Non-primary channel transmission in wireless networks

Abstract

A method and system are provided for transmitting data by a transmission device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels with uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels including a primary channel for the transmission device and a plurality of secondary channels, comprising: when the transmission device senses that the primary channel is busy, sending a request frame to a receiving device on one or more secondary channels on which the transmission device senses that the primary channel is idle; the transmission device listening for response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; the transmission device sending data transmission to the receiving device using a data channel, the data channel including one or more secondary channels on which the transmission device receives the response frames from the receiving device.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. non-provisional patent application No. 17 / 122,964, filed on December 15, 2020, entitled “NON-PRIMARYCHANNEL TRANSMISSIONS IN WIRELESS NETWORK”. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to air interface technology, and more specifically, to methods and systems for transmitting information in a non-primary wireless local area network channel. Background Technology

[0004] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard is a set of standards for implementing Wi-Fi. TM The 802.11 standard specifies the media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) requirements for wireless local area network (WLAN) communication. The standard has undergone steady development and continues to evolve to meet the growing demands for increased throughput, reduced latency and jitter, higher reliability, and improved energy efficiency driven by new and emerging applications such as virtual or augmented reality, immersive gaming, remote work support, and cloud computing.

[0005] The IEEE 802.11n (High Throughput, HT) revision of the 802.11 standard introduced the concepts of primary and secondary channels, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz to support 40 MHz bandwidth. IEEE 802.11ac (Very High Throughput, VHT) expanded the concept of primary and secondary channels to support even wider channels. Primary and secondary channels are also included in IEEE 802.11ax (High Efficiency, HE) and are expected to be used in future WLAN standards.

[0006] In existing schemes, one option for transmission equipment to determine channel availability is through channel sensing. For example, a channel sensing protocol may include preamble detection of the primary channel followed by a defined duration (e.g., for distributed inter-frame space, DIFS) and sensing of the secondary channel for a defined duration before the end of the backoff duration (e.g., for priority inter-frame space, PIFS). The primary channel must be available for any transmission to begin.

[0007] Existing schemes can also rely on bandwidth signaling, where the transmitting device sends a request-to-send (RTS) control frame on the primary channel, and the target device responds only on the primary channel (if available) and any available successive secondary channels with a clear-to-send (CTS) control frame. Again, the primary channel must be available for any transmission to begin.

[0008] Existing solutions lack flexibility because the primary channel must be available for transmission. Therefore, in multi-channel WLAN environments, greater flexibility is needed in allocating transmission channels for wide-bandwidth transmissions. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention describes systems and methods for using non-primary channels for data transmission in wireless networks even when the primary channel is unavailable. In at least certain scenarios, these systems and methods can utilize network resources more efficiently and improve overall system throughput.

[0010] According to a first exemplary aspect, a method is provided for transmitting data by a transmission device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network. The wireless communication channel bandwidth includes a set of adjacent frequency channels with uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels including a primary channel for the transmission device and a plurality of secondary channels. The method includes: when the transmission device senses that the primary channel is busy, sending a request frame to a receiving device on one or more secondary channels where the transmission device senses that they are idle; the transmission device listening for response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; and the transmission device sending data transmission to the receiving device using a data channel, the data channel including one or more secondary channels on which the transmission device receives responses.

[0011] In some examples of the above aspects, each of the primary and secondary channels has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the request and response frames each have a corresponding frame format configured for the 20 MHz channel.

[0012] In some examples of the above aspects, the request frame and the response frame are a request-to-send (RTS) frame and a clear-to-send (CTS) frame, respectively, each including a physical (PHY) header and a medium access control (MAC) header.

[0013] In some examples of the above, the PHY header of one or both of the RTS and CTS frames includes a temporary primary channel subfield, which indicates whether the secondary channel on which the CTS frame is transmitted is a temporary primary channel.

[0014] In some examples of the foregoing aspects, the method includes: when the transmitting device receives a CTS frame from the receiving device on a plurality of the secondary channels, selecting one of the primary channels as a temporary primary channel based on a temporary primary channel subfield of the CTS frame; and after receiving the CTS frame and before transmitting the data, performing sensing on the selected temporary primary channel to confirm that the selected temporary primary channel is idle.

[0015] In some examples of the above aspects, the temporary main channel subfield consists of a single bit in the service field of the PHY header.

[0016] In some examples of the above aspects, the method includes receiving response frames on multiple secondary channels, a set of secondary channels after the data channel, and sensing the secondary channels included in the data channel before transmitting data to confirm that the data channel is idle.

[0017] In some examples of the above aspects, the request frame and the response frame are respectively a transmit-on-secondary-request (ToSR) frame and a transmit-on-secondary-granted (ToSG) frame, each frame including a physical (PHY) header and a medium access control (MAC) header, as well as a provisional master bitmap field, the provisional master bitmap field including a corresponding bit position mapped to the corresponding master bitmap field indicating that one of the secondary channels is a provisional master-secondary channel.

[0018] In some examples of the foregoing, the method includes the transmission device determining whether to apply a first acknowledgment mode or a second acknowledgment mode, wherein in the first acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for identical acknowledgment frames on all secondary channels included in the data channel after sending the data transmission, and in the second acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for acknowledgment frames only on secondary channels known to the transmission device as temporary primary channels after sending the data transmission.

[0019] In some examples of the foregoing, the ToSR frame and the ToSG frame each include an acknowledgment mode field for selectively indicating the first acknowledgment mode or the second acknowledgment mode.

[0020] According to a second exemplary aspect, a method is provided for receiving data transmitted by a transmission device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels having uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels including a primary channel for the transmission device and a plurality of secondary channels, the method comprising: receiving a request frame on one or more secondary channels at a receiving device; the receiving device transmitting a response frame on at least a portion of the one or more secondary channels; the receiving device receiving data transmission via a data channel, the data channel including the secondary channels through which the receiving device transmitted the response frames, the data channel not including the primary channel.

[0021] In some examples of the second aspect, the method includes: the receiving device determining, based on information included in one or more request frames, to apply a first acknowledgment mode or a second acknowledgment mode, wherein, in the first acknowledgment mode, the receiving device will send identical acknowledgment frames on all secondary channels included in the data channel after receiving the data transmission, and in the second acknowledgment mode, the receiving device will send an acknowledgment frame on only a single secondary channel after receiving the data transmission.

[0022] According to a third exemplary aspect, a wireless station is disclosed for performing the method of any of the foregoing aspects.

[0023] According to another exemplary aspect, a non-volatile computer-readable medium is disclosed that stores instructions for configuring a wireless station to perform the methods of any of the foregoing aspects.

[0024] According to another exemplary aspect, an access point (AP) is provided for transmitting data to a station (STA) within a communication channel bandwidth of a wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels with uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels including a primary channel allocated to the AP and a plurality of secondary channels. The AP includes a processing unit; a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the processing unit for transmitting and receiving signals in the WLAN; and a non-transitory memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to: when the AP senses that the primary channel is busy, send a request frame to the STA on one or more secondary channels where the AP senses that they are idle; listen for response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; and transmit data to the STA using a data channel that includes one or more secondary channels from which the AP receives response frames from the STA. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application, will now be shown by way of example, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication network according to one implementation of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 This illustrates one implementation method that can be used to implement the present disclosure. Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary processing system for a station in a communication network.

[0028] Figure 3 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating an example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting device and a receiving device according to the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 Is with Figure 3 The flowchart of the data transmission method corresponding to the signaling diagram.

[0030] Figure 5 A frame format according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0031] Figure 6 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating another example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting device and a receiving device according to the example of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 7 Is with Figure 6 The flowchart of the data transmission method corresponding to the signaling diagram.

[0033] Figure 8 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating another example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting and receiving device, based on an example from the disclosed content.

[0034] Figure 9 Is with Figure 8 The flowchart of the data transmission method corresponding to the signaling diagram.

[0035] Figure 10 A frame format according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0036] Figure 11 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating another example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting device and a receiving device according to the example of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 12 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating another example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting and receiving device, based on an example from the disclosed content.

[0038] Figure 13 A signaling diagram is shown, illustrating another example of non-primary channel data transmission between a transmitting and receiving device, based on an example from the disclosed content.

[0039] The same reference numerals are used throughout the accompanying drawings to denote the same elements and features. While aspects of the invention will be described in conjunction with the illustrated embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0040] This disclosure teaches methods for use in wireless networks (including, for example, wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as Wi-Fi). TM Methods, apparatus, and systems for transmitting data in a network are disclosed. Exemplary embodiments are provided to optimize performance in a multi-channel transmission environment between a transmitting device and a receiving device.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example is described of a communication network 100 in which the following devices and methods may operate. For example... Figure 1 As shown, network 100 includes multiple communication devices, including fixed devices, portable devices, and mobile devices (referred to as stations). Figure 1The examples illustrate a single fixed access point (AP) station 102 and multiple non-AP stations (STAs) 104, which may be fixed, portable, or mobile. In at least some examples, network 100 is a Wi-Fi compliant network operating according to one or more protocols in the 802.11 standard (including amendments under development or to be developed in the future). WLAN 106 may be used to support OFDM transmission technology.

[0042] Each STA 104 can be a laptop computer, desktop PC, PDA, Wi-Fi phone, wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal, smartphone, mobile phone, sensor, Internet of Things (IoT) device, or other wireless-enabled computing or mobile device. In some embodiments, STA 104 includes a machine capable of sending, receiving, or transmitting / receiving data in WLAN 106, but the primary function performed by said machine is not communication. In some embodiments, the machine includes means or devices for transmitting and / or receiving data over network 100, but the primary purpose of a user operating such means or devices is not communication.

[0043] AP 102 may include a bidirectional network access interface, serving as a wireless transmission and / or reception point for STA 104 in network 100. AP 102 may connect to a backhaul network 108, which enables data exchange between AP 102 and other remote networks (e.g., the Internet), nodes, APs, and devices (not shown). AP 102 can support communication with each STA 104 via unlicensed radio frequency wireless medium 106 by establishing uplink and downlink communication channels with each STA 104. Figure 1 As indicated by the arrows in the diagram. In some examples, STA 104 can be used to communicate with each other. Communication in network 100 can be unscheduled, scheduled by AP 102 or another scheduling or management entity in network 100, or a mixture of scheduled and unscheduled communication.

[0044] Figure 2 It shows that it can serve as Figure 1 The exemplary wireless communication device or apparatus shown is AP 102 or STA 104. The wireless communication device includes at least one processing unit 110, at least one transmitter 112, at least one receiver 114, one or more antennas 116, a storage device including at least one non-transient memory storage unit 118, and one or more input / output (I / O) devices or interfaces 120.

[0045] Processing unit 110 implements various processing operations of AP 102 or receiver STA 104, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other functions. Processing unit 110 may also be used to implement some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein. Each processing unit 110 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processing unit 110 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, or application-specific integrated circuit. Processing unit 110 can be used to generate wireless signals based on input data received via input (via I / O interface 120) for transmission by transmitter 112, or to process wireless signals received from receiver 114. In an exemplary embodiment, processing unit 110 can be used to generate OFDM or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) signals suitable for transmission by performing inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) or inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) or any other suitable processing technique. Processing unit 110 can also be used to process the received OFDM or OFDMA signal by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) or Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) or any other suitable processing technique. In some embodiments, processing unit 110 can be used to detect the presence of an OFDM or OFDMA signal by performing correlation or cross-correlation, thereby detecting the presence of a preamble. The preamble may be part of a predetermined frame structure for Wi-Fi communication. Although a single instance of processing unit 110 is shown, it should be understood that multiple instances of processing unit 110 may exist in each wireless communication device. For example, there may be at least one processing unit for processing the output signal to be transmitted by transmitter 112, and at least one processing unit for processing the input signal from receiver 114.

[0046] Transmitter 112 may include any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission. Each receiver 114 may include any suitable structure for processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each transmitter 112 and receiver 114 may include associated amplification and modulation / demodulation circuitry. Although shown as separate components, at least one transmitter 112 and at least one receiver 114 may be combined into a single transceiver. Each antenna 116 may include any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals. Although a common antenna 116 is shown herein coupled to both transmitter 112 and receiver 114, one or more antennas 116 may be coupled to one or more transmitters 112, and one or more individual antennas 116 may be coupled to one or more receivers 114. In some examples, one or more antennas 116 may be an antenna array, which may be used for beamforming and beamguiding operations. Device storage may include any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) card, etc. The non-transitory memory storage unit 118 can store instructions and data used, generated, or collected by AP 102 or STA 104. For example, the non-transitory memory storage unit 118 can store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, which are executed by one or more processing units 110.

[0047] I / O interface 120 supports interaction with users or other devices in the network. I / O interface 120 includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from users, including network interface communication.

[0048] In some embodiments, AP 102 and STA 104 can be used to communicate on various wireless spectrums, such as 20MHz, 40MHz or 80MHz, 80+80MHz, 160MHz, 160+160MHz, 320MHz, 320+320MHz, 480MHz (e.g., 160+160+160MHz), and 640MHz in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. According to some wireless standards, such as IEEE 802.11ax, OFDMA channels are subdivided into multiple resource units (RUs), where each RU consists of a set of consecutive subcarriers defined in the frequency domain. In IEEE 802.11ax, RUs are defined according to their size, such as 26-tone RU, 52-tone RU, 106-tone RU, 242-tone RU, 484-tone RU, 996-tone RU, and 2×996-tone RU. Although reference has been made to IEEE 802.11ax, it should be noted that the techniques or mechanisms of some implementations of the present invention can be used in conjunction with other standards, including future generations of IEEE 802.11, such as the Extra High Throughput (EHT) standard or other standards.

[0049] In wireless network 100, wireless communication devices such as AP 102 and STA 104 communicate with each other through various well-defined frame structures. Frame structures, such as the Physical Layer Convergence Procedure Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), can be defined by... Figure 2 The processing unit 110 of the wireless communication device shown generates the frame. In some embodiments, the frame structure can be configured to have the same bandwidth as the channel. The frame structure can be in the form of a PPDU, including a frame preamble and a payload. In some embodiments, different types of PPDUs can exist, which may have different fields and different PHY layers and / or different MAC layers. For example, single-user (SU) PPDU, multiple-user (MU) PPDU, LPI PPDU, long-range (LR) SU PPDU, and trigger-based (TB) PPDU.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the data channel bandwidth (BW) used to transmit PPDUs DC It is dynamically determined through channel sensing and signaling protocols. Figure 3This is a block diagram illustrating time-varying, frequency-crossing signaling between transmitting device 302 (e.g., AP 102) and receiving device 304 (e.g., STA 104). In the example shown, a WLAN protocol is applied, which uses a shared maximum communication channel bandwidth (BW). max A set of consecutive channels is used to combine the basic channel C to select the channel with bandwidth BW. DC Data channel (DC). Maximum communication channel bandwidth (BW) max Including those with equal bandwidth (BW) c N consecutive channels C (e.g., primary channel P and N-1 secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1)). Secondary channels can also be referred to as non-primary channels. In one exemplary embodiment, the maximum communication channel bandwidth BW max The bandwidth is 160MHz, and each of the main channel P and the secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1) has a bandwidth of 20MHz. c And N=8, and the supported data channel DC bandwidth BW DC Includes 20, 40, 80, or 160 MHz. However, these values ​​are for illustrative purposes only; different BW values ​​can be used in different scenarios. max BW c And the N value. For example, some scenarios may additionally or alternatively support a maximum communication channel bandwidth BW of 640MHz. max Among them, the main channel P and the auxiliary channels S(1) to S(N-1) each have a bandwidth BW of 160MHz. c And N=4, and the supported data channel DC bandwidth BW DC Including 160, 320, 480, or 640 MHz. In some examples, BW... max BW c The values ​​of N and N can be configured by the system administrator or the communication equipment according to predetermined standards and / or according to the capabilities of the sending and receiving devices involved in the communication.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission device 302 is used to determine which of the N consecutive channels C is available for transmitting multichannel data frames (e.g., PPDUs), and then use the available channel for PPDU transmission. Figure 4 It shows that it can be generated by Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an example of transmission method 300 applied to transmission device 302. Transmission method 300 begins when transmission device 302 has data to transmit using data frames (e.g., PPDUs) from a target receiving device 304. Before transmission method 300 begins, BW... max BW cThe values ​​of and N are known defined parameters of transmission device 302. The specific channel C designated as the primary channel P of transmission device 302 is also known. In some examples (e.g., when transmission device 302 is AP 102), when AP 102 is configured, a designated primary channel P is assigned to AP 102, and when STA 104 registers to AP 102, each STA 104 knows the primary channel P assigned to AP 102. In some examples, the designated primary channel P of AP 102 may be changed periodically, for example, by a system administrator. As shown in action 402, transmission device 302 performs sensing of the primary channel P to determine whether the primary channel P is available.

[0052] refer to Figure 3 As part of the main sensing action 402, the transmission device 302 listens to the main channel P. When it senses that the previously busy channel P has become idle, the transmission device 302 waits for a defined duration (e.g., DIFS) and continues to sense the main channel during the backoff (BO) duration to determine whether the channel remains idle during the BO duration. The length of the BO duration is determined by the transmission device 302 at the beginning of the BO duration by randomly sampling integers (e.g., b) from a uniformly distributed contention window [0, CW], where CW is a predefined value set for the transmission device 302. During the BO duration, the transmission device 302 counts down and listens to the main channel B to determine whether the channel O has remained idle (e.g., idle) for b time slot intervals before attempting transmission.

[0053] In existing known primary channel contention schemes, if a transmission from another device is sensed on the primary channel C before the end of the BO duration, the countdown freezes, and the transmitting device waits again for the primary channel to become idle. The transmission process is delayed until the primary channel is sensed to be idle again, at which point the BO duration either continues or restarts. This can lead to inefficient use of channel time and frequency resources because such schemes assume that if the primary channel P is busy, then all secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1) are also unavailable, when in reality at least some secondary channels may be idle and therefore available. According to an exemplary embodiment, the transmitting device 302 does not operate in the same manner as previously known channel contention schemes. Specifically, if the transmitting device 302 senses that the primary channel C is busy during the BO duration, the transmitting device 302 does not delay or stop the ongoing transmission process to wait for the primary channel P to become idle. Instead, the transmitting device 302 continues to use the transmission method 300 to determine whether any secondary channels S1 to S(N-1) are available, regardless of the state of the primary channel P sensed during the BO duration.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in action 402, the transmission device 302 performs sensing of the secondary channels S1 to S(N-1) to determine which secondary channels are currently idle. (See reference...) Figure 3 Sensing of secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1) can be performed in parallel within a defined secondary channel sensing duration of 306. Figure 3 In the example, the defined sensing duration 306 corresponds to PIFS (and the PIFS duration is shorter than the DIFS duration). Figure 3 In one embodiment, the secondary channel sensing duration 306 immediately follows the BO duration. In an optional exemplary embodiment, the secondary channel sensing duration 306 may coincide with or partially overlap with the end phase of the BO duration.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown in action 406, at the end of the secondary channel sensing duration 306, the transmission device 302 sends a request frame, such as a request-to-send (RTS) frame, to the target receiving device 304 on each channel C sensed as idle. Figure 3 In the illustrative example, transmission device 302 determines that the primary channel P is busy during the BO duration and that secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3) are idle during the secondary channel sensing duration 306, while the other secondary channels S(4) through S(N-1) are busy. Accordingly, transmission device 302 transmits RTS frames only on the idle secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3). In the example, the RTS frames transmitted on each of the secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3) are exactly the same as each other.

[0056] exist Figure 3 and 4 In the example, the RTS frame may use a format according to an RTS frame format used in existing schemes, such as the IEEE 802.11 non-high throughput (Non-HT) RTS frame format. In this disclosure, a non-HT frame may refer to a frame with a format configured for a 20MHz channel and may include RTS frames, CTS frames, or ACK frames compatible with devices conforming to the IEEE 802.11 protocol for a 20MHz channel. In this regard, Figure 5This shows an example of an RTS frame including a physical layer (PHY) header, a medium access control (MAC) header, and a frame check sequence (FCS). The PHY header includes a 16-bit service field. In some examples, the PHY header is an OFDM PHY header, consisting of 4 rate bits, 1 reserved bit, 12 length bits, 1 parity bit, 6 tail bits, and 16 service bits. In known schemes (e.g., IEEE 802.11ac): bit position b4 of the service bits is a dynamic / static bandwidth signaling bit, used to indicate whether the transmission device 302 can reduce the data channel bandwidth BW of the upcoming data frame. DC (i.e., dynamic) or not reduced (i.e., static); bits 5 and 6 are used to send the target data channel bandwidth BW of the upcoming data frame. DC (For example, in BW) max In this case, the following target data channel bandwidth BW can be indicated. DC b5,b6 = (0,0) = 20MHz; b5,b6 = (0,1) = 40MHz; b5,b6 = (1,0) = 80MHz; b5,b6 = (1,1) = 160MHz and 80+80MHz); bit position b7 is reserved. In some examples, the MAC header is an OFDM MAC header, including specified fields conforming to one or more IEEE 802.11 standards, such as: Frame Control (FC) field; Duration / ID (D / ID) field; address fields (including transmitting device, receiving device, source and destination address fields); sequence control field and frame body field.

[0057] As shown in action 408, after sending the exact same RTS frame, the transmitting device 302 listens for response frames from the target receiving device 304 on the same channel C that sent the corresponding RTS frame, such as clear-to-send (CTS) frames. The receiving device 304 will only send the CTS frame back to the transmitting device 302 on an idle channel that has already received the RTS frame. The transmitting device 302 will assume that channel C, where it received the CTS frame for the defined duration, is available to send PPDUs to the target receiving device 304, and will assume that other channels are busy. Figure 3In the illustrative example, the transmitting device 302 listens for CTS frames on the secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3) in response to an RTS frame transmitted using secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3). The exemplary receiving device 304 shown only successfully receives RTS frames on secondary channels S(2) and S(3) (e.g., the target receiving device 304 may be within range of an interfering device using the bandwidth channel S(1) but outside the range of the transmitting device 302), and responds with CTS frames on secondary channels S(2) and S(3). Therefore, in Figure 3 In the illustrative example, transmission device 302 receives CTS frames on consecutive secondary channels S(2) and S(3), and thus determines that secondary channels S(2) and S(3) can be used to transmit PPDUs.

[0058] As shown in action 410, transmission device 302 selects a set of channels C and corresponding bandwidths BW. DC The planned data transmission is initiated using data channel DC. In an exemplary embodiment, if the number of available channels C can support the target channel bandwidth (indicated in RTS), the transmission device 302 selects a set of available channels C that share the target channel bandwidth to be used as the data channel DC (with bandwidth BW) for data transmission. DC In the event of an excess of available channels C, the channel set selected by transmission device 302 will be a continuous subset of the available channels C.

[0059] In some examples, assuming support for dynamic channel sizes, if the number of available channels C is insufficient to provide enough combined bandwidth to support the target channel bandwidth, then transmission device 302 will select the next largest bandwidth that the available channels C can accommodate as the data channel bandwidth BW. DC And use the available channel C as the data channel DC.

[0060] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, transmission device 302 determines that data channel DC will consist of adjacent secondary channels S(2) and S(3), such that data channel DC has a bandwidth BW. DC =2*BW C .

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown in action 412, the transmitting device 302 uses the data channel DC (in the example shown, the data channel DC consists of adjacent secondary channels S(2) and S(3)) to send data frames (e.g., PPDU) to the receiving device 304.

[0062] As shown in action 414, the transmission device 302 listens for corresponding acknowledgment (ACK) frames in each channel C that forms the data channel DC. In an exemplary embodiment, the target receiving device 304 will send the exact same ACK frame on each channel C used for the data channel DC.

[0063] Therefore, data transmission method 300 provides a mechanism by which a non-primary channel can be used as a data transmission channel even when the designated primary channel is unavailable. In at least some exemplary scenarios, such a method can improve the global optimization of time-frequency resources in a shared wireless medium. In some scenarios, this enables faster data transmission and reception, thereby reducing the power consumption of the transmitting and receiving devices.

[0064] Now refer to Figure 6 Signaling diagram and Figure 7 The flowchart of data transmission method 700 describes another example of enabling a non-primary channel to be used as a data transmission channel when the designated primary channel is unavailable. Transmission method 700 is similar to transmission method 400 described above, but with the additional actions described below.

[0065] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, actions 402 (sensing the primary channel) and 404 (sensing the secondary channel) of the data transmission method 700 are performed in the same manner as described in the data transmission method 400 above. In the illustrated embodiment, the primary channel P is busy, and the secondary channels S(1) to S(3) are sensed to be idle. The data transmission method 700 includes a further action 605 performed when the specified primary channel P is sensed to be busy. In action 605, the transmission device 302 selects one of the idle secondary channels (e.g., secondary channels S(1) to S(3) in the illustrated embodiment) as a candidate channel to be used as a temporary primary channel. The selection operation can be performed randomly or according to predetermined criteria (e.g., the secondary channel with the smallest channel number). The transmission device 302 sends its temporary primary channel selection signal to the receiving device 304 by setting a temporary primary channel indication bit in the RTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel that has been selected as the temporary primary channel. For example, bits in the PHY header field of the RTS frame, such as bit B7 of the service subfield, can be pre-assigned as temporary primary channel selection bits. Transmission device 302 sets the temporary primary channel selection bit to a value (e.g., "1") to indicate that the secondary channel used for transmitting RTS frames is recommended as the temporary primary channel, or sets the temporary primary channel selection bit to another value (e.g., "0") to indicate that the secondary channel used for transmitting RTS frames is not recommended as the temporary primary channel.

[0066] For example, in Figure 6In the scenario described above, the transmission device selects the secondary channel S(1) as the temporary primary channel. Accordingly, in action 406, the RTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(1) sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "1". The RTS frames transmitted on the secondary channels S(2) and S(3) are identical RTS frames, and each RTS frame sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "0".

[0067] The receiving device 304 will respond with a CTS frame in each idle secondary channel in which it successfully receives an RTS frame. In an exemplary embodiment, the CTS frame has a frame structure similar to that of the RTS frame and also includes a temporary primary channel selection bit. The receiving device 304 can set the temporary primary channel selection bit in the CTS frame it transmits to acknowledge a temporary primary channel selection made by the transmitting device or to indicate an alternative temporary primary channel selection. For example, in Figure 6 In the scenario shown, from the perspective of receiving device 304, the secondary channel S(1) proposed by transmitting device 302 is not a valid option because the receiving device either senses that the secondary channel S(1) is busy or has never successfully received an RTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(1). Therefore, receiving device 304 must choose an alternative secondary channel from its channels used to receive the exact same RTS frames (e.g., secondary channels S(2) and S(3) in the scenario shown). Receiving device 304 can use a similar criterion applied by transmitting device 302 to select one of the secondary channels, and then set a temporary primary channel selection bit in the corresponding CTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel to indicate the selection made.

[0068] For example, in Figure 6 In the scenario described above, the receiving device selects the secondary channel S(2) as the temporary primary channel. Therefore, the CTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(2) sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "1". The CTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(3) sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "0".

[0069] As shown in action 408, transmission device 302 listens for CTS frames on the channel used to transmit RTS frames. As shown in action 609, transmission device 302 confirms the temporary primary channel selection based on the temporary primary channel selection bit in the received corresponding CTS frame. In the scenario shown, transmission device 302 will confirm that its previous selection of secondary channel S(1) was not the option of receiving device 304, but will continue to use the alternative proposed by receiving device 304, namely secondary channel S(2), as the selected temporary primary channel.

[0070] In some examples, action 605 can be omitted, and the temporary primary channel selection can be performed on receiving device 304 solely based on the transmission channel (which the receiving device knows is available for both receiving device 304 and transmitting device 302). In some examples, the temporary primary channel selection at receiving device 304 can be omitted, wherein transmitting device 302 performs the selection during action 609 based on the transmission channel (which transmitting device 302 knows is available for both receiving device 304 and transmitting device 302).

[0071] The data channel selection action 410 of transmission method 700 can be performed in the same manner as that of transmission method 400 described above. However, before transmitting the PPDU, data transmission method 700 includes... Figure 6 The example shown illustrates an additional backoff (BO) countdown action 611 performed on the selected temporary primary channel (e.g., secondary channel S(2)). Specifically, after receiving a CTS frame, the transmission device 302 senses the temporary primary channel during the backoff (BO) duration to confirm that the temporary primary channel remains idle during the BO duration. The length of the BO duration applied in action 611 is determined by the transmission device 302 at the start of the BO duration by randomly sampling integers (e.g., b time slot intervals) from a uniformly distributed contention window [0, CW], where CW is a predefined value set for the transmission device 302. During the BO duration, the transmission station 302 counts down and listens to the temporary primary channel (e.g., secondary channel S(2) in the example shown) to determine whether the channel remains idle (e.g., idle) for b time slot intervals before attempting transmission. If the temporary primary channel remains idle during the BO duration, the transmission station 302 will continue transmitting PPDUs using the selected data channel DC according to action 412. In some examples, if a temporary primary channel busy is sensed during the BO duration of action 611, the current transmission attempt is paused and method 700 is restarted. In some examples, if a temporary primary channel busy is sensed during the BO duration of action 611, the current transmission attempt is paused until a temporary primary channel idle period (e.g., DIFS) is sensed, and then the BO sensing operation is repeated multiple times until a predetermined number of times.

[0072] As shown in action 414, after sending the PPDU, the transmitting device 302 listens for acknowledgments from the receiving device 304. In some examples (e.g., when both the transmitting device 302 and the receiving device 304 know which secondary channel is the temporary primary channel, such as when the receiving device 304 has indicated acknowledgment or selection of the temporary primary channel in the CTS frame), the receiving device 304 may send ACK frames only on the temporary primary channel, and the transmitting device 302 will expect ACK frames only on the temporary primary channel. In other examples, the receiving device 304 sends identical ACK frames on all channels C (e.g., the temporary primary channel and any other secondary channels) used for the data transmission channel DC, and the transmitting device 302 will expect ACK frames on all of these channels.

[0073] Now refer to Figure 8 Signaling diagram and Figure 9 The flowchart of data transmission method 900 describes another example of enabling a non-primary channel to be used as a data transmission channel when the designated primary channel is unavailable. Transmission method 900 is similar to transmission method 700 described above, with the following differences.

[0074] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment, the actions 402 (sensing the main channel) and 404 (sensing the secondary channel) of the data transmission method 900 are performed in the same manner as described in the above data transmission methods 400 and 700, except that in action 404, the sensing of the secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1) during the PIFS duration is performed simultaneously with the end of the BO sensing duration of the main channel P.

[0075] Unlike the example above, in Figure 8 In the example shown, transmission device 302 and secondary channels S(1) to S(3) sense that the primary channel P is idle.

[0076] Therefore, in operation 406 of the data transmission method 900, the transmission device 302 operates in both the main channel P and the secondary channel (e.g., which is also sensed to be idle) Figure 8 The same RTS frames are sent on the secondary channels S(1) to S(3) in the example shown.

[0077] The receiving device 304 will respond with CTS frames in each idle channel (from the perspective of the receiving device 304) on which it has successfully received RTS frames. In the example shown, the receiving device 304 successfully received RTS frames on secondary channels S(2) and S(3), but failed to receive RTS frames on either the primary channel P or the secondary channel S(1). Since the receiving device 304 has pre-configured the identifier of the primary channel P, it recognizes that it has only successfully received RTS frames on secondary channels S(2) and S(3). In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving device 304 will select one of the available secondary channels as a temporary primary channel and indicate the selection made by the indication bit in the CTS frames it transmits on the available secondary channels. For example, in Figure 8 In the scenario described above, the receiving device selects the secondary channel S(2) as the temporary primary channel. Therefore, the CTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(2) sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "1". The CTS frame transmitted on the secondary channel S(3) sets bit B7 of the service subfield of the PHY header to "0".

[0078] As shown in action 408, transmission device 302 listens for CTS frames on the channel used to transmit RTS frames. As shown in action 909, transmission device 302 determines the temporary primary channel selection made by receiving device 304 based on the temporary primary channel selection bit in the received corresponding CTS frame. In the scenario shown, transmission device 302 will notice that secondary channel S(2) is the selected temporary primary channel.

[0079] The data channel selection action 410 of transmission method 900 can be performed in the same manner as that of transmission method 700 described above. However, in Figure 8 In the examples, there is a difference from those targeting Figure 6 In the example shown, the selected temporary primary channel (e.g., secondary channel S(2)) performs an additional backoff BO countdown action 611. In transmission method 900, transmission device 302 instead performs a PIFS sensing operation (action 811), during which transmission device 302 senses the temporary primary channel and all other secondary channels constituting the data channel DC to confirm that all composite channels (e.g., secondary channels S(2) and S(3) in the example shown) remain idle during the PIFS duration. If all secondary channels constituting the data channel DC remain idle during the PIFS duration, transmission station 302 will continue transmitting PPDUs using the selected data channel DC according to action 412. In some examples, if any relevant channel is sensed to be busy during the PIFS duration of action 811, the current transmission attempt is paused and method 900 is restarted.

[0080] As shown in action 414, after transmitting device 302 sends a PPDU, transmitting device 302 listens for acknowledgments from receiving device 304. In some examples (e.g., when both transmitting device 302 and receiving device 304 know which secondary channel is the temporary primary channel, such as when receiving device 304 has indicated acknowledgment or selection of the temporary primary channel in the CTS frame), receiving device 304 may send ACK frames only on the temporary primary channel, and transmitting device 302 will expect ACK frames only on the temporary primary channel. In other examples, receiving device 304 sends identical ACK frames on all channels C (e.g., the temporary primary channel and any other secondary channels) used for data transmission channel DC, and transmitting device 302 will expect ACK frames on all of these channels.

[0081] In some of the examples above, the PPDU can be a Very High Throughput (VHT) PPDU, a High Efficiency (HE) PPDU, or an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU as defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard series. RTS frames, CTS frames, and ACK frames can be non-HT frames.

[0082] In an alternative embodiment, the RTS frame and CTS frame can be replaced with alternative request frame and response frame formats, respectively. As an example, Figure 10An example of frame format 1000 is shown that can be used for Transmit on Secondary Request (ToSR) frames and Transmit of Secondary Granted (ToSG) frames. Frame format 1000 may include a PHY header, a MAC header, and an FCS field conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard format. The MAC header may include a type field to indicate the frame type (e.g., a ToSR frame or a ToSG frame). In the illustrated embodiment, frame format 100 also includes a Temporary Master Bitmap field 1002 and an ACK mode field. Temporary Master Bitmap field 1002 may include a set of bit positions mapped to corresponding secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1), where a first value (e.g., "1") indicates that the corresponding secondary channel will be used as a temporary master channel, and a second value (e.g., "0") indicates that the corresponding secondary channel is not a temporary master channel. For example, [0,1,0,…,0] in Temporary Master Bitmap field 1002 indicates that secondary channel S(2) is designated as a temporary master channel. The ACK mode field 1004 can be used to indicate the type of acknowledgment signaling that the receiving device 304 will use. For example, the ACK mode field 1004 may consist of a single bit. A first value (e.g., "0") in the ACK mode field 1004 may indicate an acknowledgment mode in which ACK frames are sent only on the temporary master channel, and a second value (e.g., "1") in the ACK mode field 1004 may indicate an acknowledgment mode in which identical ACK frames are sent on each channel C that combines to form the data channel DC. In some exemplary embodiments, the ACK mode field 1004 may be omitted from the frame format 1000.

[0083] Figure 11 Another exemplary embodiment is shown, wherein a non-primary channel can be used for data transmission even if the designated primary channel is unavailable. In this non-limiting illustrative example, the maximum communication channel bandwidth BW max The bandwidth is 80MHz, and each of the main channel P and the secondary channels S(1) to S(N-1) has a bandwidth of 20MHz BW. c And N=4, and the supported data channel DC bandwidth BW DC Including 20, 40, or 80MHz.

[0084] During time period T1, transmission device 302 performs primary channel backoff and secondary channel sensing in the same manner as actions 402 and 404 in any of the previously described examples. Figure 11In the example, the designated primary channel P is determined based on the channel sensing being busy and the secondary channel S(3). During time period T2, the transmission device 302 identifies an idle secondary channel to send a Transmit on Secondary Request (ToSR) frame to that secondary channel. In some examples, the transmission device 302 restricts the transmission of ToSR frames to an idle secondary channel, which is part of a channel group that can provide a valid multichannel PPDU format. For example, in the supported data channel DC bandwidth BW DC In cases involving 20, 40, or 80 MHz, the absence of the primary channel only opens the 40 MHz option for valid multi-channel (e.g., wideband) PPDU formats. A continuous 40 MHz data channel can be provided by a combination of secondary channels S(1) and S(2). (It should be noted that if secondary channel S(3) is idle, a combination of secondary channels S(2) and S(3) can also support valid multi-channel PPDU formats).

[0085] In some examples, the transmit device (TX) 302 can select a candidate secondary channel as a provisional primary channel in the same manner as described in action 605 of the data transmission method 700 described above. The candidate secondary channel can be identified in the ToSR frame by setting appropriate bits in the provisional primary bitmap field 1002 of the Transmit on Secondary Request (ToSR) frame. For example, in Figure 11 In the process, the transmission device (TX) 302 selects the secondary channel S(1) as the temporary primary channel, thereby setting the first bit in the temporary primary bitmap field 1002 of the ToSR frame to 1 and setting all other bits to 0.

[0086] In some examples, the transmitter (TX) 302 will also set an ACK mode indicator bit in the ACK mode field 1004 of the ToSR frame. In the illustrated embodiment, the ACK mode indicator bit is set to indicate the exact same ACK frame mode.

[0087] During time period T2, transmission device 302 sends an exact copy of the ToSR frame to all available secondary channels that can support a valid multichannel PPDU format (e.g., secondary channels S(1) and S(2) in the example shown).

[0088] During time period T3, receiving device 304 will respond with a Transmit on Secondary Granted (ToSG) frame on each channel on which it successfully receives a ToSR frame. In the example shown, receiving device 304 successfully receives ToSR frames on secondary channels S(1) and S(2) and will respond with ToSG frames on secondary channels S(1) and S(2) accordingly.

[0089] The ToSG frames transmitted on secondary channels S(1) and S(2) can be identical frames. The content of the identical ToSG frames can be set by the receiving device 304 as follows. Based on the temporary master bitmap field 1001 included in the received ToSR frame, the receiving device 304 can determine the secondary channel that has been suggested as the temporary master channel (e.g., secondary channel S(1) in the example shown). The receiving device 304 can confirm the suggested temporary master channel or respond with a different temporary master channel indication by setting appropriate bits in the temporary master bitmap field 1002 of the ToSG frame. Similarly, the receiving device 304 can confirm the ACK mode indicated in the ACK mode field 1004 of the ToSR frame by setting bits in the ACK mode field of the ToSG frame 1004. In the example shown, the receiving device 304 confirms the selection of secondary channel S(1) as the temporary master channel, confirms the ACK mode selected by the transmitting device 302, and sets the identical bits in the ToSG frame that are sent to the transmitting device 302 on secondary channels S(1) and S(2).

[0090] In some examples, the transmitting device 302 may not perform provisional primary channel selection and / or ACK mode selection before sending the ToSR frame. In this case, the receiving device 304 may perform provisional primary channel selection and / or ACK mode selection without input from the transmitting device 302.

[0091] Transmission device 302 listens for channels on which ToSR frames are transmitted in response to ToSG frames. Based on the received ToSG frames, transmission device 302 selects a combination of channels C as the data channel DC and confirms the secondary channel to be used as the temporary primary channel and the ACK mode to be used. During time period T4, the transmission device transmits a PPDU using the selected data channel DC.

[0092] In the example shown, the selected ACK mode specifies the use of identical ACK frames. Therefore, when receiving device 304 successfully receives a PPDU frame, it will send identical ACK frames on each component channel of data channel DC during time period T5. Transmitting device 302 listens for ACK frames on each component channel of data channel DC (e.g., secondary channels S(1) and S(2) in the example shown).

[0093] In some applications, Figure 12 The example can be modified to include actions between time periods T3 and T4, such as backoff action 611 or PIFS sensing action 811. For example, a backoff duration of BO can be added between time periods T3 and T4 when the transmission device 302 senses interference on the temporary primary channel (e.g., secondary channel S(1)) to ensure that data transmission can continue.

[0094] Figure 12 Another exemplary embodiment is shown, in which a non-primary channel can be used for data transmission even if the designated primary channel is unavailable. Figure 12 Examples and Figure 11 The examples are similar, but the following differences exist. Specifically, in Figure 12 In the example, the ToSR frame sent by the transmitting device 302 using the secondary channel S(1) during time period T2 was not successfully received by the receiving device 304. Therefore, the receiving device 304 responded only with a ToSG frame on the secondary channel S(2). The ToSG frame indicates that the secondary channel S(2) will be used as a temporary primary channel, and the ACK mode will only include non-identical ACK frames on the temporary primary channel.

[0095] Transmission device 302 receives ToSG frames only on the secondary channel S(2), thereby selecting the secondary channel S(2) as the data channel DC. During time period T4, the transmission device uses the selected data channel DC to transmit PPDUs. During time period T5, receiving device 304 transmits non-identical ACK frames on a single secondary channel S(2) of the data channel DC. Transmission device 302 listens for ACK frames on the secondary channel S(2).

[0096] Figure 13 Another exemplary embodiment is shown, in which a non-primary channel can be used for data transmission even if the designated primary channel is unavailable. Figure 13 Examples and Figure 11 The examples are similar, but the following differences exist. Specifically, in Figure 13 In the example, the transmitting device 302 determines that the secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3) are all available, and accordingly transmits ToSR frames on the secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3) during time period T2. Furthermore, the receiving device 304 successfully receives the ToSR frames on the secondary channels S(1), S(2), and S(3).

[0097] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving device 304 is configured to respond with ToSG frames only on a set of secondary channels that can support a valid PPDU format. In the example shown, the valid PPDU format includes bandwidths of 20, 40, or 80 MHz. Therefore, a combination of three secondary channels providing a 60 MHz bandwidth is not a viable option. The available maximum bandwidth valid data channel DC is 40 MHz, and the receiving device 304 can select a combination of adjacent secondary channels S(1) and S(2) or adjacent secondary channels S(2) and S(3) from such channels. The selection can be made according to predetermined criteria (e.g., the channel closest in frequency to the designated primary channel P). In the example shown, the receiving device 304 selects a combination of adjacent secondary channels S(1) and S(2). In the example shown, the receiving device 304 generates a ToSG frame for transmission on each of the secondary channels S(1) and S(2), and the ToSG frame indicates that the secondary channel S(1) is a temporary primary channel and the ACK mode is a non-identical ACK mode. The receiving device 304 transmits a copy of the ToSG frame on each of the secondary channels S(1) and S(2), but does not transmit anything on the secondary channel S(3).

[0098] After receiving a ToSG frame on each of the secondary channels S(1) and S(2), the transmission device 302 uses the combination of the secondary channels S(1) and S(2) as the data channel DC to send a PPDU. The transmission device 302 can know from the ToSG frame that the ACK mode is not exactly the same as the ACK mode, and the temporary primary channel is the secondary channel S(1). Therefore, after sending the PPDU, the transmission device 302 only listens for ACK frames on the secondary channel S(1).

[0099] After successfully receiving the PPDU, the receiving device 304 sends only a single non-HTACK frame on the temporary primary channel (secondary channel S(1)). It should be noted that the non-identical ACK pattern can eliminate ACK signaling on the secondary channel that is not used as the temporary primary channel. This frees up time and frequency resources and also reduces the signal processing and power consumption of the receiving device 304 (in some examples, the receiving device 304 may be a power-constrained side edge device).

[0100] This invention provides certain exemplary algorithms and computations for implementing examples of the disclosed methods and systems. However, this invention is not limited to any particular algorithm or computation. Although the invention describes methods and processes by steps performed in a certain order, one or more steps in the methods and processes may be appropriately omitted or modified. Where appropriate, one or more steps may be performed in an order other than that described.

[0101] Based on the description of the above embodiments, exemplary embodiments can be implemented solely by hardware, or by software and necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, or by a combination of hardware and software. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product. The software product can be stored in a non-volatile or non-transitory storage medium, such as a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB flash drive, or a hard disk. The software product includes numerous instructions that enable a computer device (personal computer, server, or network device) to execute the methods provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0102] Furthermore, the scope of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments of the processes, machines, articles of manufacture, material compositions, modules, methods, and steps described in the specification. Those skilled in the art will readily understand, based on the disclosure of this invention, that existing or soon-to-be-developed processes, machines, products, material compositions, modules, methods, or steps that have substantially the same functionality as the corresponding embodiments described herein, or that can achieve substantially the same results as the embodiments, can be used according to this invention.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data by a transmission device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels having uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels comprising a primary channel for the transmission device and a plurality of secondary channels, the method comprising: When the transmission device senses that the primary channel is busy, it sends an Auxiliary Request Transmission (ToSR) request frame to the receiving device on one or more idle secondary channels in the secondary channels. The transmission device listens for Assisted Grant Transmission (ToSG) response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; The transmitting device selects a set of consecutive secondary channels on which it receives response frames from the receiving device as data channels; The transmission device selects one of the secondary channels in the data channel as a temporary primary channel; The transmission device determines whether to apply a first confirmation mode or a second confirmation mode; The transmitting device uses a data channel to send data to the receiving device; After transmitting the data, the transmission device will listen for at least one acknowledgment frame. In the first acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for identical acknowledgment frames on all the secondary channels included in the data channel. In the second acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for acknowledgment frames only on the secondary channels that the transmission device knows to be temporary primary channels. The ToSR request frame and the ToSG response frame respectively include a physical (PHY) header and a media access control (MAC) header, a temporary master bitmap field and an acknowledgment mode field. The temporary master bitmap field includes a corresponding bit position that indicates one of the secondary channels is the temporary master channel and maps it to the corresponding secondary channel. The acknowledgment mode field is used to selectively indicate the first acknowledgment mode or the second acknowledgment mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the primary channel and the secondary channel has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the request frame and the response frame each have a corresponding frame format configured for the 20 MHz channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, This includes: sensing a secondary channel included in the data channel before transmitting the data to confirm that the data channel is idle.

4. An access point (AP) for transmitting data to a station (STA) in a communication channel bandwidth of a wireless local area network (WLAN), the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels with uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels comprising a primary channel allocated to the AP and a plurality of secondary channels, the AP comprising: Processing unit; A transmitter and a receiver, coupled to the processing unit, are used to transmit and receive signals in the WLAN; A non-transient storage device is provided for storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the AP to perform the following operations: When the AP senses that the primary channel is busy, the AP in the secondary channel sends an Auxiliary Request Transmission (ToSR) request frame to the STA on one or more secondary channels that are idle. Listen for Assisted Grant Transport (ToSG) response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; Select a set of consecutive secondary channels on which response frames are received from the STA as data channels; Select one of the secondary channels in the data channels as the temporary primary channel; Apply either the first confirmation mode or the second confirmation mode; The AP sends data to the STA using one or more secondary channels, including the secondary channel on which it receives response frames from the STA. After transmitting the data, the AP will listen for at least one acknowledgment frame. In the first acknowledgment mode, the AP will listen for identical acknowledgment frames on all the secondary channels included in the data channel. In the second acknowledgment mode, the AP will listen for acknowledgment frames only on the secondary channels that the AP knows to be the temporary primary channel. The ToSR request frame and the ToSG response frame respectively include a physical (PHY) header and a media access control (MAC) header, a temporary master bitmap field and an acknowledgment mode field. The temporary master bitmap field includes a corresponding bit position that indicates one of the secondary channels is the temporary master channel and maps it to the corresponding secondary channel. The acknowledgment mode field is used to selectively indicate the first acknowledgment mode or the second acknowledgment mode.

5. The AP according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the primary channel and the secondary channel has a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the request frame and the response frame each have a corresponding frame format configured for the 20 MHz channel.

6. The AP according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, When executed by the processing unit, the executable instruction causes the AP to perform the following operation: before transmitting the data, sense the secondary channel included in the data channel to confirm that the data channel is idle.

7. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing computer-implementable instructions for configuring a transmission device for transmitting data to a receiving device in a communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels having uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels including a primary channel and a plurality of secondary channels allocated to the transmission device, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the following operations: When the transmission device senses that the main channel is busy, it sends an Auxiliary Request Transmission (ToSR) request frame to the receiving device on one or more secondary channels where the transmission device senses that the channel is idle. The transmission device listens for Assisted Grant Transmission (ToSG) response frames on each of the one or more secondary channels; The transmitting device selects a set of consecutive secondary channels on which it receives response frames from the receiving device as data channels; The transmission device selects one of the secondary channels in the data channel as a temporary primary channel; The transmission device determines whether to apply a first confirmation mode or a second confirmation mode; The transmitting device uses a data channel to send data to the receiving device; After transmitting the data, the transmission device will listen for at least one acknowledgment frame. In the first acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for identical acknowledgment frames on all the secondary channels included in the data channel. In the second acknowledgment mode, the transmission device will listen for acknowledgment frames only on the secondary channels that the transmission device knows to be temporary primary channels. The ToSR request frame and the ToSG response frame respectively include a physical (PHY) header and a media access control (MAC) header, a temporary master bitmap field and an acknowledgment mode field. The temporary master bitmap field includes a corresponding bit position that indicates one of the secondary channels is the temporary master channel and maps it to the corresponding secondary channel. The acknowledgment mode field is used to selectively indicate the first acknowledgment mode or the second acknowledgment mode.

8. A method for receiving data transmitted by a transmission device in a wireless communication channel bandwidth of a wireless network, the wireless communication channel bandwidth comprising a set of adjacent frequency channels having uniform bandwidth, the adjacent frequency channels comprising a primary channel for the transmission device and a plurality of secondary channels, the method comprising: At the receiving device, an auxiliary request transmission (ToSR) request frame is received on one or more of the auxiliary channels; The receiving device transmits a ToSG (To Assisted Grant Transmission) response frame on at least some of the one or more secondary channels in the secondary channel; The receiving device determines whether to apply a first confirmation mode or a second confirmation mode based on information included in one or more request frames. The receiving device receives data transmission through a data channel, which includes a set of consecutive secondary channels on which the receiving device transmits the response frame, but does not include the main channel and the temporary main channel. After receiving the data transmission, the receiving device will send at least one acknowledgment frame. In the first acknowledgment mode, the receiving device will send identical acknowledgment frames on all secondary channels included in the data channel. In the second acknowledgment mode, the receiving device will send an acknowledgment frame only on a single secondary channel. The ToSR request frame and the ToSG response frame respectively include a physical (PHY) header and a media access control (MAC) header, a temporary master bitmap field and an acknowledgment mode field. The temporary master bitmap field includes a corresponding bit position that indicates one of the secondary channels is the temporary master channel and maps it to the corresponding secondary channel. The acknowledgment mode field is used to selectively indicate the first acknowledgment mode or the second acknowledgment mode.

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