Multi-link transmission control method, apparatus, device, medium and program product

Abstract

A multi-link transmission control method, device, equipment, medium and program product are disclosed. The method comprises: a first logical access point and a second logical access point of a multi-link access point respectively sending a broadcast message, the reduction neighbor report information element in the broadcast message indicating that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device; the first logical access point sending a multi-link transmission notification message to a first logical terminal, the message indicating to stop the second link; and a second logical terminal belonging to the same multi-link terminal as the first logical terminal and operating on the second link stopping data transmission and reception. The application can flexibly set the operation mode of the multi-link terminal according to the actual load, so that the multi-link device can flexibly configure the operation mode according to the load, improve the transmission rate, maximize the number of system users, and ensure good user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to a multi-link transmission control method, apparatus, device, medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] 802.11be systems, also known as Extremely High Throughput (EHT) systems, achieve extremely high throughput through a range of system features and multiple mechanisms. With the continued growth in the use of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), providing wireless data services in many environments, such as homes, businesses, and hotspots, is becoming increasingly important. In particular, video traffic will continue to be a major traffic type in many WLAN deployments. The throughput requirements for these applications are constantly evolving due to the emergence of 4K and 8K video (uncompressed rates of 20Gbps). New high-throughput, low-latency applications such as virtual reality or augmented reality, gaming, remote offices, and cloud computing will proliferate (e.g., latency of less than 5 milliseconds for real-time gaming).

[0003] Given the high throughput and stringent real-time latency requirements of these applications, users expect higher throughput, greater reliability, less latency and jitter, and higher power efficiency when supporting their applications via WLAN. Users also expect improved integration with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) to support applications on heterogeneous Ethernet and wireless LANs. 802.11be networks are designed to ensure the competitiveness of WLANs by further increasing overall throughput and reducing latency, while ensuring backward compatibility and coexistence with older technology standards. 802.11 compliant devices operate in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] When multi-link access devices are deployed, multiple links simultaneously provide services to both multi-link terminals and single-link terminals. However, because multi-link terminals occupy resources on multiple links for data transmission after establishing a connection with the multi-link access device, when a large number of multi-link terminals connect to the multi-link access device, it's equivalent to a single device occupying resources across multiple frequency bands for both receiving and sending data. This significantly reduces the opportunities for single-link terminals on each frequency band to transmit data. For example, many single-link terminals may be unable to connect to the internet due to a lack of resources for both data transmission and reception, effectively causing a network outage for users. This drastically reduces the number of devices actually served by the access device, resulting in a significant decrease in the actual number of users served by the network. Therefore, this invention provides a multi-link transmission control method, apparatus, device, medium, and program product.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a multi-link transmission control method, comprising:

[0006] A first logical access point sends a first broadcast message, and a second logical access point sends a second broadcast message. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. However, the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link.

[0007] A first logical access point sends a first multi-link transmission notification message to a first logical terminal, or a second logical access point sends a second multi-link transmission notification message to a second logical terminal. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link. The second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates the remaining time for the link to stop being used, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used, or instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates an information retention time, instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the second link after the time indicated by the information retention time, or instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the first link after the time indicated by the information retention time.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first broadcast message and the second broadcast message further indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

[0011] One possible implementation also includes:

[0012] The first logical access point sends a third broadcast message, which includes a third neighbor reduction report information element. The third neighbor reduction report information element includes information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0013] The second logical access point sends a fourth broadcast message, which includes a fourth neighbor reduction report information element. The fourth neighbor reduction report information element includes information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention provides a multi-link transmission control method, comprising:

[0015] A first logical terminal receives a first broadcast message sent by a first logical access point, and a second logical terminal receives a second broadcast message sent by a second logical access point. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The first and second logical access points belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0016] A first logical terminal receives a first multi-link transmission notification message sent by a first logical access point, or a second logical terminal receives a second multi-link transmission notification message sent by a second logical access point, wherein the first multi-link transmission notification message indicates the termination of the second link, and the second multi-link transmission notification message indicates the termination of the first link.

[0017] If the second logical terminal stops sending and receiving data, and if the second logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then the first logical terminal transmits the data that the second logical terminal has not transmitted; or if the first logical terminal stops sending and receiving data, and if the first logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then the second logical terminal transmits the data that the first logical terminal has not transmitted.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates the remaining time for which the link will be out of service. The second logical terminal stops sending and receiving data during the time indicated by the remaining time for which the link will be out of service, or the first logical terminal stops sending and receiving data during the time indicated by the remaining time for which the link will be out of service.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates an information retention time, and the method further includes:

[0020] After receiving the first multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the second link after waiting for the time indicated by the information retention time; or,

[0021] After receiving the second multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the first link after waiting for the information retention time indicated by the information retention time.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first broadcast message and the second broadcast message further indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

[0023] One possible implementation also includes:

[0024] The first logical terminal receives a third broadcast message sent by the first logical access point. The third broadcast message contains a third neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0025] The second logical terminal receives a fourth broadcast message sent by the second logical access point. The fourth broadcast message contains a fourth neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0026] Thirdly, the present invention provides a multi-link transmission control device, including a multi-link control module, the multi-link control module being used to perform the following steps:

[0027] A first broadcast message is sent through a first logical access point, and a second broadcast message is sent through a second logical access point. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. However, the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link.

[0028] A first multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a first logical terminal through a first logical access point, or a second multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a second logical terminal through a second logical access point. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link. The second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0029] Fourthly, the present invention provides a multi-link transmission control device, including a multi-link control module, the multi-link control module being used to perform the following steps:

[0030] The system receives a first broadcast message from a first logical access point via a first logical terminal, and a second broadcast message from a second logical access point via a second logical terminal. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The first and second logical access points belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0031] The system receives a first multi-link transmission notification message sent by a first logical access point through a first logical terminal, or receives a second multi-link transmission notification message sent by a second logical access point through a second logical terminal. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, and the second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped.

[0032] Stop the data transmission and reception of the second logical terminal. If the second logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the second logical terminal has not transmitted through the first logical terminal; or stop the data transmission and reception of the first logical terminal. If the first logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the first logical terminal has not transmitted through the second logical terminal.

[0033] Fifthly, the present invention provides an electronic device including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0036] It should be noted that the apparatus described in the third aspect is used to perform the method provided in the first aspect, the apparatus described in the fourth aspect is used to perform the method provided in the second aspect, the electronic device described in the fifth aspect, the storage medium described in the sixth aspect, and the computer program product described in the seventh aspect are used to perform the method provided in the first or second aspect. Therefore, they can achieve the same beneficial effects as the method described in the first or second aspect, and will not be described in detail hereafter.

[0037] This invention allows for flexible configuration of the operation mode of multi-link terminals according to the actual load, enabling multi-link devices to flexibly configure their operation mode based on the load. This improves the transmission rate while maximizing the number of system users and ensuring a good user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 A flowchart of a multi-link transmission control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention. Although the disclosure in this invention is presented according to one or several exemplary examples, it should be understood that each aspect of these disclosures can constitute a complete technical solution on its own. Without conflict, the following embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0042] In the embodiments of the present invention, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. To facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order; they are merely illustrative and descriptive of the objects, without any order, and do not indicate a specific limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of the present invention, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of the present invention. The term "comprising" is used to indicate the presence of the features subsequently declared, but does not exclude the addition of other features.

[0043] First, a brief explanation of the multi-link technology involved in this invention is provided. In a multi-link scenario, a physical device can typically include multiple logical devices. Here, physical devices can refer to devices such as mobile phones, televisions, and projectors, while logical devices can refer to logical units within the physical device, belonging to virtual functional modules. Each logical device can independently manage data transmission and reception, and each logical device operates independently on a single link. Such a physical device is called a multi-link device (MLD).

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1As shown, the communication system includes a multi-link access point (AP MLD) and a multi-link terminal (STA MLD1). The AP MLD contains three logical access points, AP1, AP2, and AP3, which operate on three different links. In this embodiment, AP1 operates on a 2.4GHz link (link1), AP2 operates on a 5GHz link (link2), and AP3 operates on a 6GHz link (link3). The STA MLD1 contains three logical terminals, STA1, STA2, and STA3, which establish connections with AP1 on link1, with AP2 on link2, and with AP3 on link3. Additionally, AP1, AP2, and AP3 are each connected to multiple terminals that only support a single link (not shown in the figure).

[0045] It should be understood that Figure 1 This is merely a schematic diagram of a communication system architecture. In this embodiment of the invention, the number and type of devices in the communication system are not limited. For example, a multi-link terminal and a multi-link access point may contain only two logical devices or more than four logical devices, and the number of logical devices in a multi-link terminal and a multi-link access point may vary. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, based on the principles and functions described herein, the term "access point (AP)" according to this application can also be used to describe an access port or any other device capable of receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a network architecture. Therefore, the use of "access point" is merely exemplary.

[0046] Figure 1 In the communication system shown, AP1, AP2, and AP3 of the AP MLD send broadcast messages (such as beacon messages or probe response messages) containing a reduced neighbor report information element used to set information about neighboring access points. For example, the reduced neighbor report information element may contain the following parameters:

[0047] MLD ID: Multilink device identifier. Setting it to 0 indicates that it belongs to the same multilink device as the currently sending broadcast message, while setting it to other values ​​indicates that it does not belong to the same multilink device as the currently sending broadcast message.

[0048] Link ID: Link identifier.

[0049] In some embodiments, the broadcast message may also include a multi-link information element, which contains the parameter Maximum Number of Simultaneous Links, indicating the maximum number of links that can be used simultaneously. The value is the actual number of links used simultaneously minus one, informing the multi-link terminal of the maximum number of links that can be connected.

[0050] Taking AP1's broadcast message as an example, the reduced neighbor report information element can contain the following information:

[0051] Message 1: MLD ID = 0; Link ID = link2;

[0052] Message 2: MLD ID = 0; Link ID = link3;

[0053] Message 3: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link1;

[0054] Message 4: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link2.

[0055] The four pieces of information contained above represent that information 1 and information 2 are information about AP2 and AP3 of AP MLD, and information 3 and information 4 are information about two logical access points of another adjacent multi-link access device, such as AP MLD2.

[0056] The value of the parameter Maximum Number Of Simultaneous Links in the multi-link information element is set to 2, indicating that the AP MLD has 3 links in use at the same time.

[0057] The parameter settings in the broadcast messages of AP2 and AP3 follow the same principle, and will not be described in detail here.

[0058] When the number of terminals connected to the AP MLD increases significantly, especially when there are many more multi-link terminals, the AP MLD can convert the three logical access points into one or more independent access points. For example, when AP1, AP2, and AP3 are independent access points, it is equivalent to three independent single-link access points. In this case, multi-link terminals cannot connect to multiple independent access points simultaneously. Alternatively, the AP MLD can use AP1 as a single-link independent access point, while AP2 and AP3 are multi-link independent access points. This embodiment of the invention assumes that all three logical access points of the AP MLD are converted into independent access points, and explains the solution of the invention for this scenario.

[0059] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating a multi-link transmission control method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the multi-link transmission control method includes the following:

[0060] 201. AP1, AP2, and AP3 of the AP MLD send broadcast messages. In the broadcast message of AP1, the reduced neighbor report information element indicates that AP2 and AP3 do not belong to the same MLD as AP1. This can be achieved by either not including information about AP2 and AP3 in the reduced neighbor report information element, or by setting the value of the MLD ID parameter corresponding to AP2 and AP3 to a non-zero value. Examples of two settings are given below:

[0061] 1) If the reduced neighbor report information element does not contain information about AP2 and AP3, then the reduced neighbor report information element contains the following information:

[0062] Message 1: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link1;

[0063] Message 2: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link2.

[0064] 2) In the reduced neighbor report information element, if the value of the MLD ID parameter corresponding to AP2 and AP3 is set to a non-zero value, indicating that they do not belong to the same MLD as AP1, then the reduced neighbor report information element contains the following information:

[0065] Message 1: MLD ID = 253; Link ID = link2;

[0066] Message 2: MLD ID = 254; Link ID = link3;

[0067] Message 3: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link1;

[0068] Message 4: MLD ID = 25; Link ID = link2.

[0069] Furthermore, the maximum number of simultaneously used links in the multi-link information element is updated to the remaining number after subtracting the independent access points. In this embodiment, all three logical access points of AP MLD are converted to independent access points, so the maximum number of simultaneously used links is set to 0, that is, the value of the parameter Maximum Number Of Simultaneous Links in the multi-link information element is set to 0. In some embodiments, the multi-link information element can also be deleted from the broadcast message of AP1.

[0070] Similarly, in AP2's broadcast message, the reduced neighbor report information element indicates that AP1 and AP3 do not belong to the same MLD as AP2; in AP3's broadcast message, the reduced neighbor report information element indicates that AP1 and AP2 do not belong to the same MLD as AP3. The specific settings for AP2 and AP3's broadcast messages can be found in AP1's broadcast message, and will not be detailed here.

[0071] 202. AP MLD notifies STA MLD1 to disconnect the connection on the corresponding link.

[0072] In this embodiment of the invention, it is assumed that the AP MLD determines, based on factors such as load, to retain only the connection of STA MLD1 on link 1. In this case, AP1 of the AP MLD sends a multi-link transmission notification message (such as an ML transition notification message) to STA1, indicating that links 2 and 3 should be stopped. If the AP MLD determines to retain only the connection of STA MLD1 on link 2, then AP2 of the AP MLD sends a multi-link transmission notification message (such as an ML transition notification message) to STA2, indicating that links 1 and 3 should be stopped, and so on.

[0073] For example, the multi-link transmission notification message sent by AP1 may include the following parameters:

[0074] Transition delay (optional): Indicates the remaining time before the link stops being used, in microseconds. For example, if set to 512, it indicates that data transmission and reception on the link indicated by Dropped links must stop within 512 microseconds.

[0075] Info reservation time (optional): Indicates the time during which the information is reserved.

[0076] Dropped links: Indicates the links that have been dropped. In this embodiment of the invention, it is set to {link2, link3}.

[0077] It should be understood that if AP MLD uses AP1 as a single-link independent access point, while AP2 and AP3 are multi-link independent access points, then when AP MLD decides to retain STA MLD1's connection on link 1, AP1 of AP MLD sends a multi-link transmission notification message to STA1, indicating that links 2 and 3 should be stopped; when AP MLD decides to retain STA MLD1's connection on links 2 and 3, AP2 or AP3 of AP MLD sends a multi-link transmission notification message to STA2 or STA3, indicating that link 1 should be stopped.

[0078] 203. STA MLD1 stops data transmission and reception on the corresponding links. If STA MLD1 has untransmitted data on these links, it will use the links that are still connected to transmit the data.

[0079] For example, upon receiving a multi-link transmission notification message, STA MLD1 suspends data transmission and reception on the links indicated by the Dropped links for the duration specified by the Transition delay. If there is unsent data on these links, it will be transmitted on the links that remain connected, i.e., link1. If the multi-link transmission notification message also includes the parameter Info reservation time, it will wait for the time indicated by Info reservation time before deleting the security key used for communication on links link2 and link3.

[0080] If AP MLD decides to restore the previous settings, the reduced neighbor report information element in AP1's broadcast message will contain information about AP2 and AP3, and the value of the MLD ID parameter corresponding to AP2 and AP3 will be set to 0, indicating that they belong to the same MLD as AP1; the reduced neighbor report information element in AP2's broadcast message will contain information about AP1 and AP3, and the value of the MLD ID parameter corresponding to AP1 and AP3 will be set to 0, indicating that they belong to the same MLD as AP2; the reduced neighbor report information element in AP3's broadcast message will contain information about AP1 and AP2, and the value of the MLD ID parameter corresponding to AP1 and AP2 will be set to 0, indicating that they belong to the same MLD as AP3.

[0081] After receiving such a broadcast message, STA MLD1 can decide whether to transmit data with AP MLD on links 2 and 3 according to its own needs.

[0082] This invention also provides a multi-link transmission control device, including a multi-link control module, which is used to perform the following steps:

[0083] A first broadcast message is sent through a first logical access point, and a second broadcast message is sent through a second logical access point. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. However, the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link.

[0084] A first multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a first logical terminal through a first logical access point, or a second multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a second logical terminal through a second logical access point. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link. The second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0085] Optionally, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message may further indicate the remaining time for the link to stop being used, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used, or instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used.

[0086] Optionally, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message may further indicate an information retention time, instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the second link after the time indicated by the information retention time, or instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the first link after the time indicated by the information retention time.

[0087] Optionally, the first broadcast message and the second broadcast message may further indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

[0088] Optionally, the multi-link control module is further configured to perform the following steps:

[0089] A third broadcast message is sent through the first logical access point. The third broadcast message contains a third neighbor reduction report information element. The third neighbor reduction report information element contains information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0090] A fourth broadcast message is sent through the second logical access point. The fourth broadcast message contains a fourth neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0091] This invention also provides a multi-link transmission control device, including a multi-link control module, which is used to perform the following steps:

[0092] The system receives a first broadcast message from a first logical access point via a first logical terminal, and a second broadcast message from a second logical access point via a second logical terminal. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The first and second logical access points belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

[0093] The system receives a first multi-link transmission notification message sent by a first logical access point through a first logical terminal, or receives a second multi-link transmission notification message sent by a second logical access point through a second logical terminal. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, and the second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped.

[0094] Stop the data transmission and reception of the second logical terminal. If the second logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the second logical terminal has not transmitted through the first logical terminal; or stop the data transmission and reception of the first logical terminal. If the first logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the first logical terminal has not transmitted through the second logical terminal.

[0095] Optionally, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message may further indicate the remaining time for which the link will be stopped, during which the data transmission and reception of the second logical terminal will be stopped, or the data transmission and reception of the first logical terminal will be stopped during the remaining time for which the link will be stopped.

[0096] Optionally, the first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates an information retention time, and the multi-link control module is further configured to perform the following steps:

[0097] After receiving the first multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the second link after waiting for the information retention time indicated by the message; or...

[0098] After receiving the second multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the first link after waiting for the information retention time indicated by the information retention time.

[0099] Optionally, the first broadcast message and the second broadcast message may further indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

[0100] Optionally, the multi-link control module is further configured to perform the following steps:

[0101] The first logical terminal receives a third broadcast message sent by the first logical access point. The third broadcast message contains a third neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0102] The second logical terminal receives a fourth broadcast message sent by the second logical access point. The fourth broadcast message contains a fourth neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

[0103] It should be understood that the device described here is embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" here can refer to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (e.g., shared processors, proprietary processors, or group processors) and memories for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuits, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. The device described above has the function of implementing the corresponding steps in the described method; the functions described above can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above. In embodiments of the present invention, the device can also be a chip or a chip system, such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC). The present invention is not limited thereto.

[0104] This invention also provides an electronic device. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, device 300 includes processor 301, memory 302 and communication interface 303. The processor 301, memory 302 and communication interface 303 communicate with each other through bus 304. The memory 302 stores instructions that can be executed by the processor 301. The instructions are loaded and executed by the processor 301 to control the communication interface 303 to send and / or receive signals.

[0105] It should be understood that device 300 may specifically be AP MLD or STA MLD1 in the above embodiments, or the functions of AP MLD or STA MLD1 in the above embodiments may be integrated into device 300, and device 300 may be used to execute the various steps and / or processes corresponding to AP MLD or STA MLD1 in the above embodiments. Optionally, memory 302 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to processor 301. A portion of memory 302 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, memory 302 may also store device type information. Processor 301 may be used to execute instructions stored in memory 301, and when processor 301 executes the instructions, processor 301 may execute the corresponding various steps and / or processes in the above method embodiments.

[0106] It should be understood that, in this embodiment of the invention, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or it may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0107] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this invention can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0108] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present invention are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0109] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present invention, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention. Modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0110] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, one module or component can be divided into multiple modules or components, or multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0112] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-link transmission control method, characterized in that, include: A first logical access point sends a first broadcast message, and a second logical access point sends a second broadcast message. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. However, the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. A first logical access point sends a first multi-link transmission notification message to a first logical terminal, or a second logical access point sends a second multi-link transmission notification message to a second logical terminal. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link. The second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

2. The multi-link transmission control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message also indicates the remaining time for the link to stop being used, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used, or instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used.

3. The multi-link transmission control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message also indicates an information retention time, instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the second link after the time indicated by the information retention time, or instructing the multi-link terminal to delete the security key used for communication on the first link after the time indicated by the information retention time.

4. The multi-link transmission control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first broadcast message and the second broadcast message also indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

5. The multi-link transmission control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The first logical access point sends a third broadcast message, which includes a third neighbor reduction report information element. The third neighbor reduction report information element includes information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device. The second logical access point sends a fourth broadcast message, which includes a fourth neighbor reduction report information element. The fourth neighbor reduction report information element includes information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

6. A multi-link transmission control method, characterized in that, include: A first logical terminal receives a first broadcast message sent by a first logical access point, and a second logical terminal receives a second broadcast message sent by a second logical access point. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The first and second logical access points belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link. A first logical terminal receives a first multi-link transmission notification message sent by a first logical access point, or a second logical terminal receives a second multi-link transmission notification message sent by a second logical access point, wherein the first multi-link transmission notification message indicates the termination of the second link, and the second multi-link transmission notification message indicates the termination of the first link. If the second logical terminal stops sending and receiving data, and if the second logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then the first logical terminal transmits the data that the second logical terminal has not transmitted; or if the first logical terminal stops sending and receiving data, and if the first logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then the second logical terminal transmits the data that the first logical terminal has not transmitted.

7. A multi-link transmission control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message also indicates the remaining time for the link to stop being used. The second logical terminal stops sending and receiving data during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used, or the first logical terminal stops sending and receiving data during the time indicated by the remaining time for the link to stop being used.

8. A multi-link transmission control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first multi-link transmission notification message or the second multi-link transmission notification message further indicates an information retention time, and the method further includes: After receiving the first multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the second link after waiting for the time indicated by the information retention time; or, After receiving the second multi-link transmission notification message, the multi-link terminal deletes the security key used for communication on the first link after waiting for the information retention time indicated by the information retention time.

9. A multi-link transmission control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first broadcast message and the second broadcast message also indicate the number of links operated by the multi-link access point.

10. A multi-link transmission control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The first logical terminal receives a third broadcast message sent by the first logical access point. The third broadcast message contains a third neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the second logical access point and indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point belong to the same multi-link device. The second logical terminal receives a fourth broadcast message sent by the second logical access point. The fourth broadcast message contains a fourth neighbor reduction report information element, which contains information about the first logical access point and indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link device.

11. A multi-link transmission control device, characterized in that, Includes a multi-link control module, which performs the following steps: A first broadcast message is sent through a first logical access point, and a second broadcast message is sent through a second logical access point. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. However, the first logical access point and the second logical access point belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. A first multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a first logical terminal through a first logical access point, or a second multi-link transmission notification message is sent to a second logical terminal through a second logical access point. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the second link. The second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped, instructing the multi-link terminal to stop data transmission and reception on the first link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link.

12. A multi-link transmission control device, characterized in that, Includes a multi-link control module, which performs the following steps: The system receives a first broadcast message from a first logical access point via a first logical terminal, and a second broadcast message from a second logical access point via a second logical terminal. The first broadcast message includes a first neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the second logical access point and the first logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The second broadcast message includes a second neighbor reduction report information element, which indicates that the first logical access point and the second logical access point do not belong to the same multi-link device. The first and second logical access points belong to the same multi-link access point, and the first logical access point operates on the first link, while the second logical access point operates on the second link. The first logical terminal and the second logical terminal belong to the same multi-link terminal, and the first logical terminal operates on the first link, while the second logical terminal operates on the second link. The system receives a first multi-link transmission notification message sent by a first logical access point through a first logical terminal, or receives a second multi-link transmission notification message sent by a second logical access point through a second logical terminal. The first multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the second link should be stopped, and the second multi-link transmission notification message indicates that the first link should be stopped. Stop the data transmission and reception of the second logical terminal. If the second logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the second logical terminal has not transmitted through the first logical terminal; or stop the data transmission and reception of the first logical terminal. If the first logical terminal has data that has not been transmitted, then transmit the data that the first logical terminal has not transmitted through the second logical terminal.

13. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor executes the computer program to implement the method of any one of claims 1-10.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method of any one of claims 1-10.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method of any one of claims 1-10.

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