Multi-link communication method, communication node and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-link communication method, a communication node and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: interacting with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key, at least two links being included between the first communication node and the second communication node; and processing ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and a second communication node according to the transmission key through a second link, the second link being any one of the at least two links.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, for example, to a multi-link communication method, a communication node and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In 2022, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11az working group completed the definition of the final version. As the next-generation positioning technology, 802.11az is characterized by an improvement in the physical layer based on the high-efficiency (HE) physical layer (PHY) defined by the Wi-Fi 6 protocol. For example, the HE ranging protocol data unit (PPDU) defined by the 802.11az ranging technology includes HE ranging null data packet (NDP) and HE trigger-based (TB) ranging NDP, and allows stations (STA) to perform ranging with multiple access points (AP), ultimately achieving multi-point positioning.

[0003] However, there is currently no solution on how to implement secure and flexible multi-link communication between STA and AP. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a multi-link communication method, which is applied to a first communication node. The method includes:

[0005] Interacting with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key; wherein the first communication node and the second communication node include at least two links;

[0006] The ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through a second link; wherein the second link is any one link of the at least two links.

[0007] The embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, which is applied to a second communication node, and the method includes:

[0008] Interacting with a first communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key; wherein the first communication node and the second communication node include at least two links;

[0009] The ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through a second link; wherein the second link is any one link of the at least two links.

[0010] An embodiment of the present application provides a first communication node, comprising: a processor; the processor is used to implement the multi-link communication method of any of the above embodiments when executing a computer program.

[0011] An embodiment of the present application provides a second communication node, including: a processor; the processor is used to implement the multi-link communication method of any of the above embodiments when executing a computer program.

[0012] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which implements the method of any of the above embodiments when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0013] With regard to the above embodiments and other aspects of the present application and their implementation, further description is provided in the accompanying drawings, detailed description and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1A This is a networking diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment;

[0015] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of another networking of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment;

[0016] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 is an interactive schematic diagram of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-link connection establishment process provided by an embodiment;

[0019] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 6 is an interactive schematic diagram of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0021] Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram of a first PASN authentication frame in the related art;

[0022] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of a second PASN authentication frame in the related art;

[0023] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of a third PASN authentication frame in the related art;

[0024] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a multi-link element provided by an embodiment;

[0025] Fig. 9A is a schematic diagram of a first authentication frame provided by an embodiment;

[0026] Fig. 9B is a schematic diagram of a second authentication frame provided by an embodiment;

[0027] Fig. 9C is a schematic diagram of a third authentication frame provided by an embodiment;

[0028] Fig.10 It is a flowchart of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0029] Fig.11 is a flowchart of another multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0030] Fig.12 This is a schematic diagram of an application of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment;

[0031] Fig.13 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-link communication device provided by an embodiment;

[0032] Fig.14 is a schematic structural diagram of another multi-link communication device provided by an embodiment;

[0033] Fig.15 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-link terminal device provided by an embodiment;

[0034] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-link network device provided by an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application. The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0036] The multi-link communication method provided in the present application can be applied to various wireless communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) system, fourth generation mobile communication technology (4th-generation, 4G) system, fifth generation mobile communication technology (5th-generation, 5G) system, LTE and 5G hybrid architecture system, 5G new radio (New Radio, NR) system, 802.11az, Wi-Fi 8 and new communication systems emerging in future communication development, such as sixth generation mobile communication technology (6th-generation, 6G) system, etc.

[0037] Figure 1A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network of a wireless communication system provided by an embodiment. Figure 1A As shown, the wireless communication system provided in this embodiment includes: a first communication node 11 and a second communication node 12. The first communication node 11 may include multiple STAs, for example, STA1, STA2, ..., STAn. The second communication node 12 may include multiple APs, for example, AP1, AP2, ..., APn. Multiple links (links) can be established between the first communication node 11 and the second communication node 12. For example, link1 between STA1 and AP1, link2 between STA2 and AP2, ..., linkn between STAn and APn. Wherein, n is an integer greater than 0.

[0038] Figure 1B FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another wireless communication system provided by an embodiment. Figure 1B As shown, the wireless communication system provided in this embodiment includes: a first communication node 13 and a second communication node 14. The first communication node 13 may include multiple STAs, for example, STA1, STA2, ..., STAn. The second communication node 14 includes multiple APs deployed at different locations, for example, AP1, AP2, ..., AP n. Figure 1A Similarly, multiple links may be established between the first communication node 13 and the second communication node 14. For example, link 1 between STA1 and AP1, link 2 between STA2 and AP2, ..., link n between STA n and APn.

[0039] At present, how to Figure 1A and Figure 1B There is no related solution to achieve secure and flexible multi-link communication in the system shown.

[0040] This embodiment provides a multi-link communication method, including: a first communication node interacts with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key, wherein at least two links are included between the first communication node and the second communication node, and the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through the second link, wherein the second link is any one of the at least two links. It achieves the following technical effects: on the one hand, the first communication node interacts with the second communication node through the first link, and the generated transmission key can be used to transmit ranging related information between the first communication node and the second communication node, thereby improving the security of multi-link communication, thereby improving the security of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, the transmission key is generated through the first link, and the ranging related information is transmitted through the second link, and the first link and the second link can be the same or different, thereby improving the flexibility of multi-link communication, thereby improving the flexibility of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, after the transmission key is generated through the first link, it is not necessary to generate the key again when transmitting the ranging related information, but directly use the transmission key generated by the first link, thereby improving the communication efficiency of multi-link communication, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging and positioning.

[0041] The multi-link communication method, communication nodes and their technical effects are described below.

[0042] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. The method provided in this embodiment is applicable to a first communication node. In this example, the first communication node (also referred to as a first communication node device) may be a terminal device. The terminal device in this embodiment may be a multi-link terminal device (non-AP Multi-Link Device, abbreviated as: non-AP MLD) supporting the 802.11az protocol, and may also be a multi-link terminal device connected to a non-collocated AP MLD in the Wi-Fi 8 protocol, etc. The method comprises the following steps.

[0043] Step 201: interact with the second communication node through the first link to generate a transmission key.

[0044] There are at least two links between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0045] The second communication node in this embodiment may be a network device, for example, a multi-link network device (APMLD) supporting the 802.11az protocol, or a non-collocated AP MLD in the Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) protocol.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first communication node may include multiple subsidiary nodes. In this embodiment, the subsidiary node included in the first communication node is called STA. The second communication node also includes multiple subsidiary nodes. In this embodiment, the subsidiary node included in the second communication node is called AP. There is a one-to-one correspondence between STA and AP, and a link is established.

[0047] The difference between APMLD and non-collocated AP MLD is that at least two APs included in AP MLD are located on the same physical machine, while at least two APs included in non-collocated AP MLD are deployed on different physical machines at different locations.

[0048] In this embodiment, at least two links are included between the first communication node and the second communication node. The first link in this embodiment is any one of the at least two links mentioned above.

[0049] The first communication node and the second communication node can generate a transmission key through an interaction process between each other. The transmission key in this embodiment can be a pairwise transient key (PTK) or a pairwise master key (PMK).

[0050] The process of generating the transmission key can be to mutually transmit the device address between the first communication node and the second communication node. The first communication node generates the transmission key according to the device address of the first communication node and the device address of the second communication node. The second communication node generates the transmission key according to the device address of the first communication node and the device address of the second communication node. The specific interaction process will be described in detail in subsequent embodiments.

[0051] Step 202: Process ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0052] The second link is any one of the at least two links.

[0053] In this embodiment, the second link is any one of the at least two links, that is, the second link may be the same as or different from the first link, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first communication node may send ranging related information to the second communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, or receive ranging related information from the second communication node through the second link according to the transmission key.

[0055] Optionally, the first communication node sends the ranging related information to the second communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, which means that the first communication node encrypts the ranging related information according to the transmission key, and sends the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node through the second link. The encrypted ranging related information in this embodiment can be included in a fine timing measurement (FTM) frame.

[0056] Optionally, the first communication node receives ranging related information from the second communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, which means that the first communication node receives ranging related information from the second communication node through the second link and decrypts the received ranging related information using the transmission key. In this embodiment, the ranging related information sent by the second communication node can be included in the FTM frame.

[0057] Optionally, the ranging related information in this embodiment includes: time information and other related information. The ranging related information in this embodiment is used to determine the position of the first communication node relative to the second communication node, thereby realizing the positioning of the first communication node.

[0058] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is an interactive schematic diagram of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the first communication node includes STA1, STA2 and STA3, and the second communication node includes AP1, AP2 and AP3. Link 1 is established between STA1 and AP1, and the link works in the first frequency band, for example, 2.4 GHz. Link 2 is established between STA2 and AP2, and the link works in the second frequency band, for example, 5 GHz. Link 3 is established between STA3 and AP3, and the link works in the third frequency band, for example, 6 GHz. Based on the multi-link communication method provided in this embodiment, the first communication node and the second communication node can interact through any link in link 1, link 2 or link 3 to generate a transmission key. Assume that the transmission key is generated based on link 2. Afterwards, based on the coverage range and signal attenuation differences of Wi-Fi signals in different frequency bands, when the first communication node is close to the second communication node, it uses the transmission key to perform FTM frame interactive ranging and positioning on the 6 GHz frequency band, that is, on link 3; when the first communication node is far away from the second communication node, it uses the 2.4 GHz frequency band, that is, on link 1, to perform FTM frame interactive ranging and positioning. This can achieve flexible, secure and efficient multi-link communication between the first communication node and the second communication node, and further achieve flexible, secure and efficient ranging and positioning between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0059] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-link connection establishment process provided by an embodiment. Figure 4 The first communication node includes a STA and Figure 3 The first communication node in is similar to the STA included. Figure 4 The second communication node includes an AP and Figure 3 The second communication node in the example is similar to the AP. After the first communication node and the second communication node generate a transmission key through link 1, data can be transmitted on link 1, link 2, and link 3 using the transmission key.

[0060] This embodiment provides a multi-link communication method, including: a first communication node interacts with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key, wherein at least two links are included between the first communication node and the second communication node, and the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through the second link, wherein the second link is any one of the at least two links. It achieves the following technical effects: on the one hand, the first communication node interacts with the second communication node through the first link, and the generated transmission key can be used to transmit ranging related information between the first communication node and the second communication node, thereby improving the security of multi-link communication, thereby improving the security of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, the transmission key is generated through the first link, and the ranging related information is transmitted through the second link, and the first link and the second link can be the same or different, thereby improving the flexibility of multi-link communication, thereby improving the flexibility of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, after the transmission key is generated through the first link, it is not necessary to generate the key again when transmitting the ranging related information, but directly use the transmission key generated by the first link, thereby improving the communication efficiency of multi-link communication, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging and positioning.

[0061] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. Figure 2 Based on the illustrated embodiment and various optional implementations, the process of generating a transmission key is described in detail. Figure 5 As shown, the multi-link communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0062] Step 501: Send a first authentication frame to a second communication node via a first link.

[0063] The first authentication frame includes the device address of the first communication node.

[0064] Optionally, the device address of the first communication node in this embodiment is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the first communication node. Of course, it may also be other addresses that can uniquely identify the first communication node.

[0065] Step 502: Receive a second authentication frame sent by a second communication node through the first link.

[0066] The second authentication frame includes the device address of the second communication node.

[0067] Optionally, the device address of the second communication node in this embodiment is the MAC address of the second communication node. Of course, it can also be other addresses that can uniquely represent the second communication node.

[0068] Step 503: Generate a transmission key according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0069] Optionally, in this embodiment, generating the transmission key requires at least: a device address of the second communication node, a device address of the first communication node, and a pseudo-random function (Pseudo-Random Function, PRF for short).

[0070] Optionally, the transmission key can be generated according to the PTK generation formula defined in 802.11az. The MAC address of the second communication node is used as the authentication MAC address. The MAC address of the first communication node is used as the MAC address of the supplicant. The generation formula is as follows:

[0071] PTK=PRF-Length(PMK, "Pairwise key expansion", Min(AA,SPA)||Max(AA,SPA)||Min(ANonce,SNonce)||Max(ANonce,SNonce)).

[0072] Wherein, PRF refers to a pseudo-random function. AA is the MAC address of the second communication node. SPA is the MAC address of the first communication node. ANonce refers to a random number associated with the second communication node. SNonce refers to a random number associated with the first communication node. Min refers to the minimum value. Max refers to the maximum value. || represents a connector. A||B means A and B are connected together.

[0073] In one embodiment, after step 502, the following step may be further included: sending a third authentication frame to the second communication node via the first link, wherein the third authentication frame includes the device address of the first communication node.

[0074] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is an interactive schematic diagram of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, the multi-link communication method includes the following steps:

[0075] Step 601: A first communication node sends a first authentication frame to a second communication node via a first link.

[0076] Step 602: The second communication node receives a first authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link.

[0077] Step 603: The second communication node generates a transmission key according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0078] Step 604: The second communication node sends a second authentication frame to the first communication node through the first link.

[0079] Step 605: The first communication node receives a second authentication frame sent by the second communication node through the first link.

[0080] Step 606: The first communication node generates a transmission key according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0081] Step 607: The first communication node sends a third authentication frame to the second communication node through the first link.

[0082] Step 608: The second communication node receives the third authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link.

[0083] There is no timing relationship between step 603 and step 604 .

[0084] In a multi-link communication scenario, each link has two addresses: a first communication node end link address and a second communication node end link address. The first communication node end link address refers to the link address of each attached sub-node of the first communication node, that is, STA1 link address, STA2 link address, ..., STA n link address. The second communication node end link address refers to the link address of each attached sub-node of the second communication node, that is, AP1 link address, AP2 link address, ..., AP n link address.

[0085] The first communication node and the second communication node may also exchange link addresses of both ends.

[0086] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node.

[0087] Optionally, in this embodiment, the second authentication frame also includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

[0088] Optionally, the target second communication node end link address of the second communication node also included in the second authentication frame in this embodiment may be one.

[0089] In this embodiment, the second communication node end link address requested by the first communication node is called a candidate second communication node end link address. The second communication node end link address fed back by the second communication node to the first communication node is called a target second communication node end link address.

[0090] In this embodiment, the at least two target second communication node end link addresses included in the second authentication frame can be implemented in the following ways.

[0091] In the first implementation, the second authentication frame also includes a status code for each link. That is, the second authentication frame includes the second communication node end link address and the status code for each link. The status code may indicate that a connection is allowed to be established on the link, or that a connection is not allowed to be established on the link. In this embodiment, the second communication node end link address corresponding to the status code that allows a connection to be established on the link is referred to as the target second communication node end link address.

[0092] In the second implementation, the second communication node end link address fed back by the second communication node in the second authentication frame is the second communication node end link address corresponding to the link that allows the connection to be established. Therefore, in this implementation, the second communication node end link address included in the second authentication frame is the target second communication node end link address.

[0093] Optionally, the target second communication node end link address includes at least one of the following: an index of the target second communication node end link and a MAC address of the target second communication node end link. It can be understood that the candidate second communication node end link address also includes at least one of the following: an index of the candidate second communication node end link and a MAC address of the candidate second communication node end link.

[0094] In this embodiment, the index of the link may also be referred to as a link ID. The MAC address of the link may also be referred to as a link identifier. The second communication node end link address may include only one of the second communication node end link ID and the second communication node end link identifier, or may include both the second communication node end link ID and the second communication node end link identifier. In this embodiment, both the link ID and the link identifier may uniquely identify the link, the difference being that the number of bits of the link ID is less than the number of bits of the link identifier, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0095] In one implementation, at least two target second communication node end link addresses are the same as at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

[0096] In another implementation, at least two target second communication node end link addresses are subsets of at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses. In this implementation, after receiving the first authentication frame, the second communication node can select at least two target second communication node end link addresses that allow the establishment of a session from the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses included in the first authentication frame based on its own network status, scheduling strategy, access control and other factors. For example, the first communication node supports three links of 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz, and hopes to establish an FTM session on the three links, while the second communication node may only allow the establishment of a session at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In this example, the first authentication frame sent by the first communication node to the second communication node includes the second communication node end link addresses corresponding to the three links of 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz. The second authentication frame returned by the second communication node to the first communication node includes the second communication node end link addresses corresponding to the two links of 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first communication node may further perform the following steps: determining, based on the second authentication frame, a first communication node end link address corresponding to at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

[0098] Optionally, the first authentication frame or the third authentication frame in this embodiment further includes: a first communication node end link address.

[0099] Optionally, the first authentication frame and the third authentication frame in this embodiment also include: a first communication node end link address.

[0100] Optionally, the first communication node end link address includes: a MAC address of the first communication node end link (STAlinkMAC address). In other words, the first communication node end link address includes a first communication node end link identifier (STAlink identifier).

[0101] Optionally, the third authentication frame in this embodiment may also include at least one target second communication node end link address.

[0102] It should be noted that, in a scenario where only the third authentication frame includes the first communication node end link address, the first communication node end link address here may be a first communication node end link address corresponding to at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

[0103] When the first communication node end link address is sent through the third authentication frame, the first communication node end link address can be encrypted according to the generated transmission key, thereby further improving the security of multi-link communication.

[0104] Optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 6 Before step 601, the following steps may also be included:

[0105] Step 601a: The second communication node sends a management frame to the first communication node.

[0106] The management frame includes a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

[0107] Step 601b: The first communication node receives the management frame sent by the second communication node.

[0108] Optionally, before step 601a, the first communication node may use the multi-link discovery process defined by the 802.11be or 802.11bn protocol to discover the second communication node supporting the 802.11az protocol. Afterwards, the second communication node may send a management frame to the first communication node. The management frame in this embodiment may be a beacon frame, or a probe response frame.

[0109] Optionally, after receiving the management frame, the first communication node may include the following steps:

[0110] Step 601c: The first communication node determines at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node from the second communication node end link addresses supported by the second communication node included in the management frame.

[0111] Optionally, the management frame includes a first management frame and / or a second management frame, wherein the first management frame includes a second communication node end link address, and the second management frame includes at least two second communication node end link addresses.

[0112] Optionally, the number of the first management frames is at least two and they are located on different links. In other words, the first communication node receives at least two management frames from at least two links respectively. The link addresses of the second communication node ends of the two links are obtained respectively through the MAC headers of the at least two management frames.

[0113] The transmission link of the management frame in step 601a and step 601b (including the second communication node sending the management frame and the first communication node receiving the management frame) may be the same as or different from the first link in step 601. This embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0114] Optionally, the management frame in this embodiment further includes: a source robust security network element (Robust Security Network Element, RSNE for short) and a source extended robust security network element (RSN extension element, RSNXE for short).

[0115] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: a first RSNE and a first RSNXE. Further, the request link information of the first authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: a first RSNE and a first RSNXE. The request link information of the first authentication frame will be introduced later.

[0116] Optionally, the first RSNE and the first RSNXE are subsets of the source RSNE and the source RSNXE included in the management frame. This implementation can improve the success rate of establishing multi-link communication between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0117] Optionally, the second authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: whether to allow link connection indication, second RSNE and second RSNXE. Further, the request link information of the second authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: whether to allow link connection indication, second RSNE and second RSNXE.

[0118] The following describes in detail possible implementations of the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame, and the third authentication frame.

[0119] In this embodiment, the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame and the third authentication frame may be frames improved based on the Preassociation security negotiation (PASN) authentication frame defined in 802.11az.

[0120] In the related art, the first communication node and the second communication node interact with each other through three PASN authentication frames. Among them, the first PASN authentication frame is a frame sent by the first communication node to the second communication node. The second PASN authentication frame is a frame sent by the second communication node to the first communication node. The third authentication frame is a frame sent by the first communication node to the second communication node.

[0121] Fig. 7A Schematic diagram of the first PASN authentication frame in the related art. Fig. 7AAs shown, 1 indicates that the sequence number of the authentication frame is 1. PASN indicates that the authentication frame subtype is PASN. RSNE contains authentication key suite information, master key algorithm information, paired master key identifier (PMK Identifier, referred to as: PMKID) information, etc. RSNXE contains SAE hash unit, HE-LTF protection capability set, RTT protection capability set and other information. S-Ephemeral Pub represents the temporary public key generated by the first communication node. PASN parameters include field length, field ID, limited loop selection algorithm, temporary public key length and temporary public key information. AKMP data-1 includes data information used for 802.1X authentication in the first PASN authentication frame.

[0122] Figure 7B Schematic diagram of the second PASN authentication frame in the related art. Figure 7B As shown in the figure, 2 indicates that the sequence number of the authentication frame is 2. The meaning and content of PASN, RSNE, RSNXE and PASN parameters are the same as Fig. 7A A-Ephemeral Pub represents a temporary public key generated by the second communication node. AKMP Data-2 includes data information used for 802.1X authentication in the second PASN authentication frame. MIC represents message integrity check (Message Integrity Check, abbreviated as: MIC).

[0123] Figure 7C Schematic diagram of the third PASN authentication frame in the related art. Figure 7C As shown, 3 indicates that the sequence number of the authentication frame is 3. AKMP Data-3 includes data information used for 802.1X authentication in the third PASN authentication frame.

[0124] In this embodiment, a multi-link operation (Multi-link Operation, MLO for short) element may be defined. Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-link element provided by an embodiment. Figure 8As shown, MLO Element includes two parts: MLO common info and MLO link info. Among them, MLO common info includes the device address of the communication node. The device address of the communication node here includes the device address of the second communication node, such as the APMLD MAC address, or the device address of the first communication node, such as the non-AP MLD MAC address information. MLO linkinfo includes at least one of the following: a link address field and a link related information field. The link address field here may include a link ID field and a link identifier field. The link related information field may include at least one of the following: a link control bitmap field, a status code field, RSNE, and RSNXE. The explanation of each field is shown in Table 1.

[0125] Table 1 MLO Element field description

[0126]

[0127] The following takes the first communication node as a non-AP MLD and the second communication node as an AP MLD (including non-collocated AP MLD) as an example to illustrate the implementation of the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame, and the third authentication frame. The first communication node end link address may include: STA link identifier (STA link MAC address). The second communication node end link address may include: AP link ID and / or AP link identifier (AP link MAC address).

[0128] Fig. 9A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first authentication frame provided by an embodiment. Fig. 9A As shown, the first authentication frame in this embodiment can be implemented by adding an MLO Element to the first PASN authentication frame. The MLO Element in the first authentication frame includes: Non-AP MLD MAC address and MLO link information (i.e., the requested link information of the first authentication frame mentioned above). The MLO link information in the first authentication frame includes: AP link ID, link control bitmap, first RSNE (not shown in the figure) and first RSNXE (not shown in the figure). Among them, the AP link ID can include multiple, Fig. 9AIn the first authentication frame, the AP link ID is represented by AP link ID-1, ..., AP link ID-x. The link control bitmap, the first RSNE and the first RSNXE are optional contents in the first authentication frame. As shown above, the AP link ID in the first authentication frame is at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses determined by the non-AP MLD from the management frame sent by the AP MLD. The link control bitmap can correspond to the AP link ID. x is an integer greater than 0.

[0129] It can be understood that the MLO link information of the MLO Element in the first authentication frame may also include an AP link MAC address (ie, an AP link identifier). Alternatively, the AP link ID is replaced with the AP link MAC address.

[0130] Optionally, the first authentication frame may further include: a STA link MAC address.

[0131] In this embodiment, the position of the MLO Element in the first authentication frame is not limited. Fig. 9A The example in which the MLO Element in the first authentication frame is located after the AKMP data-1 field is used for explanation.

[0132] Fig. 9B FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a second authentication frame provided by an embodiment. Fig. 9B As shown, the second authentication frame in this embodiment can be implemented by adding an MLO Element to the second PASN authentication frame. The MLO Element in the second authentication frame includes: AP MLD MAC address and MLO link information (i.e., the requested link information of the second authentication frame mentioned above). The MLO link information in the second authentication frame includes: AP link ID, link control bitmap, AP link identifier, second RSNE (not shown in the figure) and second RSNXE (not shown in the figure). Among them, the AP link ID can include multiple, Fig. 9B In the figure, AP link ID-1, ..., AP link ID-x are used. Each AP link ID corresponds to an AP link identifier. The AP link identifier can be the AP1 link MAC address, the AP2 link MAC address, ..., the AP x link MAC address. Fig. 9BIn the second authentication frame, the MLO link information also includes the status code corresponding to each AP linkID.

[0133] Optionally, the MLO link information in the MLO Element of the second authentication frame may include any one of the AP link ID and the AP link identifier.

[0134] As shown above, the corresponding status code in the second authentication frame indicates that the AP link ID and / or AP link identifier that allows the connection to be established on the link is at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the AP MLD. Optionally, one of the at least two target second communication node end link addresses in the second authentication frame can be included in the MAC header of the second PASN authentication frame. The remaining target second communication node end link addresses are included in the frame body of the second PASN authentication frame.

[0135] Optionally, the AP link ID and / or AP link identifier in the second authentication frame is a subset of the AP link ID and / or AP link identifier in the first authentication frame. For example, if the AP MLD supports three links and the STA requests to establish a PASN on the first and second links, then the MLO link info of the second PASN authentication frame sent by the AP may only contain the corresponding information on the first and second links.

[0136] In this embodiment, the position of the MLO Element in the second authentication frame is not limited. Fig. 9B In the example, the MLO Element in the second authentication frame is located after the AKMP data-2 field and before the MIC field.

[0137] Fig. 9C FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a third authentication frame provided by an embodiment. Fig. 9CAs shown, the third authentication frame in this embodiment can be implemented by adding an MLO Element to the third PASN authentication frame. The MLO Element in the third authentication frame includes: non-AP MLD MAC address and MLO link information. The MLO link information in the third authentication frame includes: AP link ID, link control bitmap, STA link identifier, third RSNE and third RSNXE. Among them, the AP link ID can include multiple, Fig. 9C In the figure, AP link ID-1, ..., AP link ID-y are used. Each AP link ID corresponds to a STA link identifier. The STA link identifier can be STA 1 link MAC address, STA 2 link MAC address, ..., STA y link MAC address. y is an integer greater than 0.

[0138] Optionally, AP link ID, link control bitmap, STA link identifier, third RSNE and third RSNXE are optional contents in the third authentication frame. It can be understood that the AP link ID in the third authentication frame is the link address of the target second communication node.

[0139] In this embodiment, the position of the MLO Element in the third authentication frame is not limited. Fig. 9C In the example, the MLO Element in the third authentication frame is located after the AKMP data-3 field and before the MIC field.

[0140] Step 504: Process the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0141] The second link is any one of the at least two links.

[0142] Possible implementations of step 504 are as follows: the first communication node may determine the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the second link according to a preset strategy; determine the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the current first communication node end link address according to the current first communication node end link address; encrypt the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain the encrypted ranging related information; and send the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node using the current second communication node end link address.

[0143] Optionally, the encrypted ranging related information is included in the FTM frame. Transmitting ranging related information between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key may also be referred to as an FTM session between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0144] Optionally, the preset strategy here may be at least one of a network status, a scheduling strategy, a distance between the first communication node and the second communication node, and user indication information.

[0145] Optionally, the first communication node may first determine the second link according to a preset strategy; and then determine the corresponding current first communication node end link address according to the second link.

[0146] Of course, the FTM session may also be initiated by the second communication node.

[0147] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 At time T1, an FTM session is conducted between the first communication node and the second communication node. Optionally, the first communication node uses the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the current first communication node end link address to initiate an FTM session to the second communication node to complete ranging and positioning. Alternatively, the second communication node uses the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the current second communication node end link address to initiate an FTM session to the first communication node to complete ranging and positioning.

[0148] At time T2, an FTM session is conducted between the first communication node and the second communication node. Optionally, the first communication node uses the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the current first communication node end link address to initiate an FTM session to the second communication node to complete ranging and positioning. Alternatively, the second communication node uses the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the current second communication node end link address to initiate an FTM session to the first communication node to complete ranging and positioning.

[0149] The time T1 and T2 may be the same or different. The current second communication node end link address or the current first communication node end link address at time T1 may be the same or different from the current second communication node end link address or the current first communication node end link address at time T2.

[0150] It can be understood that, in this embodiment, the PASN frame interaction process and the FTM session may be completed on the same or different links, that is, the first link and the second link may be the same or different.

[0151] In a scenario where the second communication node is a non-collocated AP MLD, the number of second links is multiple, and the current second communication node end link address is multiple. Using the current second communication node end link address, sending the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node includes: using multiple current second communication node end link addresses to send the encrypted ranging related information to the subsidiary subnodes of the second communication node deployed at different locations.

[0152] In this implementation, the subsidiary sub-nodes deployed at different locations corresponding to the current second communication node end link address receive the encrypted ranging related information fed back by the first communication node. The subsidiary sub-node sends the encrypted ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address to the second communication node. The second communication node receives the encrypted ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address sent by multiple subsidiary sub-nodes. When the second communication node determines that the device addresses of the first communication nodes corresponding to multiple current first communication node end link addresses are the same, multi-point positioning of the first communication node is implemented based on the encrypted ranging related information fed back by the first communication node. In this scenario, multi-point positioning of the first communication node can be implemented, which improves positioning accuracy.

[0153] In the multi-link communication method provided in this embodiment, the first communication node and the second communication node interact with each other through the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame and the third authentication frame to generate a transmission key with high generation efficiency, thereby further improving the efficiency of multi-link communication.

[0154] Fig.10 It is a flowchart of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. The method provided in this embodiment is applicable to a second communication node. In this example, the second communication node (also referred to as a second communication node device) may be a network device. The network device in this embodiment may be an AP MLD supporting the 802.11az protocol, or a non-collocated AP MLD in the Wi-Fi 8 protocol. The method comprises the following steps.

[0155] Step 1001: interact with a first communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key.

[0156] There are at least two links between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0157] The implementation process and technical principle of step 1001 are similar to those of step 201 and will not be repeated here.

[0158] Step 1002: Process ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0159] The second link is any one of the at least two links.

[0160] In this embodiment, the second communication node may send ranging related information to the first communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, or receive ranging related information from the first communication node through the second link according to the transmission key.

[0161] Optionally, the second communication node sends the ranging related information to the first communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, which means that the second communication node encrypts the ranging related information according to the transmission key and sends the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node through the second link. The encrypted ranging related information in this embodiment can be included in the FTM frame.

[0162] Optionally, the second communication node receives ranging related information from the first communication node through the second link according to the transmission key, which means that the second communication node receives ranging related information from the first communication node through the second link and decrypts the received ranging related information using the transmission key. In this embodiment, the ranging related information sent by the first communication node can be included in the FTM frame.

[0163] This embodiment provides a multi-link communication method, including: a second communication node interacts with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key, wherein at least two links are included between the first communication node and the second communication node, and the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through the second link, wherein the second link is any one of the at least two links. It achieves the following technical effects: on the one hand, the second communication node interacts with the second communication node through the first link, and the generated transmission key can be used to transmit ranging related information between the first communication node and the second communication node, thereby improving the security of multi-link communication, thereby improving the security of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, the transmission key is generated through the first link, and the ranging related information is transmitted through the second link, and the first link and the second link can be the same or different, thereby improving the flexibility of multi-link communication, thereby improving the flexibility of ranging and positioning; on the other hand, after the transmission key is generated through the first link, it is not necessary to generate the key again when transmitting ranging related information, but directly use the transmission key generated by the first link, thereby improving the communication efficiency of multi-link communication, thereby improving the efficiency of ranging and positioning.

[0164] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. Fig.10 Based on the illustrated embodiment and various optional implementations, the process of generating a transmission key is described in detail. Fig.11 As shown, the multi-link communication method provided in this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0165] Step 1101: Receive a first authentication frame sent by a first communication node through a first link.

[0166] The first authentication frame includes the device address of the first communication node.

[0167] Step 1102: Send a second authentication frame to the first communication node via the first link.

[0168] The second authentication frame includes the device address of the second communication node.

[0169] Step 1103: Generate a transmission key according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0170] Optionally, the first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node.

[0171] Optionally, the second authentication frame also includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

[0172] Optionally, the at least two target second communication node end link addresses are a subset of the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

[0173] Optionally, after step 1102, the following step is further included: receiving a third authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link, wherein the third authentication frame includes the device address of the first communication node.

[0174] Optionally, the first authentication frame and / or the third authentication frame further includes: a first communication node end link address corresponding to at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

[0175] The implementation process and technical principle of step 1103 are similar to those of step 503 and will not be repeated here.

[0176] The implementation method of the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame and the third authentication frame in this embodiment is similar to Figure 5 The implementation methods in the illustrated embodiment and various optional implementations are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0177] Step 1104: Process the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0178] In this embodiment, the implementation process of step 1104 may include the following steps: determining the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the second link according to a preset strategy; determining the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the current second communication node end link address according to the current second communication node end link address; encrypting the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain the encrypted ranging related information; and sending the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node using the current first communication node end link address.

[0179] In the scenario where the second communication node is a non-collocated AP MLD, the number of second links is multiple, and the current second communication node end link address is multiple. Using the current first communication node end link address, sending encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node can include: controlling multiple subsidiary sub-nodes deployed in different locations corresponding to the current second communication node end link address, sending encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node, and receiving ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address; receiving ranging related information fed back by the first communication node sent by multiple subsidiary sub-nodes and the corresponding current first communication node end link address; when it is determined that the device addresses of the first communication nodes corresponding to the multiple current first communication node end link addresses are the same, implementing multi-point positioning of the first communication node according to the ranging related information fed back by the first communication node. This implementation method can achieve multi-point positioning of the first communication node and improve the positioning accuracy of the first communication node.

[0180] Optionally, before receiving the first authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link, the method provided in this embodiment further includes: sending a management frame to the first communication node, wherein the management frame includes a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

[0181] In the multi-link communication method provided in this embodiment, the first communication node and the second communication node interact with each other through the first authentication frame, the second authentication frame and the third authentication frame to generate a transmission key with high generation efficiency, thereby further improving the efficiency of multi-link communication.

[0182] Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an application of a multi-link communication method provided by an embodiment. Fig.12As shown, in this application scenario, the first communication node is non-AP MLD, including STA1, STA2 and STA3. The second communication node is non-collocated AP MLD, including AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP MLD High MAC deployed at different locations. The process of establishing multi-link communication between non-AP MLD and non-collocated AP MLD in this scenario is as follows.

[0183] Step 1201: The non-AP MLD supporting the 802.11az protocol uses the multi-link transmission process defined in the 802.11bn protocol to discover a multi-link network device (non-collocated AP MLD, whose subordinate AP1, AP2 and AP3 are deployed in different locations) supporting the 802.11az protocol and 802.11bn. Exemplarily, the non-AP MLD receives a management frame sent by the non-collocated AP MLD on any link, such as a Beacon or a probe response frame.

[0184] Step 1202: On the first link, the non-AP MLD sends a first MLO PASN authentication frame (i.e., a first authentication frame), the frame format of which is as follows: Fig. 9A As shown, including:

[0185] Non-AP MLD MAC (non-AP MLD MAC1) address, multi-link link ID information (AP Link ID corresponding to Link 1, Link 2 and Link 3, link control bitmap, and RSNE, RSNXE fields).

[0186] Step 1203: After receiving the request, the non-collocated AP MLD sends a second MLO PASN authentication frame (i.e., a second authentication frame). The frame format is as follows: Fig. 9B As shown, including:

[0187] AP MLD MAC address, multi-link link ID information (AP Link ID corresponding to Link 1, Link 2 and Link 3, link control bitmap, RSN, RSNXE field, AP link MAC address (AP1, AP2, AP3) and connection allowed indication information).

[0188] Step 1204: After the first and second MLO PASN authentication frames are exchanged, the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD respectively generate PTKs for encryption.

[0189] Step 1205: After receiving the second MLO PASN authentication frame sent by the AP MLD, the non-AP MLD sends a third MLO PASN authentication frame (i.e., the third authentication frame). The frame format is as follows: Fig. 9C As shown, including:

[0190] Non-AP MLD MAC address, multi-link link ID information (AP LinkID corresponding to Link 1, Link 2 and Link 3, link control bitmap, and RSN, RSNXE fields, STA link MAC address (STA1, STA2, STA3)).

[0191] Step 1206: T1 time: the non-AP MLD or non-col located AP MLD initiates FTM session 1 to the other end using the link MAC address corresponding to AP1 / STA1 on the first link to complete ranging.

[0192] Step 1207: Time T2: The non-AP MLD or non-collocated AP MLD uses the link MAC address corresponding to AP2 / STA2 on the second link to initiate FTM session 2 to the peer end, completing ranging.

[0193] Step 1208: Time T3: The non-AP MLD or non-collocated AP MLD initiates FTM session 3 to the peer end using the link MAC address corresponding to AP3 / STA3 on the third link to complete ranging.

[0194] Among them, T1, T2 and T3 can be the same, different, or partially the same. There is no order of precedence among step 1206, step 1207 and step 1208.

[0195] Step 1209: According to the MAC address information of STA1, STA2, and STA3, the non-collocated AP MLD determines that the ranging of STA1, STA2, and STA3 on three links all comes from the same non-AP MLD, thereby realizing accurate positioning of the non-AP MLD.

[0196] Fig.13 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a multi-link communication device provided by an embodiment. The multi-link communication device may be arranged in a first communication node. The multi-link communication device provided by this embodiment includes the following modules: a first generation module 131 and a first processing module 132.

[0197] The first generating module 131 is configured to interact with the second communication node through the first link to generate a transmission key.

[0198] There are at least two links between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0199] The first processing module 132 is configured to process the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0200] The second link is any one of the at least two links.

[0201] In one embodiment, the first generation module 131 is configured to: send a first authentication frame to a second communication node via the first link, wherein the first authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node; receive a second authentication frame sent by the second communication node via the first link, wherein the second authentication frame includes a device address of the second communication node; and generate a transmission key based on the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0202] In one embodiment, the first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node.

[0203] In one embodiment, the second authentication frame further includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

[0204] In one embodiment, the at least two target second communication node end link addresses are a subset of the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

[0205] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises: a sending module configured to send a third authentication frame to the second communication node via the first link, wherein the third authentication frame comprises a device address of the first communication node.

[0206] In one embodiment, the device further includes: a first determination module configured to determine, based on the second authentication frame, a first communication node end link address corresponding to the at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

[0207] In one embodiment, the first processing module 132 is configured to: determine the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the second link according to a preset strategy; determine the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the current first communication node end link address according to the current first communication node end link address; encrypt the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain the encrypted ranging related information; use the current second communication node end link address to send the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node.

[0208] In one embodiment, the number of the second links is multiple, and the current second communication node end link address is multiple. In the aspect of using the current second communication node end link address to send the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node, the first processing module 132 is configured to: use the multiple current second communication node end link addresses to send the encrypted ranging related information to the subsidiary sub-nodes of the second communication node deployed at different locations.

[0209] In one embodiment, the encrypted ranging related information is included in a fine time measurement FTM frame.

[0210] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: a receiving module configured to receive a management frame sent by the second communication node, wherein the management frame comprises a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

[0211] In one embodiment, the management frame includes a first management frame and / or a second management frame, wherein the first management frame includes a second communication node end link address, and the second management frame includes at least two second communication node end link addresses.

[0212] In one embodiment, the number of the first management frames is at least two and they are located in different links.

[0213] In one embodiment, the device further includes a second determination module configured to determine at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node from the second communication node end link addresses supported by the second communication node.

[0214] In one embodiment, the management frame further includes: a source RSNE and a source RSNXE.

[0215] In one embodiment, the request link information of the first authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: a first RSNE and a first RSNXE.

[0216] In one embodiment, the first RSNE and the first RSNXE are a subset of the source RSNE and the source RSNXE included in the management frame.

[0217] In one embodiment, the target second communication node end link address includes at least one of the following: an index of the target second communication node end link and a MAC address of the target second communication node end link.

[0218] In one embodiment, the first authentication frame and / or the third authentication frame further includes: a first communication node end link address.

[0219] In one embodiment, the link request information of the second authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: an indication of whether to allow link connection, a second RSNE, and a second RSNXE.

[0220] In one embodiment, the device address is a MAC address.

[0221] In one embodiment, generating the transmission key requires at least: a device address of the second communication node, a device address of the first communication node, and a PRF.

[0222] The multi-link communication device provided in this embodiment is to implement the multi-link communication method of the above embodiment. The implementation principle and technical effect of the multi-link communication device provided in this embodiment are similar to those of the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0223] Fig.14 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another multi-link communication device provided by an embodiment. The multi-link communication device may be arranged in a second communication node. The multi-link communication device provided by this embodiment includes the following modules: a second generation module 141 and a second processing module 142.

[0224] The second generating module 141 is configured to interact with the first communication node through the first link to generate a transmission key.

[0225] There are at least two links between the first communication node and the second communication node.

[0226] The second processing module 142 is configured to process the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link.

[0227] The second link is any one of the at least two links.

[0228] In one embodiment, the second generation module 141 is configured to: receive a first authentication frame sent by the first communication node through a first link, wherein the first authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node; send a second authentication frame to the first communication node through the first link, wherein the second authentication frame includes a device address of the second communication node; and generate a transmission key based on the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

[0229] In one embodiment, the first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node.

[0230] In one embodiment, the second authentication frame further includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

[0231] In one embodiment, the at least two target second communication node end link addresses are a subset of the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

[0232] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a receiving module configured to receive a third authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link, wherein the third authentication frame comprises a device address of the first communication node.

[0233] In one embodiment, the first authentication frame and / or the third authentication frame further includes: a first communication node end link address corresponding to the at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

[0234] In one embodiment, the second processing module 142 is configured to: determine the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the second link according to a preset strategy; determine the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the current second communication node end link address according to the current second communication node end link address; encrypt the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain the encrypted ranging related information; use the current first communication node end link address to send the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node.

[0235] In one embodiment, the number of the second links is multiple, and the current second communication node end link address is multiple. In the aspect of using the current first communication node end link address to send the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node, the second processing module 142 is configured to: control multiple subsidiary sub-nodes deployed at different locations corresponding to the current second communication node end link address to send the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node, and receive ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address; receive ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address sent by multiple subsidiary sub-nodes; when it is determined that the device addresses of the first communication nodes corresponding to the multiple current first communication node end link addresses are the same, implement multi-point positioning of the first communication node according to the ranging related information fed back by the first communication node.

[0236] In one embodiment, the device further comprises: a sending module configured to send a management frame to the first communication node, wherein the management frame comprises a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

[0237] The multi-link communication device provided in this embodiment is to implement the multi-link communication method of the above embodiment. The implementation principle and technical effect of the multi-link communication device provided in this embodiment are similar to those of the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0238] The embodiment of the present application also provides a communication node, including: a processor, the processor is used to implement the method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program. Specifically, the communication node can be a first communication node or a second communication node. The first communication node includes: a processor, the processor is used to implement the multi-link communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program; the second communication node includes: a processor, the processor is used to implement the multi-link communication method provided in any embodiment of the present application when executing a computer program. Exemplarily, the first communication node can be a terminal device provided in any embodiment of the present application; the second communication node can be a network device provided in any embodiment of the present application. This application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0239] Illustratively, the following embodiments respectively provide structural diagrams in which a communication node is a terminal device and a network device.

[0240] Fig.15This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-link terminal device provided by an embodiment. The multi-link terminal device (hereinafter referred to as the terminal) can be implemented in various forms. The terminal in this application can include but is not limited to mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, laptops, digital broadcast receivers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers (Portable Devices, PADs), portable multimedia players (Portable Media Players, PMPs), navigation devices, vehicle-mounted terminal devices, vehicle-mounted display terminals, vehicle-mounted electronic rearview mirrors, etc., and fixed terminal devices such as digital televisions (TVs), desktop computers, etc.

[0241] like Fig.15 As shown, the terminal 50 may include a wireless communication unit 51, an audio / video (Audio / Video, A / V) input unit 52, a user input unit 53, a sensing unit 54, an output unit 55, a memory 56, an interface unit 57, a processor 58 and a power supply unit 59, etc. Fig.15 A terminal including various components is shown, but it should be understood that implementing all of the components shown is not a requirement. More or fewer components may alternatively be implemented.

[0242] In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 51 allows radio communication between the terminal 50 and the network device or network. The A / V input unit 52 is configured to receive audio or video signals. The user input unit 53 can generate key input data to control various operations of the terminal 50 according to the command input by the user. The sensing unit 54 monitors the current state of the terminal 50, the position of the terminal 50, the presence or absence of the user's touch input to the terminal 50, the orientation of the terminal 50, the acceleration or deceleration movement and direction of the terminal 50, etc., and generates commands or signals for controlling the operation of the terminal 50. The interface unit 57 serves as an interface through which at least one external device can be connected to the terminal 50. The output unit 55 is configured to provide output signals in a visual, audio and / or tactile manner. The memory 56 can store software programs for processing and control operations performed by the processor 58, etc., or can temporarily store data that has been output or is to be output. The memory 56 can include at least one type of storage medium. Moreover, the terminal 50 can cooperate with a network storage device that performs the storage function of the memory 56 through a network connection. The processor 58 generally controls the overall operation of the terminal 50. The power supply unit 59 receives external power or internal power and provides appropriate power required to operate various elements and components under the control of the processor 58 .

[0243] The processor 58 executes at least one functional application and data processing by running the program stored in the memory 56, such as implementing the method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0244] Fig.16 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a multi-link network device provided by an embodiment. Fig.16 As shown, the multi-link network device (hereinafter referred to as the network device) includes a processor 60, a memory 61 and a communication interface 62; the number of processors 60 in the network device can be one or more. Fig.16 A processor 60 is taken as an example; the processor 60, the memory 61, and the communication interface 62 in the network device can be connected by a bus or other means. Fig.16 In the example of connecting via a bus, a bus refers to one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus structures.

[0245] The memory 61, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be configured to store software programs, computer executable programs, and modules, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the method in the embodiment of the present application. The processor 60 executes at least one functional application and data processing of the network device by running the software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 61, that is, implementing the above method.

[0246] The memory 61 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system and an application required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the terminal, etc. In addition, the memory 61 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some instances, the memory 61 may include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor 60, and these remote memories may be connected to a network device via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0247] The communication interface 62 may be configured to receive and send data.

[0248] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method provided in any embodiment of the present application is implemented.

[0249] The computer storage medium of the embodiment of the present application may adopt any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to: an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. The computer-readable storage medium includes (a non-exhaustive list): an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), a read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (electrically erasable, programmable Read-Only Memory, EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory, CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present application, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which may be used by an instruction execution system, device or device or used in combination with it.

[0250] A computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, the data signal carrying a computer-readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. A computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which may send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0251] The program code contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wire, optical cable, radio frequency (RF), etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0252] Computer program code for performing the disclosed operations may be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination of multiple programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, Ruby, Go), and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" language or similar programming languages). The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network (including a network (Local Area Network, LAN) or a wide area network (Wide Area Network, WAN)), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., using an Internet service provider to connect via the Internet).

[0253] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the term user terminal covers any suitable type of wireless user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a portable data processing device, a portable web browser or a vehicle-mounted mobile station.

[0254] In general, various embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the present application is not limited thereto.

[0255] Embodiments of the present application may be implemented by executing computer program instructions by a data processor of a mobile device, for example in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The computer program instructions may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages.

[0256] The block diagram of any logic flow in the drawings of the present application may represent program steps, or may represent interconnected logic circuits, modules and functions, or may represent a combination of program steps and logic circuits, modules and functions. A computer program may be stored on a memory. The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), optical memory devices and systems (digital versatile discs DVD or CD discs), etc. Computer-readable media may include non-transient storage media. The data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment, such as but not limited to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processing, DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC), a programmable logic device (Field-Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

Claims

1. A multi-link communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first communication node, the method comprises: Interacting with a second communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key; wherein the first communication node and the second communication node include at least two links; The ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through a second link; wherein the second link is any one link of the at least two links.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of interacting with the second communication node through the first link to generate a transmission key includes: Sending a first authentication frame to a second communication node via the first link; wherein the first authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node; receiving, through the first link, a second authentication frame sent by the second communication node; wherein the second authentication frame includes a device address of the second communication node; A transmission key is generated according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node; The second authentication frame also includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least two target second communication node end link addresses are a subset of the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: After receiving the second authentication frame sent by the second communication through the first link, the method further includes: A third authentication frame is sent to the second communication node via the first link; wherein the third authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Before processing the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key through the second link, the method further includes: According to the second authentication frame, a first communication node end link address corresponding to the at least two target second communication node end link addresses is determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The processing, through the second link, of the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key includes: Determine, according to a preset strategy, a current first communication node end link address corresponding to the second link; According to the current first communication node end link address, determining the current second communication node end link address corresponding to the current first communication node end link address; Encrypting the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain encrypted ranging related information; The encrypted ranging related information is sent to the second communication node using the current second communication node end link address.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The number of the second links is multiple, and the number of the current second communication node end link addresses is multiple; The sending the encrypted ranging related information to the second communication node using the current second communication node end link address includes: The encrypted ranging related information is sent to the subsidiary sub-nodes of the second communication node deployed at different locations using the multiple current second communication node end link addresses.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The encrypted ranging related information is included in a fine time measurement FTM frame.

10. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Before sending the first authentication frame to the second communication node through the first link, the method further includes: Receive a management frame sent by a second communication node; wherein the management frame includes a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The management frame includes a first management frame and / or a second management frame; wherein the first management frame includes a second communication node end link address, and the second management frame includes at least two second communication node end link addresses.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The number of the first management frames is at least two and the first management frames are located in different links.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that Before sending the first authentication frame to the second communication node through the first link, the method further includes: At least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node are determined from the second communication node end link addresses supported by the second communication node.

14. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The management frame further includes: a source robust security network element RSNE and a source extended robust security network element RSNXE.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The request link information of the first authentication frame also includes at least one of the following: a first RSNE and a first RSNXE.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first RSNE and the first RSNXE are subsets of the source RSNE and the source RSNXE included in the management frame.

17. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The target second communication node end link address includes at least one of the following: an index of the target second communication node end link and a media access control MAC address of the target second communication node end link.

18. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first authentication frame and / or the third authentication frame further includes: a first communication node end link address.

19. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The link request information of the second authentication frame further includes at least one of the following: an indication of whether to allow link connection, a second RSNE, and a second RSNXE.

20. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The device address is a MAC address.

21. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The generating a transmission key according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node comprises: Generating the transmission key requires at least: the device address of the second communication node, the device address of the first communication node, and a pseudo-random function PRF.

22. A multi-link communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication node, the method comprises: Interacting with a first communication node through a first link to generate a transmission key; wherein the first communication node and the second communication node include at least two links; The ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node is processed according to the transmission key through a second link; wherein the second link is any one link of the at least two links.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The step of interacting with the second communication node through the first link to generate a transmission key includes: receiving, via a first link, a first authentication frame sent by the first communication node; wherein the first authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node; Sending a second authentication frame to the first communication node via the first link; wherein the second authentication frame includes a device address of the second communication node; A transmission key is generated according to the device address of the second communication node and the device address of the first communication node.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that The first authentication frame also includes at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses requested by the first communication node; The second authentication frame also includes at least two target second communication node end link addresses of the second communication node.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The at least two target second communication node end link addresses are a subset of the at least two candidate second communication node end link addresses.

26. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that After sending the second authentication frame to the first communication node through the first link, the method further includes: A third authentication frame sent by the first communication node is received through the first link; wherein the third authentication frame includes a device address of the first communication node.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that The first authentication frame and / or the third authentication frame further includes: a first communication node end link address corresponding to the at least two target second communication node end link addresses.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The processing, through the second link, of the ranging related information transmitted between the first communication node and the second communication node according to the transmission key includes: Determine, according to a preset strategy, a current second communication node end link address corresponding to the second link; Determine, according to the current second communication node end link address, the current first communication node end link address corresponding to the current second communication node end link address; Encrypting the ranging related information according to the transmission key to obtain encrypted ranging related information; The encrypted ranging related information is sent to the first communication node using the current first communication node end link address.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that The number of the second links is multiple, and the number of the current second communication node end link addresses is multiple; The sending the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node using the current first communication node end link address includes: Control a plurality of subsidiary sub-nodes deployed at different locations corresponding to the link address of the current second communication node end to send the encrypted ranging related information to the first communication node, and receive the ranging related information and the corresponding current first communication node end link address fed back by the first communication node; Receiving ranging related information fed back by the first communication node and the corresponding current first communication node end link address sent by multiple subsidiary sub-nodes; When it is determined that the device addresses of the first communication nodes corresponding to the link addresses of the multiple current first communication nodes are the same, multi-point positioning of the first communication node is implemented according to the ranging related information fed back by the first communication node.

30. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Before receiving the first authentication frame sent by the first communication node through the first link, the method further includes: A management frame sent to a first communication node; wherein the management frame includes a second communication node end link address supported by the second communication node.

31. A first communication node, characterized in that: include: processor; The processor is configured to implement the multi-link communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 21 when executing a computer program.

32. A second communication node, characterized in that: include: processor; The processor is configured to implement the multi-link communication method according to any one of claims 22 to 30 when executing the computer program.

33. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the multi-link communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, or implements the multi-link communication method as described in any one of claims 22 to 30.

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