Communication method and device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method and apparatus, which relate to the field of communications, and improve the transmission performance of a communication system by generating and transmitting a transmission frame comprising a plurality of control fields and indicating the MCS level of a transmission symbol between a control field and an adjacent next control field with one control field. The communication method comprises: an access device generating a first transmission frame, the first transmission frame comprising a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, at least one transmission symbol being included between two control fields arranged in sequence in the plurality of control fields, the plurality of control fields comprising a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, the first control field is used for indicating the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; and the access device sends the first transmission frame to the endpoint device. The embodiment of the invention is applied to the field of communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communications, and in particular, to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0002] In order to meet the higher requirements of the transmission performance (communication rate, data throughput, etc.) of the communication system due to the rapid development of communication technology, Wi-Fi technology has become increasingly popular and has become the most widely used wireless network transmission technology. Various Wi-Fi products, such as game consoles, smart phones, tablet computers, laptops and other devices that can access the Internet wirelessly, have also been widely used.

[0003] Generally speaking, Wi-Fi technology involves two types of communication devices: access point (AP, also known as access device) and station (STA, also known as endpoint device). Communication devices usually transmit signals through channels to achieve communication. However, there are often various interferences in the application scenarios of Wi-Fi technology, which will affect the communication quality (such as data throughput) between AP and STA. For example, fans are used for cooling in scenarios where Wi-Fi technology is used (home, factory workshop, classroom, etc.). Turning on the fan will seriously affect the communication quality between AP and STA and reduce the transmission performance of the communication system. Specifically, turning on the fan will cause the channel characteristics (such as channel amplitude, channel phase, channel condition number, etc.) to vary in time (channel characteristics continue to change dramatically), which greatly reduces the transmission performance of the channel.

[0004] The rate selection algorithm can pre-select a suitable level of modulation and coding scheme (MCS) according to the channel characteristics. Different MCS levels correspond to different communication rates. Specifically, the rate selection algorithm will pre-select a suitable MCS level according to the channel characteristics between two communication devices (such as AP and STA). The AP writes the MCS level into the preamble (also called the pilot field) and sends all transmission symbols to the STA according to the MCS level; the STA receives the signal and parses all symbols according to the MCS level written in the preamble, so that all symbols can communicate between communication devices at a certain MCS level. However, this solution can only rely on the pramb le to control the MCS level of all symbols. When the channel characteristics change, the use of the rate selection algorithm will result in a high bit error rate, which greatly reduces the transmission performance of the communication system. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and device, which improves the transmission performance of a communication system by generating and transmitting a transmission frame including multiple control fields, using one control field to indicate the MCS level of a transmission symbol between an adjacent next control field.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method may be performed by an access device. The communication method comprises: first, the access device generates a first transmission frame, the first transmission frame comprises a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields in the plurality of control fields, the plurality of control fields comprises a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, the first control field is used to indicate an MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; then, the access device sends the first transmission frame to an endpoint device.

[0007] In this scheme, the access device generates a transmission frame including multiple control fields, and any control field in the transmission frame can correspond to the MCS level of one or more symbols after the control field. The access device sends one or more symbols to the endpoint device according to the MCS level. After receiving the transmission frame, the subsequent endpoint device can parse the corresponding one or more symbols according to the MCS level indicated by the control field included in the transmission frame, so that one or more symbols can communicate at the communication rate corresponding to the MCS level. Then, this scheme can control the MCS level of one or more symbols after the control field through any control field, instead of using the method of writing the information indicating the MCS level of all symbols into the preamble to generate and transmit the transmission frame. Therefore, this scheme can adapt to different application scenarios of the communication system and improve the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the communication method also includes: the access device receives feedback information, the feedback information includes the communication effect of the corresponding transmission symbol parsed by the endpoint device according to the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol; then, the access device updates the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol indicated by the first control field according to the feedback information; the access device sends a second transmission frame to the endpoint device, and the second transmission frame includes the updated first control field.

[0009] In this way, the access device can update the MCS level of the transmission symbol through the communication effect included in the feedback information, and send a transmission frame including the updated MCS level to the endpoint device, so that the MCS level of the transmission symbol can adapt to the channel characteristics when the transmission symbol communicates, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the communication system.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the first control field includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an MCS level of a first transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols between the first control field and the second control field.

[0011] In this scheme, the first indication information can indicate the MCS level of the first transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field, so that the first transmission symbol communicates at the communication rate corresponding to the MCS level. Then, through any control field, the scheme can realize the control of the MCS level (for example, it can be the optimal communication rate corresponding to the best communication effect of the transmission symbol) of any one of the one or more transmission symbols after the control field, and control the transmission symbol to communicate at the communication rate corresponding to the MCS level, thereby improving the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols. The first control field also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced apart from the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

[0013] In this way, the scheme can indicate the positional relationship of at least two transmission symbols between two control fields arranged sequentially in a control field and the relationship of the MCS levels, so that the MCS levels of multiple transmission symbols between the two control fields are changed at fixed intervals (including increasing, decreasing or unchanged). Therefore, the scheme can ensure the communication effect of multiple transmission symbols included in the transmission frame, improve the transmission quality of the communication system, and ensure the compatibility of the communication system for different application scenarios. For example, when the channel characteristics vary with time, the scheme can reduce the MCS levels of multiple transmission symbols between the two control fields at fixed intervals, and the transmission symbol at the end of the transmission frame can better adapt to the channel characteristics when the transmission symbol communicates, thereby effectively reducing the bit error rate.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes fourth indication information, the fourth indication information includes the MCS level of a third transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols, and the first control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

[0015] In this scheme, the MCS level and position of the third transmission symbol can be indicated through the fourth indication information and the fifth indication information included in the first control field. For example, the fourth indication information indicates that the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is MCS 4; the fifth indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol is 2, that is, the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is MCS 4, and the third transmission symbol is separated from the first transmission symbol by two transmission symbols. In this way, the scheme can realize the control of the MCS level of at least two transmission symbols whose positional relationship between two sequentially arranged control fields is a fixed interval, so that the MCS level of the transmission symbol can adapt to the channel characteristics and greatly improve the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of a fourth transmission symbol and the MCS level of a third transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols. The first control field also includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol.

[0017] Then, the sixth indication information and the seventh indication information can indicate the MCS level and position of the fourth transmission symbol. For example, the fourth indication information indicates that the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is MCS 5; the sixth indication information indicates that the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol is one level higher than the MCS level of the third transmission symbol, and the seventh indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol is 3, that is, the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol is MCS 6, and the fourth transmission symbol is three transmission symbols apart from the third transmission symbol. In a possible implementation, through the first control field, it can be indicated that the MCS levels of the first transmission symbol, the third transmission symbol, and the fourth transmission symbol are all MCS levels corresponding to the best communication effect. Among them, the MCS levels of each transmission symbol can be different or the same; the interval between the first transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol, and the interval between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol can be the same or different. In this way, the scheme can realize the control of the MCS levels of multiple transmission symbols between two sequentially arranged control fields, and can ensure the communication effect of multiple transmission symbols included in the transmission frame.

[0018] In a possible implementation, before the access device generates a transmission frame, it includes: receiving capability information sent by the endpoint device, where the capability information is used to indicate the MCS level supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol supported by the endpoint device.

[0019] In this way, the access device can first obtain the MCS level supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol supported by the endpoint device based on the received capability information, and then generate and send transmission frames through the communication method described in the above scheme, and / or update the MCS level of one or more transmission symbols accordingly.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the transmission frame includes a pilot field and a payload field, the first control field is located before multiple transmission symbols, the pilot field includes the first control field, and the payload field includes multiple transmission symbols and other control fields other than the first control field.

[0021] In this way, the transmission frame generated by the access device includes a pilot field of the first control field located before multiple transmission symbols, multiple transmission symbols and a payload field of other control fields other than the first control field.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the payload field includes multiple intermediate preamble codes and multiple transmission symbols, the intermediate preamble code is set between two adjacent transmission symbols, and the intermediate preamble code includes other control fields except the first control field.

[0023] In this way, the transmission frame generated by the access device includes a plurality of intermediate preamble codes arranged between two adjacent transmission symbols and a plurality of payload fields of the transmission symbols, wherein the intermediate preamble codes include other control fields except the first control field.

[0024] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by an endpoint device. The method includes: the endpoint device receives a transmission frame sent by an access device, wherein the transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields in the multiple control fields, wherein the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; the endpoint device parses the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level.

[0025] In this solution, through the multiple control fields included in the received transmission frame, the endpoint device can parse the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level of one or more transmission symbols among the multiple transmission symbols indicated by the control field.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: the endpoint device analyzes the communication effect of the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol; the endpoint device sends feedback information to the access device, and the feedback information includes the communication effect.

[0027] In this scheme, feedback information including communication effects is sent from the endpoint device to the access device, which facilitates the access device to subsequently update the MCS level of the transmission symbol, so that the MCS level of the transmission symbol can adapt to the current channel characteristics, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the communication system.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner, the first control field includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an MCS level of a first transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols between the first control field and the second control field.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols. The first control field also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced apart from the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes fourth indication information, the fourth indication information includes the MCS level of a third transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols, and the first control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols separated by the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first control field also includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of a fourth transmission symbol and the MCS level of a third transmission symbol among multiple transmission symbols; the first control field also includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol.

[0032] In a possible implementation, before the endpoint device receives the transmission frame sent by the first device, it includes: sending capability information to the access device, where the capability information is used to indicate the MCS level supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol supported by the endpoint device.

[0033] In this way, based on the capability information sent by the endpoint device, the MCS level supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol supported by the endpoint device can be obtained. Further, it is convenient for the access device to generate and send a transmission frame through the communication method described in the first aspect, and / or to update the MCS level of one or more transmission symbols accordingly.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the transmission frame includes a pilot field and a payload field, the first control field is located before multiple transmission symbols, the pilot field includes the first control field, and the payload field includes multiple transmission symbols and other control fields other than the first control field.

[0035] In a possible implementation manner, the payload field includes multiple intermediate preamble codes and multiple transmission symbols, the intermediate preamble code is set between two adjacent transmission symbols, and the intermediate preamble code includes other control fields except the first control field.

[0036] In a third aspect, a transmission frame is provided. The transmission frame includes: multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field.

[0037] In a possible implementation, three transmission symbols are included between the first control field and the second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field can be used to indicate the MCS levels of the three transmission symbols. Then, the scheme can indicate that the MCS levels of the three transmission symbols are different MCS levels through the first control field, so that different transmission symbols can communicate at different communication rates.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be an access device, a module or a chip in the access device, or a chip or a system on chip. The communication device includes: a processor, which is used to generate a transmission frame, wherein the transmission frame includes a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the plurality of control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; and a transmitter, which is used to send the transmission frame.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be an endpoint device, a module or a chip in the endpoint device, or a chip or a system on chip. The communication device comprises: a receiver for receiving a transmission frame, wherein the transmission frame comprises a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the plurality of control fields comprise a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; and a processor for parsing the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer-readable storage medium is run on a computer, the computer can execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0041] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program code, when the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer can execute the method described in any one of the above aspects.

[0042] In an eighth aspect, a communication system is provided, the communication system comprising the access device described in the above aspect and the endpoint device described in the above aspect. In an example, the access device may be an access point AP, and the endpoint device may be a station STA.

[0043] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the second to eighth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by different design methods in the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 3 A statistical graph of the throughput of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a channel characteristic provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a Wi-Fi frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a Wi-Fi frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an MCS index value and a modulation and coding scheme provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the number of consecutive tail errors of MPDUs provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the number of consecutive tail error MPDUs provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a channel characteristic provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig.11 An architecture diagram of a communication device provided for an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a communication method provided for another embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a transmission frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of a transmission frame provided for another embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of a transmission frame provided for another embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Fig.17 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Fig.18 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided for another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The technical solution in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0063] The present application will present various aspects, embodiments or features around a system that may include multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In addition, a combination of these schemes may also be used. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, "exemplarily", "for example", etc. are used to represent examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "example" in the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Specifically, the word "example" is used to present concepts in a specific way. In the embodiments of the present application, "information", "signal", "message", "channel", "signaling", "message" can sometimes be mixed, and it should be noted that when the difference is not emphasized, the meaning to be expressed is consistent. “Of”, “corresponding”, “relevant” and “corresponding” can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be pointed out that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings they express are the same.

[0064] For ease of understanding of the embodiments of the present application, for example, refer to Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of a communication system is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the communication system includes an access device 101 and an endpoint device 103, and both the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 can be configured with multiple antennas. Optionally, the communication system can also include other access devices and / or other endpoint devices, such as an access device 102 and an endpoint device 104, and both the access device 102 and the endpoint device 104 can also be configured with multiple antennas.

[0065] It should be understood that the above-mentioned access devices and endpoint devices may also include multiple components related to signal transmission and reception (for example, processors, encoders, decoders, modulators, demodulators, multiplexers, demultiplexers, etc.).

[0066] Exemplarily, the access device includes, but is not limited to: an access point AP in a Wi-Fi system, an evolved Node B (evolved Node B, eNB), a home base station (e.g., home evolved NodeB, or home Node B, HNB), a wireless relay node, a wireless backhaul node, a transmission point (transmission and reception point, TRP or transmission point, TP), etc., and may also be a gNB in ​​a new radio (NR) system, as well as a communication server, a router, a switch, a bridge, a computer, etc. The above-mentioned endpoint device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The endpoint device in the embodiments of the present application may be a non-access point station (NON-STA or STA), a mobile phone, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a wireless terminal in a smart home, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the aforementioned endpoint device and the chip that can be set in the aforementioned endpoint device are collectively referred to as an endpoint device.

[0067] In the communication system, an access device or an endpoint device can be regarded as a node, and any two or more nodes can communicate in any form such as one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, many-to-many, etc. For example, the same access device can communicate with at least one endpoint device and / or at least one access device, and the same endpoint device can also communicate with at least one access device and / or at least one endpoint device. Figure 1 As shown, the access device 101 can communicate with the endpoint device 103, can communicate with the access device 102, and can communicate with at least two of the endpoint device 103, the endpoint device 104, and the access device 102 at the same time. For another example, the endpoint device 104 can communicate with the access device 101, can communicate with the endpoint device 103, and can communicate with at least two of the access device 101, the access device 102, and the endpoint device 103.

[0068] Optionally, the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general device or a dedicated device, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0069] It should be understood that Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram for ease of understanding only. The communication system may also include other access devices or other endpoint devices. Figure 1 Not drawn in.

[0070] Figure 2 1 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103. Figure 2 As shown, the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 both include an application layer processing module, a transmission control protocol (TCP) / user datagram protocol (UDP) processing module, an internet protocol (IP) processing module, a logical link control (LLC) processing module, a media access control (MAC) layer processing module, a physical layer (physical layer) baseband processing module, a radio frequency module and an antenna. Among them, the IP processing module is connected to the LLC processing module through an upper layer interface.

[0071] Among them, for the sender, such as the access device 101, the physical layer baseband processing module is used to perform channel coding on the binary user data, that is, the information bits to generate coded bits, modulate the coded bits to generate modulation symbols, and then up-convert the modulation symbols to generate radio frequency signals, and send them out through the antenna. For the receiver, such as the endpoint device 103, the physical layer baseband processing module is used to down-convert and demodulate the radio frequency signal received by the radio frequency module to recover the coded bits, and channel decode the coded bits to recover the information bits, thereby completing the information bits, that is, the sending and receiving of binary user data.

[0072] It should be noted that Figure 2 Only the access device 101 configured with two antennas and the endpoint device 103 configured with one antenna are shown. In actual applications, the antennas of the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 can be configured with one or more antennas.

[0073] In fact, in modern communication systems, multi-antenna technology is widely used, such as in Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G NR and other systems. A node, such as the access device 101 or the endpoint device 103 mentioned above, can send or receive signals through multiple antennas, referred to as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. In a communication system that supports MIMO, the node can obtain gains such as diversity and multiplexing by adjusting the MIMO transmission and reception schemes, such as adjusting the weights of the transmitting antennas, allocating different signals to different antennas, etc., to improve system capacity and increase system reliability.

[0074] In order to meet the higher requirements of the transmission performance of communication systems put forward by the rapid development of communication technology, Figure 1 In the architecture shown, the communication system can effectively improve the transmission performance by adopting Wi-Fi technology, a wireless network transmission technology. However, in actual application scenarios, there are often various interferences that will affect the communication quality between the access device and the endpoint device. For example, when using a fan for cooling, turning on the fan will cause the channel characteristics (such as the channel amplitude, channel phase, channel condition number, etc.) to change in time (the channel characteristics continue to change dramatically), which greatly reduces the transmission performance of the channel. Therefore, it will have a serious impact on the communication quality between the access device and the endpoint device, and reduce the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0075] For example, refer to Figure 3 As shown, a statistical chart of the throughput of a communication system using Wi-Fi technology in a fan (on or off) scenario is shown. Figure 3 As shown, when the fan is placed on its side and not turned on, the throughput of the communication system is 480Mbps; when the fan is placed on its side and turned on to the first gear, the throughput of the communication system is 236Mbps; when the fan is placed on its side and turned on to the second gear, the throughput of the communication system is 215Mbps; when the fan is placed on its side and turned on to the third gear, the throughput of the communication system is 214Mbps. When the fan is placed upright and not turned on, the throughput of the communication system is 380Mbps; when the fan is placed upright and turned on to the first gear, the throughput of the communication system is 108Mbps; when the fan is placed upright and turned on to the second gear, the throughput of the communication system is 108Mbps; when the fan is placed upright and turned on to the third gear, the throughput of the communication system is 95Mbps. It is not difficult to understand that whether the fan is placed on its side or upright, turning on the fan will interfere with the communication of the communication system and greatly reduce the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0076] By analyzing the channel characteristics in the fan (on or off) scenario, the channel characteristics at different times and the changes in the channel characteristics can be determined. Figure 4As shown, a schematic diagram of the channel characteristics (including channel amplitude (where the horizontal axis is the offset of the subcarrier frequency and the vertical axis is the amplitude), channel phase (where the horizontal axis is the offset of the subcarrier frequency and the vertical axis is the phase) and channel condition number (where the horizontal axis is the offset of the subcarrier frequency and the vertical axis is the channel condition number)) between communication devices in the fan on and off scenarios is provided. Among them, the curve shown in the figure is the sampling result of each sampling in multiple samplings. Here, a communication system including an access device configured with 2 antennas and an endpoint device configured with 2 antennas is taken as an example, and statistics are taken on the channel characteristics during the communication (receiving and transmitting) process between the two communication devices. In this way, the two communication devices will communicate through the channels corresponding to a group (including 2) of antennas, so there will be channels corresponding to four groups of antennas between the two communication devices, that is, statistics on the channel amplitude and channel phase between the two communication devices will obtain four figures, corresponding to the channel characteristics of the four channels respectively. Combined with Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The four figures (1) to (4) in FIG. 1 are schematic diagrams showing the amplitudes of the four channels for communication between two communication devices when the fan is turned off. Figure 4 Figures (5) to (8) in the figure respectively show the amplitudes of the four channels for communication between two communication devices when the fan is turned on. It is not difficult to find that the amplitude of the channel changes more dramatically when the fan is turned on, and the amplitude of the channel changes more slowly when the fan is turned off. Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The four figures (9)-(12) in FIG. 1 are schematic diagrams showing the phases of the four channels for communication between two communication devices when the fan is turned off. Figure 4 Figures (13) to (16) in the diagram respectively show the phases of the four channels for communication between two communication devices when the fan is turned on. It is not difficult to find that the phase distribution of the channels is relatively messy when the fan is turned on, and the phase distribution of the channels is almost the same when the fan is turned off. Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 (17) in FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the channel condition number when two communication devices communicate with each other when the fan is turned off. Figure 4 (18) in FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the channel condition number when two communication devices communicate with each other when the fan is turned on. The channel condition number fluctuates greatly when the fan is turned on, and fluctuates less when the fan is turned off. It is not difficult to find that after the fan is turned on, the channel characteristics become time-varying and the channel characteristics change dramatically.

[0077] Typically, communication devices (such as access devices and endpoint devices) communicate with each other by transmitting transmission frames through channels. The transmission frames include Wi-Fi frames and signals in similar frame formats. Figure 5As shown, a frame structure of a Wi-Fi frame is shown. Among them, the Wi-Fi frame is a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) data unit (PLCP data unit, PPDU), including a pilot field and a load field (payload). Among them, the preamble is used for channel estimation (estimating the current channel characteristics); the payload is used as a load to carry valid data, including multiple MAC protocol data units (medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit, MPDU), multiple MAC protocol data unit delimiters (MPDU delimiter) and multiple pads (pad). Specifically, when communicating, the valid data carried by the payload will communicate according to the channel characteristics estimated by the preamble.

[0078] For example, refer to Figure 6 As shown in the figure, when the PPDU aggregation length is 1000 microseconds (us), the payload in the Wi-Fi frame includes 6 MPDUs; when the PPDU aggregation length is 500us, the payload in the Wi-Fi frame includes 3 MPDUs. Figure 6 The PPDU shown is taken as an example, and the number of MPDUs included in a certain aggregation length PPDU should not be limited by this. When the PPDU aggregation length is different, the number of MPDUs included in the payload in the Wi-Fi frame is different. Generally, the longer the aggregation length, the more MPDUs included in the payload.

[0079] Generally, during the communication process, the communication system will select an appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on the current channel characteristics (or channel quality). Figure 7 The figure shows the correspondence between the MCS index value and the modulation and coding scheme at a bandwidth of 20MHz. Among them, different modulation and coding schemes can be configured through the MCS index value. For example, when the channel quality is good, a higher-order modulation method and a higher coding efficiency can be selected; when the channel quality is poor, a lower-order modulation method and a lower coding efficiency can be used. By adjusting the MCS, the channel changes can be adapted to ensure the service transmission quality and transmission efficiency. Combined with Figure 7As shown, any MCS index value (MCS level) has a corresponding number of spatial streams, modulation mode and coding scheme, and different MCS index values ​​can correspond to different communication rates. For example, the MCS index value is 6, the corresponding number of spatial streams is 1, the modulation mode is 64-QAM, the communication rate is 6.5Mb / s under the 800 nanosecond (ns) protection interval (GI), and the communication rate is 7.2Mb / s under the 400ns protection interval; the MCS index value is 12, the corresponding number of spatial streams is 2, the modulation mode is 16-QAM, the communication rate is 78Mb / s under the 800 nanosecond (ns) protection interval (GI), and the communication rate is 86.7Mb / s under the 400ns protection interval. The transmission performance of the communication system using Wi-Fi technology is closely related to the MCS level. Using different MCS levels for communication, the communication system will have different transmission performance (including data throughput, etc.).

[0080] For example, refer to Figure 8 As shown, a schematic diagram of the number of consecutive wrong MPDUs at the tail end when the PPDU aggregation length is 1000us in the fan-on scenario is provided. The horizontal axis represents time in seconds, and the vertical axis represents the number of consecutive wrong MPDUs at the tail end of the PPDU in pieces. Specifically, in the fan-on scenario, when the PPDU aggregation length is 1000us, the number of consecutive wrong MPDUs at the tail end of the PPDU reaches 8. For example, refer to Fig. 9 As shown, the horizontal axis represents time in seconds, and the vertical axis represents the number of consecutive erroneous MPDUs at the tail of the PPDU. Specifically, in the fan-on scenario, when the aggregation length of the PPDU is 500us, the number of consecutive erroneous MPDUs at the tail of the PPDU is 4. Since turning on the fan will cause the channel characteristics to vary with time and the channel characteristics will change drastically, the channel characteristics of the MPDU at the tail of the PPDU during communication are quite different from the channel characteristics of the preamble for channel estimation. This will result in a higher bit error rate when the MPDU at the tail communicates. Then, if the aggregation length of the PPDU is longer and the channel characteristics change, the channel characteristics obtained by the preamble for channel estimation will no longer be applicable to the communication of the MPDU at the tail of the PPDU, resulting in more consecutive erroneous MPDUs at the tail of the PPDU and poorer transmission performance of the communication system.

[0081] To address the above issues, the rate selection algorithm will pre-select a suitable MCS level based on the channel characteristics between two communication devices (such as AP and STA). The AP writes the MCS level into the pilot field and sends all symbols to the STA at the MCS level. The STA receives the signal and parses all symbols according to the MCS level written in the preamble, so that all symbols can communicate between communication devices at a certain MCS level. However, this solution can only rely on pramble to control the MCS level of all symbols. When the channel characteristics change, the rate selection algorithm will result in a high bit error rate, which greatly reduces the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0082] For example, refer to Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of communication between an AP and a STA is provided. For ease of explanation, numbers 0-10 are used here to represent channel quality, where 0 represents the worst channel quality and 10 represents the best channel quality. Specifically, Fig.10 As shown in the figure, the transmission frame includes 6 symbols. The MCS level pre-selected according to the rate selection algorithm is MCS 9. The AP writes MCS 9 into the preamble, generates a signal including the preamble, and sends all symbols to the STA according to MCS 9. The STA receives the signal and parses the 6 symbols according to MCS 9, that is, symbol 1 to symbol 6 communicate at the communication rate corresponding to MCS 9 written in the preamble. Among them, symbol 1 to symbol 4 communicate at MCS 9, and the channel quality is good (8) during communication. When the tail symbol 5 communicates, the channel quality decreases from 8 to 6. Since symbol 5 still communicates at MCS 9, a high bit error rate of 40% will occur. At the same time, when the tail symbol 6 communicates, the channel quality decreases from 8 to 4. Symbol 6 still communicates at MCS 9, and a high bit error rate of 60% will also occur.

[0083] Then, through the above communication method, when the channel characteristics change, the transmission frame will have a high bit error rate when communicating between communication devices, which will greatly reduce the transmission performance of the communication system. In order to solve the above problem, the embodiment of the present application generates and transmits a transmission frame including multiple control fields, and uses a control field to indicate the MCS level of the transmission symbol between the adjacent next control field, thereby improving the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0084] Optionally, the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 in the embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general device or a dedicated device, and the embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0085] Optional, such as Fig.11 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access device 101 and an endpoint device 103 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0086] The endpoint device 103 includes at least one processor ( Fig.11 The exemplary embodiment includes a processor 301 as an example) and at least one transceiver ( Fig.11 Optionally, the endpoint device 103 may also include at least one memory ( Fig.11 In the example, a memory 302 is used as an example to illustrate), at least one output device ( Fig.11 The exemplary embodiment includes an output device 304 as an example) and at least one input device ( Fig.11 The example is described by taking an input device 305 as an example).

[0087] The processor 301, the memory 302 and the transceiver 303 are connected via a communication line. The communication line may include a path to transmit information between the above components.

[0088] Processor 301 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application. In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, processor 301 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 301 may be a single-CPU processor or a multi-CPU processor. The processor here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores for processing data (such as computer program instructions).

[0089] The memory 302 may be a device with a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 302 may exist independently and be connected to the processor 301 via a communication line. The memory 302 may also be integrated with the processor 301.

[0090] The memory 302 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 301. Specifically, the processor 301 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 302, thereby realizing the communication method described in the embodiment of the present application.

[0091] Alternatively, optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 301 may also perform processing-related functions in the communication method provided in the following embodiments of the present application, and the transceiver 303 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0092] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code or computer program code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] The transceiver 303 may use any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks. The transceiver 303 includes a transmitter (transmitter, Tx) and a receiver (receiver, Rx). For example, in the embodiment of the present application, the endpoint device 103 receives Wi-Fi frames through the receiver.

[0094] The output device 304 communicates with the processor 301 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 304 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector.

[0095] The input device 305 communicates with the processor 301 and can accept user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 305 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0096] The access device 101 includes at least one processor ( Fig.11 In the example, a processor 201 is used as an example for explanation), at least one transceiver ( Fig.11 The exemplary embodiment includes a transceiver 203 as an example) and at least one network interface ( Fig.11 Optionally, the access device 101 may further include at least one memory ( Fig.11 The exemplary embodiment includes a memory 202 as an example for explanation). The processor 201, the memory 202, the transceiver 203 and the network interface 204 are connected through a communication line. The network interface 204 is used to connect to the core network device through a link (such as an S1 interface), or to connect to the network interface of other access devices through a wired or wireless link (such as an X2 interface). Fig.11 (not shown), the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. In addition, the relevant descriptions of the processor 201, the memory 202 and the transceiver 203 can refer to the descriptions of the processor 301, the memory 302 and the transceiver 303 in the endpoint device 103, which will not be repeated here. The transceiver 203 can use any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks. The transceiver 203 includes a transmitter (transmitter, Tx) and a receiver (receiver, Rx). For example, in an embodiment of the present application, the access device 101 sends a transmission frame through a transmitter.

[0097] The following will be combined Figures 1 to 11 ,by Fig.11 The access device and endpoint device shown in the figure are used as examples to explain the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application. It should be noted that the message names between the network elements or the names of the parameters in the message in the following embodiment of the present application are only examples, and other names may also be used in the specific implementation. The embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this. For example, refer to Fig.12As shown, a communication method is provided for an embodiment of the present application, which is described by taking the access device 101 and the endpoint device 103 as an example. The communication method includes steps 401 to 408, which are described in detail as follows.

[0098] 401. An access device generates a first transmission frame.

[0099] Combination Fig.12 As shown, first, the access device 101 generates a first transmission frame. Specifically, the access device 101 generates a first transmission frame, the first transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, at least one transmission symbol is included between two control fields arranged sequentially in the multiple control fields, the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field. Optionally, the first control field includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate the MCS level of the first transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols between the first control field and the second control field.

[0100] Exemplarily, the first transmission frame may adopt Fig.14 Specifically, the transmission frame includes a plurality of symbols and a plurality of control fields, and at least one symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the plurality of control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one symbol between the first control field and the second control field.

[0101] Optional, combined Fig.14 As shown, the transmission frame includes a preamble and a payload field, the first control field is located before multiple transmission symbols, the preamble includes the first control field, and the payload field includes multiple symbols and other control fields other than the first control field. Fig.14 As shown, the payload field includes multiple midambles and multiple symbols, the midamble is set between two adjacent symbols, and the midamble includes the other control fields except the first control field.

[0102] For the sake of convenience, this is only taken as an example here, and it should not be used to limit the number of symbols and control fields included in the transmission frame.

[0103] For example, combined with Fig.14As shown, the first transmission frame generated by the access device 101 includes a first control field, the first control field includes first indication information, and the first indication information indicates that the MCS level of the transmission symbol 1 (symbol 1) is MCS 10.

[0104] 402. The access device sends a first transmission frame to the endpoint device.

[0105] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the access device 101 sends a first transmission frame to the endpoint device 103. Specifically, the access device 101 sends symbol 1 to the endpoint device 103 according to the communication rate corresponding to MCS 10.

[0106] 403. The endpoint device receives a first transmission frame sent by the access device.

[0107] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the endpoint device 103 receives the first transmission frame sent by the access device 101.

[0108] 404. The endpoint device parses the first transmission frame and generates feedback information.

[0109] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the endpoint device 103 parses the first transmission frame and generates feedback information. Specifically, the endpoint device 103 parses the first transmission frame and generates feedback information, which includes the communication effect of the corresponding transmission symbol parsed by the endpoint device according to the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol.

[0110] It should be noted that the feedback information includes the communication effect of symbol 1 analyzed by the endpoint device 103 according to the communication rate, and the communication effect can be reflected by values ​​such as data throughput. In a possible implementation, the optimal communication rate of symbol 1 can be the communication rate corresponding to the maximum data throughput.

[0111] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the endpoint device 103 parses symbol 1 according to MCS 10 and generates feedback information, and the feedback information includes the communication effect of the endpoint device 103 parsing symbol 1 according to MCS 10. The communication effect includes data throughput.

[0112] 405. The endpoint device sends feedback information to the access device.

[0113] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the endpoint device 103 sends feedback information to the access device 101.

[0114] 406. The access device receives feedback information.

[0115] Combination Fig.12As shown, the access device 101 receives feedback information.

[0116] 407. The access device generates a second transmission frame according to the feedback information.

[0117] Combination Fig.12 As shown, the access device 101 generates a second transmission frame according to the feedback information. The structure of the second transmission frame is the same as that of the first transmission frame, that is, it also adopts Fig.14 Specifically, the access device 101 updates the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol indicated by the first control field according to the feedback information, and generates a second transmission frame including the updated first control field. In this way, the MCS level of the transmission symbol can be adapted to the channel characteristics when the transmission symbol is communicating through the updated first control field, thereby ensuring the communication quality of the communication system.

[0118] For example, the access device 103 obtains, based on the received feedback information, that the communication effect of the endpoint device 103 parsing symbol 1 according to MCS 10 is poor, and updates the MCS level of symbol 1 indicated by the first control field to MCS 9, and generates a second transmission frame including the updated first control field indicating that the MCS level of symbol 1 is MCS 9. Similarly, the access device 103 can use a similar method to update the indication information in the control field used to indicate the MCS level of other symbols except symbol 1 according to the feedback information, which is not repeated here.

[0119] 408. The access device sends a second transmission frame to the endpoint device. Fig.12 As shown, the access device 101 sends a second transmission frame to the endpoint device 103 .

[0120] The access device 101 sends a second transmission frame including an updated first control field indicating that the MCS level of symbol 1 is MCS 9 to the endpoint device 103 .

[0121] In this way, the embodiment of the present application controls the MCS level of one or more symbols after the control field through any control field, without writing the information indicating the MCS level of all symbols into the prefix, so as to control the MCS level of one or more symbols, adapt to different application scenarios of the communication system, and improve the transmission performance of the communication system. The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is particularly suitable for scenarios (homes, factory workshops, classrooms, etc.) using Wi-Fi technology, and fiber to the room (FTTR) scenarios.

[0122] In some examples, the above communication method includes two stages, wherein the control validation stage includes steps 401 to 405. In a possible implementation, the above communication method also includes a capability reporting stage. Fig.12 As shown, before step 401, the capability reporting stage includes: before the access device generates the first transmission frame, the endpoint device sends capability information to the access device, and the capability information for indicating the MCS levels supported by the endpoint device, and the capability information for the endpoint device to support the update of the MCS levels of the transmission symbols. The access device obtains the MCS levels supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS levels supported by the endpoint device for the transmission symbols based on the received capability information, and then generates and sends the first transmission frame to the endpoint device. Specifically, when the endpoint device is first accessed, it sends capability information to the access device, and the capability information indicates the MCS levels supported by the endpoint device and the update of the MCS levels supported by the endpoint device for the transmission symbols. (If the endpoint device does not support the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol, the symbol level rate selection capability is 0).

[0123] In another example, referring to Fig.13 As shown, the communication method of steps 401 to 408 can detect the rate of a certain transmission symbol. Specifically, the detection process includes a detection phase and a decision phase. The detection phase includes steps 401 to 406, and the decision phase includes steps 407 to 408. Fig.14As an example, the detection of the rate of symbol 1 of the transmission frame shown is performed. Through steps 401 to 406, in the detection phase: the access device 101 generates a first transmission frame, and the first indication information included in the first transmission frame can indicate the communication rate (for example, MCS 10) of a certain transmission symbol (for example, symbol 1), and the access device 101 sends symbol 1 to the endpoint device 103 according to MCS 10; the endpoint device 103 parses symbol 1 according to MCS 10, and generates feedback information according to the communication effect of parsing symbol 1 according to MCS 10, and sends the feedback information to the access device 101. Through steps 407-408, in the decision-making stage: the access device 101 obtains that the communication effect of the endpoint device 103 parsing symbol 1 according to MCS 10 is the best based on the received feedback information, and the access device 101 will select MCS 10 as the optimal communication rate corresponding to the best communication effect of the endpoint device 103 parsing symbol 1, generate a second transmission frame including a control field with the optimal communication rate of symbol 1 written in, and send symbol 1 (second transmission frame) to the endpoint device 103 according to the optimal communication rate. It is not difficult to understand that in the detection stage, by cyclically executing the communication method described in steps 401-406, the access device 101 can also send the second transmission frame to the endpoint device 103; in the decision-making stage, through the communication method described in steps 406-408, the access device 101 uses the communication rate of a certain transmission symbol indicated by the first indication information included in the second transmission frame as the optimal communication rate, generates a third transmission frame including a control field with the optimal communication rate written in, and sends the transmission symbol (third transmission frame) to the endpoint device according to the optimal communication rate. For ease of explanation, here we use Fig.14 The transmission frame shown includes symbol 1 as an example. In a possible implementation, the communication method described in steps 401 to 408 can also detect the optimal communication rate of each symbol in the multiple symbols included in the transmission frame, so that the multiple symbols included in the transmission frame communicate at the selected optimal communication rate. In this way, the communication effect of each symbol is optimal, and communication can be performed at a communication rate (MCS level) that adapts to the channel characteristics, thereby improving the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0124] Then, the embodiment of the present application can control the MCS level of any one of the one or more transmission symbols after the control field through any control field, so that the transmission symbol communicates at the communication rate corresponding to the MCS level. In this way, the method can reduce the bit error rate when the transmission frame is used for communication, improve the compatibility of the communication system for various application scenarios (such as scenarios with rapid changes in channel characteristics), and improve the transmission performance and anti-interference ability of the communication system.

[0125] For example, refer to Fig.15 As shown, the embodiments of the present application provide Fig.12 Another possible frame structure of the transmission frame (including the first transmission frame and the second transmission frame) described in the communication method shown.

[0126] Among them, based on Fig.14 As shown, the transmission frame includes a first control field, the first control field includes first indication information, and the first indication information indicates that the MCS level of symbol 1 is MCS 10.

[0127] Optional, combined Fig.15 As shown, the first control field also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols; the first control field also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol. For example, the second indication information indicates that the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol is one level lower; the third indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol is 1, that is, the MCS level of symbol 2 is MCS 9.

[0128] In this way, the embodiment of the present application can realize the MCS level of two transmission symbols between two control fields arranged in order. Specifically, the first indication information included in the control field can indicate the MCS level of the first transmission symbol; the second indication information and the third indication information included in the control field can indicate the MCS level and position of the second transmission symbol with a fixed interval from the first transmission symbol. In this way, the multiple transmission symbols included in the transmission frame can communicate at different (or the same) MCS levels according to the corresponding intervals, and the communication rate of multiple transmission symbols (at least two) can be controlled.

[0129] Optional, combined Fig.15As shown, the first control field also includes fourth indication information, and the fourth indication information includes the MCS level of the third transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols; the first control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol. For example, the fourth indication information indicates that the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is MCS 7; the fifth indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol is 2, that is, the MCS level of symbol 3 is MCS 7.

[0130] Then, the embodiment of the present application can also realize the MCS level (communication rate) of three transmission symbols between two control fields arranged in sequence. Specifically, the first indication information included in the control field can indicate the MCS level of the first transmission symbol; the second indication information and the third indication information included in the control field can indicate the MCS level and position of the second transmission symbol with a fixed interval from the first transmission symbol; the fourth indication information and the fifth indication information included in the control field can indicate the MCS level and position of the third transmission symbol with a fixed interval from the first transmission symbol.

[0131] For the sake of convenience, this is only used as an example here, and the structure of the transmission frame should not be limited by this. Among them, the MCS levels of symbol 1 (first transmission symbol), symbol 2 (second transmission symbol) and symbol 3 (third transmission symbol) can be the same or the same; the number of transmission symbols between the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol, and the number of transmission symbols between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol can be the same or different. In a possible implementation, symbol 2 is the second transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol at the same time, then the MCS level of symbol 2 is the MCS level indicated by the fourth indication information.

[0132] Thus, in a possible implementation, when the channel characteristics vary, the multiple transmission symbols included in the transmission frame can communicate at the optimal communication rate (which can be different or the same), so that the communication effects of the multiple transmission symbols can all be optimized. Then, the communication method described in the embodiment of the present application can enable the multiple transmission symbols included in the transmission frame to communicate at different (or the same) MCS levels according to the corresponding intervals, and realize the control of the communication rate of more transmission symbols (at least three), so that the communication effect of the communication system is guaranteed, and the transmission performance of the communication system is greatly improved.

[0133] For example, refer to Fig.16 As shown, the embodiments of the present application provide Fig.12Another possible frame structure of the transmission frame described in the communication method shown in FIG. 1 . The transmission frame includes the first transmission frame or the second transmission frame mentioned in the above embodiments. Fig.16 As shown, the transmission frame includes symbol 1 whose MCS level is MCS 10; symbol 2 whose MCS level is MCS 9; and symbol 3 whose MCS level is MCS 7.

[0134] Optional, combined Fig.16 As shown, the first control field also includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol and the MCS level of the third transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols; the first control field also includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol. For example, the sixth indication information indicates that the relationship between the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol and the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is the same; the seventh indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol is 2, that is, the MCS level of transmission symbol 5 is MCS 7.

[0135] In this way, the embodiments of the present application can control the communication rate of more transmission symbols (at least four), further improving the transmission performance of the communication system.

[0136] It is not difficult to understand that, for the sake of convenience, here, the MCS levels of the first transmission symbol, the second transmission symbol, the third transmission symbol, and the fourth transmission symbol included in the transmission frame are different as an example. In a possible implementation, the MCS levels of the first transmission symbol, the second transmission symbol, the third transmission symbol, and the fourth transmission symbol may also be the same. For example, the first indication information indicates that the MCS level of the first transmission symbol is MCS 10. The second indication information indicates that the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol is the same; the third indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol is 1. The fourth indication information includes that the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is MCS 10; the fifth indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol is 1. The sixth indication information indicates that the relationship between the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol and the MCS level of the third transmission symbol is the same; the seventh indication information indicates that the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol is 2. Then, the MCS levels of the first transmission symbol, the second transmission symbol, the third transmission symbol, and the fourth transmission symbol are all MCS 10.

[0137] It is understandable that, in order to implement the above functions, the above-mentioned access devices and endpoint devices include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that, in combination with the units and algorithm operations of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0138] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the access device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0139] For example, when the functional modules are divided in an integrated manner, Fig.17 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device is shown. The communication device can be a chip or system on chip in the above-mentioned access device, or other combined devices, components, etc. that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned access device, and the communication device can be used to perform the functions of the access device involved in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0140] As a possible implementation, Fig.17 The communication device 10 shown includes: a processing unit 1701 and a sending unit 1702. The processing unit 1701 is used to generate a transmission frame, wherein the transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field. The sending unit 1702 is used to send the transmission frame.

[0141] Among them, all relevant contents of each operation involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0142] In this embodiment, the communication device is presented in the form of dividing various functional modules in an integrated manner. The "module" here may refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can imagine that the communication device can be used Fig.11 The form of access device shown.

[0143] for example, Fig.11 The processor 201 in the communication device can call the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 202 to enable the communication device to execute the communication method in the above method embodiment.

[0144] For example, Fig.17 The functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 1701 and the sending unit 1702 can be Fig.11 The processor 201 in the embodiment calls the computer execution instruction stored in the memory 202 to implement; or, Fig.17 The function / implementation process of the processing unit 1701 in Fig.11 The processor 201 in the embodiment calls the computer execution instruction stored in the memory 202 to implement, Fig.17 The function / implementation process of the sending unit 1702 can be Fig.11 This is achieved by the transmitter in the transceiver 203 in .

[0145] Since the communication device provided in this embodiment can execute the above-mentioned communication method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0146] The embodiment of the present application can divide the functional modules of the endpoint device according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0147] For example, when the functional modules are divided in an integrated manner, Fig.18 The schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device is shown. The communication device can be a chip or system on chip in the above-mentioned endpoint device, or other combined devices, components, etc. that can realize the functions of the above-mentioned endpoint device, and the communication device can be used to perform the functions of the endpoint device involved in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0148] As a possible implementation, Fig.18The communication device 20 shown includes: a processing unit 1801 and a receiving unit 1802. The receiving unit 1802 is used to receive a transmission frame, wherein the transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields, wherein the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged in sequence, and the first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; the processing unit 1801 is used to parse the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level.

[0149] Among them, all relevant contents of each operation involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0150] In this embodiment, the communication device is presented in the form of dividing various functional modules in an integrated manner. The "module" here may refer to a specific ASIC, circuit, processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions. In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art can imagine that the communication device can be used Fig.11 The form of the endpoint device shown.

[0151] for example, Fig.11 The processor 301 in the communication device can call the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 302 to enable the communication device to execute the communication method in the above method embodiment.

[0152] For example, Fig.18 The functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 1801 and the receiving unit 1802 can be Fig.11 The processor 301 in the memory 302 calls the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 302 to implement; or, Fig.18 The function / implementation process of the processing unit 1801 in Fig.11 The processor 301 in the embodiment calls the computer execution instruction stored in the memory 302 to implement, Fig.18 The function / implementation process of the receiving unit 1802 can be achieved by Fig.11 The receiver of the transceiver 303 is implemented.

[0153] Since the communication device provided in this embodiment can execute the above-mentioned communication method, the technical effects that can be obtained can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0154] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), the communication device including a processor and an interface, the processor being used to read instructions to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor may call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or it may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0155] Specifically, when the communication device 10 is an access device and the communication device 20 is an endpoint device, the sending unit 1702 can be a transmitter when transmitting information, and the receiving unit 1802 can be a receiver when receiving information. The transceiver unit can be a transceiver, and this transceiver, transmitter or receiver can be a radio frequency circuit. When the communication device 10 and the communication device 20 include a storage unit, the storage unit is used to store computer instructions, and the processor is connected to the memory in communication, and the processor executes the computer instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device 10 and the communication device 20 execute the method involved in the method embodiment. Among them, the processor can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0156] When the communication device 10 and the communication device 20 are chips, the sending unit 1702 and the receiving unit 1802 may be input and / or output interfaces, pins or circuits, etc. The processing unit 1701 and the processing unit 1801 may execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the storage unit so that the chip in the communication device 10 and the communication device 20 executes the method involved in the method embodiment. Optionally, the storage unit is a storage unit in the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. The storage unit may also be a storage unit located outside the chip in the endpoint device or access device, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0157] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or may contain one or more servers, data centers and other data storage devices that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)), etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the computer may include the aforementioned device.

[0158] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in a claim. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0159] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to have covered any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The access device generates a first transmission frame, the first transmission frame comprising a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, at least one transmission symbol being included between two sequentially arranged control fields in the plurality of control fields, the plurality of control fields comprising a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, the first control field being used to indicate an MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; The access device sends the first transmission frame to the endpoint device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The access device receives feedback information, where the feedback information includes a communication effect of a transmission symbol corresponding to the MCS level of the at least one transmission symbol parsed by the endpoint device; The access device updates, according to the feedback information, the MCS level of at least one of the transmission symbols indicated by the first control field; The access device sends a second transmission frame to the endpoint device, where the second transmission frame includes the updated first control field.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first control field includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an MCS level of a first transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols between the first control field and the second control field.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first control field also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol. The first control field also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the number of the transmission symbols spaced apart from the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

5. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first control field also includes fourth indication information, which includes the MCS level of the third transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols. The first control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first control field also includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols and the MCS level of the third transmission symbol. The first control field also includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol.

7. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Before the access device generates the first transmission frame, the method includes: Capability information sent by the endpoint device is received, where the capability information is used to indicate an MCS level supported by the endpoint device and whether the endpoint device supports updating of the MCS level of the transmission symbol.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The transmission frame includes a pilot field and a payload field, the first control field is located before the multiple transmission symbols, the pilot field includes the first control field, and the payload field includes the multiple transmission symbols and other control fields except the first control field.

9. The communication method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The payload field includes a plurality of intermediate preamble codes and the plurality of transmission symbols, the intermediate preamble code is arranged between two adjacent transmission symbols, and the intermediate preamble code includes the other control fields except the first control field.

10. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The endpoint device receives a first transmission frame sent by the access device, the first transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields in the multiple control fields, the multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially, and the first control field is used to indicate an MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; The endpoint device parses the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that: Also includes: The endpoint device analyzes the communication effect of the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level of the at least one transmission symbol; The endpoint device sends feedback information to the access device, where the feedback information includes the communication effect.

12. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first control field includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate an MCS level of a first transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols between the first control field and the second control field.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first control field also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the second transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols and the MCS level of the first transmission symbol. The first control field also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate the number of the transmission symbols spaced apart from the second transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

14. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first control field also includes fourth indication information, which includes the MCS level of the third transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols. The first control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the third transmission symbol and the first transmission symbol.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first control field also includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information is used to indicate the relationship between the MCS level of the fourth transmission symbol among the multiple transmission symbols and the MCS level of the third transmission symbol. The first control field also includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the number of transmission symbols spaced between the fourth transmission symbol and the third transmission symbol.

16. The communication method according to any one of claims 10 to 15, characterized in that: Before the endpoint device receives the first transmission frame sent by the first device, the method includes: Capability information is sent to the access device, where the capability information is used to indicate the MCS level supported by the endpoint device and whether the endpoint device supports the update of the MCS level of the transmission symbol.

17. The communication method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that: The transmission frame includes a pilot field and a payload field, the first control field is located before the multiple transmission symbols, the pilot field includes the first control field, and the payload field includes the multiple transmission symbols and other control fields except the first control field.

18. The communication method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The payload field includes a plurality of intermediate preamble codes and the plurality of transmission symbols, the intermediate preamble code is arranged between two adjacent transmission symbols, and the intermediate preamble code includes the other control fields except the first control field.

19. A transmission frame, characterized in that: include: The transmission frame includes multiple transmission symbols and multiple control fields, and at least one transmission symbol is included between two sequentially arranged control fields. The multiple control fields include a first control field and a second control field arranged sequentially. The first control field is used to indicate the MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field. The transmission frame includes the first transmission frame and the second transmission frame.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processor, configured to generate the transmission frame, the transmission frame comprising a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, at least one transmission symbol being included between two sequentially arranged control fields, the plurality of control fields comprising a first control field and a second control field being sequentially arranged, the first control field being used to indicate an MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; A transmitter is used to send the transmission frame.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a receiver, configured to receive the transmission frame, the transmission frame comprising a plurality of transmission symbols and a plurality of control fields, at least one transmission symbol being included between two sequentially arranged control fields, the plurality of control fields comprising a first control field and a second control field being sequentially arranged, the first control field being used to indicate an MCS level of at least one transmission symbol between the first control field and the second control field; The processor parses the corresponding transmission symbol according to the MCS level.

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