Management frame transmission method and device, communication equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a management frame transmission method and device, communication equipment and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of wireless communication. The method comprises: transmitting respective management frames related to perception on a first link (301); wherein each management frame is a unicast frame; the specified management frame in the management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

Description

Management frame transmission method, device, communication equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a management frame transmission method, apparatus, communication equipment, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) sensing refers to a method of sensing people / objects in an environment by measuring changes in WLAN signals after scattering and / or reflection by people / objects.

[0003] In related technologies, during a WLAN awareness session, awareness-related management frames are transmitted between devices participating in awareness or acting as agents to implement WLAN awareness.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium for managing frame transmission. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a management frame transmission method, the method being performed by a multi-link device, the method comprising:

[0007] Transmitting various management frames related to sensing on a first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and a designated management frame among the various management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

[0008] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a management frame transmission device, which is used in a multi-link device, and includes:

[0009] A transmission module is used to transmit various management frames related to perception on the first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and a designated management frame among the various management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

[0010] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is a multi-link device; the communication device includes a processor, a memory and a transceiver, the memory stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by the processor to implement the above-mentioned management frame transmission method.

[0011] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned management frame transmission method.

[0012] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the communication device to perform the above-mentioned management frame transmission method.

[0013] On the other hand, a chip is provided. The chip is used to run in a communication device so that the communication device executes the above-mentioned management frame transmission method.

[0014] On the other hand, a computer program is provided. The computer program is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the above management frame transmission method.

[0015] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can bring the following beneficial effects:

[0016] When a multi-link device transmits unicast management frames related to perception on a certain link, it can limit the transmission of specified management frames in the related unicast management frames to the current link only, and prohibit transmission on other links outside the current link. This avoids the complexity of implementation caused by incomplete frame interaction sequences of perception measurements on the current link, and supports simultaneous perception measurements on different links, thereby improving the efficiency of multi-link devices in performing WLAN perception. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0018] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a reference model of a multi-link device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG3 is a flowchart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG4 is a flowchart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG5 is a flowchart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG6 is a block diagram of a management frame transmission device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0027] Please refer to FIG1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The network architecture may include: a station 10 and an access point 20 .

[0028] There are usually multiple sites 10, and each access point 20 can be associated with one or more sites 10. Sites 10 can include various handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, as well as various forms of user equipment (UE), mobile stations (MS), terminal devices, etc. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as sites STA.

[0029] The access point 20 is a device deployed in the access network to provide wireless communication functions for the station 10, and may also be referred to as an AP (Access Point). The access point 20 may include various forms of wireless routers, wireless switches, or wireless relay devices.

[0030] The above-mentioned station 10 and / or access point 20 may be a multi-link device.

[0031] Optionally, what is not shown in FIG1 is that the above network architecture also includes other network devices, such as gateway devices and the like.

[0032] The station 10 and the access point 20 may be associated and communicated with each other via wireless local area network technology, for example, communication based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

[0033] The IEEE 802.11 BF Working Group is currently discussing the development of a protocol to define how to implement WLAN sensing using IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN signals. WLAN terminals participating in sensing may have roles such as sensing session initiator, sensing session responder, sensing signal sender, and sensing signal receiver.

[0034] A WLAN awareness session includes one or more of the following phases: session establishment, awareness measurement, awareness reporting, and session termination. A WLAN terminal may have one or more roles in a awareness session. For example, the awareness session initiator can be solely the awareness session initiator, but can also be the awareness signal sender, the awareness signal receiver, or both.

[0035] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, some technical knowledge involved in this application is first introduced and explained.

[0036] 1) Multiple Links Device (MLD)

[0037] Relevant standard protocols define support for multiple links. The standard defines the two communicating ends as STA MLD and AP MLD. STA MLD and AP MLD that have established multiple links can leverage the advantages of multiple links to transmit and receive data across multiple links, achieving high throughput and low latency.

[0038] In traditional single-link devices, each single-link device has a Media Access Control (MAC) address that can be used to identify the device. In multi-link devices defined in relevant standards, because a multi-link device has multiple links, each link has a separate MAC address, and a multi-link device also has a single multi-link device MAC address (MLD MAC address).

[0039] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the reference model for a multi-link device. As shown in Figure 2, there are two links between two multi-link devices: Link 1 and Link 2. Each multi-link device has a separate Link MAC address (also known as a Wireless Medium (WM) MAC address) on each link in the Lower MAC layer, and a single MLD MAC address in the Upper MAC layer.

[0040] 2) Anti-replay of data frames and robust management frames

[0041] Generally, to prevent replay attacks, a transmitter sets a self-incrementing packet number (PN) in data frames and / or robust management frames in the Counter Mode Cipher Block Chaining Message Integrity Code (CTR with CBC-MAC) protocol (CCMP) and / or Galois / Counter Mode Protocol (GCMP) packets. This PN is unique for Media Access Protocol Data Units (MPDUs) encrypted using the same Temporal Key (TK) and is initially set to 0. The receiver maintains one or more anti-replay counters (Replay Counters). These counters are initially set to 0 and are updated to the PN value in each frame upon successful frame reception (including successful decryption). If the receiver performs a replay check before decrypting the frame body, the anti-replay counters are only updated to the PN value in the frame if decryption is successful and the frame is accepted. The receiver uses the packet sequence number of the currently received frame to check whether it is a replayed frame. If the packet sequence number of the currently received frame is less than or equal to the current anti-replay counter value, the frame is determined to be a replayed frame and is discarded directly. For example, if the receiver successfully receives a frame with a PN of 5, the anti-replay counter value is updated to 5. If a frame with a PN of 5, 4, or less is subsequently received, the frame will be discarded and the anti-replay counter will not be updated again.

[0042] The current standard stipulates that for a given TK, subject to the maximum number of supported anti-replay counters, the receiver maintains a separate anti-replay counter (denoted as C1) for all data frames corresponding to each Traffic Identifier (TID). If management frame protection is supported, the receiver also maintains a separate anti-replay counter (denoted as C2) for all unicast robust management frames without quality-of-service management frames (non-QMF). If management frame quality assurance is also enabled, the receiver also maintains a separate anti-replay counter (denoted as C3) for all unicast robust management frames corresponding to each access category index (ACI).

[0043] 3) Anti-replay in ranging

[0044] Based on the anti-replay mechanism for data frames and robust management frames, if an anti-replay counter (such as the aforementioned C2 or a C3) is shared with other robust management frames, when the ranging device receives a robust Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) and / or Location Measurement Report (LMR) frame, and other robust management frames are cached for transmission, and the robust FTM and / or LMR frame is transmitted before the other cached robust management frames, the other cached robust management frames will be discarded by the receiving end. For example, if a frame with a PN of 7 is transmitted before a frame with a PN of 6, the frame with a PN of 6 will be discarded.

[0045] Under this mechanism, if the robust management frames share an anti-replay counter with other robust management frames, and the ranging device prepares and caches the robust FTM and / or LMR frames but needs to wait for a specific time (for example, within the negotiated ranging schedule) before reporting them, it will also block the cache queue (HOL Blocking, Head Of Line Blocking), causing other robust management frames cached behind it to be unable to be sent in time. For example, a frame with PN 8 needs to wait until a frame with PN 7 is sent before it can be sent, even if the current channel is idle.

[0046] Therefore, the IEEE 802.11az standard adds a separate anti-replay counter (denoted as C4, which is different from the aforementioned C1, C2, and C3) for the FTM and LMR used for ranging. It also uses the packet sequence number in the received frame to check whether the frame is a replayed frame. The following processing rules are used to detect replay:

[0047] Based on the above anti-replay scheme for data frames and robust management frames, during the ranging process, the receiver detects whether the locally set dot11RSNAProtectedManagementFramesActivated is true. If dot11RSNAProtectedManagementFramesActivated is true, the receiver should maintain a separate replay counter for receiving separately addressed protected accurate time measurement frames and should use the PN in the received frame to detect replay;

[0048] The receiver shall discard any data frame whose PN is less than or equal to the replay counter value associated with the TA and priority value of the received MPDU. The receiver shall discard MSDUs and MMPDUs whose constituent MPDU PN values ​​are not incremented by 1. If dot11RSNAProtectedManagementFramesActivated is true, the receiver shall discard received individually addressed robust management frames whose PN is less than or equal to the replay counter value associated with the TA of the individually addressed management frame.

[0049] (If dot11RSNAProtectedManagementFramesActivated is true, the recipient shall maintain a separate replay counter for receiving individually addressed Protected Fine Timing frames (see 9.6.34(Protected Fine Timing Frame details)) and shall use the PN from the received frame to detect replays;

[0050] The receiver shall discard any Data frame that is received with its PN less than or equal to the value of the replay counter that is associated with the TA and priority value of the received MPDU. The receiver shall discard MSDUs and MMPDUs whose constituent MPDU PN values ​​are not incrementing in steps of 1. If dot11RSNAProtectedManagementFramesActivated is true, the receiver shall discard an individually addressed robust Management frame that is received with its PN less than or equal to the value of the replay counter associated with the TA of that individually addressed Management frame. )

[0051] 4) Anti-replay in perception

[0052] Similar to ranging, the IEEE 802.11bf standard adds a separate anti-replay counter (denoted as C5, which is different from the aforementioned C1, C2, C3, and C4) to the sensing measurement report (Sensing By Proxy report) used for sensing, and accordingly uses the packet sequence number in the received frame to check whether the frame is a replayed frame.

[0053] 5) Anti-replay for multi-link devices

[0054] IEEE 802.11be specifies that in multilink operation, security association negotiation is performed at the MLD level, rather than the attached station level. The resulting Pairwise Transient Key Security Association (PTKSA), including the TK, is at the MLD level. IEEE 802.11be also specifies that C1 is at the MLD level (associated with the transmitter MLD MAC address), while C2 and C3 remain at the STA level (associated with the TA, implicitly implying that C4 and C5 are also at the STA level).

[0055] See IEEE 802.11be 12.5.2.2 (CCMP MPDU format) for a description of how to encode the PN in the CCMP header. The following processing rules are used to detect replay:

[0056] Based on the anti-replay scheme for data frames and robust management frames described above, the receiver should discard any data frame whose PN is less than or equal to the replay counter value associated with the TA and priority value of the received MPDU. If the MPDU is an individually addressed data frame transmitted by a STA affiliated with an MLD, the receiver should discard any data frame received with a PN less than or equal to the replay counter value associated with the transmitter MLD MAC address and priority value of the received MPDU. The receiver should discard MSDUs and MMPDUs whose constituent MPDU PN values ​​do not increment by 1. If the receiver sets the MFPC bit on a given link to 1, it should discard any individually addressed robust management frame whose PN is less than or equal to the replay counter value associated with the TA of the individually addressed management frame. The frame body of a management frame on one link needs to be re-headed and re-encapsulated when transmitted on other links.

[0057] (See 12.5.2.2(CCMP MPDU format) for a description of how the PN is encoded in the CCMP header.The following processing rules are used to detect replay:

[0058] 接收方应丢弃任何接收到的PN小于或等于与TA相关联的重放计数器的值以及接收到的MPDU的优先级值的Data帧。如果MPDU是由与MLD关联的STA发送的单独寻址的Data帧,则接收方应丢弃任何接收到的PN小于或等于与发送方MLD MAC地址相关联的重放计数器的值以及接收到的MPDU的优先级值的Data帧。接收方应丢弃其组成MPDU PN值不是以1为步长递增的MSDU和MMPDU。如果接收方将给定链路上的MFPC位设置为1,则应丢弃任何接收到的PN小于或等于与该单独寻址的管理帧的TA相关联的重放计数器的值的单独寻址的健壮管理帧。)

[0059] 6) Transmission of Multi-Link Device Management Frames

[0060] According to the description of multi-link device addressing in 35.3.2 of IEEE 802.11be, the transmitter address (TA) and receiver address (RA) of unicast frames transmitted between a pair of multi-link devices are set as follows: the TA is generally the MAC address of the MLD-affiliated station corresponding to the link that sends the frame, and the RA is the MAC address of the MLD-affiliated station corresponding to the link that receives the frame.

[0061] For individually addressed frames sent on a link between two MLDs, the following applies:

[0062] The value of the Address 2 (TA) field (if present) in the MAC header of a non-probe response frame shall be the MAC address of the transmitting STA associated with the MLD corresponding to the link, except for the Specific / Group bit, which is set to 1 when the TA field value is the bandwidth signaling TA and to 0 otherwise.

[0063] The value of the Address 1 (RA) field in the frame's MAC header should be the MAC address of the receiving STA associated with the MLD corresponding to the link.

[0064] (For an individually addressed frame sent on a link between two MLDs, the following applies:

[0065] the value of the Address 2(TA)field(if present)in the MAC header of the frame that is not a Probe Response frame shall be the MAC address of the transmitting STA affiliated with the MLD corresponding to that link except for the Individual / Group bit, which is set to 1 when the TA field value is a bandwidth signaling TA and set to 0otherwise.

[0066] the value of the Address 1(RA)field in the MAC header of the frame shall be the MAC address of the receiving STA affiliated with the MLD corresponding to that link. )

[0067] According to 35.3.7.1 TID-to-link mapping in IEEE 802.11be, if a link in a non-AP MLD is enabled, uplink and downlink management frames, QoS Null frames, and control frames can be transmitted on any enabled link between the non-AP MLD and the associated AP MLD.

[0068] (If a link is enabled for a non-AP MLD, then: Individually addressed Management frames, QoS Null frames, and Control frames may be sent on any enabled links between the corresponding non-AP MLD and AP MLD both in DL and UL.)

[0069] A non-AP MLD can obtain bufferable unicast MAC Management Protocol Data Units (MMPDUs, i.e., management frame bodies) buffered by its associated AP MLD on any enabled link (see Table 11-3 (Bufferable / nonbufferable classification of MMPDUs) in IEEE 802.11be). An AP MLD can transmit such unicast MAC Management Protocol Data Units (MMPDUs, i.e., management frame bodies) on any enabled link, subject to the rules in IEEE 802.11be section 35.3.14 (Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery) and the energy management rules in IEEE 802.11be section 35.3.12 (Multi-link power management).

[0070] (A non-AP MLD may retrieve buffered BUs that are individually addressed MMPDUs available at the AP MLD on any enabled link。An AP MLD may use any enabled links to transmit individually addressed management frames(see Table 11-3(Bufferable / nonbufferable classification of MMPDUs))subject to the rules defined in 35.3.14(Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery)and subject to the power state of the non-AP STA on each of the links(see 35.3.12(Multi-link power management))。)

[0071] If a non-AP STA attached to a non-AP MLD is in active mode and has a downlink TID mapped to it, the AP attached to the AP MLD shall send the following frames to the non-AP STA: any existing MAC Service Data Units (MSDUs) or Aggregate MAC Service Data Units (A-MSDUs) corresponding to the mapped TID; and any existing MAC Management Protocol Data Units (MMPDUs) that are required to be sent to the non-AP MLD or any of its attached non-AP STAs, subject to the rules of IEEE 802.11be 35.3.14 (Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery). However, if the MSDUs and / or A-MSDUs and / or MMPDUs are intended for another non-AP STA attached to the non-AP MLD and the other non-AP STA is in active mode or in power save mode, they shall not be sent on the link.

[0072] (If a non-AP STA affiliated with a non-AP MLD is in active mode on a link with a set of TIDs mapped for DL ​​transmission, its associated AP affiliated with the AP MLD shall transmit to the non-AP STA:

[0073] —MSDUs / A-MSDUs, if any, corresponding to that set of negotiated TIDs for the non-AP MLD, and,

[0074] —MMPDUs, if any, for the non-AP MLD or its affiliated non-AP STAs, subject to the rules defined in 35.3.14 (Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery),

[0075] unless the MSDUs / A-MSDUs and / or MMPDUs stated above are transmitted to another non-AP STA that is affiliated with the same non-AP MLD and in active mode or in PS mode and in the awake state. )

[0076] Table 11-3 in IEEE 802.11be is shown in Table 1 below:

[0077] Table 1

[0078]

[0079] According to the description of Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery in 35.3.14 of IEEE 802.11be, except for the CSI frame, Noncompressed Beamforming frame, Compressed Beamforming frame, VHT Compressed Beamforming frame, HE Compressed Beamforming / CQI frame, EHT Compressed Beamforming / CQI frame, Probe Response frame, LMR frame, and FTM frame (recorded as exceptional frames):

[0080] Between an MLD and its associated peer MLD, if the MLD does not enable the management frame transmission quality assurance function, and any of its affiliated stations is currently transmitting a unicast management frame (not the aforementioned exception frame) on the established link (i.e., not yet completed, or not yet failed to retransmit, or not yet discarded (for example, expired)), then the other affiliated stations must not transmit other unicast management frames (not the aforementioned exception frames) (i.e., not the ones being transmitted) on the established link.

[0081] (Between a MLD and an associated peer MLD, a STA affiliated with the MLD with dot11QMFActivated equal to false shall not transmit other individually addressed Management frames(except the frames that are excluded above)over a setup link while the current individually addressed Management frame(except the frames that are excluded above)being transmitted by any STA affiliated with the same MLD over a setup link has not yet completed to the point of success, failed due to retry limit, or other MAC discard (eg, lifetime expiration)).

[0082] Between an AP MLD and its associated non-AP MLD, subject to the additional rules of IEEE 802.11be 35.3.7 (Link Management), the MLD may transmit a unicast MAC Management Protocol Data Unit (MMPDU) to a station attached to the associated MLD on an enabled link, if all of the following conditions are met. The MMPDU is destined for stations attached to the associated MLD on one or more other enabled links, and: the MMPDU is a Class 3 frame (i.e., a frame that can be transmitted only when the station is associated, authenticated, and has unblocked ports); the MMPDU is not a TPC Request frame, TPC Report frame, Link Measurement Request frame, or Link Measurement Response frame; the MMPDU is a bufferable frame; and the MMPDU is not a frame specified in the preceding exceptions.

[0083] (Between an AP MLD and an associated non-AP MLD subject to additional constraints (see 35.3.7(Link management)), an MLD may transmit an individually addressed MMPDU, which is intended for one or more STA(s) affiliated with the associated MLD operating on an enabled link, to another STA (other than the intended STA(s)) affiliated with the associated MLD operating on a setup link through a STA affiliated with the MLD operating on the setup link if the MMPDU satisfies all the following conditions:

[0084] —The MMPDU is a Class 3 frame;

[0085] —The MMPDU is not a TPC Request frame, a TPC Report frame, a Link Measurement Request frame or a Link Measurement response frame;

[0086] —The MMPDU is classified as a bufferable MMPDU;

[0087] —The MMPDU is not one of the frames listed at the beginning of 35.3.14.1(General). )

[0088] In addition, and subject to the additional rules of IEEE 802.11be section 35.3.7 (Link management), the MLD must not transmit a unicast MAC Management Protocol Data Unit (MMPDU) on an enabled link to a station attached to the associated MLD if the MMPDU is destined for stations attached to the associated MLD on another enabled link or links.

[0089] (Otherwise, an MLD shall not transmit an individually addressed MMPDU, which is intended for one or more STA(s) affiliated with the associated MLD operating on an enabled link, to another STA(other than the intended STA(s)) affiliated with the associated MLD operating on a setup link through an STA affiliated with the MLD operating on the setup link subject to additional constraints (see 35.3.7 (Link management)).)

[0090] 7) How does a multi-link device identify the target site in a frame?

[0091] According to the description in 35.3.14.2 (Identification of the Intended STA) in IEEE 802.11be, when the target station of a frame is not the opposite station of the current link, a TWT element or MLO Link Information element indicating the Link ID Bitmap field of the target station needs to be added to the frame.

[0092] Between an AP MLD and a non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD, an individually addressed MMPDU (which is not a TWT Setup frame, includes a Link ID Bitmap subfield in its TWT element, and is intended for one or more STAs associated with the associated MLD operating on an enabled link) shall conform to the following:

[0093] - If an individually addressed MMPDU is sent by a STA associated with an MLD operating on an established link to another STA (other than the intended STA) associated with an associated MLD operating on an established link, the individually addressed MMPDU shall include an MLO Link Information Element that identifies the intended link of the MMPDU as the last element;

[0094] Otherwise, an individually addressed MMPDU may include an MLO Link Information element that identifies the intended link for the MMPDU as the last element, but before the vendor-defined element (if present);

[0095] NOTE: If the MLO link information element is not present in an individually addressed MMPDU, then the individually addressed MMPDU cannot be resent to a different STA as described in the first item above.

[0096] (Between an AP MLD and a non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD, an individually addressed MMPDU that is not a TWT Setup frame that includes a Link ID Bitmap subfield in its TWT element and that is intended for one or more STA(s) affiliated with the associated MLD operating on an enabled link shall follow the below procedure:

[0097] —如果通过在建立链接上运行的与关联的MLD相关联的STA,将单独寻址的MMPDU传输到在建立链接上运行的与关联的MLD相关联的另一个STA(预期的STA除外),则单独寻址的MMPDU应包括MLO链路信息元素,该元素将MMPDU的预期链路标识为最后一个元素,但在供应商特定元素(如果存在)之前;

[0098] —否则,单独寻址的MMPDU可以包括MLO链路信息元素,该元素将MMPDU的预期链路标识为最后一个元素,但在供应商特定元素(如果存在)之前;

[0099] 注意—如果单独寻址的MMPDU中不存在MLO链路信息元素,则不能按照上述第一点所述将单独寻址的MMPDU重新传输到不同的STA。)

[0100] Currently, neither IEEE 802.11be nor IEEE 802.11bf has clearly defined whether management frames related to sensing on one link can be transmitted on another link.

[0101] For example, the sensing measurement report frame (Sensing Measurement Report) and / or the sensing by proxy report frame (Sensing By Proxy report, SBP report) needs to be transmitted at a specific time (the time of sensing measurement) and a specific frame interaction sequence (frame interaction sequence of sensing measurement). If transmission on other links is allowed, the frame interaction sequence of sensing measurement of the current link will be incomplete, causing implementation complexity. Moreover, if transmission on other links is allowed, then according to the aforementioned transmission method of the multi-link device management frame, only the same management frame can be transmitted at the same time, resulting in the inability to perform sensing measurement on different links at the same time, and the overall efficiency is reduced.

[0102] For another example, the sensing measurement setup request frame (Sensing Measurement Setup Request), and / or the sensing measurement setup response frame (Sensing Measurement Setup Response), and / or the sensing measurement setup termination frame (Sensing Measurement Setup Termination), and / or the sensing measurement setup query frame (Sensing Measurement Setup Query), and / or the proxy sensing request frame (SBP Request), and / or the proxy sensing response frame (SBP Response), and / or the proxy sensing termination frame (SBP Termination) are not time-sensitive. If transmission on other links is not allowed, the power saving state may not be entered before the transmission on the current link is completed, which is not conducive to energy saving.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 3, which shows a flow chart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a multi-link device, wherein the multi-link device can be the station 10 or the access point 20 in the network architecture shown in Figure 1. The method can include the following steps:

[0104] Step 301: Transmit various management frames related to sensing on the first link; wherein the above management frames are unicast frames; and designated management frames in the management frames are only transmitted on the first link.

[0105] The first link is any one of the at least two links of the multi-link device that has a perception measurement configuration or a proxy perception configuration (or referred to as a perception measurement service or a proxy perception service).

[0106] That is, a designated management frame among management frames related to sensing on one link is not allowed to be transmitted on other links; the other links are links other than the first link among at least two links of the multi-link device.

[0107] The above-mentioned unicast management frames related to the perception on the first link may refer to management frames related to unicast WLAN perception or proxy perception configured on the first link.

[0108] In some embodiments, each of the management frames may include at least one of the following management frames:

[0109] Awareness measurement setup request frame, awareness measurement setup response frame, awareness measurement setup end frame, awareness measurement report frame, awareness measurement setup query frame, proxy awareness request frame, proxy awareness response frame, proxy awareness end frame, and proxy awareness report frame.

[0110] In some embodiments, the designated management frame may include some management frames among the various management frames mentioned above.

[0111] For example, the designated management frame may be a management frame transmitted at a specific moment (a moment of perception measurement) and in a specific frame interaction sequence (a frame interaction sequence of perception measurement) among the management frames.

[0112] For example, the designated management frame may include at least one of a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame.

[0113] For another example, the above-mentioned designated management frame may include one or more other management frames in addition to the perception measurement report frame and / or the proxy perception report frame. For example, the above-mentioned designated management frame may include a perception measurement report frame, a proxy perception report frame, a perception measurement setting query frame, etc.

[0114] In other embodiments, the designated management frame may include all management frames in the management frames. That is, for a multi-link device, each unicast management frame related to sensing on a link is only allowed to be transmitted on the current link and not on other links.

[0115] In some embodiments, the frame body of each management frame is allowed to be buffered.

[0116] That is to say, in the above embodiment, all management frame bodies related to perception (i.e., their MMPDUs, such as the perception measurement setting request frame body, the perception measurement setting response frame body, the perception measurement setting end frame body, the perception measurement report frame body, the perception measurement setting query frame body, the proxy perception request frame body, the proxy perception response frame body, the proxy perception end frame body, and the proxy perception report frame body) can be cached.

[0117] In some embodiments, among various management frames, the frame body of a designated management frame is not allowed to be buffered, while the frame bodies of other management frames except the designated management frame among various management frames are allowed to be buffered.

[0118] That is, in the above embodiment, a portion of the perception-related management frame body (ie, its MMPDU, such as the perception measurement report frame body and / or the proxy perception report frame body) cannot be cached.

[0119] For example, an exception may be added to Table 11-3 (Bufferable / nonbufferable classification of MMPDUs). The updated content of Table 11-3 may be as shown in Table 2 below:

[0120] Table 2

[0121]

[0122] In the above embodiment, another part of the perception-related management frame body (i.e., its MMPDU, such as the perception measurement setting request frame body, the perception measurement setting response frame body, the perception measurement setting end frame body, the perception measurement setting query frame body, the proxy perception request frame body, the proxy perception response frame body, and / or the proxy perception end frame body) can be cached.

[0123] To summarize, the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application is that when a multi-link device transmits perception-related unicast management frames on a certain link, it can restrict the specified management frames in the perception-related unicast management frames from being allowed to be transmitted on links other than the current link, thereby avoiding the complexity of implementation caused by incomplete frame interaction sequences of perception measurements of the current link, and supporting the simultaneous execution of perception measurements on different links, thereby improving the efficiency of multi-link devices in performing WLAN perception.

[0124] Based on the embodiment shown in FIG3 above, taking the example of the designated management frame including some of the unicast management frames related to sensing on the first link, please refer to FIG4, which shows a flowchart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a multi-link device, wherein the multi-link device can be the station 10 or the access point 20 in the network architecture shown in FIG1. ​​The method may include the following steps:

[0125] Step 401: Transmit a designated management frame among various management frames related to sensing on the first link through a first link.

[0126] The above management frames are unicast frames, that is, the destination address of their transmission is a unicast address; the designated management frame in the above management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

[0127] In this embodiment, a portion of management frames related to unicast sensing on one link cannot be transmitted on other links.

[0128] For example, the perception measurement report frame and / or proxy perception report frame can be added to the "Exception Frame List" in the Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery section of IEEE 802.11be protocol 35.3.14. Thus, according to the aforementioned rules for transmitting multi-link device management frames, different perception measurement reports and / or proxy perception reports can be transmitted simultaneously on different links.

[0129] Step 402: Transmit a first management frame through a second link; the second link is any one of the other links; the other links are links other than the first link among at least two links of a multi-link device.

[0130] The first management frame is part of the management frames other than the designated management frames in each management frame, or the first management frame is all of the management frames other than the designated management frames in each management frame.

[0131] In this embodiment, the execution order between the above steps 401 and 402 is not limited. For example, in some embodiments, after the designated management frame is transmitted on the first link, the first management frame is transmitted on the second link; in other embodiments, after the first management frame is transmitted on the second link, the designated management frame is transmitted on the first link; in other embodiments, the first management frame can be transmitted on the second link at the same time as the designated management frame is transmitted on the first link.

[0132] The partial management frame includes: a management frame other than the designated management frame in each of the management frames; or

[0133] Two or more management frames other than the designated management frames in the management frames.

[0134] In some embodiments, among the perception-related management frames on the first link, one or more management frames other than the designated management frame (ie, the first management frame) can be transmitted through other links other than the first link (ie, the second link).

[0135] That is, in one or more links other than the first link on the multi-link device, each link can transmit one or more management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames related to sensing on the first link.

[0136] In some embodiments, assuming that a multi-link device includes at least link 1 and link 2 (and may also include more links such as link 3), link 1 has a perception measurement configuration and / or a proxy perception configuration, and the designated management frame includes a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame, then the first management frame may include one of a perception measurement setup request frame, a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception request frame, a proxy perception response frame, and a proxy perception end frame; assuming that the first management frame is a perception measurement setup request frame, the above-mentioned perception measurement report frame and proxy perception report frame are only transmitted on link 1, and the perception measurement setup request frame is transmitted on link 2; in addition to the designated management frame and the first management frame, perception-related unicast management frames (such as a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception request frame, a proxy perception response frame, and / or a proxy perception end frame) can be transmitted through other links other than link 2 (such as link 1 or link 3).

[0137] In some embodiments, it is assumed that a multi-link device includes at least link 1 and link 2 (and may also include more links such as link 3), and link 1 has a perception measurement configuration and / or a proxy perception configuration, the designated management frame includes a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame, and the first management frame may include two of a perception measurement setup request frame, a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception request frame, a proxy perception response frame, and a proxy perception end frame; assuming that the first management frame is a perception measurement setup request frame and a proxy perception request frame, the above-mentioned perception measurement report frame and proxy perception report frame are only transmitted on link 1, and the perception measurement setup request frame and proxy perception request frame are transmitted on link 2; in addition to the designated management frame and the first management frame, perception-related unicast management frames (such as a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception response frame, and / or a proxy perception end frame) can be transmitted through other links other than link 2 (such as link 1 or link 3).

[0138] In some embodiments, it is assumed that a multi-link device includes at least link 1 and link 2 (and may also include more links such as link 3), and link 1 has a perception measurement configuration and / or a proxy perception configuration, the designated management frame includes a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame, and the first management frame may include four of a perception measurement setup request frame, a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception request frame, a proxy perception response frame, and a proxy perception end frame; it is assumed that the first management frame is a perception measurement setup request frame, a proxy perception request frame, a perception measurement setup response frame, and a proxy perception response frame, and the above-mentioned perception measurement report frame and proxy perception report frame are only transmitted on link 1, and the perception measurement setup request frame, the proxy perception request frame, the perception measurement setup response frame, and the proxy perception response frame are transmitted on link 2; in addition to the designated management frame and the first management frame, perception-related unicast management frames (such as the perception measurement setup end frame, the perception measurement setup query frame, and / or the proxy perception end frame) may be transmitted through other links other than link 2 (such as link 1 or link 3).

[0139] For the case where the first management frame is all management frames other than the designated management frame in the above-mentioned management frames, it is assumed that the multi-link device includes at least link 1 and link 2 (and may also include more links such as link 3), and link 1 has a perception measurement configuration and / or a proxy perception configuration, the designated management frame includes a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame, and the first management frame may include all of a perception measurement setup request frame, a perception measurement setup response frame, a perception measurement setup end frame, a perception measurement setup query frame, a proxy perception request frame, a proxy perception response frame, and a proxy perception end frame; the above-mentioned perception measurement report frame and proxy perception report frame are only transmitted on link 1, and the above-mentioned perception measurement setup request frame, perception measurement setup response frame, perception measurement setup end frame, perception measurement setup query frame, proxy perception request frame, proxy perception response frame, and proxy perception end frame are all transmitted on link 2.

[0140] When the first management frame transmitted on the second link includes two or more management frames, the multiple management frames may be transmitted sequentially on the second link.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first management frame includes multi-link operation link information; the multi-link operation link information is used to indicate a link identification bitmap field of a target station.

[0142] In this embodiment, another portion of management frames related to unicast sensing on one link can be transmitted on another link. Furthermore, when transmitting this portion of management frames on another link, an MLO (Multi-Link Operation) Link Information element with a Link ID Bitmap field indicating the target station needs to be added. That is, while complying with the method described in Identification of the Intended STA in protocol 35.3.14.2, the sensing measurement setup request frame, sensing measurement setup response frame, sensing measurement setup end frame, sensing measurement setup query frame, proxy sensing request frame, proxy sensing response frame, and / or proxy sensing end frame can be transmitted on another link.

[0143] In some embodiments, any two sensing-related management frames other than the aforementioned designated management frames are not transmitted simultaneously in at least two links.

[0144] Among them, any two perception-related management frames other than the above-mentioned designated management frames may include any two perception-related management frames other than the designated management frames in the perception-related management frames on the same link, and may also include any two perception-related management frames of the same or different types other than the designated management frames in the perception-related management frames on different links.

[0145] In an embodiment of the present application, according to the aforementioned rules for transmitting multi-link device management frames, different links may have different perception measurement settings and / or proxy perceptions. However, at a certain moment, the MLD can only transmit one management frame related to the perception measurement setting or proxy perception, except for the perception measurement report frame and / or proxy perception report frame, and cannot transmit different management frames related to the perception measurement setting or proxy perception on different links.

[0146] Through the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application, since only perception measurement report frames and / or proxy perception report frames are used in the specific measurement sequence, different links can perform different measurements when performing measurements.

[0147] In addition, for measurement-related settings (such as establishment and termination), although the configurations on different links are different, when it comes to the transmission of a certain management frame, only one management frame can be transmitted at a time; for example, link 1 and link 2 each have a perception measurement setting request frame, then at a certain moment only the perception measurement setting request frame of link 1 can be transmitted on all links, and at another moment only the perception measurement setting request frame of link 2 can be transmitted on all links; in other words, the above two perception measurement setting request frames are not allowed to be transmitted simultaneously on different links.

[0148] For another example, among the perception-related management frames of link 1, management frames other than the specified management frames include management frame 1 (such as a perception measurement setting request frame) and management frame 2 (such as a perception measurement setting response frame). At a certain moment, only management frame 1 can be transmitted on all links, and at another moment, only management frame 2 can be transmitted on all links. In other words, the management frame 1 and management frame 2 are not allowed to be transmitted simultaneously on different links.

[0149] To summarize, the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application is that when a multi-link device transmits perception-related unicast management frames on a certain link, some management frames in the perception-related unicast management frames can be restricted from being allowed to be transmitted on links other than the current link, thereby avoiding the complexity of implementation caused by incomplete frame interaction sequences of perception measurements of the current link, and supporting the simultaneous execution of perception measurements on different links, thereby improving the efficiency of multi-link devices in performing WLAN perception.

[0150] Based on the embodiment shown in FIG3 , taking the example of the designated management frame including some of the unicast management frames related to sensing on the first link, please refer to FIG5 , which shows a flowchart of a management frame transmission method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a multi-link device, wherein the multi-link device can be the station 10 or the access point 20 in the network architecture shown in FIG1 . The method can include the following steps:

[0151] Step 501: Transmit all management frames among various management frames related to sensing on the first link through the first link.

[0152] The above management frames are unicast frames; and the designated management frames in the management frames are only transmitted on the first link.

[0153] In this embodiment, all unicast perception-related management frames on one link cannot be transmitted on other links. For example, the perception measurement setup request frame, perception measurement setup response frame, perception measurement setup end frame, perception measurement report frame, perception measurement setup query frame, proxy perception request frame, proxy perception response frame, proxy perception end frame, and proxy perception report frame can be added to the "Exception Frame List" in the Multi-link device individually addressed Management frame delivery section of 35.3.14 of the IEEE 802.11be protocol. Thus, according to the aforementioned rules for the transmission of multi-link device management frames, different perception measurements can be performed on different links, and different perception-related management frames can be transmitted simultaneously.

[0154] To summarize, the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application is that when a multi-link device transmits perception-related unicast management frames on a certain link, all management frames in the perception-related unicast management frames can be restricted from being allowed to be transmitted on links other than the current link, thereby avoiding the complexity of implementation caused by incomplete frame interaction sequences of perception measurements of the current link, and supporting the simultaneous execution of perception measurements on different links, thereby improving the efficiency of multi-link devices in performing WLAN perception.

[0155] Please refer to Figure 6, which shows a block diagram of a management frame transmission device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the steps performed by the multi-link device in the above-mentioned management frame transmission method. As shown in Figure 6, the device may include:

[0156] The transmission module 601 is configured to transmit various management frames related to perception on the first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and designated management frames among the various management frames are only transmitted on the first link.

[0157] In some embodiments, the designated management frame includes at least one of the following:

[0158] At least one of a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame.

[0159] In some embodiments, the transmission module 601 is used to:

[0160] Transmitting the designated management frame via the first link; and

[0161] The first management frame is transmitted through a second link; the second link is any one of the other links; the other links are links other than the first link among the at least two links of the multi-link device; the first management frame is part of the management frames other than the designated management frame, or the first management frame is all of the management frames other than the designated management frame.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first management frame includes multi-link operation link information; the multi-link operation link information is used to indicate a link identification bitmap field of a target site.

[0163] In some embodiments, any two sensing-related management frames other than the designated management frame are not transmitted simultaneously in the at least two links.

[0164] In some embodiments, the designated management frame includes all management frames among the management frames.

[0165] In some embodiments, the frame body of each management frame is allowed to be buffered.

[0166] In some embodiments, the frame body of the designated management frame is not allowed to be cached;

[0167] The frame bodies of the management frames other than the designated management frame in the management frames are allowed to be buffered.

[0168] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0169] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0170] Please refer to Figure 7, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 700 provided in one embodiment of the present application. The communication device 700 may be a multi-link device and may include: a processor 701, a receiver 702, a transmitter 703, a memory 704, and a bus 705.

[0171] The processor 701 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 701 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0172] The receiver 702 and the transmitter 703 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip, which may also be called a transceiver.

[0173] The memory 704 is connected to the processor 701 via a bus 705 .

[0174] The memory 704 may be used to store a computer program, and the processor 701 may be used to execute the computer program to implement the various steps performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0175] In addition, the memory 704 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disk or optical disk, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, static random access memory, read-only memory, magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory.

[0176] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver (the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver is used to receive information, and the transmitter is used to send information);

[0177] In a possible implementation, the processor and the transceiver may be configured to execute all or part of the steps in any one of the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the steps performed by the multi-link device in the method shown in any one of the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 .

[0179] The present application also provides a computer program product, comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the communication device to perform each step performed by the multi-link device in the method shown in any of the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 .

[0180] The present application also provides a chip, which is used to run in a communication device, so that the communication device executes each step performed by the multi-link device in the method shown in any of the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 .

[0181] The present application also provides a computer program, which is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the steps performed by the multi-link device in the method shown in any of the embodiments of FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 .

[0182] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0183] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A management frame transmission method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a multi-link device, and the method includes: Transmitting various management frames related to the sensing on the first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and a designated management frame among the various management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The designated management frame includes at least one of the following: At least one of a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The transmitting of each management frame related to the sensing on the first link includes: The first management frame is transmitted through a second link; the second link is any one of the other links; the other links are links other than the first link among at least two links of the multi-link device; the first management frame is a part of the management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames, or the first management frame is all the management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The partial management frame includes: A management frame other than the designated management frame among the management frames; or Two or more management frames other than the designated management frame in the management frames.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The first management frame includes multi-link operation link information; the multi-link operation link information is used to indicate a link identification bitmap field of a target site.

6. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: Any two perception-related management frames other than the designated management frame are not transmitted simultaneously in the at least two links.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The designated management frame includes all management frames in the management frames.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Each of the management frames is allowed to be buffered.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The specified management frame is not allowed to be cached; The management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames are allowed to be buffered.

10. A management frame transmission device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A transmission module is used to transmit various management frames related to perception on a first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and a designated management frame among the various management frames is only transmitted on the first link.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The designated management frame includes at least one of the following: At least one of a perception measurement report frame and a proxy perception report frame.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The transmission module is used to transmit the first management frame through a second link; the second link is any one of the other links; the other link is a link other than the first link among the at least two links of the multi-link device; The first management frame is a portion of the management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames, or the first management frame is all the management frames other than the designated management frame among the management frames.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The partial management frame includes: A management frame other than the designated management frame among the management frames; or Two or more management frames other than the designated management frame in the management frames.

14. The device according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that The first management frame includes multi-link operation link information; the multi-link operation link information is used to indicate a link identification bitmap field of a target site.

15. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: Any two perception-related management frames other than the designated management frame are not transmitted simultaneously in the at least two links.

16. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The designated management frame includes all management frames in the management frames.

17. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that The frame body of each management frame is allowed to be buffered.

18. The device according to any one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that The frame body of the specified management frame is not allowed to be cached; The frame bodies of the management frames other than the designated management frame in the management frames are allowed to be buffered.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is implemented as a multi-link device, and the communication device includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver; The transceiver is used to transmit various management frames related to perception on the first link; wherein the various management frames are unicast frames; and the designated management frames among the various management frames are only transmitted on the first link.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the management frame transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

21. A chip, characterized in that: The chip is used to run in a communication device so that the communication device executes the management frame transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes computer instructions, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the processor of the communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, so that the communication device executes the management frame transmission method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

23. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the management frame transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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