly training all beam directions, shortening the beam training time and improving training efficiency.

[0071] Step S304: The AP receives the training frame and determines the third uplink beam based on the training frame. The third uplink beam is used to transmit uplink data.

[0072] In this embodiment, the AP can determine a subset of training frames that meet preset conditions based on the received signal quality of multiple training frames. For example, it can select training frames whose signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is greater than or equal to a certain threshold, or select training frames whose signal interference between them is less than or equal to a certain threshold. Further, the AP can determine a second uplink beam to transmit the subset of training frames that meet the preset conditions. Based on the second uplink beam of the subset of training frames that meet the preset conditions, the AP can determine a third uplink beam. For example, the third uplink beam can be equal to the subset of second uplink beams that meet the conditions, or it can select a portion of the second uplink beams from the subset of training frames that meet the conditions as the third uplink beam. For example, if four out of the six second uplink beams transmitting the training frames meet the preset conditions, the AP selects two of these four as the third uplink beam. It should be noted that the preset conditions involved in this embodiment can be agreed upon by a protocol or configured by the AP; this embodiment does not specifically limit the conditions.

[0073] Optionally, in this embodiment, the method may further include: Step S305: The AP sends transmission configuration information to the STA. The transmission configuration information includes a third antenna configuration indicating multiple third uplink beams. One of the multiple third uplink beams is the uplink beam used by the corresponding STA for uplink data transmission, and the multiple second uplink beams include multiple third uplink beams. In one example of this application, the third antenna configuration of the third uplink beam may include one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or AWV ID used by the corresponding STA to transmit uplink data. Optionally, the transmission configuration information may further include: a downlink beam identifier for the AP to receive uplink data, and one or more of the following: receive antenna ID, receive sector ID, or AWV ID.

[0074] Similarly, the number of third uplink beams involved in the embodiments of this application can be the same as the number of STAs transmitting uplink data. For example, the AP can instruct three STAs to use three third uplink beams for uplink data transmission, wherein the three third uplink beams correspond one-to-one with the three STAs, that is, each STA is instructed to use one third uplink beam for uplink data transmission. In another example, the number of third uplink beams involved in the embodiments of this application can be greater than the number of STAs transmitting uplink data. For example, the AP can instruct six third uplink beams to three STAs, wherein each STA is instructed to use two third uplink beams to transmit data. Alternatively, one of the three STAs can be instructed to use two third uplink beams, another STA can be instructed to use two third uplink beams, and the remaining STA can be instructed to use three third uplink beams.

[0075] Corresponding to step S305, Figure 3 The method shown may also include step S306: STA receives transmission configuration information.

[0076] In this embodiment of the application, the transmission configuration frame can carry transmission configuration information of multiple STAs. The mutual interference between the multiple third uplink beams indicated by the transmission configuration information of the multiple STAs is small. Therefore, when multiple STAs perform parallel uplink data transmission, that is, when multiple STAs are transmitting in UL MU MIMO, the interference between them is small, which can improve the communication quality between multiple users of MU MIMO and improve the transmission efficiency.

[0077] In this embodiment, the transmission configuration information of multiple STAs may also include the antenna configuration for each STA to transmit uplink data and the antenna configuration for the AP to receive uplink data. This allows the AP to coordinate the receiving antennas of the STAs, avoiding antenna conflicts caused by STAs selecting receiving antennas. For example, for STA1 and STA2, the AP can allocate antennas 1 and 2 to receive the signal from STA1, and antennas 3 and 4 to receive the signal from STA2. However, if the STAs select receiving antennas, STA1 might select antennas 1 and 2 to receive its signal, while STA2 might select antennas 2 and 3. Since antenna 2 of the AP cannot simultaneously point to the beams of STA1 and STA2 for reception, antenna conflict will occur.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a beam training process is provided. Figure 4 In the process shown, the training configuration frame can be used to carry the above... Figure 3 The training configuration information shown can be transmitted via configuration frames to carry the above-mentioned training configuration information. Figure 3The transmission configuration information is shown. The process can be specifically described as follows:

[0079] Step S401: AP sends training configuration frame to STA.

[0080] In this embodiment, the training configuration frame can be used to indicate the first uplink beam. The process by which the AP selects the first uplink beam in this embodiment is described in step S301 above and will not be repeated here.

[0081] In this embodiment, unnecessary training overhead can be reduced by training configuration frames, and training efficiency can be improved by scheduling training resources. For example, beams corresponding to spatially conflict-free spatial flows from multiple users do not require further training, thus saving overhead. However, beams with potential conflicts can be indicated in the training configuration frame that further training is needed. By configuring the allocation of training resources to multiple training sequences, multiple STAs can use different training sequences for parallel training, improving training efficiency.

[0082] Step S402: STA receives training configuration frame.

[0083] Step S403: STA sends training frames.

[0084] In this embodiment of the application, the AP can transmit training frames through a second uplink beam, which is determined based on the first uplink beam.

[0085] Step S404: The AP receives training frames.

[0086] Step S405: The AP sends a transmission configuration frame.

[0087] Step S406: The STA receives the transmission configuration frame.

[0088] In this embodiment, the AP can measure the training frames sent by one or more STAs to obtain an uplink beam set with low mutual interference, thereby forming a transmission configuration frame.

[0089] In this embodiment of the application, the transmission configuration frame can carry transmission configuration information of multiple STAs. The mutual interference between the multiple third uplink beams indicated by the transmission configuration information of the multiple STAs is small. Therefore, when multiple STAs perform parallel uplink data transmission, that is, when multiple STAs are transmitting in UL MU MIMO, the interference between them is small, which can improve the communication quality between multiple users of MU MIMO and improve the transmission efficiency.

[0090] The following examples illustrate this further. Figure 5a or Figure 5bAs shown, an AP can send a transmission configuration frame, which carries transmission configuration information for one or more STAs, as detailed below:

[0091] exist Figure 5a In the example shown, the AP can first send a training configuration frame, which can carry the training configuration information of two STAs. The two STAs can obtain their respective training configuration information from the training configuration frame, and then send training frames on the corresponding uplink beams according to the instructions of the training configuration information. After receiving the training frames sent by the two STAs, the AP can generate a transmission configuration frame based on the training frames of the two STAs. The transmission configuration frame can carry the transmission configuration information of the two STAs.

[0092] exist Figure 5b In the example shown, with Figure 5a The processing steps shown in the example are similar, except that in... Figure 5b In the example shown, the transmission configuration frame sent by the AP can trigger downlink data transmission of the AP, or parallel uplink data transmission of two STAs.

[0093] Understandably, in Figure 5a and Figure 5b The provided examples use two STAs for illustration and are not intended to limit this application. In the embodiments of this application, the training configuration frame may carry training configuration information of one or more STAs, where the plurality refers to two or more STAs, and the transmission configuration frame may carry transmission configuration information of one or more STAs. As can be seen from the above, in the embodiments of this application, the transmission configuration information of one or more STAs needs to be indicated to the STAs all at once through a single transmission configuration frame. The transmission configuration frame carries too much information at once, and the information lacks flexibility.

[0094] To increase the flexibility of configuration information, such as Figure 5c As shown, in one implementation, the AP can send two transmission configuration frames: a first transmission configuration frame and a second transmission configuration frame. The first transmission configuration frame may carry basic configuration parameters, and the second transmission configuration frame may carry parameters that define the basic configuration. Figure 5c The example described uses the second transmission configuration frame triggering downlink data transmission of the AP or uplink data transmission of the STA. However, this embodiment does not limit the second transmission configuration frame to necessarily triggering downlink data transmission of the AP or uplink data transmission of the STA.

[0095] In one example of this application, the first transmission configuration frame may include a correspondence between a configuration number and transmission configuration information, and the second transmission configuration frame is used to indicate the number of the transmission configuration information. In this embodiment, the transmission configuration information is carried in a hierarchical manner, with indication information carried in two transmission configuration frames. This allows for dynamic configuration, saves messages, and is more flexible and efficient.

[0096] For example, in this embodiment, the first transmission configuration frame may include the following correspondence: configuration number 1 corresponds to transmission configuration information 1, configuration number 2 corresponds to transmission configuration information 2, and so on, until configuration number N corresponds to transmission configuration information N, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1. Transmission configuration information 1, transmission configuration information 2, and so on, until transmission configuration information N. The N transmission configuration information pieces may be the same or distinct from each other. The second transmission configuration frame may include a configuration number M, where M is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N. In this embodiment, the STA can receive the first transmission configuration frame and the second transmission configuration frame respectively, obtain the configuration number M from the second transmission configuration frame, obtain the transmission configuration information M corresponding to number M from the first transmission configuration frame, and finally, the STA can use the transmission configuration information M to perform uplink data transmission.

[0097] In another example of this application, the first and second transmission configuration frames can be used to dynamically adjust the existing MIMO transmission configuration. For example, the AP can instruct the other party to use a specific dynamic transmission configuration. For instance, the AP can send a first transmission configuration frame carrying a configuration group numbered 1 (configuration group 1). Configuration group 1 instructs STA1 to use antenna 1 to transmit with AP antenna 1. STA1 can also use antenna 2 to transmit with AP antenna 2, and STA2 can use antenna 3 to transmit with AP antenna 3. If AP antenna 2 fails or is turned off, the AP can send a second transmission configuration frame to adjust the transmission configuration of STA1 and STA2. The second transmission configuration frame carries a configuration group numbered 1, which instructs STA1 to use antenna 1 to transmit with AP antenna 1, and STA2 to use antenna 3 to transmit with AP antenna 3. To achieve the above effect, the second transmission configuration frame may include user group number, configuration number, etc. Upon receiving the second transmission configuration frame, STA1 determines, based on the user group number and configuration number, that it can no longer communicate with AP's antenna 2 using antenna 2. This allows the AP to adjust a portion of the transmission configuration within a configuration group, achieving dynamic adjustment of the STA's transmission configuration. Optionally, the second transmission configuration frame may also include antenna masks for each user, for example, through bits. Figure 10 To select antenna 1 for user 1.

[0098] In another example of this application, the first transmission configuration frame and the second transmission configuration frame can be used to dynamically enable or disable the entire existing MIMO transmission configuration group. For example, the AP can send the first transmission configuration frame, which includes configuration group numbered 1 (configuration group 1) and configuration group numbered 2 (configuration group 2). Configuration group numbered 1 instructs STA1 to use antenna 1 to transmit with AP antenna 1, STA1 to use antenna 2 to transmit with AP antenna 2, and STA2 to use antenna 3 to transmit with AP antenna 3. Configuration group numbered 2 instructs STA1 to use antenna 1 to transmit with AP antenna 1, and instructs STA2 to use antenna 3 to transmit with AP antenna 3. If AP antenna 2 fails or is turned off, the AP can send the second transmission configuration frame, which includes the number of configuration group 2, thereby disabling configuration group numbered 1. To achieve the above effect, the second transmission configuration frame can include the antenna mask used by the AP, for example, using bitmap 101 to indicate that the AP uses antennas 1 and 3.

[0099] like Figure 6As shown, this application provides a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) that can carry training configuration frames or transmission configuration frames. In one example, the PPDU may include a non-future generation 60GHz portion (Non FG60Portion) field and a future generation 60GHz portion (FG 60Portion) field. The Non FG 60Portion field may include a conventional short training field (L-STF), a conventional channel estimation field (L-CEF), and a conventional header field (L-Header). The L-STF can also be called a non-enhanced directional multi-gigabit (non-EDMG) short training sequence field, the L-CEF field can also be called a non-EDMG channel estimation field, and the L-Header field can also be called a non-EDMG header field. The FG60Portion field may include the future generation 60GHz header A (FG60-Header A) field, the future generation 60GHz short training field (FG60-STF) field, the future 60GHz channel estimation field (FG60-CEF) field, the future generation 60GHz header B (FG60-Header B) field, the PHY Data field, and the training sequences field (TRN). The PHY Data field may include the MAC Header field and the MAC Data field.

[0100] In one possible implementation, the L-STF field, L-CEF field, L-Header field, and FG60-Header A field can use a non-FG60 modulation scheme; the FG60-STF field, FG60-CEF field, FG60-Header B field, PHY Data field, and TRN field can use the FG60 modulation scheme.

[0101] In the embodiments of this application, the training configuration information or transmission configuration information can be carried in the MAC Data of the PPDU or in the MAC Header. In the following embodiments, the example of carrying the training configuration information or transmission configuration information in the MAC Data will be used for explanation.

[0102] In the embodiments of this application, as shown in Table 1, the training configuration frame or transmission configuration frame may include an STA indication field and an antenna sector configuration indication field. Optionally, the training configuration frame may also include a time indication field, an uplink (UL) power indication field, a MIMO Hybrid MIMO Spatial Stream Mapping indication field, and a transmission bandwidth indication field. The form and purpose of each of the above fields are described in Table 1 below and will not be repeated here.

[0103] Table 1

[0104]

[0105]

[0106] It should be noted that when the frame structure shown in Table 1 is applied to the training configuration frame, the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, AWV ID" etc. in the antenna sector configuration indication shown in Table 1 specifically refer to the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV ID" etc. recommended by the AP to be used by the STA. The STA can determine the first uplink beam recommended by the AP based on one or more of "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV". The STA can determine the transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV ID etc. used when sending the training frame according to the recommendations in Table 1 above, that is, determine the second uplink beam used when sending the training frame.

[0107] It should be noted that the frame structure shown in Table 1 can also be applied to the transmission configuration frame. When the frame structure shown in Table 1 is applied to the transmission configuration frame, the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, AWV ID" etc. used by the STA in the antenna sector configuration indication shown in Table 1 are specifically the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV ID" used by the AP when sending uplink data. In this embodiment, the STA can determine an uplink beam based on the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV ID" suggested by the AP, and then perform uplink data transmission on the uplink beam. Alternatively, the STA can determine multiple uplink beams based on the "transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, CDOWN, and AWV ID" suggested by the AP, and the STA can select one uplink beam from the multiple uplink beams for uplink data transmission. In this embodiment, the training configuration frame or transmission configuration frame may include one or more sets of transmission configuration information, and one set of transmission configuration information may correspond to a set of STAs. As shown in Table 2, a set of transmission configuration information may include an indication field for each STA within the corresponding STA group, and an antenna sector configuration indication field for each STA. Specifically, in the example shown in Table 2, STA group 1 includes two STAs, STA1 and STA2, for illustration. This application does not limit the number of STAs included in each STA group. Optionally, a set of transmission configuration information may also include a time indication field, a UL power indication field, a MIMO Hybrid MIMO Spatial Stream Mapping indication field, and a transmission bandwidth indication field. The form and purpose of each of these fields are described in Table 2 below and will not be repeated here.

[0108] Table 2

[0109]

[0110]

[0111] In the embodiments of this application, when the frame structure shown in Table 2 is applied to the training configuration frame or the transmission configuration frame, the description of the antenna sector configuration indication field of the STA can be found in the description shown in Table 1 above, and will not be described again here.

[0112] In a specific example, the MAC Header field may include a sending address and a receiving address. The sending address can be set to the Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), and the receiving address can be set to the broadcast address. Optionally, the MAC Header field may also include an FG 60 Group ID field, which includes the STA group currently participating in beam training. The MAC Data field may include general configuration parameters, such as a dialog token field, a number of configurations field (Num of configs), a DL / UL Training field, and configurations for downlink or ulpink (Configs for DL / UL). The Dialog Token field indicates the session to which the current transmission configuration frame belongs, or the session to which the training frame corresponding to the ID in the antenna sector configuration indication belongs. The Num of configs field indicates the number of MIMO configuration groups. The DL / UL Training field indicates whether the training process involves the AP or the STA transmitting the training sequence. The Configs for DL / UL field indicates whether the current configuration information is for the downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) link, or both DL and UL links. When the Configs for DL / UL field indicates that both DL and UL are available, the configuration information carried in the transmission configuration frame can provide uplink and downlink transmission beam configurations for stations with antenna and beam reciprocity, meaning the indicated beam can be used for both downlink reception and uplink transmission. Antenna and beam reciprocity means that the optimal transmit antenna for uplink can also be the optimal receive antenna for downlink.

[0113] In this embodiment, the transmission configuration frame may carry one or more sets of transmission configuration information for the STA. This embodiment provides two structures for the transmission configuration frame; one structure uses the AP's receiving antenna as an index to provide configuration information, as shown in [reference needed]. Figure 7 As shown, another structure uses STA as an index to provide configuration information; see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 As shown. It is understandable that... Figure 7 or Figure 8The frame structure shown can also be applied to training configuration frames. In this embodiment, it is based on... Figure 7 or Figure 8 The frame structure shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0114] In Structure 1, configuration information is provided using the AP's receiving antenna as an index, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the transmission configuration frame may include multiple configuration (Config.) fields, each Config. field corresponding to a set of transmission configuration information for STAs. The structure of each Config. field can be identical. In this embodiment, using... Figure 7 Let's take the Config1. field as an example for explanation:

[0115] like Figure 7 As shown, the Config1 field may include the SU / MU field, the number of antennas field, the receiving antenna (RX Antena) 1 field, the RX Antena 2 field, and so on, up to the RX AntenaN field, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0116] The SU / MU field indicates whether the current transmission configuration is single-user MIMO (SUMIMO) or multi-user MIMO (MU MIMO). For example, a SU / MU value of 1 indicates a SU MIMO transmission configuration, while a SU / MU value of 0 indicates a MU MIMO transmission configuration.

[0117] The Num of antennas field can be used to indicate the number of AP-side receiving antennas involved in the current configuration. For example, in the configuration field Config1., the number of AP receiving antennas involved is N, namely receiving antennas RXAntena1, RXAntena2, and so on, up to RXAntenaN.

[0118] The receiving antenna (RX Antena) 1 field to the receiving antenna (RX Antena) N field have the same structure. In this embodiment, the receiving antenna (RX Antena) 1 field is used as an example for explanation:

[0119] The Receive Antenna (RX Antena) 1 field is used to indicate the antenna weighting vector (AWV) and transmit antenna interface (ANT) used for transmitting uplink data when K STAs transmit uplink data in parallel under the reception of AP Receive Antenna 1.

[0120] For example, in this embodiment of the application, if the SU / MU field indicates that the current transmission configuration is SU MIMO transmission configuration, the RX Antena1 field may include a user mask field, a transmit antenna interface ID (TD AntID) field, a transmit section / beam / AWV weighted vector identifier (TX Sector / Beam / AWV ID) field, and a receive antenna interface identifier (RX Ant ID) field, etc.

[0121] If the SU / MU field indicates that the current transmission configuration is MU MIMO transmission configuration, the RX Antena1 field may include a user mask field, the weighted transmit antenna vector of associated user 1 (Associated user1 TX AWV), the transmit antenna port of associated user 1 (Associated user1 TX Ant), the weighted transmit antenna vector of associated user 2 (Associated user1 TX AWV), the transmit antenna port of associated user 2 (Associated user1 TX Ant), and so on, up to the weighted transmit antenna vector of associated user K (Associated user1 TX AWV) and the transmit antenna port of associated user K (Associated user1 TX Ant), where K is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0122] In Structure 2, configuration information is provided using the STA to be configured as an index, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the transmission configuration frame may include multiple configuration (Config.) fields, each Config. field corresponding to a set of STA transmission configuration information. Each Config. field contains the same information. In this embodiment, using... Figure 8 Let's take the Config1. field as an example for explanation:

[0123] like Figure 8 As shown, the Config1 field can include a User Mask field, a User1 field, a User2 field, and so on, up to a Userk field. Each user field contains the same content. Taking the User1 field as an example, the following explanation will be provided:

[0124] The User 1 field may include the transmit antenna interface mask (TX Ant Mask) field, the User 1 transmit antenna interface 1 antenna weighted vector (User1 Tx Ant 1AWV) field, the User 1 transmit antenna interface 2 antenna weighted vector (User1TX Ant2 AWV) field, and so on, up to the User 1 transmit antenna interface t antenna weighted vector (User1 Tx Ant tAWV) field.

[0125] Optionally, the User 1 field may also include the Associated AP Receive Ant Index (Associated AP Rx AntIndex). This Associated AP Receive Ant Index field indicates the antenna number used by the AP when receiving uplink data from User 1. Since antennas and RF chains have a certain mapping or association relationship, antennas are generally not turned off. However, when the RF chain may be turned off or connected to other Ants, the antenna may not be able to receive data. Therefore, to a certain extent, the Rx Ant index field can be used to indicate the availability of the RF chain. In this embodiment, the AP-side receive antennas indicated by the Rx Ant index field are all available. Compared to the STA selecting its own receive antenna, this avoids unnecessary transmission by the STA. For example, when the AP is in power-saving mode and receive antenna port 1 is off, the AP can avoid indicating receive antenna port 1 to the STA through the Rx Ant index field. Simultaneously, the STA can adjust the direction of its transmit antenna according to the Rx Ant index field to better align with the corresponding receive antenna of the AP.

[0126] In Structure 1 or Structure 2, the user mask field can be used to indicate the STAs involved in the configuration information of the current Config field. For example, if an STA group contains a maximum of 16 STAs, the user mask can include 16 bits, each bit corresponding to one STA, to indicate whether the corresponding STA is involved. When a bit is 1, the STA corresponding to that bit can use the information in the configuration field, or the STA is allowed to use the mode corresponding to the information in the configuration field. When a bit is 0, the STA corresponding to that bit is prohibited from using the information in the configuration field, or the STA is disabled from using the mode corresponding to the information in the configuration field. The number of bits corresponding to the user mask can be fixed or variable.

[0127] In this embodiment, after the user mask field specifies the STA involved in the MIMO configuration group information block, a transmit antenna mask (tx ant mask) field can be indicated for each STA. Optionally, the transmission configuration frame may also include an AP antenna number information field (such as RX Ant ID).

[0128] In this embodiment of the application, the AP can send data using unicast, broadcast, or multicast methods. Figure 4 The transmission configuration frame is shown in the illustrated process. Optionally, after receiving the transmission configuration frame, the STA may also send an acknowledgment frame to the AP. This application provides the following example illustrating how the STA sends an acknowledgment frame.

[0129] Example 1: After receiving the transmission configuration frame, the STA replies with an acknowledgment frame to the AP.

[0130] In one example of this application, if the AP sends a transmission configuration frame to multiple STAs via unicast, each STA can immediately reply with an acknowledgment frame after receiving the transmission configuration frame. If the AP sends the transmission configuration frame to multiple STAs via broadcast or multicast, each STA can determine the time for sending its acknowledgment frame based on the following method: Each STA can determine the time for sending multiple STA acknowledgment frames based on the order in which the corresponding STAs appear in the transmission configuration frame, and send the acknowledgment frame at the corresponding time. For example, if the AP sends a transmission configuration frame to three STAs via broadcast or multicast, and the three STAs are STA1, STA2, and STA3, and the transmission configuration frame includes, in sequence, indication information for STA1, STA2, and STA3, then STA1 can determine the time for replying with its acknowledgment frame as the first time based on the order in which STA1 appears in the transmission configuration frame; STA2 can determine the time for replying with its acknowledgment frame as the second time based on the order in which STA2 appears in the transmission configuration frame; and STA3 can determine the time for replying with its acknowledgment frame as the third time based on the order in which STA3 appears in the transmission configuration frame. STA1, STA2, and STA3 can each reply with an acknowledgment frame at their respective times.

[0131] In one example of this application, the AP may also carry indication information in the transmission configuration frame. The indication information is used to indicate how the AP should reply with the confirmation frame. The STA can determine how to reply with the confirmation frame based on the indication information carried in the transmission configuration frame.

[0132] In one example of this application, the AP may send a first frame to the STA, which carries a transmission configuration frame. If the STA determines, after receiving the first frame, that it has received the transmission configuration frame carried in the first frame, it will reply with a second frame. For example, the first frame may be a request to send (RTS) frame, and the second frame may be a clear to send (CTS) frame, such as a multi-user CTS frame.

[0133] Example 2: The AP requires the STA to send an acknowledgment frame before transmitting uplink data.

[0134] In this embodiment, before performing MU MIMO transmission, the AP can send a control frame indicating the MIMO configuration for a specific user group. If the AP does not receive a response from the STA regarding the transmission configuration information, the AP can assume that the STA may not have received the corresponding transmission configuration frame. If the STA has not received the frame, the AP can resend the corresponding transmission configuration frame. Alternatively, the AP can remove the STA from the specific configuration of the MU MIMO user group. Or, the AP can re-perform MIMO training and notify the user again.

[0135] If the AP sends a control frame (Poll frame or RTS frame) containing a specific transmission configuration, or a newly defined control frame containing a specific transmission configuration, but does not receive the expected control response from the STA (e.g., the AP instructs the STA to use a specific mode for uplink transmission, but the AP does not receive the uplink transmission from the STA, or does not receive the uplink transmission using the specific mode), then the AP may consider that the STA has not successfully received the configuration or that the AP should retransmit or reconfigure the configuration.

[0136] Example 3: The STA explicitly informs the AP that it lacks configuration information for a specific group.

[0137] When an AP sends a control frame indicating a MIMO transmission configuration group (number) within a specific user group, if the STA has not yet received the corresponding MIMO transmission configuration group information, or has not yet received a MIMO transmission configuration frame containing that specific transmission configuration indication, then the STA can send a transmission configuration request frame containing that specific transmission configuration indication (number), the AP can send a MIMO transmission configuration frame containing that specific transmission configuration indication (number), or the AP can reconfigure the MIMO transmission. Alternatively, the STA can send a protocol-defined frame indicating that the specific transmission configuration indication (number) is unrecognizable.

[0138] In this embodiment, the AP can generate a transmission configuration frame based on a training frame of one session, or the AP can generate a transmission configuration frame based on training frames of multiple sessions. The transmission configuration frame may carry one or more session identifiers; for example, the session identifier may be a Dialog Token identifier. In one example, when generating a transmission configuration frame based on training frames of multiple sessions, the transmission configuration frame may include transmission configuration information, which in turn includes multiple session identifiers, including the identifiers of the sessions to which these multiple training frames belong.

[0139] In this embodiment of the application, if the AP generates a transmission configuration frame based on training frames from multiple sessions, such as... Figure 9As shown, this application provides a specific example. In session 1, the AP performs MIMO training on users including STA1. STA1 can send a beam training frame to the AP, which may include a reference signal with beam ID 3. In session 2, the AP performs MIMO training on users including STA2. STA2 can send a beam training frame to the AP, which may include a reference signal with beam ID 4. Optionally, session 2 may or may not include STA1's training frame. In this embodiment, the AP can generate a transmission configuration frame based on the beam training results of sessions 1 and 2. The transmission configuration frame may include transmission configuration 1, which specifically indicates that STA1 uses the beam with beam ID 3 for uplink data transmission, and STA2 uses the beam with beam ID 4 for uplink data transmission.

[0140] It should be noted that the MIMO training in this embodiment can also be used when the STA has only a single antenna or when the STA has multiple antennas. The case of the STA having only a single antenna can also be referred to as single-input multiple-output (SIMO) or multiple-input single-output (MISO). Furthermore, the training configuration results can be used for multi-user transmission or single-user transmission.

[0141] As can be seen from the above, in this embodiment of the application, the AP can use the training results of multiple SU-MIMO to determine the configuration information during MUMIMO transmission, without having to perform training on multiple users each time to determine the MIMO configuration information, thus reducing the overhead of training.

[0142] In this embodiment, after the MIMO training frame for session 2 is sent, the AP can send a MIMO transmission configuration frame. For each user's AWV ID tag, there is a session tag, instructing the STA to use the antenna, sector ID, or beam ID from the training frame corresponding to the session tag during transmission. For example, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the session identifier can be carried in the Dialog Token field.

[0143] In this application embodiment, a solution is provided for the user training, selection, and configuration process in a UL MU MIMO scenario. The MU MIMO transmission configuration method may include one or more sets of spatial configuration information in the MIMO selection information included by the AP. Each set of spatial configuration information includes one or more user identifiers and one or more uplink transmit antenna identifiers. For each uplink transmit antenna, there are transmit beam identifiers and receive antenna identifiers. The AP uses the spatial configuration information to instruct the STA to perform uplink transmission. After this information is sent to the STA, the STA can perform UL MU MIMO transmission according to the above configuration information. Furthermore, this application embodiment also provides a method for confirming this configuration information. Through the confirmation process, it can be ensured that MU MIMO transmission is performed only after the STA obtains this configuration information, thus improving accuracy.

[0144] As can be seen from the above, in the embodiments of this application, by having the AP instruct multiple STAs to perform uplink or downlink transmission with low inter-user interference according to the beam mode specified in the MIMO transmission configuration frame (or trigger frame), inter-beam transmission interference can be reduced, multi-user multi-stream parallel transmission can be realized, and uplink or downlink transmission efficiency can be improved.

[0145] The beam training method of the present application embodiments has been described in detail above. The beam training device of the present application embodiments will be described below.

[0146] This application describes in detail the schematic structure of an AP side beam training device.

[0147] In one example Figure 11 A schematic block diagram of a beam training device 1100 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The beam training device 1100 in this embodiment can be the AP in the above method embodiment, or it can be one or more chips within the AP. The device 1100 may include a processing module 1110 and a transceiver module 1120. Optionally, the device 1100 may also include a storage module 1130.

[0148] For example, the processing module 1110 can be used to perform step S304 in the aforementioned method embodiment, which involves determining the action of the third uplink beam based on the training frame.

[0149] The transceiver module 1120 can be used to execute steps S301 and S305 in the aforementioned method embodiments, or to execute steps S302 and S306, or to execute steps S401, S404, and S405, or to execute steps S402 and S406.

[0150] Alternatively, device 1100 can also be configured as a general-purpose processing system, such as a chip. The processing module 1110 may include one or more processors providing processing functions. The transceiver module 1120 may be, for example, an input / output interface, pins, or circuitry. The input / output interface can be used to handle information interaction between this chip system and the outside world. For example, this input / output interface can output training configuration frames to other modules outside the chip for processing. This processing module can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to achieve the functions of the AP or STA in the above method embodiments. In one example, the storage module 1130 optionally included in device 1100 can be an in-chip storage unit, such as a register or cache. The storage module 1130 can also be an external storage unit within the AP, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0151] In another example, Figure 12 A schematic block diagram of another beam training apparatus 1200 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The apparatus 1200 of this application embodiment can be the AP in the above method embodiments, and the apparatus 1200 can be used to perform some or all of the functions of the AP in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 1200 may include: a processor 1210, a baseband circuit 1230, a radio frequency circuit 1240, and an antenna 1250. Optionally, the apparatus 1200 may also include a memory 1220. The various components of the apparatus 1200 are coupled together via a bus 1260, wherein the bus system 1260 includes, in addition to a data bus, a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 1660 in the figure.

[0152] The processor 1210 can be used to control the AP, to execute the processes performed by the AP in the above embodiments, to execute the processing procedures involving the AP in the above method embodiments and / or other processes using the technology described in this application, and can also run an operating system, be responsible for managing the bus, and execute programs or instructions stored in memory.

[0153] The baseband circuit 1230, the radio frequency circuit 1240, and the antenna 1250 can be used to support the transmission and reception of information between the AP and the STAs involved in the above embodiments, so as to support wireless communication between the AP and the STAs. In one example, the training frame from the STA can be received by the antenna 1250, filtered, amplified, down-converted, and digitized by the radio frequency circuit 1240, and then decoded and decapsulated according to the protocol by the baseband circuit 1230. After baseband processing, the processor 1210 processes the training frame to determine the multiple third uplink beams used by the multiple STAs to transmit uplink data. In another example, the processor 1210 can generate training configuration information and transmission configuration information, which are then encapsulated and encoded according to the protocol by the baseband circuit 1230. After further radio frequency processing such as analog conversion, filtering, amplification, and up-conversion by the radio frequency circuit 1240, the information is transmitted through the antenna 1250.

[0154] Memory 1220 can be used for the program code and data of the AP; memory 1220 can be Figure 11 The storage module 1130 is included. Understandably, the baseband circuit 1230, RF circuit 1240, and antenna 1250 can also be used to support communication between the AP and other network entities, for example, for communication between the AP and STA. Figure 12 The memory 1220 is shown as separate from the processor 1210; however, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the memory 1220 or any portion thereof may be located outside the beam training device 1200. For example, the memory 1220 may include transmission lines and / or computer artifacts separate from the wireless node, all of which can be accessed by the processor 1210 via the bus interface 1260. Alternatively, the memory 1220 or any portion thereof may be integrated into the processor 1210, for example, as a cache and / or general-purpose registers.

[0155] Understandable Figure 12 Only a simplified design of the AP is shown. For example, in practical applications, an AP can contain any number of transmitters, receivers, processors, memory, etc., and all APs that can implement this invention are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the beam training device may also be implemented using one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuitry, or any combination of circuitry capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application. In yet another example, embodiments of this application also provide a computer storage medium that can store program instructions for instructing any of the above methods, such that a processor executes these program instructions to implement the methods and functions of the AP involved in the above method embodiments.

[0157] This application describes in detail the schematic structure of the beam training device on the STA side.

[0158] In one example Figure 13 A schematic block diagram of a beam training device 1300 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The device 1300 of this application embodiment can be a STA (Single Amplifier) ​​in the above method embodiments, or it can be one or more chips within a STA. The device 1300 can be used to perform some or all of the functions of the STA in the above method embodiments. The device 1300 may include a processing module 1310 and a transceiver module 1320; optionally, the device 1300 may also include a storage module 1330.

[0159] For example, the processing module 1310 can be used to perform step S302 in the aforementioned method embodiment, which involves determining the action of the second uplink beam based on the training configuration information.

[0160] The transceiver module 1320 can be used to perform the action of receiving training configuration information in step S302 of the aforementioned method embodiment, or to perform step S303, or to perform step S306, or to perform step S402, or to perform step S403, or to perform step S406.

[0161] Alternatively, device 1300 can also be configured as a general-purpose processing system, such as a chip. The processing module 1310 may include one or more processors providing processing functions. The transceiver module may be, for example, an input / output interface, pins, or circuits. The input / output interface can be used to handle information interaction between this chip system and the outside world; for example, this input / output interface can output training frames to other modules outside the chip for processing. The one or more processors can execute computer execution instructions stored in the storage module to implement the functions of the STA in the above method embodiments. In one example, the storage module 1330 optionally included in device 1300 can be an in-chip storage unit, such as a register or cache. The storage module 1330 can also be an external storage unit within the STA, such as read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0162] In another example, Figure 14 A schematic block diagram of another beam training device 1400 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The device 1400 of this application embodiment can be the STA in the above method embodiments, and the device 1400 can be used to perform some or all of the functions of the STA in the above method embodiments. The device 1400 may include: a processor 1410, a baseband circuit 1430, a radio frequency circuit 1440, and an antenna 1450. Optionally, the device 1400 may also include a memory 1420. The various components of the device 1400 are coupled together via a bus 1460, wherein the bus system 1460 includes, in addition to a data bus, a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 1460 in the figure.

[0163] The processor 1410 can be used to control the STA, to execute the processes performed by the STA in the above embodiments, to execute the processing procedures involving the STA in the above method embodiments and / or other processes using the technology described in this application, and can also run an operating system, manage the bus, and execute programs or instructions stored in memory.

[0164] The baseband circuit 1430, radio frequency circuit 1440, and antenna 1450 can be used to support the transmission and reception of information between the STA and the AP involved in the above embodiments, so as to support wireless communication between the STA and the AP. In one example, training configuration information or transmission configuration information sent from the AP is received by the antenna 1450, filtered, amplified, down-converted, and digitized by the radio frequency circuit, and then decoded and decapsulated according to the protocol by the baseband circuit. Finally, the processor 1410 processes the data to recover the service data and signaling information sent by the AP. In another example, the processor 1410 can generate the beam training frame of the STA, which is encapsulated and encoded according to the protocol by the baseband circuit 1430, and further processed by the radio frequency circuit 1440 through analog conversion, filtering, amplification, and up-conversion before being transmitted through the antenna 1450. The memory 1420 can be used to store the program code and data of the STA. The memory 1420 can be used to store the program code and data of the STA. Figure 13 The storage module 1330 is included. It is understood that the baseband circuit 1430, radio frequency circuit 1440, and antenna 1450 can also be used to support communication between the STA and other network entities, for example, to support communication between the STA and the station associated with the STA. Figure 1 AP as shown.

[0165] Understandable Figure 14 Only a simplified design of the STA is shown. For example, in practical applications, the STA can contain any number of transmitters, receivers, processors, memories, etc., and all STAs that can implement the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0166] In one possible implementation, the channel resource allocation device on the STA side can also be implemented using one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described throughout this application.

[0167] In yet another example, this application embodiment also provides a computer storage medium that can store program instructions for instructing any of the above methods, such that a processor executes the program instructions to implement the methods and functions involving STA in the above method embodiments.

[0168] The processors involved in the aforementioned devices 1200 and 1400 can be general-purpose processors, such as general-purpose central processing units (CPUs), network processors (NPs), microprocessors, etc., or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of programs according to the present application. They can also be digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The controller / processor can also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc. The processor typically performs logical and arithmetic operations based on program instructions stored in memory.

[0169] The memory involved in the aforementioned devices 1200 and 1400 may also store an operating system and other application programs. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. More specifically, the aforementioned memory may be read-only memory (ROM), other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM), other types of dynamic storage devices capable of storing information and instructions, disk storage, etc. The memory may be a combination of the above storage types. Furthermore, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium / memory may be located within a processor, external to a processor, or distributed across multiple entities including a processor or processing circuitry. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium / memory may be embodied in a computer program product. For example, a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium within packaging material.

[0170] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0171] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0172] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0173] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0174] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive).

[0175] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A beam training method, characterized in that, This is applied to multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scenarios, where the MU-MIMO scenario includes at least an access point (AP) and multiple station sites (STAs), including: The AP sends training configuration information to the plurality of STAs. The training configuration information includes the first antenna configuration of a plurality of first uplink beams. One of the plurality of first uplink beams is used by one of the plurality of STAs to determine the second uplink beam for sending training frames. The first uplink beam includes the second uplink beam. The first uplink beam is an uplink beam with low inter-user interference. The AP receives the training frame transmitted by each of the plurality of STAs through its corresponding second uplink beam; The AP determines multiple third uplink beams used by the multiple STAs to transmit uplink data based on the training frames transmitted by the multiple STAs.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The AP sends transmission configuration information to the plurality of STAs. The transmission configuration information includes the third antenna configuration of the plurality of third uplink beams. One of the plurality of third uplink beams is the uplink beam used by the corresponding STA for uplink data transmission. The plurality of second uplink beams include the plurality of third uplink beams.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or antenna weighted vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam.

4. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The training configuration information also includes the identifier of the downlink beam that the AP receives the training frame, and one or more of the following: receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID.

5. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The third antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or AWV ID used by the corresponding STA to transmit uplink data.

6. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes the downlink beam identifier for the AP to receive the uplink data, and one or more of the following: receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2, 5 and 6, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes multiple session identifiers, which include the identifiers of the sessions in which the training frames are located.

8. A beam training method, characterized in that, This is applied to multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scenarios, where the MU-MIMO scenario includes at least an access point (AP) and multiple station sites (STAs), including: One of the plurality of STAs receives training configuration information sent by the AP. The training configuration information includes the first antenna configuration of a plurality of first uplink beams. One of the plurality of first uplink beams is used by the STA to determine the second uplink beam for sending training frames. The first uplink beam includes the second uplink beam. The first uplink beam is an uplink beam with low inter-user interference. The STA determines the second uplink beam corresponding to the STA based on the training configuration information; The STA transmits the training frame through the corresponding second uplink beam, and the training frame is used by the AP to determine the third uplink beam used by the STA to transmit uplink data.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The STA receives transmission configuration information sent by the AP. The transmission configuration information includes the third antenna configuration of multiple third uplink beams. One of the multiple third uplink beams is the uplink beam used by the STA for uplink data transmission. The multiple second uplink beams include the multiple third uplink beams.

10. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The first antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or antenna weighted vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam.

11. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The training configuration information also includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the downlink beam that the AP receives the training frame, the receiving antenna ID, the receiving sector ID, or the AWV ID.

12. The method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The third antenna configuration includes one or more of the transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or AWV ID used by the STA to transmit uplink data.

13. The method as described in claim 9 or 12, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes one or more of the following: downlink beam identifier, receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID, which are used by the AP to receive the uplink data.

14. The method as described in claim 9 or 12, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes multiple session identifiers, which include the identifiers of the sessions in which the training frames are located.

15. A beam training device, characterized in that, This is applied to multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scenarios, where the MU-MIMO scenario includes at least an access point (AP) and multiple station sites (STAs). The beam training device corresponding to the AP includes: The transceiver module is used to send training configuration information to the plurality of STAs. The training configuration information includes the first antenna configuration of a plurality of first uplink beams. One of the plurality of first uplink beams is used by one of the plurality of STAs to determine the second uplink beam for sending training frames. The first uplink beam includes the second uplink beam. The first uplink beam is an uplink beam with low inter-user interference. The transceiver module is also used to receive the training frame transmitted by each of the plurality of STAs through the corresponding second uplink beam; The processing module is used to determine, based on the training frames sent by the plurality of STAs, a plurality of third uplink beams used by the plurality of STAs to transmit uplink data.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that, The transceiver module is also used for: Transmission configuration information is sent to the plurality of STAs. The transmission configuration information includes the third antenna configuration of the plurality of third uplink beams. One of the plurality of third uplink beams is the uplink beam used by the corresponding STA for uplink data transmission. The plurality of second uplink beams include the plurality of third uplink beams.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The first antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or antenna weighted vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The training configuration information also includes the identifier of the downlink beam that the access point (AP) receives the training frame, and one or more of the following: receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that, The third antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or AWV ID used by the corresponding STA to transmit uplink data.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 19, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes the downlink beam identifier for the AP to receive the uplink data, and one or more of the following: receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 19, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes multiple session identifiers, which include the identifiers of the sessions in which the training frames are located.

22. A beam training device, characterized in that, This is applied to multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scenarios, where the MU-MIMO scenario includes at least an access point (AP) and multiple stations (STAs). The beam training device corresponding to one of the multiple STAs includes: The transceiver module is used to receive training configuration information sent by the AP. The training configuration information includes the first antenna configuration of multiple first uplink beams. One of the multiple first uplink beams is used by the STA to determine the second uplink beam for sending training frames. The first uplink beam includes the second uplink beam. The first uplink beam is an uplink beam with low inter-user interference. The processing module is used to determine the second uplink beam corresponding to the STA based on the training configuration information; The transceiver module is further configured to transmit the training frame through the corresponding second uplink beam, the training frame being used by the AP to determine the third uplink beam used by the STA to transmit uplink data.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that, The transceiver module is also used for: The transmission configuration information sent by the AP is received. The transmission configuration information includes the third antenna configuration of multiple third uplink beams. One of the multiple third uplink beams is the uplink beam used by the STA for uplink data transmission. The multiple second uplink beams include the multiple third uplink beams. Uplink data is sent to the AP via the corresponding third uplink beam.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The first antenna configuration includes one or more of the following: transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or antenna weighted vector (AWV) ID corresponding to the first uplink beam.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The training configuration information also includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the downlink beam that the AP receives the training frame, the receiving antenna ID, the receiving sector ID, or the AWV ID.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that, The third antenna configuration includes one or more of the transmit antenna ID, transmit sector ID, count value, or AWV ID used by the STA to transmit uplink data.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 or 26, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes one or more of the following: downlink beam identifier, receiving antenna ID, receiving sector ID, or AWV ID, which are used by the AP to receive the uplink data.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 or 26, characterized in that, The transmission configuration information also includes multiple session identifiers, which include the identifiers of the sessions in which the training frames are located.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to retrieve and execute instructions stored in the memory, causing the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores program code or instructions, which, when executed, enable the execution of the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the execution of the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when the computer program or instructions are run, execute the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or execute the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

32. A communication system, characterized in that, include: A first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and the second communication device is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 14.

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