Communication method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device. The method comprises: a station (STA) receiving first information, the first information being used for indicating that the number of fluxes supported by an access point (AP) is M, and M being less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP; and when the data to be sent is the X stream, the STA sends the X stream data to the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. And when the data to be sent is N streams, the STA sends a request sending frame to the AP, receives an allowed sending frame from the AP, and sends N streams of data to the AP, N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum stream number supported by the AP, the request sending frame is used for requesting to send the N streams of data, and the allowed sending frame is used for allowing the STA to send the N streams of data. The method is favorable for reducing the power consumption of the AP.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, in order to reduce power consumption of an access point (AP), the AP may use a single antenna to receive a header portion of a data frame, and then use multiple antennas to receive a data portion of the data frame.

[0003] However, when the AP switches from a single antenna to multiple antennas to receive the data part of the data frame, it may fail to receive the data, and the lower the strength of the received signal, the greater the probability of reception failure. In addition, when the AP uses a single antenna to receive the frame header of the data frame, it will lose the maximum consolidation ratio (MRC) gain, affecting the receiving performance.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of AP is still a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device, which are helpful to reduce the power consumption of access points.

[0006] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a site, a chip in the site, or a module that can realize all or part of the functions of the site, etc., and is described below using a site as an example. In the method, the site STA receives first information, and the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the access point AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP. When the data to be sent is X streams, the site sends X streams of data to the AP, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. When the data to be sent is N streams, the site sends a request to send frame to the AP, receives a permission to send frame from the AP, and sends N streams of data to the AP, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the request to send frame is used to request the sending of N streams of data, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send N streams of data.

[0007] In the embodiment of the present application, the STA obtains the number of streams M supported by the AP through the received first information. Therefore, when the number of data streams X to be sent is less than or equal to M, the STA directly sends X streams of data; when the number of data streams N to be sent is greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the STA obtains the permission to send from the AP and sends N streams of data. Furthermore, it is beneficial for the AP to use M antennas to receive data when the number of data streams to be sent by the STA is less than or equal to M; when the number of data streams to be sent by the STA is greater than M, the AP uses more than M antennas to receive data, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the AP.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the STA receives a beacon frame, the beacon frame carries information of the first period, and the first period is within the period of the beacon frame. It can be seen that the STA can obtain the first period within the beacon frame period through the beacon frame.

[0009] In an optional implementation, the number of streams supported by the AP in the first cycle is M, and the number of streams supported in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle is greater than M. This approach allows the AP to use M antennas to receive data in the first cycle, and use more than M antennas to receive data in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle, thereby reducing the power consumption of the AP in the first cycle.

[0010] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, which is a timer used to count down the AP entering sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is a working mode, or entering sleep mode, or in sleep mode.

[0011] Optionally, the STA determines the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field. Thus, if the STA has data to be sent to the AP, the STA may determine whether to send the data directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP.

[0012] In an optional implementation, when the AP is in sleep mode, if the STA has first data to be sent to the AP, the STA sends second information to the AP, where the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode. The STA receives third information from the AP, where the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode. The STA sends the first data to the AP.

[0013] It can be seen that when the AP is in sleep mode and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA requests the AP to exit the sleep mode through the second information, and sends the first data to the AP after confirming that the AP exits the sleep mode through the third information. This method can ensure that the AP can successfully receive the first data from the STA.

[0014] In an optional implementation manner, when the AP is entering a sleep mode, if the first timer has not timed out and the STA has first data to be sent to the AP, the first data is sent to the AP.

[0015] It can be seen that when the AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, the first timer has not timed out, and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA can directly send the first data to the AP.

[0016] In the second aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication method, which can be applied to an access point, a chip in an access point, or a module that can realize all or part of the functions of an access point, etc. The following description is made using an access point as an example. In the method, the access point sends a first message, and the first message is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP. When the access point does not receive a request to send frame, it uses M antennas to receive X stream data from the station STA, and the request to send frame is used to request to send N stream data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M. When the access point receives a request to send frame, it sends a permission to send frame, uses N antennas to receive N stream data from the STA, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send N stream data.

[0017] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP informs the STA of the number of streams M supported by the AP through the first information, and when the request to send frame for requesting to send N stream data is not received, the AP uses M antennas to receive data from the STA; when the request to send frame for requesting to send N stream data is received, the STA is allowed to send N stream data, and the M antennas are switched to N antennas to receive data from the STA. Thus, the AP can use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP to receive data from the STA, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0018] In an optional implementation, the AP sends a beacon frame, the beacon frame carries information of the first period, and the first period is within the period of the beacon frame. It can be seen that the AP informs the STA of the first period within the period of the beacon frame through the beacon frame.

[0019] In an optional implementation, the number of streams supported by the AP in the first cycle is M, and the number of streams supported in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle is greater than M. Therefore, the AP uses M antennas to receive data in the first cycle, and uses more than M antennas to receive data in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP in the first cycle.

[0020] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, which is a timer used to count down the AP entering sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is a working mode, or entering sleep mode, or in sleep mode. This method is conducive to the STA determining the mode of the AP based on the first field and the second field.

[0021] In an optional implementation, the AP is in sleep mode, and the AP receives second information from the STA, the second information being used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode. The AP sends third information to the STA, the third information being used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode. The AP receives first data from the STA.

[0022] It can be seen that when the AP is in the sleep mode, it may receive the second information for requesting to exit the sleep mode. Thus, the AP exits the sleep mode and indicates that the AP has exited the sleep mode through the third information. Then, the AP receives the first data from the STA in the working mode.

[0023] In an optional implementation, the AP is in the sleep mode, the AP receives the first data from the STA, and cancels the timing of the first timer. It can be seen that if the AP receives the first data from the STA during the timing of the first timer, the AP exits the sleep mode to ensure that it can communicate with the STA normally in the next time period.

[0024] In the third aspect, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication method, which can be applied to a site, a chip in the site, or a module that can realize all or part of the functions of the site, etc. The site is used as an example for description below. In the method, the site STA receives a beacon frame from an access point AP, and the beacon frame carries a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in a sleep mode.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present application, the STA obtains the first field and the second field by receiving the beacon frame from the AP. This is conducive to the STA determining the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field. This is further conducive to the STA determining whether to send data directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP when there is data to be sent to the AP. In addition, this method allows the AP to be in sleep mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0026] In an optional implementation, the STA determines the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field. Thus, if the STA has data to be sent to the AP, the STA determines whether the data can be sent directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP.

[0027] In an optional implementation, when the AP is in sleep mode, if the STA has first data to be sent to the AP, the STA sends second information to the AP, where the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode. The STA receives third information from the AP, where the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode. The STA sends the first data to the AP.

[0028] It can be seen that when the AP is in sleep mode and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA requests the AP to exit the sleep mode through the second information, and after confirming that the AP exits the sleep mode through the third information, sends the first data to the AP to ensure that the AP can successfully receive the first data.

[0029] In an optional implementation, when the AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, if the first timer has not timed out, and the STA has first data to be sent to the AP, the STA sends the first data to the AP. It can be seen that when the AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, the first timer has not timed out, and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA can directly send the first data to the AP.

[0030] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to an access point, a chip in an access point, or a module that can realize all or part of the functions of an access point, etc. The following description is made using an access point as an example. In the method, an access point AP sends a beacon frame, and the beacon frame carries a first field and a second field. Among them, the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP entering a sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is a sleep mode.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP enables the STA to obtain the first field and the second field through the beacon frame. This is conducive to the STA determining the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field. This is further conducive to the STA determining whether to send data directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP when there is data to be sent to the AP. In addition, the AP can be in sleep mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0032] In an optional implementation, the AP is in sleep mode, and the AP receives second information from the STA, the second information being used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode. The AP sends third information to the STA, the third information being used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode. The AP receives first data from the STA.

[0033] It can be seen that when the AP is in sleep mode, it may receive the second information for requesting to exit the sleep mode, thereby exiting the sleep mode, and indicating that the AP has exited the sleep mode through the third information. Then, the AP receives the first data from the STA in the working mode.

[0034] In an optional implementation, the AP is in the sleep mode, the AP receives the first data from the STA, and cancels the timing of the first timer. It can be seen that if the AP receives the first data from the STA during the timing of the first timer, the AP exits the sleep mode to ensure that it can communicate with the STA normally in the next time period.

[0035] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device. The communication device has some or all of the functions of the site described in the first aspect or the third aspect above, or some or all of the functions of the access point described in the second aspect or the fourth aspect above. For example, the functions of the communication device may have some or all of the functions of the site described in the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application, or may have the functions of implementing any one of the embodiments of the present application separately. The functions may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0036] In a possible design, the structure of the communication device may include a processing unit and a communication unit, and the processing unit is configured to support the communication device to perform the corresponding functions in the above method. The communication unit is used to support communication between the communication device and other communication devices. The communication device may also include a storage unit, which is used to couple with the processing unit and the communication unit, and store the necessary program instructions and data of the communication device.

[0037] In one embodiment, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the processing unit is used to process the signal / signaling;

[0038] The communication unit is configured to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the access point AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0039] The communication unit is further configured to, when the data to be sent is an X stream, send the X stream data to the AP, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0040] The communication unit is also used to send a request to send frame to the AP when the data to be sent is N streams, receive a permission to send frame from the AP, and send N streams of data to the AP, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and the request to send frame is used to request the sending of the N streams of data, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0041] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the first aspect mentioned above and will not be described in detail here.

[0042] In another embodiment, the communication device includes: a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the processing unit is used to process the signal / signaling;

[0043] The communication unit is used to send first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0044] The communication unit is further configured to, when no request to send frame is received, use M antennas to receive X stream data from the station STA, wherein the request to send frame is used to request to send N stream data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than a maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0045] The communication unit is further configured to send a permission to send frame when receiving a request to send frame, and use N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA, wherein the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0046] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the above-mentioned second aspect and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] In yet another embodiment, the communication device comprises: a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to process the signal / signaling;

[0048] The communication unit is used to receive a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter a sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in a sleep mode.

[0049] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the third aspect mentioned above and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] In yet another embodiment, the communication device comprises: a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to process the signal / signaling;

[0051] The communication unit is used to send a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in sleep mode.

[0052] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the fourth aspect mentioned above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0053] As an example, the communication unit may be a transceiver or a communication interface, the storage unit may be a memory, and the processing unit may be a processor.

[0054] In one embodiment, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is used to process the signal / signaling;

[0055] The transceiver is used to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the access point AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0056] The transceiver is further configured to, when the data to be sent is an X stream, send the X stream data to the AP, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0057] The transceiver is also used to send a request to send frame to the AP when the data to be sent is N streams, receive a permission to send frame from the AP, and send N streams of data to the AP, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the request to send frame is used to request the sending of the N streams of data, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0058] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the first aspect mentioned above and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] In another embodiment, the communication device includes: a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is used to process the signal / signaling;

[0060] The transceiver is used to send first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0061] The transceiver is further configured to, when no request to send frame is received, use M antennas to receive X stream data from the station STA, wherein the request to send frame is used to request to send N stream data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than a maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0062] The transceiver is further configured to send a permission to send frame when receiving a request to send frame, and use N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA, wherein the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0063] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the above-mentioned second aspect and will not be described in detail here.

[0064] In yet another embodiment, the communication device comprises: a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to process the signal / signaling;

[0065] The transceiver is used to receive a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, which is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is the working mode, the mode of the AP, or the mode of the AP entering the sleep mode, or the sleep mode.

[0066] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the third aspect mentioned above and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] In yet another embodiment, the communication device comprises: a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to process the signal / signaling;

[0068] The transceiver is used to send a beacon frame, and the beacon frame carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode.

[0069] In addition, in this aspect, other optional implementations of the communication device can refer to the relevant content of the fourth aspect mentioned above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0070] In another embodiment, the communication device is a chip or a chip system. The processing unit may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit; the communication unit may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or a related circuit on the chip or the chip system.

[0071] During the implementation process, the processor can be used to perform, for example, but not limited to, baseband related processing, and the transceiver can be used to perform, for example, but not limited to, radio frequency transceiver. The above-mentioned devices can be respectively arranged on chips independent of each other, or at least partially or completely arranged on the same chip. For example, the processor can be further divided into an analog baseband processor and a digital baseband processor. Among them, the analog baseband processor can be integrated with the transceiver on the same chip, and the digital baseband processor can be arranged on an independent chip. With the continuous development of integrated circuit technology, more and more devices can be integrated on the same chip. For example, a digital baseband processor can be integrated with a variety of application processors (such as but not limited to a graphics processor, a multimedia processor, etc.) on the same chip. Such a chip can be called a system on a chip (system on a chip, SoC). Whether each device is independently arranged on different chips or integrated on one or more chips often depends on the needs of product design. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the implementation form of the above-mentioned devices.

[0072] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a processor for executing the above-mentioned various methods. In the process of executing these methods, the process of sending the above-mentioned information and receiving the above-mentioned information in the above-mentioned method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above-mentioned information, and the process of the processor receiving the above-mentioned information input. When outputting the above-mentioned information, the processor outputs the above-mentioned information to the transceiver so that it can be transmitted by the transceiver. After the above-mentioned information is output by the processor, it may also need to be processed in other ways before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives the above-mentioned information input, the transceiver receives the above-mentioned information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above-mentioned information, the above-mentioned information may need to be processed in other ways before it is input into the processor.

[0073] For the sending and receiving operations involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or unless they conflict with their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, they can be more generally understood as processor output, reception, input and other operations, rather than sending and receiving operations performed directly by the RF circuit and antenna.

[0074] In the implementation process, the processor may be a processor specifically used to execute these methods, or a processor that executes computer instructions in a memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. The memory may be a non-transitory memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which may be integrated with the processor on the same chip or may be separately arranged on different chips. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the type of memory and the arrangement of the memory and the processor.

[0075] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which may include an access point and a station. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the access point and the station.

[0076] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects above.

[0077] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, implements the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects above.

[0078] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to obtain a program or instruction, and the processor is used to call the program or instruction to implement or support the site to implement the functions involved in the first aspect or the third aspect, or to implement or support the access point to implement the functions involved in the second aspect or the fourth aspect. For example, determine or process at least one of the data and information involved in the above method. In one possible design, the chip system also includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data necessary for the terminal. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0079] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor for executing a computer program or executable instructions stored in a memory, so that when the computer program or executable instructions are executed, the device executes the methods in each possible implementation of the first to fourth aspects.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the processor and the memory are integrated together; in another possible implementation, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0081] The beneficial effects of the fifth to eleventh aspects can refer to the beneficial effects of the first to fourth aspects, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0082] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system;

[0083] Figure 2 It is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first cycle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of interaction between an AP and a STA in a first cycle provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a frame structure of a beacon frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the state of a radio frequency module in an AP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency module of a STA provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] Figure 8 is an interactive schematic diagram of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0090] Fig. 9 is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0091] Fig.10 It is a structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0092] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] In order to better understand the communication method disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, a system to which the embodiment of the present application is applicable is described.

[0094] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The schematic diagram is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system. The communication system may include but is not limited to an access point (AP) and two stations (STA). Figure 1 The number and form of devices shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. In actual applications, two or more APs and more than two STAs may be included. Figure 1 The communication system shown is described by taking AP 101, STA 1021 and STA 1022 as an example, and AP 101 can provide wireless services for STA 1021 and STA 1022. Figure 1 AP101 in the figure takes a base station as an example, and STA1021 and STA1022 take mobile phones as examples.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned communication system can be a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a cellular network, or other wireless communication systems that support multiple links to transmit in parallel. The various aspects involved in the embodiment of the present application can be extended to other networks using various standards or protocols, for example, networks in IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, high performance radio local area network (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard, mainly used in Europe) and wide area network (WAN), personal area network (PAN) or other networks known now or developed later. Therefore, regardless of the coverage range and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided by the present application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, STA has wireless transceiver functions, can support IEEE802.11 series protocols, and communicate with AP or other STA. For example, STA can be any user communication device that allows users to communicate with AP and then communicate with WLAN, such as but not limited to tablet computers, desktops, laptops, notebook computers, ultra-mobile personal computers (ultra-mobile personal computers, UMPC), handheld computers, netbooks, personal digital assistants (personal digital assistants, PDA), mobile phones and other user devices that can be connected to the Internet, or Internet of Things nodes in the Internet of Things, or vehicle-mounted communication devices in the Internet of Vehicles, etc. Optionally, STA can also be the chips and processing systems in the above-mentioned terminals.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, AP is a device that provides services for STA and can support IEEE802.11 series protocols. For example, AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, a bridge, or AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, AP can also be a chip and processing system in these various forms of equipment, so as to realize the method and function of the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present application, the following two points are explained.

[0099] (1) The scenarios in the embodiments disclosed in the present application are described by taking the scenarios of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks in wireless communication networks as an example. It should be noted that the solutions in the embodiments disclosed in the present application can also be applied to other wireless communication networks, and the corresponding names can also be replaced by the names of corresponding functions in other wireless communication networks.

[0100] (2) The embodiments disclosed in this application will present various aspects, embodiments or features of this application around a system including multiple devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that each system may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures. In addition, combinations of these schemes may also be used.

[0101] The current Wi-Fi protocol is mainly focused on the STA side in terms of low power design. Considering that AP is a plug-in device, it does not require high power consumption and needs to provide business services to the STA side at any time, so there are few low-power protocol designs specifically for the AP side.

[0102] Among the proposed solutions to reduce AP power consumption, AP can use dynamic power saving technology, whose working principle is: AP performs automatic gain control (AGC) on the header part of noise and data frames, and uses one antenna to receive the header part of noise and data frames; when AP detects a large signal or synchronization frame, it switches from one antenna to full antenna reception. It can be seen that AP uses a single antenna to receive the header part of the data frame, and then switches to multiple antennas to receive the data part of the data frame.

[0103] However, when the AP switches from a single antenna to multiple antennas to receive the data part of the data frame, it may fail to receive the data, and the lower the strength of the received signal, the greater the probability of reception failure. In addition, when the AP uses a single antenna to receive the frame header of the data frame, it will lose the maximum consolidation ratio (MRC) gain, affecting the receiving performance.

[0104] The embodiment of the present application proposes a communication method 100. In the communication method 100, an access point AP sends a first information, and the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M. When the data to be sent is X streams, the STA sends X streams of data to the AP, where X is an integer less than or equal to M. Correspondingly, when the AP does not receive a request to send frame, it uses M antennas to receive X streams of data from the STA, and the request to send frame is used to request to send N streams of data. When the data to be sent is N streams, the STA sends a request to send frame to the AP, and the request to send frame is used to request to send N streams of data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP. The AP sends a permission to send frame to the STA, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send N streams of data. The STA sends N streams of data to the AP, so that the AP uses N antennas to receive N streams of data from the STA.

[0105] It can be seen that the AP informs the STA of the number of streams M supported by the AP through the first information. Therefore, when the number of data streams X to be sent is less than or equal to the number of streams M supported by the AP, the STA directly sends X streams of data; when the number of data streams N to be sent is greater than M and less than the integer of the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the STA obtains permission to send from the AP and then sends N streams of data. Correspondingly, when the AP does not receive a request to send frame for requesting to send N streams of data, the AP uses M antennas to receive data from the STA; when the AP receives a request to send frame for requesting to send N streams of data, the STA is allowed to send N streams of data and switches from M antennas to N antennas to receive data from the STA, so that the AP can use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP to receive data from the STA, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0106] In addition, when the number of data streams N to be sent by the STA is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP and less than the integer of the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the STA sends N streams of data to the AP after obtaining permission to send from the AP. This method allows the AP to switch from M antennas to N antennas to receive N streams of data from the STA, which can ensure that the N streams of data sent by the STA are successfully received.

[0107] An embodiment of the present application proposes a communication method 200. In the communication method 200, the AP sends a beacon frame, and the STA receives the beacon frame from the AP, and the beacon frame carries a first field and a second field. Among them, the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of the first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter the sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in a sleep mode. The STA determines the mode of the AP based on the first field and the second field. This is beneficial for the STA to determine whether to send data directly to the AP based on the mode of the AP when there is data to be sent to the AP. In addition, the AP can be in sleep mode, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0108] This embodiment of the application proposes a communication method 100. Figure 2 1 is an interactive schematic diagram of the communication method 100. The communication method 100 is described from the perspective of the interaction between the access point AP and the station STA. The communication method 100 includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0109] S101. An access point AP sends first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP. Correspondingly, a station STA receives the first information from the AP.

[0110] Wherein, M is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0111] In addition, the AP sending the first information can be understood as: the AP broadcasts the first information. The AP broadcasts the first information so that multiple STAs connected to the AP learn the first information, that is, the multiple STAs connected to the AP learn the number of streams M supported by the AP.

[0112] Optionally, the AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames, and the STA receives the beacon frames from the AP, and the beacon frames carry the first information. It can be seen that the AP can broadcast the first information by periodically broadcasting beacon frames, so that multiple STAs connected to the AP can learn the number of streams M supported by the AP.

[0113] In an optional implementation, the AP also determines the number of streams M supported by the AP. For example, the AP determines the number of streams M supported by the AP based on the number of antennas supported by multiple STAs connected to the AP and the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP. For example, the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP is 10, and the STAs connected to the AP include STA1, STA2, and STA3. The number of antennas supported by STA1 is 3, the number of antennas supported by STA2 is 5, and the number of antennas supported by ST3 is 6. In order to reduce its own power consumption and ensure as much service transmission as possible with each STA, the AP determines that the number of streams supported is 5.

[0114] Optionally, to reduce the power consumption of the AP, the AP determines that the value of M is 1. The AP determines that the number of streams supported is 1, so that the AP can use a single antenna to receive data from the STA. Compared with the AP using an antenna with the maximum number of antennas supported to receive data from the STA, the AP uses a single antenna to receive data from the STA, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0115] It is understandable that the number of streams M supported by the AP is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP, so that the AP can use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported to receive data from the STA, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the AP.

[0116] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame sent by the AP carries information about the first period, and the first period is within the period of the beacon frame. It can be seen that the AP can also inform multiple STAs connected to the AP of the information about the first period through the beacon frame. Thus, the STA can obtain the first period within the period of the beacon frame based on the beacon frame. For example, the beacon frame sent by the AP carries the duration of the first period and the starting position of the first period, and the STA determines the time domain position of the first period within the period of the beacon frame based on the duration of the first period and the starting position of the first period.

[0117] For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the first cycle. Figure 3 As shown, the period of the beacon frame is 100ms, each first period is located within the period of a beacon frame, each first period starts at the start position of the period of each beacon frame, and the first period occupies 60ms. It can be seen that each first period is 60ms from the start of the period of each beacon frame.

[0118] Optionally, the number of streams supported by the AP in the first cycle is M, and the number of streams supported in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle is greater than M. Therefore, the AP uses M antennas to receive data in the first cycle, and uses antennas greater than M to receive data in the beacon frame cycle except the first cycle, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP in the first cycle.

[0119] The AP uses M antennas to receive data in the first cycle, where M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP. This can be understood as: the AP does not use all antennas to receive data in the first cycle, but uses antennas less than the total number of antennas to receive data. Alternatively, this can be understood as: the AP is in energy-saving mode in the first cycle, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP. Figure 3 As shown, M antennas are used to receive data in each first cycle, and antennas greater than M are used to receive data except for the first cycle in each beacon frame cycle, so that the AP is in energy-saving mode in each first cycle, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0120] S102a. When the data to be sent is X streams, the STA sends X streams of data to the AP, where X is an integer less than or equal to M. Correspondingly, when the AP does not receive a request to send frame, it uses M antennas to receive X streams of data from the STA, and the request to send frame is used to request to send N streams of data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP.

[0121] It is understandable that the STA learns through the received first information that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, and it is considered that the AP will use M antennas to receive data. If the number of data streams X to be sent by the STA to the AP is less than or equal to the number of streams M supported by the AP, when the AP uses M antennas to receive data, it can successfully receive X stream data from the STA. Therefore, when the data to be sent is X stream, the STA directly sends the X stream data to the AP.

[0122] Correspondingly, for the AP, if the AP does not receive a request to send frame (RTS) for requesting to send N stream data, the AP uses M antennas to receive X stream data from the STA, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP. It can be seen that when the AP does not receive a request to send frame from the STA for requesting to send more than M stream data, the AP uses M antennas to receive X stream data from the STA. This method allows the AP to use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP to receive data from the STA, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP, or it can be understood as reducing the power consumption of the AP's RF monitoring.

[0123] Optionally, when the beacon frame carries the information of the first cycle, that is, when the STA obtains the first cycle through the beacon frame, the AP adopts the dynamic spatial multiplexing power saving (spatial-multiplexing power-save, SMPS) mode by default in the first cycle, that is, it is considered that the AP uses M antennas to receive data in the first cycle, rather than using the antenna with the maximum number of antennas supported to receive data. Therefore, when the data to be sent by the STA in the first cycle is X stream, it sends X stream data to the AP; when the AP does not receive a request to send a frame for requesting to send N stream data in the first cycle, it uses M antennas to receive X stream data from the STA. This method allows the AP to use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP to receive data from the STA in the first cycle, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP in the first cycle, or it can be understood that the RF monitoring power consumption of the AP in the first cycle can be reduced.

[0124] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP uses M antennas to receive X stream data from the STA, which can also be understood as: the AP uses M channels to receive X stream data from the STA. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the number of antennas corresponds to the number of channels, that is, the number of antennas used by the AP is equal to the number of channels used.

[0125] S102b. When the STA has N streams of data to be sent, the STA sends a request to send frame to the AP, where the request to send frame is used to request to send N streams of data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP. Accordingly, the AP receives the request to send frame from the STA.

[0126] It is understandable that the STA learns that the number of streams supported by the AP is M through the received first information, and it is considered that the AP will use M antennas to receive data. If the number of data streams N to be sent by the STA to the AP is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP, the AP cannot successfully receive N streams of data from the STA using M antennas. Therefore, when the number of data streams N to be sent is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP, the STA sends a request to send frame to the AP to request to send N streams of data.

[0127] In the embodiment of the present application, after S102b, the AP and the STA further perform S103 and S104:

[0128] S103. The AP sends a Clear to Send frame to the STA, where the Clear to Send frame is used to allow the STA to send N streams of data. Correspondingly, the STA receives the Clear to Send frame from the AP.

[0129] When the AP receives a request to send frame from the STA, it learns that the STA requests to send N streams of data, so the AP switches the number of antennas used to receive data from M to N to ensure that the N streams of data from the STA can be successfully received. In addition, the AP sends a clear to send frame (CTS) to the STA to allow the STA to send N streams of data.

[0130] S104. The STA sends N streams of data to the AP. Accordingly, the AP uses N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA.

[0131] When the STA receives the permission to send frame from the AP, it indicates that it has obtained permission to send N streams of data. Therefore, the STA sends N streams of data to the AP. Correspondingly, for the AP, the AP uses N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA to ensure that the N streams of data sent by the STA can be successfully received.

[0132] It can be seen that when the STA has N streams of data to be sent, it sends a request-to-send frame to the AP, receives a permission-to-send frame from the AP, and then sends N streams of data to the AP. When the AP receives a request-to-send frame from the STA, it sends a permission-to-send frame to the STA and uses N antennas to receive N streams of data from the STA. This method allows the N streams of data sent by the STA to be successfully received by the AP when the number of data streams N sent by the STA is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP.

[0133] Optionally, when the beacon frame carries the information of the first cycle, when the data to be sent by the STA in the first cycle is N streams, the STA sends a request to send frame to the AP, and upon receiving a permission to send frame from the AP, sends the N streams of data to the AP. Correspondingly, when the beacon frame carries the information of the first cycle, upon receiving a request to send frame from the STA, the AP sends a permission to send frame and uses N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA.

[0134] For example, Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the interaction between AP and STA in the first cycle. Specifically, Figure 4 This is an interactive diagram taking M equal to 4, X equal to 3, and N equal to 5 as an example. Figure 4 As shown, the data to be sent by the STA to the AP in the first cycle is data 1, and the number of streams of data 1 is 3, so the STA directly sends data 1 to the AP; the AP uses 4 antennas to receive data 1 from the STA, and when the data 1 is successfully received, it sends an acknowledgement (ACK) frame to the STA to let the STA know that the data 1 has been successfully received. Optionally, when the AP successfully receives the data 1, it sends a block ACK, that is, a BA frame, to the STA to let the STA know that the data 1 has been successfully received.

[0135] In addition, the STA has data 2 to be sent to the AP in the first cycle, and the number of streams of data 2 is 5. Since the number of streams of data 2 is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP, the STA sends a request to send frame RTS to the AP to request to send data with a number of streams of 5. When the AP receives the request to send frame from the STA, it switches the number of antennas used to receive data from 4 to 5, and sends a clear to send frame CTS to the STA to allow the STA to send data with a number of streams of 5. When the STA receives the clear to send frame from the AP, it sends data 2 to the AP. The AP uses 5 antennas to receive data 2 from the STA, and when data 2 is successfully received, it sends ACK to the STA so that the STA knows that data 2 has been successfully received. Optionally, when data 2 is successfully received, the AP sends a BA frame to the STA so that the STA knows that data 2 has been successfully received.

[0136] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame periodically sent by the AP to the STA also carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of the first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode. For example, the timing duration of the first timer indicated by the first field is 2s, then after 2s, the AP enters the sleep mode. The second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is either a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in a sleep mode.

[0137] When the AP mode is working mode, it means that the AP is in normal working state; when the AP mode is sleeping mode, it means that the AP is in dormant state, and the AP does not communicate with the STA and cannot communicate with the STA; when the AP mode is entering sleeping mode, it can also be understood that the first timer is in timing state. When the AP is in entering sleeping mode, the AP can communicate with the STA.

[0138] It can be seen that the AP informs the STA of the duration of the first timer used for counting down the AP entering the sleep mode and the mode the AP is in, respectively, through the first field and the second field in the beacon frame. For the STA, the STA also supports the interpretation of the first field and the second field. Thus, the STA can determine the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field.

[0139] Optionally, the first field and the second field are newly added fields in the beacon frame. The first field may be a PS_count field, and the second field may be a PS_flag field. For example, Figure 5 Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the beacon frame structure. Figure 5 As shown, in addition to the existing element ID field, element length field, and extension ID field, the beacon frame adds a PS_count field and a PS_flag field. The PS_count field is used to indicate the timing duration of the first timer, and the PS_flag field is used to indicate the mode of the AP. For example, when the PS_flag field is 00, it is used to indicate that the AP is in working mode; when the PS_flag field is 01, it is used to indicate that the AP is entering sleep mode; when the PS_flag field is 10, it is used to indicate that the AP is in sleep mode; when the PS_flag field is 11, it is a legacy state. When the PS_flag field is 01, the PS_count field is valid; when the PS_flag field is not 01, the PS_count field is a legacy state and has no meaning. In addition, the bits occupied by the PS_count field and the PS_flag field are 6 bits and 2 bits, respectively.

[0140] Optionally, the AP may determine whether to enter the sleep mode according to the service status. For example, when the service volume between the AP and multiple STAs is less than a preset value, the AP determines that it can enter the sleep mode. When the AP determines to enter the sleep mode, it starts the first timer and switches from the working state to the entering sleep mode; if the first timer times out, the AP switches from the entering sleep mode to the sleep mode, that is, enters the sleep mode.

[0141] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 The following is a schematic diagram of the status of the radio module in the AP. Figure 6As shown, when the AP is in working mode, all main RF modules of the AP are turned on, and the wake-up radio (WUR) module is turned off, and all main RF modules of the AP include a main RF module for sending beacon frames. When the AP is entering sleep mode, the turn-on state of the AP's RF module is the same as the turn-on state when the AP is in working mode, that is, all main RF modules of the AP are turned on, and the WUR module is turned off. When the AP is in sleep mode, the WUR module of the AP is turned on, and at least one of the main RF modules is turned off, and the main RF module for sending beacon frames is in the turned-on state. Among them, the main RF module is a RF module that works normally when the AP communicates with the STA, and the WUR module is a low-power receiving module. It can be seen that when the AP is in sleep mode, at least one of the multiple main RF modules of the AP is in the turned-off state, thereby reducing the power consumption of the AP.

[0142] In an optional implementation, after receiving a beacon frame, the STA determines the state of the AP according to the first field and the second field in the beacon frame. For example, when the second field is used to indicate that the AP is in working mode, the STA determines that the AP is in working mode. For another example, when the second field is used to indicate that the AP is entering sleep mode, and the duration indicated by the first field has not yet ended, the STA determines that the AP is entering sleep mode. For another example, when the second field is used to indicate that the AP is entering sleep mode, and the duration indicated by the first field has ended, the STA determines that the AP is in sleep mode. For another example, when the second field is used to indicate that the AP is entering sleep mode, and the duration indicated by the first field has ended, the STA determines that the AP is in sleep mode.

[0143] In an optional implementation, when the AP is in sleep mode and the STA has first data to be sent to the AP, the STA sends a second message to the AP, where the second message is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode. When the AP receives the second message from the STA, it switches from the sleep mode to the working mode and sends a third message to the STA, where the third message is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode. Furthermore, the STA learns that the AP has exited the sleep mode through the received third message, and thus sends the first data to the AP. Then, the AP in the working mode receives the first data from the STA.

[0144] It can be seen that when the AP is in sleep mode and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA requests the AP to exit the sleep mode through the second message. The AP informs the STA that it has exited the sleep mode through the third message. Thus, the STA sends the first data to the AP in working mode. This method can enable the AP to switch from sleep mode to working mode, and then receive the first data from the STA in working mode.

[0145] In an optional implementation, when the AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode and the first timer has not timed out, all main radio frequency modules of the AP are in the turned-on state. If the STA sends data to the AP, the AP can successfully receive it. Therefore, when the AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, the first timer has not timed out, and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the STA can directly send the first data to the AP.

[0146] Correspondingly, when the AP is in the process of entering sleep mode and the first timer has not timed out, if it receives the first data from the STA, indicating that the STA has an uplink service to the AP, the AP cancels the timing of the first timer to ensure that it can successfully receive data from the STA in the next time period.

[0147] In the embodiment of the present application, a predefined protocol is designed between the AP and the STA so that the STA supports the AP to enter the sleep mode. For a STA that has been connected to the AP, if the STA has a burst service to the AP, the STA sends a narrowband signal to the AP to request the AP to exit the sleep mode through the narrowband signal, which can also be understood as requesting the AP to switch from the sleep mode to the working mode to ensure the normal operation of the burst service. It can be seen that the second information sent by the STA to the AP to request the AP to exit the sleep mode can be carried in the narrowband signal.

[0148] In addition, for a STA that is not connected to an AP, if the STA passively detects a beacon frame and determines that the AP is in sleep mode based on the beacon frame, then if the STA needs to access the AP, the STA also needs to send a narrowband signal to the AP to request the AP to exit sleep mode and switch from sleep mode to working mode.

[0149] Optionally, the STA may transmit narrowband signals by multiplexing the frequency domain portion of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) through the main radio module to reduce the cost of the STA. Figure 7 The figure is a schematic diagram of the STA's radio frequency module. For example, the STA uses Figure 7 The radio frequency module shown sends the above-mentioned second information.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP informs the STA of the number of streams M supported by the AP through the first information. Therefore, when the number of data streams X to be sent is less than or equal to the number of streams M supported by the AP, the STA directly sends X streams of data; when the number of data streams N to be sent is greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the STA obtains permission to send from the AP and then sends N streams of data. Correspondingly, when the AP does not receive a request to send frame for requesting to send N streams of data, the AP uses M antennas to receive data from the STA; when the AP receives a request to send frame for requesting to send N streams of data, the STA is allowed to send N streams of data and switches from M antennas to N antennas to receive data from the STA, so that the AP can use antennas less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP to receive data from the STA, which can reduce the power consumption of the AP.

[0151] In addition, when the number of data streams N to be sent by the STA is greater than the number of streams M supported by the AP and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the STA sends N streams of data to the AP after obtaining permission from the AP to send. This method allows the AP to switch from M antennas to N antennas to receive N streams of data from the STA, ensuring that the N streams of data sent by the STA are successfully received.

[0152] The present application embodiment also provides a communication method 200. Figure 8 , Figure 8 2 is an interactive diagram of the communication method 200. The communication method 200 is also described from the perspective of interaction between the AP and the STA. The communication method 200 includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0153] S201. The AP sends a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field. The first field is used to indicate the duration of a first timer, which is a timer used to count down the time for the AP to enter the sleep mode. The second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is the working mode, the mode of the AP, or the mode of the AP entering the sleep mode, or the sleep mode. Correspondingly, the STA receives the beacon frame from the AP.

[0154] Among them, the implementation of the first field and the second field can be found in the above-mentioned communication method 100, and will not be repeated here.

[0155] It can be understood that the AP periodically sends beacon frames, which allows the STA to periodically obtain the first field and the second field, and further allows the STA to periodically determine the mode of the AP based on the first field and the second field.

[0156] S202. The STA determines the AP mode according to the first field and the second field.

[0157] It can be understood that when the second field indicates that the AP is in working mode, the STA determines that the AP is in working mode. When the second field indicates that the AP is entering sleep mode, and the duration of the first timer indicated by the first field has not yet ended, the STA determines that the AP is entering sleep mode. When the second field indicates that the AP is entering sleep mode, and the duration of the first timer indicated by the first field has ended, the STA determines that the AP is in sleep mode. When the second field indicates that the AP is in sleep mode, the STA determines that the AP is in sleep mode. It can be seen that the STA can determine the mode of the AP by combining the interpretation of the first field and the second field.

[0158] Optionally, when the AP is in sleep mode, or is entering sleep mode, or is in sleep mode, the state of its radio frequency module can refer to that described in the above communication method 100, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] Optionally, after the STA determines the mode of the AP, when there is data to be sent to the AP, it can determine whether the data to be sent can be sent directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP. When the AP is in working mode and is entering sleep mode, if there is data to be sent to the AP, the STA can directly send the data to be sent to the AP. When the AP is in sleep mode, if there is data to be sent to the AP, the STA needs to wake up the AP from sleep mode first, that is, the AP switches from sleep mode to working mode, and then send the data to be sent to the AP. The way in which the STA wakes up the AP from sleep mode to working mode can be referred to the implementation method in the communication method 100, which will not be repeated.

[0160] Accordingly, when the AP is in working mode, the AP can communicate with the STA normally. When the AP is in sleeping mode, the AP can also receive data from the STA, and when the AP receives data from the STA, the timing of the first timer is canceled. It can be seen that when the AP is in sleeping mode and receives data from the STA, the AP switches from sleeping mode to working mode to ensure that the AP can successfully receive data from the STA in the next period of time.

[0161] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP indicates the first field and the second field to the STA through the beacon frame, the first field is used to indicate the duration of the first timer, the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode, and the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, the mode of the AP is the working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode. Thus, the STA can determine the mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field, which is conducive to the STA determining whether it can send data directly to the AP according to the mode of the AP. In addition, the AP can be in the sleep mode, thereby reducing the power consumption of the AP.

[0162] With respect to the technical solutions described above, the corresponding device implementation solutions are further described below.

[0163] In order to implement the functions of the method provided in the above embodiment of the present application, the station and the access point may include a hardware structure and / or a software module, and implement the above functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module. Whether one of the above functions is executed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure plus a software module depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0164] like Fig. 9 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 900. The communication device 900 may be a component of a site (e.g., an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.), or a component of an access point (e.g., an integrated circuit, a chip, etc.). The communication device 900 may also be other communication units, used to implement the method in the method embodiment of the present application. The communication device 900 may include: a communication unit 901 and a processing unit 902. Optionally, a storage unit 903 may also be included.

[0165] In one possible design, Fig. 9 One or more units may be implemented by one or more processors, or by one or more processors and memories; or by one or more processors and transceivers; or by one or more processors, memories, and transceivers, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The processor, memory, and transceiver may be provided separately or integrated.

[0166] The communication device 900 has the function of implementing the site described in the embodiments of the present application, or the function of the access point. For example, the communication device 900 includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the steps involved in the site in the above-mentioned method embodiments. The function or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by hardware executing the corresponding software implementation, or by a combination of software and hardware. For details, please refer to the corresponding description in the above-mentioned corresponding method embodiment.

[0167] In one possible design, the communication device 900 may include: a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 901, wherein the processing unit is configured to process a signal / signaling;

[0168] The communication unit 901 is used to receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the access point AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0169] The communication unit 901 is further configured to, when the data to be sent is an X stream, send the X stream data to the AP, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0170] The communication unit 901 is also used to send a request to send frame to the AP when the data to be sent is N streams, receive a permission to send frame from the AP, and send N streams of data to the AP, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and the request to send frame is used to request the sending of the N streams of data, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0171] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 901 is further configured to receive a beacon frame, wherein the beacon frame carries information of a first period, and the first period is within a period of the beacon frame.

[0172] In an optional implementation, the number of streams supported by the AP in the first period is M, and the number of streams supported by the AP in the period of the beacon frame other than the first period is greater than M.

[0173] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field; the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode.

[0174] In an optional implementation, the AP is in the sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is further used to: when there is first data to be sent to the AP, send second information to the AP, the second information being used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; receive third information from the AP, the third information being used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; and send the first data to the AP.

[0175] In an optional implementation, the AP is in the state of entering the sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is further used for: when the first timer has not timed out and there is first data to be sent to the AP, sending the first data to the AP.

[0176] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, and no further details will be given.

[0177] In another possible design, the communication device 900 may include: a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 901, wherein the processing unit 902 is configured to process the signal / signaling;

[0178] The communication unit 901 is used to send first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP;

[0179] The communication unit 901 is further configured to, when no request to send frame is received, use M antennas to receive X stream data from the station STA, wherein the request to send frame is used to request to send N stream data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than a maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M;

[0180] The communication unit 901 is further configured to send a permission to send frame when receiving a request to send frame, and use N antennas to receive the N streams of data from the STA, wherein the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

[0181] In an optional implementation, the communication unit 901 is further used to send a beacon frame, the beacon frame carries information of a first period, and the first period is within the period of the beacon frame.

[0182] In an optional implementation, the number of streams supported by the AP in the first period is M, and the number of streams supported by the AP in the period of the beacon frame other than the first period is greater than M.

[0183] In an optional implementation, the beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field; the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode.

[0184] In an optional implementation, the AP is in the sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is further used to: receive second information from the STA, wherein the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; send third information to the STA, wherein the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; and receive first data from the STA.

[0185] In an optional implementation manner, the AP is in the state of entering the sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is further configured to: receive first data from the STA, and cancel the timing of the first timer.

[0186] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, and no further details will be given.

[0187] In yet another possible design, the communication device 900 may include: a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 901, wherein the processing unit 902 is configured to process a signal / signaling;

[0188] The communication unit 901 is used to receive a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in sleep mode.

[0189] In an optional implementation, the processing unit 902 is configured to determine a mode of the AP according to the first field and the second field.

[0190] In an optional implementation, the AP is in sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is also used to: if there is first data to be sent to the AP, send second information to the AP, the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; receive third information from the AP, the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; and send first data to the AP.

[0191] In an optional implementation manner, the AP is in the process of entering a sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is further configured to: if the first timer has not timed out and there is first data to be sent to the AP, send the first data to the AP.

[0192] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, and no further details will be given.

[0193] In yet another possible design, the communication device 900 may include: a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 901, wherein the processing unit 902 is configured to process a signal / signaling;

[0194] The communication unit 901 is used to send a beacon frame, which carries a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to indicate the timing duration of a first timer, and the first timer is a timer used to count down the AP to enter sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, and the mode of the AP is a working mode, or is entering a sleep mode, or is in sleep mode.

[0195] In an optional implementation, the AP is in sleep mode, and the communication unit 901 is also used to: receive second information from the STA, the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; send third information to the STA, the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; receive first data from the STA.

[0196] In an optional implementation manner, the AP is in the process of entering a sleep mode, and the processing unit 902 is configured to: receive first data from a STA, and cancel timing of a first timer.

[0197] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown above are based on the same concept, and the technical effects they bring are also the same. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown above, and no further details will be given.

[0198] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device 1000, Fig.10 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1000. The communication device 1000 may be a station, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the station to implement the above method; or, it may be an access point, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the access point to implement the above method. The device may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment, and the details may refer to the description in the above method embodiment.

[0199] The communication device 1000 may include one or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor may be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a distributed unit DU or a centralized unit CU, etc.), execute a software program, and process the data of the software program.

[0200] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may include one or more memories 1002, on which instructions 1004 may be stored, and the instructions may be executed on the processor 1001, so that the communication device 1000 performs the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memory 1002. The processor 1001 and the memory 1002 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0201] Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a transceiver 1005 and an antenna 1006. The transceiver 1005 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., for implementing a transceiver function. The transceiver 1005 may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., for implementing a receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., for implementing a transmitting function.

[0202] In one possible design, the communication device 1000 can be applied to a site, specifically, the processor 1001 is used to execute S202 in the above-mentioned communication method 200; the transceiver 1005 is used to execute S101 to S104 in the above-mentioned communication method 100, or is used to execute S201 in the above-mentioned communication method 200.

[0203] In another possible design, the communication device 1000 can be applied to an access point. Specifically, the transceiver 1005 is used to execute S101 to S104 in the above-mentioned communication method 100, or to execute S201 in the above-mentioned communication method 200.

[0204] Optionally, the processor 1001 may store an instruction 1003, and the instruction 1003 runs on the processor 1001, so that the communication device 1000 can execute the method described in the above method embodiment. The instruction 1003 may be fixed in the processor 1001, in which case the processor 1001 may be implemented by hardware.

[0205] The embodiments of the present application and the method embodiments shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100 and communication method 200 are based on the same concept and bring the same technical effects. For the specific principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments shown in the above-mentioned communication method 100 and communication method 200 and will not be repeated here.

[0206] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0207] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0208] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0209] The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which may include a station and an access point. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the station and the access point.

[0210] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims and drawings of the embodiments of the present application are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. "First", "second" and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second" and the like may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0211] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0212] Mentioning "embodiment" in the embodiments of the present application means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0213] In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "plurality" refers to two or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and following associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0214] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0215] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, an SSD), etc.

[0216] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a station STA, and the method includes: Receive first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the access point AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than the maximum number of antennas supported by the AP; When the data to be sent is an X stream, sending the X stream data to the AP, where X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M; When the data to be sent is N streams, a request to send frame is sent to the AP, a permission to send frame is received from the AP, and N streams of data are sent to the AP, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, the request to send frame is used to request the sending of the N streams of data, and the permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: A beacon frame is received, where the beacon frame carries information of a first period, and the first period is within a period of the beacon frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The number of streams supported by the AP in the first period is M, and the number of streams supported by the AP in the period of the beacon frame except the first period is greater than M.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field; The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of the first timer, which is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is the working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The AP is in the sleep mode, and the method further includes: When there is first data to be sent to the AP, sending second information to the AP, where the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; receiving third information from the AP, wherein the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; Sending the first data to the AP.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, and the method further includes: When the first timer has not timed out and there is first data to be sent to the AP, the first data is sent to the AP.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to an access point AP, and the method comprises: Sending first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the number of streams supported by the AP is M, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and M is less than a maximum number of antennas supported by the AP; When no request to send frame is received, M antennas are used to receive X stream data from the station STA, where the request to send frame is used to request to send N stream data, where N is an integer greater than M and less than the maximum number of streams supported by the AP, and X is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to M; When a request to send frame is received, a permission to send frame is sent, and the N streams of data from the STA are received using N antennas. The permission to send frame is used to allow the STA to send the N streams of data.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: A beacon frame is sent, where the beacon frame carries information of a first period, and the first period is within a period of the beacon frame.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The number of streams supported by the AP in the first period is M, and the number of streams supported by the AP in the period of the beacon frame except the first period is greater than M.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The beacon frame also carries a first field and a second field; The first field is used to indicate the timing duration of the first timer, which is a timer used to count down the AP entering the sleep mode; the second field is used to indicate the mode of the AP, which is the working mode, or is entering the sleep mode, or is in the sleep mode.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The AP is in the sleep mode, and the method further includes: receiving second information from the STA, where the second information is used to request the AP to exit the sleep mode; Sending third information to the STA, where the third information is used to indicate that the AP has exited the sleep mode; First data is received from the STA.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The AP is in the process of entering the sleep mode, and the method further includes: Receive first data from the STA, and cancel the timing of the first timer.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or comprises a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

15. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a station and an access point; The site is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6; The access point is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12 is executed.

17. A computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that When the method is executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12 is executed.

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