Communication device, control method of communication device, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a communication device, a control method of the communication device, and a computer readable storage medium. A communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series includes: a first transmission unit configured to transmit a plurality of data frames to a communication partner device using a plurality of links; a second transmission unit configured to transmit a request frame to the communication partner device, the request frame requesting an acknowledgement frame for the transmitted plurality of data frames; and a reception unit configured to receive an acknowledgement frame from the communication partner device in response to the transmission of the request frame, wherein the request frame includes sequence information on sequence numbers of the plurality of data frames transmitted on each link of the plurality of links, and the sequence information includes identification information identifying at least one data frame group that distinguishes each series of data frames having consecutive sequence numbers among the plurality of data frames to be transmitted on the each link.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wireless communication technology. Background Technology

[0002] The IEEE 802.11 series is known as the wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication standard defined by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards (Patent Document 1).

[0003] For receiving multiple wireless data packets, the IEEE 802.11ax standard discloses an extended specification for block acknowledgment (ACK) frames that can be sent in a single frame. The IEEE 802.11ax standard discloses a specification in which the number of MPDUs (Media Access Control (MAC) Data Units) that can be represented by the block acknowledgment bitmap in the block acknowledgment frame is expanded from 64 in IEEE 802.11ac to a maximum of 256. The increased number of MPDUs that can be acknowledged at once enables higher throughput.

[0004] Reference List

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-50133 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] To further improve throughput or frequency utilization efficiency, IEEE reviewed the definition of the IEEE 802.11be standard, a new standard in the IEEE 802.11 family. The IEEE 802.11be standard proposes a method to further extend the number of MPDUs that can be acknowledged at once to 512 or 1024. The IEEE 802.11be standard has reviewed multi-link communication methods using multiple wireless links to communicate between multiple wireless devices, and multi-AP communication methods connecting multiple wireless access points to a single wireless terminal for communication. Acknowledgment methods across multiple links have also been reviewed.

[0009] When a wireless device communicates using multiple links, it is assumed that the transmitting device sends data frames with different sequence number sets on each link. In this case, the receiving device can receive data frames with partially omitted sequence numbers on each link. Traditionally, no effective verification method has been proposed for this situation.

[0010] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a technique for achieving efficient acknowledgment control in communication using multiple links.

[0011] Solution to the problem

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, a wireless communication device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following arrangement. Specifically, a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series is provided, comprising: a first transmitting unit for transmitting a plurality of data frames to a communication counterpart device using multiple links; a second transmitting unit for transmitting a request frame to the communication counterpart device, the request frame requesting an acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the transmitted plurality of data frames; and a receiving unit for receiving an Ack frame from the communication counterpart device in response to transmitting the request frame, wherein the request frame includes sequence information regarding sequence numbers of the plurality of data frames transmitted on each of the multiple links, and the sequence information includes identification information identifying at least one group of data frames distinguished from series of data frames with consecutive sequence numbers among the plurality of data frames transmitted on each link.

[0013] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0014] According to the present invention, effective acknowledgment control is achieved in communication using multiple links.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Note that in all the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of network construction;

[0018] Figure 2 An example of the hardware layout of a communication device (STA or AP) is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 An example of the functional layout of a communication device (STA or AP) is shown;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a sequence diagram illustrating the communication sequence of data communication between the AP and STA;

[0021] Figure 5A The construction of the block acknowledgment request frame and the block acknowledgment frame is shown;

[0022] Figure 5BThe construction of the block acknowledgment request frame and the block acknowledgment frame is shown;

[0023] Figure 5C The construction of the block acknowledgment request frame and the block acknowledgment frame is shown;

[0024] Figure 6A Example 1 shows the construction of the ACK Info subfield;

[0025] Figure 6B Example 2 shows the construction of the confirmation information subfield;

[0026] Figure 6C Example 3 shows the construction of the confirmation information subfield;

[0027] Figure 7A Example 4 shows the construction of the confirmation information subfield;

[0028] Figure 7B Example 5 shows the construction of the confirmation information subfield;

[0029] Figure 7C Example 6 shows the construction of the confirmation information subfield;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the frame transmission process on the data frame sending side;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the data frame generation / transmission process;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the BAR frame generation / transmission process;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of the frame reception processing on the data frame sending side;

[0034] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of BA frame reception and processing;

[0035] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of the frame reception processing on the data frame receiving side;

[0036] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of the serial number verification process; and

[0037] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of the BA frame generation / transmission process. Detailed Implementation

[0038] In the following description, embodiments will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but the invention is not limited to requiring all of these features; rather, multiple such features may be suitably combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same or similar constructions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0039] (Network Construction)

[0040] Figure 1 An example of a network construction according to this embodiment is shown. Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a configuration including an access point (AP 102) as a communication device (wireless communication device) and a station / terminal device (STA 103). Note that the description of the embodiment applies to both the AP and the STA, and is not limited to either one. Figure 1 As shown, circle 101 represents the network formed by AP 102.

[0041] In this embodiment, STA 103 can send / receive frames to / from AP 102 via wireless links 104 and 105. Wireless links 104 and 105 can use channels in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and 6 GHz band, but the bands used are not limited to these, and another band such as the 60 GHz band can be used. Channels in the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band can be combined as wireless links 104 and 105 based on the multi-link communication capability information of STA 103 and AP 102, or multiple channels can be selected from the 6 GHz band and combined. This embodiment is similarly applicable to multi-AP communication handling communication between multiple APs and one STA. This embodiment will be described with reference to two wireless links 104 and 105, but the invention is not limited thereto, and this embodiment is also applicable to cases using three or more links.

[0042] Please note, Figure 1 The network configuration shown is merely an example, and the following discussion applies to networks with many communication devices covering a wider area or to various locational relationships between communication devices.

[0043] (Arrangement of communication equipment)

[0044] Next, the arrangement of the communication device (AP or STA) according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2An example of the hardware arrangement of an AP according to this embodiment is shown. As an example of the hardware arrangement, the AP includes a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a functional unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, one or more communication units 206, and one or more antennas 207. Note that a STA also has a similar hardware arrangement to the AP, and the following description also applies to the STA.

[0045] Storage unit 201 is formed by either ROM (Read-Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory) and stores programs for performing various operations (described later) and various information such as communication parameters for wireless communication. Note that in addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, or DVDs can also be used as storage unit 201.

[0046] The control unit 202 is formed, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Microprocessor Unit), ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 202 controls the entire AP by executing a program stored in the storage unit 201. Note that the control unit 202 can cooperate with the OS (Operating System) and the program stored in the storage unit 201 to control the entire AP.

[0047] Control unit 202 controls function unit 203 to perform predetermined processes such as imaging, printing, or projection. Function unit 203 is the hardware used by the AP to perform the predetermined processes. For example, if the AP is a camera, function unit 203 is an imaging unit and performs imaging processing. For example, if the AP is a printer, function unit 203 is a printing unit and performs printing processing. For example, if the AP is a projector, function unit 203 is a projection unit and performs projection processing. The data to be processed by function unit 203 may be data stored in storage unit 201, or data communicated with another communication device via communication unit 206 (described later).

[0048] Input unit 204 receives various operations from the user. Output unit 205 provides various outputs to the user. Here, the outputs of output unit 205 include at least one of screen display, speaker audio output, vibration output, etc. Note that both input unit 204 and output unit 205 can be implemented as a single module, such as a touch panel.

[0049] Communication unit 206 controls wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard family, or controls IP communication. In this embodiment, communication unit 206 can perform processing that conforms to at least the IEEE 802.11ax standard. Furthermore, communication unit 206 controls antenna 207 to transmit and receive radio signals for wireless communication. The AP transmits content such as image data, document data, or video data to another communication device via communication unit 206.

[0050] Antenna 207 is an antenna capable of receiving signals from one of the sub-GHz band, 2.4GHz band, 5GHz band, and 6GHz band. Antenna 207 can be physically constructed from one or more antennas to achieve MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) transmission / reception.

[0051] When using multiple links for communication, the AP may include multiple communication units 206 and multiple antennas 207, such as... Figure 2 As shown (as an example), Figure 2 Two communication units 206 and two antennas 207 are shown. In this case, one communication unit 206 and one antenna 207 can be allocated to each wireless link, or one communication unit 206 and one antenna 207 can be shared among multiple wireless links.

[0052] Figure 3 An example of the functional arrangement of an AP according to this embodiment is shown. As an example of the functional arrangement, the AP includes a frame analysis unit 301, a frame generation unit 302, a connection management unit 303, and a frame transmission / reception unit 304. Note that a STA also has a similar functional arrangement to the AP, and the following description also applies to the STA.

[0053] Frame analysis unit 301 analyzes frames received from the communication counterpart device (relative to the communication device). Frame generation unit 302 generates frames (wireless frames) to be sent to the communication counterpart device. Connection management unit 303 manages the connection between the AP and the communication counterpart device. For example, connection management unit 303 manages the arrangement / protocol (Block Ack Agreement) for block acknowledgment (BA) during the connection and the sequence number of the data for each communication counterpart device. It manages the block acknowledgment protocol and sequence number for each TID (Traffic Identifier: an identifier representing the type of traffic (data)) in the connection. Frame transmission / reception unit 304 transmits / receives via communication unit 206 and antenna 207 (… Figure 2 It sends / receives frames between the AP and the communication counterpart device.

[0054] (Communication sequence between AP and STA)

[0055] Figure 4 This is a sequence diagram illustrating a communication sequence for data communication between AP 102 and STA 103. Processing of this sequence can begin in response to the activation of AP 102 and STA 103 respectively. Alternatively, processing of this sequence can begin when a user or application instructs at least one of AP 102 and STA 103 to begin wireless communication. In the following description, two wireless links 104 and 105 are formed between AP 102 and STA 103, as shown... Figure 1 As shown.

[0056] First, in F401, AP 102 and STA 103 establish a wireless connection through connection processing according to the IEEE 802.11 standard. This embodiment is applicable to two scenarios: no encryption of communication and encryption. In the case of encryption, this embodiment can be applied even to cryptographic systems (security systems) such as WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) 1, WPA2, WPA3, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Settings), or other systems. A connection can be established only on one typical link (e.g., link 104), while a connection to another link is established simultaneously. Alternatively, connections can be established independently on each link.

[0057] In this example, AP 102 sends data to STA 103. After establishing a connection in F401, AP 102 sends an ADDBA Request frame to STA 103 in F402 and receives an Acknowledgment (ACK) frame in F403. STA 103 sends an ADDBA Response frame to AP 102 in F404 and receives an Acknowledgment frame in F405. After completing the exchange of ADDBA Request and ADDBA Response (processing from F402 to F405), a building block acknowledgment protocol is sent between AP 102 and STA 103 for the data from AP 102 to STA 103. The building block acknowledgment protocol can be built independently on each link, or a connection can be established only on a typical link (e.g., link 104), while building the building block acknowledgment protocol a second time on another link.

[0058] The block acknowledgment protocol will be explained. The ADDBA request frame and ADDBA response frame include a block acknowledgment policy parameter. When a communication device that has received the frame agrees to this parameter, it sends an acknowledgment frame. The block acknowledgment policy parameter can be set to "Immediate" (Immediate BlockAck) or "Delayed" (Delayed BlockAck). Figure 4The example illustrates the "immediate" setting. AP 102 sends a Block Acknowledgment Request (BAR) frame as a request frame, and upon receiving this frame, STA 103 sends back a Block Acknowledgment frame. In contrast, when the Block Acknowledgment policy is set to Delayed (not shown), STA 103 sends back an acknowledgment frame (instead of sending a Block Acknowledgment frame in F408). STA 103 sends the Block Acknowledgment frame during a later-acquired TXOP (Transmission Opportunity) period.

[0059] An ADDBA request frame includes various parameters (e.g., the start sequence number) regarding the start number of data to be sent in a BA session (Starting Sequence Control). The initial value of the start sequence number can be determined by exchanging ADDBA request / response information. Subsequent updates to the start sequence number can follow the methods defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0060] ADDBA request / response frames may include the BA type / BAR type supported by the device itself. For example, the frame may include an indication of whether it supports (to be referenced later) Figures 5A to 7C The information describing the new BA / New BAR (may also include information indicating whether one or more of the construction examples 1 to 7 described later are supported). The communication device receiving the frame records and manages the BA / BAR types supported by the communication counterpart device.

[0061] In this embodiment, when constructing the block confirmation protocol, the connection management units 303 of AP 102 and STA 103 respectively record and manage various parameters and information of the TID mentioned above in the storage unit 201.

[0062] After establishing the block acknowledgment protocol, AP 102 can send multiple data frames before receiving an acknowledgment frame from STA 103, which acts as the communication counterpart (relative communication device). For example, AP 102 sends multiple MPDUs (data frames) in F406 (data transmission processing), and STA 103 sends a block acknowledgment frame in F408 as an acknowledgment of the multiple MPDUs. As described above, in Figure 4 In the example, "Immediately" is set in the block acknowledgment policy parameter. After AP 102 (in response to sending) sends a block acknowledgment request frame (F407), STA 103 sends back a block acknowledgment frame (F408).

[0063] The sending (F407) of block acknowledgment request frames and the reply (F408) of block acknowledgment frames can be performed independently on each link or only on a typical link (e.g., link 104). In this case, the information carried on the typical link may include information pointing to other links.

[0064] exist Figure 4 In the example, AP 102 sends a block acknowledgment request frame to STA 103 in F407. Alternatively, AP 102 can set the acknowledgment policy subfield included in the QoS control field of at least one MPDU in F406 within the Implicit BlockAck Request. That is, AP 102 can set an implicit block acknowledgment request (request information) in at least one MPDU requesting an implicit block acknowledgment frame from STA 103. AP 102 can request a block acknowledgment frame from STA 103 without sending a block acknowledgment request frame (F407). In this case, the sending of the implicit block acknowledgment request and the reply of the block acknowledgment frame can be performed independently on each link or only on a typical link (e.g., link 104). In this case, the information carried on the typical link can include information pointing to other links.

[0065] The block acknowledgment frame sent back by F408 includes information based on the sequence numbers of the data frames transmitted during data transmission by F406. The traditional 802.11 specification presupposes consecutive sequence numbers in the block acknowledgment frame transmission. For example, according to the specification, the block acknowledgment bitmap indicates whether a data frame (packet) has been received, representing the number of bits that the block acknowledgment bitmap can represent, starting from the start sequence number. In this case, problems arise when transmitting data over multiple links, such as... Figure 4 The sequences are the same. For example, consider the following situation: a data transmitting device transmits data with sequence numbers 1 and 3 via link 104, and data with sequence numbers 2 and 4 via link 105. In this case, the data receiving device cannot receive data with sequence numbers 2 and 4 on link 104, nor can it receive data with sequence numbers 1 and 3 on link 105. Therefore, the receiving device represents these sequence numbers as lost frames in the block acknowledgment bitmap. On each link, data with sequence numbers representing lost frames has already been transmitted on another link, but the transmitting device may initiate retransmission processing, and unnecessary retransmissions may consume bandwidth.

[0066] In this embodiment, the data transmitting device is configured to operate to transmit at least one data frame set in a block acknowledgment request frame or an implicit block acknowledgment request, which includes information on the sequence numbers of data transmitted / not transmitted on each link. Although the block acknowledgment request frame is used as an example below, a similar description applies to implicit block acknowledgment requests. The data receiving device is configured to operate to transmit a block acknowledgment frame including information on the sequence numbers of data received / not received on each link.

[0067] (Construction of block acknowledgment request frame and block acknowledgment frame)

[0068] Next, the construction of the block acknowledgment request frame and the block acknowledgment frame will be explained. Please note that... Figure 4 An example of data transmission from AP102 to STA 103 is shown, but the following description applies similarly to data transmission from STA 103 to AP 102.

[0069] Figures 5A to 5C The construction of the block acknowledgment request frame and block acknowledgment frame in the 802.11ax standard is shown. As a reference... Figures 5A to 5C In common usage, bytes and bits represent the size of each field. Fields referred to as "variable" are those with variable lengths. Figures 5A to 5C The section referred to as "(R)" is valid for block acknowledgment request frames but invalid for block acknowledgment frames. Descriptions of fields without reference numerals will be omitted.

[0070] Figure 5A The structure of the entire block acknowledgment request frame and block acknowledgment frame is shown. The block acknowledgment request frame and block acknowledgment frame are formed by MAC header field 501, BA(R) control field 502, BA(R) information field 503, and FCS field.

[0071] Figure 5B The structure of BA(R) control field 502 is shown. BA(R) control field 502 is formed by a BA(R) Ack Policy subfield, a BA(R) type subfield 504, a Reserved subfield 505, and a TID information subfield (TID_INFO). The format of BA(R) information field 503 is defined based on the information set in the BA(R) type subfield 504. In the IEEE 802.11ax standard, BA(R) types 0, 4, 5, 7 to 9, and 11 to 15 are specified in the reserved areas. In this embodiment, at least one BA(R) type from the reserved areas is used to define a new BA(R) type. Note that the new BA(R) type presented in this embodiment will be referred to as the new BA(R).

[0072] Figure 5CThe construction of BA(R) information field 503 defined in the new BA(R) is shown. BA(R) information field 503 is formed by BA(R) subtype subfield 507 and confirmation information subfield 506. As described by "bit", 0 can be set in BA(R) subtype subfield 507. In this case, information equivalent to the BA(R) subtype can be expressed using the reserved area in BA(R) type subfield 504 or the reserved area in reserved subfield 505. Note that the names "BA(R) subtype" and "confirmation information" presented herein are merely examples, and the invention is not limited thereto.

[0073] (Construction of the confirmation information subfield)

[0074] Reference Figures 6A to 6C and Figures 7A to 7C Description of this embodiment Figure 5C Some construction examples of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 (sequence information) are provided below. Note that the names, sizes, and storage order of the parts described below are merely examples, and the invention is not limited to them; any similar functionality can be achieved. The following example illustrates a block acknowledgment request frame sent from AP 102 (data transmission device).

[0075] <<Construction of the acknowledgment information subfield of the sent MPDU (Construction Examples 1 to 3)>>

[0076] Figures 6A to 6C Examples 1 to 3 of the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 are shown. The acknowledgment information subfield 506 shown in examples 1 to 3 is stored in a block acknowledgment request frame. Examples 1 to 3 are construction examples when sending information about an MPDU (data frame) sent from AP 102. As a common construction in examples 1 to 3, the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is formed by an acknowledgment information header portion (corresponding to acknowledgment information header portion 601, 607, or 614) including metadata of the entire acknowledgment information and an acknowledgment information data portion (corresponding to frame group 602, 603, 609, 610, 615, or 616) including identification information identifying the frame group (data frame group) sent. Note that the terms "acknowledgment information header" and "acknowledgment information data" mentioned herein are merely examples, and the invention is not limited thereto.

[0077] AP 102 distinguishes the data sent to STA 103 as frame groups for each set in a series of data with consecutive sequence numbers. That is, when a sequence number of the sent data is missed, the frame group is split at that point. Information about all sent frame groups is included in the acknowledgment information subfield 506, thus providing information about the frame requesting acknowledgment from STA 103. STA 103 is sufficient to send acknowledgments for the requested frames. The data length included in the acknowledgment information header may or may not include the data length of the acknowledgment information header.

[0078] <Construction Example 1>

[0079] Figure 6A Example 1 of constructing the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. The acknowledgment information header portion 601 in example 1 includes information indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion (the data length specifying the information for all subsequent frame groups). This information may indicate the end of a data frame group. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of the subsequent acknowledgment information portion can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (24 bits per frame group in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method; any method that can represent the data length is acceptable.

[0080] In IEEE 802.11, a sequence number is represented by 12 bits and a value from 0 to 4095. In Example 1, the start sequence number (Start SN) 604 and end sequence number (End SN) 605 in each frame group are used to represent frame groups 602 and 603. Each sequence number in the start sequence number 604 and end sequence number 605 can be represented by 12 bits respectively. The start sequence number 604 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the start of each received frame group. The end sequence number 605 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the end of each transmitted frame group.

[0081] <Construction Example 2>

[0082] Figure 6BExample 2 of the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. Similar to construction example 1, the acknowledgment information header portion 607 in construction example 2 includes information indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of the subsequent acknowledgment information portion can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (12 bits per frame group + the number of bits represented by the count size portion 608 in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method; any method that can represent the data length is acceptable. In construction example 2, the acknowledgment information header portion 607 also includes a count size portion 608. The count size portion 608 indicates the size of the count portion (corresponding to count portion 612) in frame group 609 or 610.

[0083] In Construction Example 2, the Start Sequence Number (Start SN) 611 and the count portion 612 in each frame group are used as a method to represent frame groups 609 and 610. Similar to Construction Example 1, the Start Sequence Number 611 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the start of each transmitted frame group. The count portion 612 stores information indicating the number of transmitted MPDUs with consecutive sequence numbers starting from the Start Sequence Number 611. If the size of the count portion specified by the count size portion 608 is small, the maximum number of MPDUs that can be represented as a frame group becomes smaller, but the data length required to represent a frame group can be reduced. Conversely, if the size of the count portion specified by the count size portion 608 is large, the maximum number of MPDUs that can be represented as a frame group can be increased, but the data length required to represent a frame group becomes larger. The count size used in this example is not limited. The Start Sequence Number can be represented using 12 bits.

[0084] In this construction example, the upper limit of the number of MPDUs that can be represented in a frame group is defined by the count size section 608. Therefore, even MPDUs with consecutive sequence numbers are sometimes represented as independent frame groups.

[0085] <Construction Example 3>

[0086] Figure 6CExample 3 of the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. Similar to construction example 1, the acknowledgment information header portion 614 in construction example 3 includes information indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of the subsequent acknowledgment information portion can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (16 bits per frame group + the number of bits represented by the count size portion of each frame in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method; any method that can represent the data length is acceptable. In construction example 3, the start sequence number (Start SN) 617, the count size portion 618, and the count portion 619 in each frame group are used as a method of expressing frame groups 615 and 616. The count size portion 608 stored in the acknowledgment information header portion 607 in construction example 2 is stored as the count size portion 618 in each frame group. Appropriate count sizes can be set in each frame group without fixing the count size in the header portion. An appropriate counter size can be set by setting a larger counter size when the number of frames to be represented in the frame group is large, or a smaller counter size when the number of frames to be represented is small.

[0087] <<Construction of the acknowledgment information subfield for an unsent MPDU (construction examples 4 to 6)>>

[0088] Figures 7A to 7C Examples 4 to 6 illustrate the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506. The acknowledgment information subfield 506 shown in examples 4 to 6 is stored in a block acknowledgment request frame sent from the data frame sending side. Examples 4 to 6 are construction examples when STA 103 sends information about an MPDU not sent from AP 102. As a common construction in examples 4 to 6, the acknowledgment information subfield 506 consists of an acknowledgment information header portion (corresponding to acknowledgment information header portions 721, 724, or 727) including metadata of the entire acknowledgment information and an acknowledgment information data portion (corresponding to frame groups 702, 703, 709, 710, 715, or 716) including identification information identifying the transmitted frame group (data frame group). Note that the terms "acknowledgment information header" and "acknowledgment information data" mentioned herein are merely examples, and the invention is not limited thereto.

[0089] AP 102 distinguishes unsent data as frame groups for each set in a series of data with consecutive sequence numbers. That is, when a sequence number of unsent data is missing, the frame group is split at that point. Information about frames requesting acknowledgment from STA 103 can be provided by setting information about all unsent frame groups in the acknowledgment information subfield 506. STA 103 is then sufficient to send acknowledgments for the requested frames.

[0090] The difference between Construction Examples 4 to 6 and Construction Examples 1 to 3 is that the acknowledgment header includes information indicating the start and end sequence numbers of the frame group newly sent to the acknowledgment data portion. In Construction Examples 4 to 6, the acknowledgment data portion includes information about unsent MPDUs; therefore, this information alone cannot identify the range of sequence numbers for sent MPDUs. The sequence number of a sent MPDU can be identified by combining the information indicating the start and end sequence numbers of the frame group as expressed by the entire acknowledgment subfield 506 with the sequence number of the unsent MPDU. The data length included in the acknowledgment header portion may or may not include the data length of the acknowledgment header portion.

[0091] <Construction Example 4>

[0092] Figure 7A Example 4 of constructing the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. The acknowledgment information header portion 721 in example 4 includes information 701 indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion. This information may indicate the end of a data frame group. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of the subsequent acknowledgment information portion can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (24 bits per frame group in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method; any method that can represent the data length is acceptable.

[0093] In IEEE 802.11, the Sequence Number is represented by 12 bits and a value from 0 to 4095. In Construction Example 4, the Start Sequence Number (Start SN) 704 and End Sequence Number (End SN) 705 in each frame group are used to represent frame groups 702 and 703. Each sequence number in Start Sequence Number 704 and End Sequence Number 705 can be represented by 12 bits respectively. Start Sequence Number 704 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the beginning of each untransmitted frame group. End Sequence Number 705 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the end of each untransmitted frame group. In Construction Example 4, the Acknowledgment header portion 721 includes the Start Sequence Number 722 and End Sequence Number 723 of the transmitted frame group.

[0094] <Construction Example 5>

[0095] Figure 7BExample 5 of the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. Similar to construction example 4, the acknowledgment information header portion 607 in construction example 5 includes information indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of the subsequent acknowledgment information portion can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (12 bits per frame group + the number of bits represented by the count size portion 708 in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method, as long as the data length can be represented. In construction example 5, the acknowledgment information header portion 724 also includes a count size portion 708. The count size portion 708 indicates the size of the count portion (corresponding to count portion 712) in frame group 709 or 710, and the size of the count portion 726 included in the additional acknowledgment information header portion 724.

[0096] In Construction Example 5, the Start Sequence Number (Start SN) 711 and the count portion 712 in each frame group are used as a method to represent frame groups 709 and 710. Similar to Construction Example 4, the Start Sequence Number 711 represents the sequence number of the MPDU corresponding to the start of each untransmitted frame group. The count portion 712 stores information indicating the number of untransmitted MPDUs with consecutive sequence numbers starting from the Start Sequence Number 711. If the size of the count portion specified by the count size portion 708 is small, the maximum number of MPDUs that can be represented as a frame group becomes smaller, but the data length required to represent a frame group can be reduced. Conversely, if the size of the count portion specified by the count size portion 708 is large, the maximum number of MPDUs that can be represented as a frame group can be increased, but the data length required to represent a frame group becomes larger. The count size used in this example is not limited. The Start Sequence Number can be represented using 12 bits.

[0097] In this construction example, the upper limit of the number of MPDUs that can be represented in a frame group is defined by the count size section 708. Therefore, even MPDUs with consecutive sequence numbers are sometimes represented as independent frame groups.

[0098] In this construction example, the acknowledgment header portion 724 includes the start sequence number 725 of the transmitted frame group and an acknowledgment portion 726, which indicates the total number of MPDUs from the start sequence number 725 to the end sequence number. The size of the count portion 726 in the acknowledgment header portion 724 is not defined by the count size portion 708, but is fixed at 12 bits, or the count size portion representing the information of the count portion 726 can be stored separately in the acknowledgment header portion.

[0099] <Construction Example 6>

[0100] Figure 7CExample 6 of constructing the acknowledgment information subfield 506 is shown. Similar to example 4, the acknowledgment information header portion 727 in example 6 includes information indicating the length of data included in the acknowledgment information data portion. As a method of indicating the data length, the data length of subsequent acknowledgment information portions can be stored in bits, bytes, or the number of frame groups (16 bits per frame group + bits represented by the count size portion of each frame in this example). Note that the invention is not limited to this method; any method that can represent the data length is acceptable. In example 6, the start sequence number (Start SN) 717, the count size portion 718, and the count portion 719 in each frame group are used as a method of expressing frame groups 715 and 716. The count size portion 708 stored in the acknowledgment information header portion 607 in example 5 is stored in each frame group. An appropriate count size can be set in each frame group without fixing the count size at the header portion. An appropriate count size can be set by setting a larger count size when the number of frames to be expressed in the frame group is large, or a smaller count size when the number of frames to be expressed is small.

[0101] In this construction example, the acknowledgment header 727 includes the start sequence number 728 of the transmitted frame group, a count portion 730, and a count size portion 729. The count portion 730 indicates the total number of MPDUs from the start sequence number 728 to the end sequence number, and the count size portion 729 indicates the size information of the count portion 730.

[0102] [Construction Example 7]

[0103] Example 7 is constructed as follows, using the BA type defined in the 802.11 standard: Compressed BlockAck Variant format. In this construction, the Fragment Number (4 bits), the Start Sequence Number (12 bits), and the Block Ack Bitmap (8 or 32 bytes) are stored in the acknowledgment information subfield 506 (Sequence Information). The size of the Block Ack Bitmap and the maximum number of MSDUs / A-MSDUs that can be represented at one time are determined based on the Fragment Number value and conform to the 802.11ax standard. The Start Sequence Number has a value indicating the start sequence number of the transmitted data frame (MPDU) and indicates whether subsequent data frames starting from that start sequence number have been transmitted in accordance with the respective bits of the Block Ack Bitmap. It can be determined that a frame with bits "1" has been transmitted and a frame with bits "0" has not yet been transmitted. "0" and "1" can have opposite meanings.

[0104] Construction examples 1 to 7 have been described by way of example using a block acknowledgment request frame sent from AP 102 (data transmitting device), but the constructions based on the above constructions are also applicable to block acknowledgment frames sent from STA 103 (data receiving device). For example, for construction examples 1 to 3, the term "transmitted frame (group)" in the description of construction examples 1 to 3 can be rewritten as "received frame (group)" as a construction indicating an acknowledgment information subfield for a received MPDU. For construction examples 4 to 6, the terms "untransmitted frame (group)" and "transmitted frame (group)" in the description of construction examples 4 to 6 can be rewritten as "unreceived frame (group)" and "received frame (group)" respectively as a construction indicating an acknowledgment information subfield for an unreceived MPDU. For construction example 7, the value of the start sequence number indicating the start sequence number of the received data frame (MPDU) can be set in the start sequence number. Furthermore, the reception result of the data frame sent from the data transmitting device can be set at each bit of the block acknowledgment bitmap. A processing example of a BA frame using construction example 7 will be described later.

[0105] The constructions based on Examples 1 to 6 above are also applicable to data frames set in implicit block acknowledgment requests. For example, the constructions of Examples 1 to 6 are similarly applied to the BAR control field and the BAR information (BAR information) field in the data frame.

[0106] (Notification method for constructing the confirmation information subfield)

[0107] The sending side of the block acknowledgment request frame can identify (specify) one of the construction examples 1 to 7 constituting the acknowledgment information subfield 506 in the frame and notify the receiving side of it. For example, at least one of the BAR type subfield 504, the reserved subfield 505, and the BAR subtype subfield 507 can be used to identify one of the construction examples 1 to 7 to be used.

[0108] For example, the reserved BAR type 0 in BAR type subfield 504 can be defined to indicate which BAR type from construction examples 1 to 7 should be used. Furthermore, at least three bits from another reserved area of ​​BAR type subfield 504, reserved subfield 505, or BAR subtype subfield 507 can be used to identify one of construction examples 1 to 7 to be used. More specifically, in the case of using BAR subtype subfield 507, construction example 1 can be defined as being used when bit "0000" is specified in BAR subtype subfield 507, and construction example 2 as being used when bit "0001" is specified.

[0109] Alternatively, one of the construction examples 1 to 7 to be used can be identified by combining the existing BAR type subfield 504 with the predetermined (sub)field. For example, suppose the BAR type subfield 504 is set to the case of Multi-TID or Multi-STA. When the BAR type subfield 504 is set to Multi-TID, the area of ​​the reserved subfield 505 can be used to identify one of the construction examples 1 to 7 to be used.

[0110] According to this embodiment (i.e., the construction of the confirmation information subfield 506 in construction examples 1 to 7), the standard can be defined as substantially indicating whether the communicating counterpart device supports the new BAR (whether it has capability information corresponding to the new BAR type). Alternatively, in Figure 4 In the example, AP 102 and STA 103 can exchange capability information via the exchange of ADDBA request / response frames (during the building block confirmation protocol). Alternatively, capabilities can be negotiated by exchanging other management frames. More specifically, AP 102 and STA 103 can negotiate using, for example, reserved bits in the ADDBA capability field within the ADDBA extension element during the building block confirmation protocol (see [link to example]). Figure 4 Please note that negotiation is not limited to this method. Whether or not a new BAR is supported, determined through negotiation, can be recorded as a block confirmation protocol attribute in the connection management unit 303.

[0111] Please note that the notification method for constructing the acknowledgment information subfield on the sending side of the block acknowledgment request frame has been described above; however, a similar description applies to the notification method for constructing the acknowledgment information subfield on the sending side of the block acknowledgment frame. In this case, "BAR" in the above description can be rewritten as "BA". Furthermore, when using data frames set in implicit block acknowledgment requests, the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield can be announced using the BAR control field or BAR information field in the data frame.

[0112] <Processing on the data frame sending side>

[0113] Next, we will refer to Figures 8 to 12 Describe the processing on the data frame sending side. Examples will be given to illustrate the apparatus on the data frame sending side. Figure 4 The case of AP 102. However, this description similarly applies to the case where STA 103 is an operational entity.

[0114] (Frame transmission processing)

[0115] Reference Figure 8 The frame transmission process on the data frame transmission side according to an embodiment is described. Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the frame transmission process on the data frame sending side. It can be used in communication between AP 102 and the other device (…). Figure 4In the example STA 103, the process begins after the wireless connection is established and the exchange of ADDBA request / response frames ends.

[0116] As mentioned above, when building block confirmation protocol ( Figure 4 When F402 to F405 are in the AP 102 and STA 103 respectively, the connection management unit 303 records and manages various parameters (such as the start sequence number in the BA session) in the storage unit 201. In addition, the connection management unit 303 of each AP 102 and STA 103 records and manages information of the BA type supported by the communication counterpart device in the storage unit 201 (according to this embodiment, it may also include a new BA(R) through a new BA(R) type).

[0117] When the frame generation unit 302 of AP 102 generates a frame for the communication counterpart device (STA 103), the frame transmission / reception unit 304 begins frame transmission processing. As part of the frame transmission process, the frame transmission / reception unit 304 first determines whether the frame to be transmitted is a data frame (S801). This can be determined, for example, by checking whether the type field in the Frame Control Field included in the MAC header of the MAC frame format defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard is "10". If the type field is "10", then the frame to be transmitted can be determined to be a data frame; otherwise, it is not a data frame.

[0118] If it is determined that the frame to be sent is a data frame ("Yes" in S801), the frame sending / receiving unit 304 performs data frame generation / sending processing (S802). See below for further details. Figure 9 The details of the processing in S802 are described below. After the processing in S802, the frame generation unit 302 determines whether to generate and send a Block Acknowledgment Request (BAR) frame (S803). This can be determined based on, for example, the cumulative number of data frames (MPDUs) after the frame transmission / reception unit 304 finally receives the block acknowledgment frame, or according to other rules.

[0119] If frame generation unit 302 determines to generate and send a BAR frame ("Yes" in S803), then frame generation unit 302 sends the BAR frame, frame sending / receiving unit 304 performs BAR frame generation / sending processing (S804), and then the processing ends. See below for further details. Figure 10 The details of the processing in S804 are described. If the frame generation unit 302 determines that a BAR frame will not be generated ("No" in S803), then AP 102 ends the frame transmission process.

[0120] If it is determined that the frame to be sent is not a data frame ("No" in S801), then AP 102 performs processing corresponding to various frames in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard (S805), and the processing ends. The processing of S805 is almost irrelevant to this embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0121] (Data frame generation / transmission processing)

[0122] Next, we will refer to Figure 9 This section provides an example illustrating the data frame generation / transmission process in S802. Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the data frame generation / transmission process. Note that the sequence number of the data frame (MPDU) is represented by the sequence number in the sequence control field included in the MAC header of the MAC frame format defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard, and has a value in the range of 0 to 4095.

[0123] The connection management unit 303 of AP 102 records and manages the sequence number of the data frame to be transmitted by the frame transmission / reception unit 304 as "transmitted" (as transmission sequence number) in the storage unit 201 (S901). By using the numbering information, the connection management unit 303 can determine whether data with an arbitrary sequence number has already been transmitted. For sequence numbers managed by the connection management unit 303, when a wireless connection is established ( Figure 4 In the example F401, management of the connection's transmission sequence number begins. At the start of management, all sequence numbers "0" to "4095" are recorded as non-transmission sequence numbers in storage unit 201. Note that the sequence number of the first frame to be transmitted can start from 0, but the invention is not limited to this. When the sequence number reaches 4095, the sequence number of the next frame returns to 0.

[0124] Then, frame generation unit 302 sets the acknowledgment policy (setting the acknowledgment policy subfield in the QoS control field) (S902). For example, Bits 5 and 6 of the QoS control field can be used to indicate support for the new BAR. For example, when acknowledging that AP 102 and STA 103 support the new BAR during the construction block acknowledgment protocol, frame generation unit 302 can set Bits 5:1 and Bits 6:0 in the QoS control field. By indicating support for the new BAR, an implicit block acknowledgment request can be indicated in the data frame.

[0125] After setting the acknowledgment policy, information is added to the frame body (S903) according to the BAR types supported by AP 102 and STA 103. For example, when Bit5:1 and Bit6:0 are set in the QoS control field, as described above, the frame generation unit 302 can set information identifying the sent / unsent sequence number in the frame body, which has already been referenced. Figures 6A to 6C and Figures 7A to 7C The following description is provided. In this scenario, the receiving STA 103 can analyze the frame body and extract the sequence number information of the data sent from AP 102. When STA 103 receives a data frame that includes this acknowledgment strategy, it can send back a block acknowledgment frame even if no block acknowledgment request frame has been received. Then, the frame generation unit 302 generates the remaining frame portion, completing the data frame (S904). Finally, the frame transmission / reception unit 304 sends the data frame generated by the frame generation unit 302 to the communication counterpart device (STA 103) (S905).

[0126] (BAR frame generation / transmission processing)

[0127] Next, we will refer to Figure 10 Explain the BAR frame generation / transmission process in S804. Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the BAR frame generation / transmission process. As described above, the connection management units 303 in STA103 and AP 102 each record and manage information such as BAR types (and possibly new BAR types according to an embodiment) supported by the communicating counterpart device in the storage unit 201. Regarding frame generation, refer to... Figures 5A to 5C .

[0128] The connection management unit 303 of AP 102 confirms the BAR type supported by the connection (supported by both AP 102 and STA 103) (S1001). Here, AP 102 and STA 103 support the new BAR, and in other cases, processing compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard can be performed. Then, the connection management unit 303 confirms the transmitted sequence number (S1002).

[0129] Frame generation unit 302 generates a BAR frame using the information confirmed in S1001 and S1002. First, frame generation unit 302 determines the construction of the confirmation information subfield 506 in the BA(R) information field 503 (S1003). At this time, frame generation unit 302 can determine the construction of the confirmation information subfield 506 based on the supported BAR type confirmed in S1001. When the confirmed supported BAR type indicates support for one of construction examples 1 to 7, frame generation unit 302 can decide to use one of construction examples 1 to 7 as the construction of the confirmation information subfield 506. Note that the use of one of construction examples 1 to 7 can be permanently set in advance in AP 102, or set (determined) by the user via input operation of input unit 204.

[0130] Then, frame generation unit 302 generates BA(R) control field 502 and BA(R) information field 503 according to the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 determined in S1003, so as to identify (specify) the construction (S1004). As described above, one of the construction examples 1 to 7 to be used for the acknowledgment information subfield 506 can be specified by various subfields in the BA(R) control field 502 / BA(R) information field 503. Frame generation unit 302 generates BA(R) information field 503 based on the transmission sequence number acknowledged in S1002. The details of the BAR information field are expressed by one of the formats described in construction examples 1 to 7, which represents the sequence number acknowledged in S1002.

[0131] Subsequently, the frame generation unit 302 generates the remaining frame portion, completing the BAR frame (S1005). Finally, the frame transmission / reception unit 304 sends the BAR frame generated by the frame generation unit 302 to the communication counterpart device (STA 103).

[0132] (Frame reception processing)

[0133] Next, we will refer to Figure 11 The frame reception processing on the data frame sending side according to the embodiment is described. Figure 11 This is a flowchart of frame reception processing. When the frame transmission / reception unit 304 of AP 102 receives a wireless frame from the communication counterpart device (STA 103), the frame analysis unit 301 begins to analyze and process the received frame. If the frame is not directed to its own device or the frame is corrupted (e.g., the FCS value is invalid), the frame can be discarded without starting processing.

[0134] As part of frame analysis, frame analysis unit 301 first determines whether the received frame is a BA (Block Acknowledgment) frame (S1101). This can be determined, for example, by checking whether the type field in the frame control field of the MAC header in the MAC frame format defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard is "01" and the subtype field is "1001". If the type field is "01" and the subtype field is "1001", then the frame can be determined to be a block acknowledgment frame; otherwise, it is not a BA frame.

[0135] If it is determined that the received frame is a BA frame ("Yes" in S1101), then AP 102 performs BA frame processing (S1102). See reference... Figure 12 The BA frame reception process in S1102 is described. If it is determined that the received frame is not a BA frame ("No" in S1101), AP 102 performs the processing corresponding to various frames conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard (S1103), and the processing ends. The processing in S1103 is almost irrelevant to this embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0136] (BA frame reception processing)

[0137] Next, we will refer to Figure 12 Explain the BA frame reception processing of S1102. Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the BA frame reception process. As described above, the connection management units 303 in STA 103 and AP 102 each record and manage information such as BA types (and possibly new BA types according to an embodiment) supported by the communicating counterpart device in the storage unit 201. Regarding frame generation, refer to... Figures 5A to 5C .

[0138] The connection management unit 303 of AP 102 confirms the BA type supported by the connection (supported by both AP 102 and STA 103) (S1201). This information is confirmed and recorded by the connection management unit 303 during the building block confirmation protocol. AP 102 can switch subsequent processing based on the confirmed BA type.

[0139] Then, the connection management unit 303 of AP 102 acknowledges the BA(R) information field 503 included in the received BA frame (S1202). The format of the BA(R) information field 503 may vary depending on the BA type. The connection management unit 303 extracts the sequence number (received sequence number) recorded as "received" by STA 103 from the information included in this field (S1203). For example, when the BA type is compressed, the BA(R) information field 503 may include block acknowledgment start sequence control and block acknowledgment bitmap. The sequence number recorded as "received" can be calculated based on the start point of the received sequence number and the bitmap representing the received / not received status of each sequence number.

[0140] Then, the connection management unit 303 updates the managed transmission sequence number (S1204). AP 102 does not need to retransmit frames that STA 103 has already acknowledged as received in S1203, and does not need to manage the "transmitted" status. Therefore, the connection management unit 303 cancels the transmission record. Afterwards, the connection management unit 303 can delete the frames whose transmission records were canceled in S1204 from the transmission buffer (S1205).

[0141] <Processing of data frames at the receiving side>

[0142] Next, we will refer to Figures 13 to 15 Describe the processing on the data frame receiving side. Examples will be given to illustrate how the data frame receiving side apparatus is... Figure 4The case of STA103. However, this description similarly applies to the case where AP 102 is an operating entity. As mentioned above, the descriptions of BAR control field 502 and BA(R) information field 503 for BAR frames apply to BA control field 502 and BA(R) information field 503 respectively, and their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0143] (Frame reception processing)

[0144] Reference Figure 13 The frame reception processing of the data frame receiving side according to the embodiment is described. Figure 13 This is a flowchart of the frame reception processing on the data frame receiving side. It can be used in conjunction with the communication counterpart device (STA 103). Figure 4 In the example, AP 102) begins the process after establishing a wireless connection and ending the exchange of ADDBA request / response frames.

[0145] As mentioned above, when building block confirmation protocol ( Figure 4 When F402 to F405 are in the STA103 and AP102 respectively, the connection management unit 303 records and manages various parameters (such as the start sequence number in the BA session) in the storage unit 201. In addition, the connection management unit 303 of each of STA103 and AP102 records and manages information on the BA types supported by the communication counterpart device (new types may also be included according to the embodiment) in the storage unit 201.

[0146] When the frame transmission / reception unit 304 of STA 103 receives a radio frame from the communication counterpart device (AP 102), the frame analysis unit 301 begins to analyze and process the received frame. If the frame is not directed to its own device or the frame is corrupted (e.g., the FCS value is invalid), STA 103 may discard the frame without starting processing.

[0147] As part of frame analysis processing, frame analysis unit 301 first determines whether the received frame is a data frame (S1301). This can be determined, for example, by checking whether the type field in the frame control field included in the MAC header of the MAC frame format defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard is "10". If the type field is "10", then the frame can be determined to be a data frame; otherwise, it is not a data frame.

[0148] If it is determined that the received frame is a data frame ("Yes" in S1301), the connection management unit 303 performs confirmation processing for the sequence number of the data frame (S1302). See reference... Figure 14The details of the processing in S1302 are described below. After the processing in S1302, the frame analysis unit 301 determines whether the received frame is a data frame requesting block acknowledgment (BA) (S1303). This can be determined, for example, by confirming whether the acknowledgment policy subfield included in the QoS control field of at least one or more MPDUs included in the data frame is set to implicit block acknowledgment request (“00”). If the acknowledgment policy subfield is set to “00”, the frame analysis unit 301 determines that the received frame is a data frame requesting BA (yes in S1303), and the processing proceeds to S1304. If the acknowledgment policy subfield is not set to “00”, the frame analysis unit 301 determines that the received frame is not a data frame requesting BA, and the frame reception processing ends. In S1304, the AP 102 performs block acknowledgment (BA) frame generation / transmission processing. (See also...) Figure 15 Describe the details of the processing in S1304.

[0149] If it is determined in S1301 that the received frame is not a data frame (S1301 is "No"), then the frame analysis unit 301 determines whether the received frame is a BAR (Block Acknowledgment Request) frame (S1305). For example, when the type field in the aforementioned data frame is "01" and the subtype field in the frame control field of the MAC header is "1000", the received frame can be identified as a BAR frame. If the frame analysis unit 301 determines that the received frame is a BAR frame (S1305 is "Yes"), then the process proceeds to S1304, and STA 103 performs BA frame generation / transmission processing. The BAR frame may include information about the start of data number. If it is determined in S1305 that the received frame is not a BAR frame (S1305 is "No"), then STA 103 performs processing corresponding to various frames conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard (S1306), and the processing ends. The processing in S1306 is almost irrelevant to this embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0150] (Processing for confirming the sequence number of the data frame)

[0151] Next, we will refer to Figure 14 The process for confirming the sequence number of the data frame in S1302 is described. Figure 14 This is a flowchart of the sequence number acknowledgment process for data frames. Note that the sequence number of a data frame (MPDU) is represented by the sequence number in the sequence control field included in the MAC header of the MAC frame format defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard, and has a value ranging from 0 to 4095. When a wireless connection is established ( Figure 4In the example F401), the connection management unit 303 begins to manage the received sequence numbers (sequence numbers of received data frames) for the connection. At the start of management, all sequence numbers from 0 to 4095 are recorded in the storage unit 201 as non-received sequence numbers (sequence numbers of data frames not recorded as "received").

[0152] The connection management unit 303 of STA103 confirms whether the sequence number of the data frame (MPDU) is a non-received sequence number (S1401). That is, the connection management unit 303 compares the sequence number information of the received data frame with the received sequence number recorded in the storage unit 201, and determines whether the sequence number of the received data frame is a non-received sequence number.

[0153] If the sequence number of the received data frame is not a received sequence number ("Yes" in S1401), the connection management unit 303 records the sequence number as a new received sequence number in the storage unit 201 (S1402), and the processing ends. If the sequence number of the received data frame is a received sequence number ("No" in S1401), the received data frame has already been received and is considered a redundant frame, so the data frame is discarded (S1403), and the processing ends.

[0154] (BA frame generation / transmission processing)

[0155] Next, we will refer to Figure 15 Explain the BlockAck (BA) frame generation / transmission process in S1304. Figure 15 This is a flowchart of the BAR frame generation / transmission process. As described above, the connection management units 303 in STA103 and AP 102 each record and manage information such as BA types (and possibly new BA types according to an embodiment) supported by the communicating counterpart device, as well as the start sequence number in the BA session, in the storage unit 201. Regarding frame generation, refer to... Figures 5A to 5C .

[0156] The connection management unit 303 of STA 103 confirms the BA type supported by the connection (supported by both STA 103 and AP 102) (S1501). Based on the confirmed BA type support, the frame generation unit 302 can determine the content of the block acknowledgment frame to be generated in S1504 and S1505. Then, the connection management unit 303 of STA 103 confirms the start sequence number in the BA session (S1502). As mentioned above, the initial value of the start sequence number can be determined when constructing the block acknowledgment protocol, and this value can be updated later according to the method defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard. Subsequently, the connection management unit 303 confirms the received sequence number (recorded as "received") (S1503).

[0157] Frame generation unit 302 generates a block acknowledgment frame using the information confirmed in S1501 to S1503. First, frame generation unit 302 determines the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 in the BA(R) information field 503 (S1504). Frame generation unit 302 can determine the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506 based on the supported BA type confirmed in S1501. When the confirmed supported BA type indicates support for one of construction examples 1 to 7, frame generation unit 302 can decide to use one of construction examples 1 to 7 as the construction of the acknowledgment information subfield 506. Note that the use of one of construction examples 1 to 7 can be permanently set in advance in STA 103, or set (determined) by the user via input operation of input unit 204. Alternatively, frame generation unit 302 can decide to use one of construction examples 1 to 7 to construct the acknowledgment information subfield 506 with the minimum data size based on the reception of the sequence number confirmed in S1503.

[0158] Then, frame generation unit 302 generates BA control field 502 and BA(R) information field 503 according to the construction of the confirmation information subfield 506 determined in S1504, so as to identify (specify) the construction (S1505). As described above, one of the construction examples 1 to 7 to be used for the confirmation information subfield 506 can be specified by various subfields in BA control field 502 / BA(R) information field 503.

[0159] Subsequently, frame generation unit 302 generates Figure 5A The MAC header field 501 and FSC field shown are used to complete the frame as a MAC frame, and a PHY part is also generated to complete the block acknowledgment frame (S1506). Finally, the frame sending / receiving unit 304 sends the block acknowledgment frame generated by the frame generation unit 302 to the communication counterpart device (AP 102) (S1507).

[0160] The STA 103 performs frame acknowledgment according to the IEEE 802.11 standard and handles retransmission if no acknowledgment is received within a predetermined time. When the STA 103 successfully transmits a block acknowledgment frame and receives an acknowledgment from the AP 102, it resets the reception record. For example, the connection management unit 303 of the STA 103 resets the reception record for the managed reception sequence numbers that have already been notified via block acknowledgment frames. These sequence numbers can be managed when they form a loop.

[0161] (Constructing the BA frame in Example 7)

[0162] An example of constructing the BA frame in Example 7 and an example of processing using that frame will be described. Note that examples will be given illustrating the apparatus on the data frame sending side as follows: Figure 4The case of AP 102. However, this description similarly applies to the case where STA 103 is an operating entity. Regarding frame generation, refer to... Figures 5A to 5C .

[0163] STA103 can obtain the sequence number of the data frame sent from AP 102 based on the BAR information in the BAR frame (the information set in the BA(R) information field 503). STA 103 can efficiently use the bitmap bits by associating the sequence number with the individual bits expressed by the block acknowledgment bitmap in the acknowledgment information subfield 506 using the sequence number of the sent data frame.

[0164] As described above regarding Construction Example 7, the BA information (the information set in BA(R) information field 503) stores the number of segments (4 bits), the start sequence number (12 bits), and the block acknowledgment bitmap (8 or 32 bytes). The size of the block acknowledgment bitmap and the maximum number of MSDUs / A-MSDUs that can be represented at one time are determined based on the number of segments and conform to the 802.11ax standard. The start sequence number has a value indicating the start sequence number of the frame sent from the AP (Communication Partner Device) as presented in the BAR information. For subsequent frames, only the sequence number presented as "sent" in the BAR information by AP 102 indicates whether the sequence number has been sent in association with each bit of the block acknowledgment bitmap. It can be determined that a frame with bit "1" has been sent, and a frame with bit "0" has not yet been sent. "0" and "1" can have opposite meanings.

[0165] More specifically, consider an example where AP 102 presents in its BAR information that it has sent sequence numbers 1, 3, and 5, and STA 103 does not only receive sequence number 3. In this case, STA 103 sets the start sequence number to 1, the fragment number to 0, and the block acknowledgment bitmap length to a minimum of 8 bytes in the BA information included in the block acknowledgment frame. In the block acknowledgment bitmap, the first bit corresponds to sequence number 1, the second bit to sequence number 3, and the third bit to sequence number 5. Subsequent bits are not used, but 0 can be set to "not received". In this example, sequence numbers 1 and 5 indicate successful reception, and sequence number 3 indicates reception failure, so STA 103 sends a block acknowledgment frame to AP 102 including the content "101" as part of the block acknowledgment bitmap. AP 102 receives the block acknowledgment frame, compares it with the BAR information sent from AP 102, and can identify frames where the bits match. In this example, sequence number 3 is considered a transmission failure and is retransmitted.

[0166] The STA 103 performs frame acknowledgment according to the IEEE 802.11 standard and handles retransmission if no acknowledgment is received within a predetermined time. When the STA 103 successfully transmits a block acknowledgment frame and receives an acknowledgment from the AP 102, it resets the reception record. For example, the connection management unit 303 of the STA 103 resets the reception record for the managed reception sequence numbers that have already been notified via block acknowledgment frames. These sequence numbers can be managed when they form a loop.

[0167] Please note, Figures 8 to 15 The processing sequence shown is merely an example of implementing the proposal, and the order of processing is not restricted, as long as the same functionality is achieved. Processes not described in the processing sequence conform to those defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0168] The invention can be implemented by providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The invention can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0169] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, in order to inform the public of the scope of this invention, the following claims are made.

[0170] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-203656, filed on December 8, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: The first transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a first link, and to transmit a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a second link. The second sending unit is configured to send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device, wherein the first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as The receiving unit is configured to receive the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame from the communication counterpart device in response to the transmission of the first request frame and the second request frame. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in each of the first request frame and the second request frame includes identification information that identifies multiple groups of data frames distinguished by a series of data frames with consecutive sequence numbers among the multiple data frames transmitted on each of the first link and the second link. The identification information includes multiple pieces of information such as the start sequence number and end sequence number of the plurality of data frame groups transmitted on each of the first link and the second link.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The identification information includes the start sequence number of a series of data frames in each data frame group transmitted on each link, and the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of the series of data frames.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The identification information includes information about the start sequence number of a series of data frames in each data frame group transmitted on each link, information about the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of the series of data frames, and information representing the size of the number.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The sequence information includes information indicating the end of the plurality of data frame groups transmitted on each of the links.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The information indicating the end of the plurality of data frame groups is represented by one of the following: bit unit, byte unit, or number of data frame groups.

6. A communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: The first transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a first link, and to transmit a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a second link. The second sending unit is configured to send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device, wherein the first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as The receiving unit is configured to receive the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame from the communication counterpart device in response to the transmission of the first request frame and the second request frame. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames that were not transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in each of the first request frame and the second request frame includes information and identification information of multiple data frames transmitted on each link. The identification information identifies multiple groups of data frames that are distinguished by each series of data frames with consecutive sequence numbers among the multiple data frames not transmitted on each of the first link and the second link. The identification information includes multiple pieces of information such as the start sequence number and end sequence number of the plurality of data frame groups that have not been transmitted on each of the first link and the second link.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The sequence information includes the start sequence number and end sequence number of the multiple data frames sent, which serve as information for the multiple data frames sent on each link.

8. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The sequence information includes information about the start sequence number of the plurality of data frames being transmitted and information about the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of the plurality of data frames, serving as information about the plurality of data frames being transmitted on each link. The identification information includes information about the start sequence number of a series of data frames and information about the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of a series of data frames in each group of data frames not being transmitted on each link.

9. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The sequence information includes information about the start sequence number of the plurality of data frames to be transmitted and information about the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of the plurality of data frames, serving as information about the plurality of data frames to be transmitted on each link. The identification information includes: information about the start sequence number of a series of data frames, information about the number of consecutive sequence numbers from the start sequence number to the end sequence number of the series of data frames, and information indicating the magnitude of the information in each group of data frames that have not been transmitted on each link.

10. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein, The sequence information includes information indicating the end of the plurality of data frame groups that have not been transmitted on each of the links.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein, The information indicating the end of the plurality of data frame groups is represented by one of the following: bit unit, byte unit, or number of data frame groups.

12. A communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: The first transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a first link, and to transmit a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on a second link. The second sending unit is configured to send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device, wherein the first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as The receiving unit is configured to receive the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame from the communication counterpart device in response to the transmission of the first request frame and the second request frame. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in the first request frame includes a first start sequence number identifying a first plurality of data frame groups and a first bit map field, wherein, based on the first start sequence number, 1 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame transmitted on the first link, and 0 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame not transmitted on the first link, and The sequence information included in the second request frame includes a second start sequence number and a second bitmap field that identifies a second plurality of data frame groups, wherein, in the second bitmap field, based on the second start sequence number, 1 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame transmitted on the second link, and 0 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame not transmitted on the second link.

13. A control method for a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: Send a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the first link, and send a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the second link; Send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device. The first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as In response to sending the first request frame and the second request frame, the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame are received from the communication counterpart device. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in each of the first request frame and the second request frame includes identification information that identifies multiple groups of data frames distinguished by a series of data frames with consecutive sequence numbers among the multiple data frames transmitted on each of the first link and the second link. The identification information includes multiple pieces of information such as the start sequence number and end sequence number of the plurality of data frame groups transmitted on each of the first link and the second link.

14. A control method for a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: Send a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the first link, and send a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the second link; Send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device. The first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as In response to sending the first request frame and the second request frame, the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame are received from the communication counterpart device. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames that were not transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in each of the first request frame and the second request frame includes information and identification information of multiple data frames transmitted on each of the links. The identification information identifies multiple groups of data frames that are distinguished by each series of data frames with consecutive sequence numbers among the multiple data frames not transmitted on each of the first and second links. The identification information includes multiple pieces of information such as the start sequence number and end sequence number of the plurality of data frame groups that have not been transmitted on each of the first link and the second link.

15. A control method for a communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: Send a first plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the first link, and send a second plurality of data frames to the communication counterpart device on the second link; Send a first request frame and a second request frame to the communication counterpart device. The first request frame requests a first acknowledgment (Ack) frame for the first plurality of data frames sent, and the second request frame requests a second Ack frame for the second plurality of data frames sent. as well as In response to sending the first request frame and the second request frame, the first Ack frame and the second Ack frame are received from the communication counterpart device. The first request frame and the second request frame each include sequence information regarding the sequence numbers of multiple data frames transmitted on the first link and the second link, respectively. The sequence information included in the first request frame includes a first start sequence number identifying a first plurality of data frame groups and a first bit map field, wherein, based on the first start sequence number, 1 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame transmitted on the first link, and 0 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame not transmitted on the first link, and The sequence information included in the second request frame includes a second start sequence number and a second bitmap field that identifies a second plurality of data frame groups, wherein, in the second bitmap field, based on the second start sequence number, 1 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame transmitted on the second link, and 0 is stored in the bit corresponding to a frame not transmitted on the second link.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: The computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

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