Apparatus and method for improving acquisition of channel state information reports

Abstract

The present application provides a method for acquiring a channel state information (CSI) report and a method for transmitting a CSI report wherein the method for acquiring a CSI report is performed by a first wireless communication device, the method comprising: transmitting an advanced channel state information (ACSI) request frame to a second wireless communication device, wherein the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to transmit a plurality of CSI report frames through a single link or through a plurality of links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating a number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the plurality of links; and receiving a plurality of CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device over a single link or over a plurality of links.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for improving the acquisition of Channel State Information (CSI) reports. Background Art

[0002] Understanding and correctly estimating the channel between a station (STA) and an access point (AP) in an advanced wireless communication system is important for efficient and effective wireless communication. To correctly estimate the channel situation, the STA can report (e.g., feedback) information about channel measurements, such as CSI, to the AP. Using this information about the channel, the AP can select appropriate communication parameters to perform wireless data communication with the STA efficiently and effectively.

[0003] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of the prior art in which the AP 110 obtains CSI sent by the STA 120 through request frames and acknowledgment (ACK) frames. In Figure 1 it, in step S105, the AP 110 sends a first request frame for CSI to the STA 120. In response to receiving the first request frame, in step S110, the STA 120 sends a first ACK frame with CSI to the AP 110. Then, in step S115, the AP 110 sends a second request frame for CSI to the STA 120. In response to receiving the second request frame, in step S120, the STA 120 sends a second ACK frame with CSI to the AP 110.

[0004] Subsequently, as in steps S105 and S115, the AP sends the remaining request frames to the STA until the last nth request frame is sent to the STA in step S125. In S130, the STA sends the nth ACK frame to the AP. The AP 110 can detect changes in the environment based on the CSI obtained from the ACK frame to perform other applications. In Figure 1 it, the AP needs to send a request frame to notify the STA to send an ACK frame. That is, each CSI training requires 2 frames, and N CSI trainings require 2N frames.

[0005] However, as the number of antennas and signal paths of wireless communication devices increases, the amount of feedback that may be required also increases in order to ideally estimate the channel. This additional required channel feedback generates additional overhead, thereby increasing the occupancy time of the air interface and reducing the efficiency of wireless communication.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for devices and methods for improving the acquisition of Channel State Information (CSI) reports to solve this problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following summary is merely illustrative and not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary is provided to introduce the concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious technologies described herein. Selected rather than all embodiments are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following summary is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter nor to be used to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a device and method for improving the acquisition of Channel State Information (CSI) reports, such that an AP can obtain CSI in batch mode on multiple links and perform CSI training to save air time.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for obtaining a Channel State Information (CSI) report is provided. The method is performed by a first wireless communication device and includes: sending an Advance Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame to a second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to send multiple CSI report frames via a single link or via multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the single link or on each of the multiple links; receiving multiple CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device via the single link or via the multiple links.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a first management frame to the second wireless communication device, where the first management frame includes a first specific Information Element (IE) indicating that the first wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities; receiving a second management frame from the second wireless communication device, where the second management frame includes a second specific IE indicating that the second wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: assigning a timestamp to each of the multiple CSI report frames, where the timestamp of each CSI report frame represents the time when the first wireless communication device receives the corresponding CSI report frame via the corresponding link; sorting the multiple CSI report frames in chronological order according to the timestamps of the multiple CSI report frames.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ACSI request frame includes a field indicating that it is an ACSI request frame.

[0013] In some embodiments, the ACSI request frame specifically includes time information for indicating the time to send CSI report frames on the corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames sent on the corresponding link, where the time information includes the target time to send the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link.

[0014] In some embodiments, the ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a number of streams field, a bandwidth (BW) field, and a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) field. The number of streams field includes a value indicating the number of streams used to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link. The BW field includes a value indicating the BW used by the second wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field includes a rate indicating the rate at which each CSI report frame is sent on the corresponding link.

[0015] In some embodiments, the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and the multiple CSI report frames are cyclically received from the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for obtaining a Channel State Information (CSI) report is provided. The method is performed by a first wireless communication device and includes: receiving an ACSI request frame from a second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame indicates that the first wireless communication device sends multiple CSI report frames through a single link or through multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the single link or on each of the multiple links; and sending multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device through a single link or through multiple links according to the ACSI request frame.

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a first management frame to the second wireless communication device, where the first management frame includes a first specific IE indicating that the first wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities; and receiving a second management frame from the second wireless communication device, where the second management frame includes a second specific IE indicating that the second wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities.

[0018] In some embodiments, the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and cyclically send multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication device is provided. The wireless communication device includes a wireless transceiver and a controller. The wireless transceiver is configured to perform wireless transmission to a second wireless communication device and wireless reception from the second wireless communication device. The controller is coupled to the wireless transceiver and operable to configure the wireless communication device to send an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame to the second wireless communication device via the wireless transceiver, where the ACSI request frame indicates that the first wireless communication device sends multiple CSI report frames through a single link or through multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the single link or on each of the multiple links; and receive multiple CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device via the wireless transceiver through a single link or through multiple links.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication device is provided. The wireless communication device includes a wireless transceiver and a controller. The wireless transceiver is configured to perform wireless transmission to a second wireless communication device and wireless reception from the second wireless communication device. The controller is coupled to the wireless transceiver and operable to receive an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame from the second wireless communication device via the wireless transceiver, where the ACSI request frame indicates that the first wireless communication device sends multiple CSI report frames through a single link or through multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the single link or on each of the multiple links; and send multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device via the wireless transceiver through a single link or through multiple links according to the ACSI request frame. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings (wherein like numerals represent like components) illustrate embodiments of the present invention. The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, and the drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the embodiments of the present invention. The drawings illustrate the implementation manners of the embodiments of the present invention and are used together with the description to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention. It can be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual sizes in actual implementation to clearly illustrate the concepts of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic flowchart of an AP in the prior art negotiating to obtain CSI sent by an STA through a request frame and a confirmation frame.

[0023] Figure 2ASchematic diagram of the connection between an access point (AP) and a station (STA) in a Wi-Fi 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2B Schematic diagram of the connection between an AP and an STA in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 Block diagram of an STA and an AP shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing that an AP and an STA discover that they have ACSI communication capabilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the format of a specific IE according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an AP communicating with an STA through a single link to obtain a CSI report frame in a Wi-Fi 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figures 7A - 7B Schematic diagram of an AP communicating with an STA through multiple links to obtain a CSI report frame in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of an AP assigning a timestamp to a CSI report frame sent for an STA in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figures 9A - 9B Schematic diagram of the format of an ACSI request frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the format of a CSI report frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 11 Flowchart of a method for obtaining a channel state information (CSI) report according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 12 Flowchart showing a method for sending a channel state information (CSI) report according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation

[0035] Aspects of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to any specific structure or function presented herein. On the contrary, these aspects are provided so that this invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the present invention is intended to cover any aspect disclosed herein, whether implemented independently or in combination with any other aspect of the present invention. For example, multiple aspects set forth herein can be used to implement a device or practice a method. Additionally, the scope of the present invention is intended to cover devices or methods practiced using another structure, function, or a combination of structure and function in addition to the various aspects set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure herein can be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

[0036] As used herein, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Additionally, unless otherwise specified in the specification, like reference numerals in several views refer to like elements.

[0037] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or connected or coupled to the other component through an intermediate component. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another component, there is no intermediate component. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner. (For example, "between" versus "directly between", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.).

[0038] Figure 2A is a block diagram showing a connection between an access point (AP) and a station (STA) in a Wi-Fi 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2A STA 220 establishes a connection with AP 210 via a single link 230.

[0039] Figure 2B is a block diagram showing a connection between an AP and a STA in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 2B STA 220 establishes a connection with AP 210 via multiple links, where the multiple links can be a 2.4G link 232, a 5G link 234, and a 6G link 236.

[0040] In Figure 2A Figure 2BAmong them, AP 210 is an entity compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Each of STAs 120 to 140 can be a fixed or mobile device.

[0041] STA 220 can be a mobile phone (e.g., a feature phone or a smart phone), a wearable electronic device (e.g., a smart watch or smart glasses), a tablet personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, or any wireless communication terminal, as long as it is compatible with the same IEEE 802.11 standard as AP210.

[0042] Figure 3 is according to the reference Figures 2A - 2B A block diagram of STA 220 and AP 210 according to the illustrated embodiment.

[0043] As Figure 3 shown, STA 220 may include a wireless transceiver 310, a controller 320, a storage device 330, a display device 340, and an input / output (I / O) device 350.

[0044] The wireless transceiver 310 is configured to perform wireless transmission to AP 210 and wireless reception from AP 210. For example, the wireless transceiver 310 can be a Wi-Fi chip.

[0045] Specifically, the wireless transceiver 310 may include a baseband processing device 311, a radio frequency (RF) device 312, and an antenna 313, where the antenna 313 may include an antenna array for UL / DL multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO).

[0046] The baseband processing device 311 is used for baseband signal processing.

[0047] The RF device 312 can receive an RF wireless signal via the antenna 313, convert the received RF wireless signal into a baseband signal processed by the baseband processing device 311, or receive a baseband signal from the baseband processing device 311 and convert it into an RF wireless signal to be subsequently transmitted via the antenna 313. The RF device 312 may also include multiple hardware devices to perform radio frequency conversion. For example, the RF device 312 may include a mixer to multiply the baseband signal by a carrier oscillating in the radio frequency of the supported cellular technology, where the radio frequency may be 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz used in Wi-Fi technology, or any radio frequency used in future developments of Wi-Fi technology.

[0048] The controller 320 can be a general-purpose processor, a micro control unit (MCU), an application processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), etc., which includes various circuits for providing data processing functions and data calculation functions, controlling the wireless transceiver 310 to communicate with the AP 210 wirelessly, storing data (such as program codes) in the storage device 330 and retrieving data (such as program codes) from the storage device 330, sending a series of frame data to the display device 340, and receiving user input or output signals via the I / O device 350.

[0049] Specifically, the controller 320 coordinates the above operations of the wireless transceiver 310, the storage device 330, the display device 340, and the I / O device 350 to execute the method of the present invention.

[0050] In another embodiment, the controller 320 can be incorporated into the baseband processing device 311 to act as a baseband processor.

[0051] The storage device 330 can be a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including memories such as flash memory or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), or magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, magnetic tapes, and optical discs, for storing data, instructions, and / or application program codes, Wi-Fi protocols (IEEE802.11be or another protocol version), and / or the method of the present invention.

[0052] The display device 340 can be a liquid-crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, an electronic paper display (EPD), etc., for providing a display function.

[0053] The I / O device 350 can include one or more buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a camera, a microphone, and / or a speaker, etc., to serve as a man-machine interface (MMI) for interacting with the user.

[0054] Similarly, the AP 210 can include a wireless transceiver 360, a controller 370, a storage device 380, and an I / O device 390.

[0055] The wireless transceiver 360 is configured to perform wireless transmission to the STA 220 and wireless reception from the STA 220. For example, the wireless transceiver 360 can be a Wi-Fi chip.

[0056] Specifically, the wireless transceiver 360 may include a baseband processing device 361, an RF device 362, and an antenna 363, where the antenna 363 may include an antenna array for UL / DL MU-MIMO.

[0057] The baseband processing device 361 is used for baseband signal processing.

[0058] The RF device 362 can receive an RF wireless signal via the antenna 363, convert the received RF wireless signal into a baseband signal processed by the baseband processing device 361, or receive a baseband signal from the baseband processing device 361 and convert it into an RF wireless signal to be subsequently transmitted through the antenna 363. The RF device 362 may also include multiple hardware devices to perform radio frequency conversion. For example, the RF device 362 may include a mixer to multiply the baseband signal by a carrier oscillating in the radio frequency of the supported cellular technology, where the radio frequency may be 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz used in Wi-Fi technology, or any radio frequency used in future developments of Wi-Fi technology.

[0059] The controller 370 can be a general-purpose processor, MCU, application processor, DSP, etc., which includes various circuits for providing functions of data processing and computing, controlling the wireless transceiver 360 for wireless communication with the STA 220, storing data (e.g., program code) in the storage device 380 and retrieving data (e.g., program code) from the storage device 380, and receiving user input or output signals via the I / O device 390.

[0060] Specifically, the controller 370 coordinates the foregoing operations of the wireless transceiver 360, the storage device 380, and the I / O device 390 to execute the method of the present invention.

[0061] In another embodiment, the controller 370 can be incorporated into the baseband processing device 361 to act as a baseband processor.

[0062] As those skilled in the art will understand, the circuits of the controllers 320 and 370 may include transistors that are configured to control the operation of the circuits according to the functions and operations described herein. As will be further understood, the specific structure or interconnection of the transistors may be determined by a compiler such as a Register Transfer Language (RTL) compiler. The RTL compiler can operate on a script very similar to assembly language code by a processor to compile the script into a form for the layout or manufacture of the final circuit.

[0063] The storage device 380 may be a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including memories such as flash memory or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), or magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, magnetic tapes, and optical discs, for storing data, instructions, and / or application code, Wi-Fi protocols (IEEE 802.11be or another protocol version), and / or the method of the present invention.

[0064] The I / O device 390 may include one or more buttons, a keyboard, a touchpad, a display device (e.g., LCD, LED, OLED, or EPD, etc.), a lighting device, a microphone, and / or a speaker, etc., to interact with the user as the MMI.

[0065] It should be understood that Figure 3 The components described in the embodiments are only for illustration and do not limit the scope of the present invention. The AP 210 or the STA 220 may include fewer components. For example, the STA 220 may not include the display device 340 and / or the I / O device 350.

[0066] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing that an AP and an STA discover that they have ACSI communication capabilities according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] It should be understood that, as used herein, the term "ACSI communication capability" may represent the ability of a device to send a request frame to trigger another device to send multiple CSI report frames on a single link or on each of multiple links, and / or the ability of another device to send multiple CSI report frames in response to receiving a request frame on a single link or on each of multiple links or on only one of multiple links.

[0068] In step S405, the AP sends a first management frame to the STA, where the first management frame includes a first specific information element (IE) indicating that the AP has ACSI communication capabilities, and the first management frame may be a probe request, an associate request, or a beacon.

[0069] In step S410, the AP receives a second management frame from the STA, where the second management frame includes a second specific IE indicating that the STA has ACSI communication capabilities, and the second management frame may be a probe response, an associate response, or a beacon.

[0070] When the AP knows that the STA has ACSI communication capabilities, the AP enables the ACSI feature between the AP and the STA. On the other hand, when the STA knows that the AP has ACSI communication capabilities, the STA enables the ACSI feature between the AP and the STA.

[0071] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the format of a specific IE according to an embodiment of the present invention. The specific IE includes information about the ACSI communication capabilities of the AP or the STA. Refer to Figure 5 , the specific IE may include an HT capability information field 500, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the HT capability information field includes a reserved field B15 indicating whether the AP or the STA supports ACSI communication capabilities. For example but not limited to, when the reserved field B15 is set to "1", the specific information element indicates that the AP or the STA supports ACSI communication capabilities. When the reserved field B15 is set to "0", the specific IE indicates that the AP or the STA does not support ACSI communication capabilities.

[0072] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing that in a Wi-Fi 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 environment, the AP communicates with the STA through a single link to obtain multiple CSI report frames according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] Before the start of the schematic diagram, it is assumed that the AP and the STA have discovered that each other has ACSI communication capabilities, through the Figure 4 and Figure 5 way of the illustrated embodiment.

[0074] In step S605, the AP sends an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame to the STA, where the ACSI request frame instructs the STA to send multiple Channel State Information (CSI) report frames through a single link, and the ACSI request frame includes time information for indicating the time to send the CSI report frames and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames on the single link.

[0075] In step S610, the STA sends a first CSI report frame to the AP through the single link according to the ACSI request frame.

[0076] In step S615, the STA sends a second CSI report frame to the AP through the single link according to the ACSI request frame.

[0077] Subsequently, the STA sends the remaining CSI report frames to the AP according to the ACSI request frame until the last Nth CSI report frame is sent to the AP in step S620.

[0078] Obviously, in Figure 6 , the AP only needs to send an ACSI request frame to the STA. Among them, the ACSI request frame includes the information required for the STA to send a CSI report frame. The ACSI request frame includes time information for indicating the time when the STA sends a CSI report frame to the AP through this link, and information indicating the number of CSI report frames on this link. The STA does not need to wait for the AP to send other request frames and can send CSI report frames to the AP at different time points according to the time information in the ACSI request frame. Compared with Figure 1 the prior art shown, for N CSI trainings, only "N + 1" frames are required, effectively reducing the overhead of the link.

[0079] Figures 7A - 7B FIG. is a schematic diagram of an AP communicating with an STA through multiple links to obtain multiple CSI report frames in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] As Figure 7A shown, the AP sends ACSI request frames to the STA through the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link in steps S705, S710, and S715 respectively. Among them, the ACSI request frame through the 2.4G link includes: time information for indicating the time when the STA sends a CSI report frame to the AP through the 2.4G link, and information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the 2.4G link; the ACSI request frame through the 5G link includes: time information for indicating the time when the STA sends a CSI report frame to the AP through the 5G link, and information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the 5G link; the ACSI request frame through the 6G link includes: time information for indicating the time when the STA sends a CSI report frame to the AP through the 6G link, and information indicating the number of CSI report frames on the 6G link. In one embodiment, steps S705, S710, and S715 can be executed by the AP simultaneously or by the AP at different times. In response to receiving the ACSI request frame sent by the AP, the STA sends the first CSI report frame to the AP through the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link in steps S720, S725, and S730 respectively. In one embodiment, the STA executes steps S720, S725, and S730 according to the time information in the ACSI request frames received in steps S705, S710, and S715.

[0081] Subsequently, the STA sends the remaining CSI report frames to the AP via the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively until the last (N / 3)-th CSI report frame is sent to the AP in steps S735, S740, and S745.

[0082] In Figure 1 the prior art shown, the AP 110 and the STA 120 send requests and ACKs via one link. Compared with Figure 1 the prior art, Figure 7A in Figure 1 the AP and the STA send ACSI request frames and CSI report frames via the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively. Each link only needs to transmit one-third of the total number of CSI report frames, effectively reducing the overhead of each link. In addition, for each link, compared with

[0083] Figure 7B the prior art, for N CSI trainings, each link only needs "N / 3 + 1" frames, further effectively reducing the overhead of each link. Figure 7B is another embodiment showing the AP communicating with the STA via multiple links in a Wi-Fi 7 environment to obtain multiple CSI report frames. In

[0084] it, in step S755, the AP sends an ACSI request frame to the STA, where the ACSI request frame can be sent on one of the 2G link, 5G link, and 6G link, and the ACSI request frame includes time information for indicating the time when the STA sends CSI report frames to the AP via the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively, and information for indicating the number of CSI reports on the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively. In response to receiving the ACSI request frame sent by the AP in step S755, the STA sends the first CSI report frames on the corresponding links to the AP via the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively in steps S760, S765, and S770. In one embodiment, the STA performs steps S760, S765, and S770 according to the time information in the ACSI request frame received in step S755.

[0085] In Figure 1 the prior art, the AP 110 and the STA 120 send requests and ACKs through a single link. Compared with Figure 1 the prior art, Figure 7B the AP in Figure 1 sends an ACSI request frame on one of the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link and receives multiple CSI report frames through the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link respectively. Each link only needs to transmit one-third of the total number of CSI report frames, effectively reducing the overhead of each link. In addition, compared with

[0086] the prior art, for N CSI trainings, only one ACSI request frame needs to be transmitted on any one of the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link, and N / 3 CSI report frames are transmitted on each link, further effectively reducing the overhead of each link. Figure 7A and Figure 7B when sending CSI report frames through a link, other links not used for sending CSI report frames can be used to send data. For example, when sending CSI report frames through the 5G link and 6G link, data can be sent on the 2.4G link.

[0087] In addition, in Figure 7A the time information in the ACSI request frame received in steps S705, S710, and S715 of Figure 9B can include the target time for sending the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link. The time information in the ACSI request frame received in step S755 of FIG. 7 includes: the target time for sending the first CSI report frame on the 2.4G link, the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the 2.4G link, the target time for sending the first CSI report frame on the 5G link, the interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the 5G link, the target time for sending the first CSI report frame on the 6G link, and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the 6G link. The detailed description of the specific time information is as shown in

[0088] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an AP assigning timestamps to CSI report frames sent to a STA in a Wi-Fi 7 environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] In Figure 8 the AP 810 may include a first receiving module 812 and a second receiving module 814. It should be noted that Figure 8The first receiving module 812 and the second receiving module 814 in can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, the first receiving module 812 and the second receiving module 814 can be implemented as computer program code configured to execute in one or more processors (such as Figure 3 the controller 370). Optionally, the first receiving module 812 and the second receiving module 814 can be implemented as hardware logic / electronic circuits.

[0090] In response to receiving the ACSI request frame sent from the AP 810, the STA 820 sends CSI report frames to the AP 810 at different time points via the 2.4G link, 5G link, and 6G link according to the ACSI request frame. As Figure 8 shown, the STA 820 sends CSI report frames 822 and 824 to the AP 810 via the 6G link, the STA 820 sends CSI report frames 826 and 828 to the AP 810 via the 5G link, and the STA 820 sends CSI report frames 830 and 832 to the AP 810 via the 2.4G link.

[0091] When the AP 810 receives the CSI report frame sent from the STA 820, the AP 810 assigns a timestamp to each CSI report frame, where the timestamp represents the time when each CSI report frame is received at the AP 810 via the corresponding link. For example, in Figure 8 the first receiving module 812 of the AP 810 sequentially assigns timestamps (TS) #1 #6 to the CSI report frames 822, 830, 826, 828, 824, and 832.

[0092] Then, the second receiving module 814 of the AP 810 sends the CSI report frames 822, 830, 826, 828, 824, and 832 sorted in chronological order to the upper layer according to the timestamp TS #1 #6 of the CSI. The upper layer can utilize the CSI report frames 822, 830, 826, 828, 824, and 832 sorted in chronological order for measurement, where the upper layer can be the application layer. For example, the upper layer can utilize the CSI report frames 822, 830, 826, 828, 824, and 832 sorted in chronological order for measurement, so that the user's actions can be correctly measured.

[0093] Alternatively, in one embodiment, the STA 820 may assign a timestamp to each CSI report frame, where the timestamp represents the time when the CSI report frame is sent from the STA 820. For example, the CSI report frames 822 and 824 include timestamps TS#1 and TS#5 respectively, the CSI report frames 826 and 828 include timestamps TS#3 and TS_#4 respectively, and the CSI report frames 830 and 832 include timestamps TS#2 and TS#6 respectively. After the AP receives the CSI report frames 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, and 832, it sorts the CSI report frames 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, and 832 in the chronological order of the timestamps, and sends the CSI report frames 822, 830, 826, 828, 824, and 832 sorted in chronological order to the upper layer. It should be noted that although this embodiment is described by taking Wi-Fi 7 as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0094] Figures 9A - 9B is a schematic diagram showing the format of the ACSI request frame 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] As Figure 9A shown, the category field 910 and the action field 920 may be set to indicate that the relevant frame is the ACSI request frame 900. In one embodiment, the category field 910 may indicate the HT category 912. Corresponding to the HT category 912, the action field 920 may include the HT action field 922, where a value in the reserved values 8 to 255 may be set to indicate the ACSI request frame. For example but not limited to, if the reserved value "10" indicates that the relevant frame is the ACSI request frame 900, then the value of the HT action field = 10 indicates that the relevant frame is the ACSI request frame 900.

[0096] In one embodiment, the element field 930 of the ACSI request frame may contain various information required for the STA to send the CSI report frame. For example, in Figure 9BAmong them, the element field 930 may include a quantity field 9301 of link IDs, link ID fields 9311, 9321, and 9331, target time fields 9312, 9322, and 9332 of the first CSI report frame, fields 9313, 9323, and 9333 of the time interval between two CSI report frames, quantity fields 9314, 9324, and 9334 of CSI report frames, quantity fields 9315, 9325, and 9335 of the number of streams, bandwidth (BW) fields 9316, 9326, and 9336 of CSI report frames, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) fields 9317, 9327, and 9337 of CSI report frames, and type fields 9318, 9328, and 9338 of CSI report frames. In this embodiment, the time unit is microseconds.

[0097] The quantity field 9301 of link IDs may include a value indicating the quantity of link IDs used by the STA. Each of the link ID fields 9311, 9321, and 9331 may include a link ID value of a link, such as a 2.4G link, a 5G link, or a 6G link. Each of the target time fields 9312, 9322, and 9332 of the first CSI report frame may have a value indicating the time point at which the AP sends the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link. Each of the interval fields 9313, 9323, and 9333 between two CSI report frames may have a value indicating the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames sent by the AP on the corresponding link, which may indicate how often the CSI report frame is sent. Each of the quantity fields 9314, 9324, and 9334 of CSI report frames may have a value indicating the total quantity of CSI report frames that the STA needs to send on the corresponding link. Each of the stream quantity fields 9315, 9325, and 9335 may have a value indicating the quantity of streams used to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link. Each of the bandwidth (BW) fields 9316, 9326, and 9336 of CSI report frames may include a value indicating the BW used by the STA on the corresponding link. Each of the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) fields 9317, 9327, and 9337 of CSI report frames may include a value indicating the MCS rate on the corresponding link. Each of the type fields 9318, 9328, and 9338 of CSI report frames may indicate the type of the CSI report frame on the corresponding link, such as an ACK frame or other frames defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0098] With this arrangement, the AP can set the transmission rules of CSI reports based on changes in the network environment. For example, when the available bandwidth in the network is narrow, a smaller bandwidth can be used to transmit CSI reports.

[0099] It should be noted that although in Figures 9A - 9BDetails of the ACSI request frame 900 are shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate substitutions or adjustments according to this embodiment.

[0100] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the format of the CSI report frame 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] As Figure 10 shown, the category field 1010 and the action field 1020 can be set to indicate that the relevant frame is the CSI report frame 1000. In one embodiment, the category field 1010 can indicate the HT category 1012. Corresponding to the HT category 1012, the action field 1020 can include the HT action field 1022, in which one value in the reserved values 8 - 255 can be set to indicate the CSI report frame. For example but not limited to, if the reserved value "11" indicates that the relevant frame is the CSI report frame 1000, then the value of the HT action field = 11 indicates that the relevant frame is the CSI report frame 1000.

[0102] In one embodiment, the element field 1030 of the CSI report frame 1000 can contain a reserved field 1031. The reserved field 1031 can include a timestamp indicating the time when the STA sends the CSI report frame. In another embodiment, the CSI report frame can be a null data packet (NDP).

[0103] In addition, although Figure 10 details of the CSI report frame 1000 are shown, the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate substitutions or adjustments according to this embodiment.

[0104] It should be noted that although the AP and STA are taken as examples in FIGS. 2 - 10, the STA can also be an AP in different network environments (such as an EasyMesh backhaul network or an 802.11 mode), and should not be limited to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to Figure 4 and Figures 6 - 8 shown. Specifically, the method provided by the present invention can be applied between an AP and an STA, or between an AP and an AP, for example, between two network devices in a mesh network. In a mesh network, all APs included in the mesh network are equal. The device sending the ACSI request is not limited to being an AP.

[0105] Figure 11 is a flowchart 1100 showing a method for obtaining a channel state information (CSI) report according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the first wireless communication device can be an AP and can be a controller (such as a processor) in the AP.

[0106] In this embodiment, the method is applied to and executed by a first wireless communication device to improve the CSI report transmission performance.

[0107] In step S1105, the first wireless communication device sends an ACSI request frame to the second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to send multiple CSI report frames through a single link or through multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the multiple links. In this embodiment, the second wireless communication device is a STA or an AP, and can be a controller (such as a processor) in the STA or the AP.

[0108] Among them, the solution for a single link can be as Figure 6 and Figure 7A shown in the embodiment, and the solution for multiple links can be as Figure 7B shown in the embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0109] In step S1110, the first wireless communication device receives multiple CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device through a single link or through multiple links. In some embodiments, the multiple CSI report frames received from the second wireless communication device include multiple CSI report frames received from each of the multiple links. In some embodiments, the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and multiple CSI report frames are cyclically received from the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

[0110] The ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time to send CSI report frames on the corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames sent on the corresponding link, where the time information includes the target time to send the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link. The ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a bandwidth (BW) field, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field, where the stream number field is used to indicate the number of streams for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, the BW field is used to indicate the BW used by the second wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field is used to indicate the MCS rate for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

[0111] Figure 12 FIG. 1200 is a flowchart showing a method for sending channel state information (CSI) reports according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] In this embodiment, the method is applied to and executed by a first wireless communication device, and is used to improve the CSI report transmission performance. The first wireless communication device can be a STA or an AP, and can be a controller (such as a processor) in the STA or the AP. The second wireless communication device can be a STA or an AP, and can be a controller (such as a processor) in the STA or the AP.

[0113] In step S1205, the first wireless communication device receives an ACSI request frame from the second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the first wireless communication device to send multiple channel state information (CSI) report frames through a single link or through multiple links. The ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or multiple links.

[0114] In step S1210, the first wireless communication device sends multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device through a single link or through multiple links according to the ACSI request frame.

[0115] The ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time to send a CSI report frame on the corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames sent on the corresponding link. The time information includes the target time to send the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link. The ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a bandwidth (BW) field, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field. The stream number field is used to indicate the number of streams for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link. The BW field is used to indicate the BW used by the first wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link. The MCS field is used to indicate the MCS rate for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

[0116] In view of the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention can transmit CSI report streams on multiple links and perform CSI training in batch mode on multiple links. It can effectively save the occupied time of the air interface and reduce the overhead of each link.

[0117] It should be understood that any order or hierarchy of steps in this application is exemplary. It should be understood that based on actual requirements, the order of the specific steps or the order of the hierarchy can be changed.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Accordingly, the scope of the appended claims should be given the broadest interpretation so as to cover all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a Channel State Information (CSI) report, characterized in that, the method is executed by a first wireless communication device, and the method includes: sending an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame to a second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to send multiple CSI report frames through a single link or through multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the multiple links; and receiving multiple CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device through a single link or through multiple links.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, before sending the ACSI request frame, the method further includes: sending a first management frame to the second wireless communication device, where the first management frame includes: a first specific Information Element (IE) indicating that the first wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities; and receiving a second management frame from the second wireless communication device, where the second management frame includes a second specific IE indicating that the second wireless communication device has ACSI communication capabilities.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the method further includes: assigning a timestamp to each CSI report frame among the multiple CSI report frames, where the timestamp represents the time when the CSI report frame is received at the first wireless communication device through the corresponding link; and arranging the multiple CSI report frames in the order of reception according to the timestamp of each CSI report frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the ACSI request frame includes a field indicating that it is an ACSI request frame.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time to send a CSI report frame on the corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames to be sent on the corresponding link, where the time information includes the target time to send the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a Bandwidth (BW) field, and a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) field, where the stream number field includes a value indicating the number of streams used to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, the BW field includes a value indicating the BW used by the second wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field includes a value indicating the MCS rate for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and the multiple CSI report frames are received cyclically from the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

8. A method for transmitting channel state information (CSI) reports, performed by a first wireless communication device, the method comprises: receiving, from a second wireless communication device, an advanced channel state information (ACSI) request frame, wherein the ACSI request frame indicates that the first wireless communication device transmits multiple channel state information (CSI) report frames via a single link or via multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the multiple links; and transmitting, according to the ACSI request frame, the multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device via a single link or via multiple links.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, before receiving the ACSI request frame, the method further comprises: transmitting a first management frame to the second wireless communication device, wherein the first management frame includes a first specific IE indicating that the first wireless communication device has ACSI communication capability; and receiving a second management frame from the second wireless communication device, wherein the second management frame includes a second specific IE indicating that the second wireless communication device has ACSI communication capability.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the ACSI request frame includes a field indicating that it is an ACSI request frame.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time for transmitting a CSI report frame on a corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames to be transmitted on the corresponding link, wherein the time information includes the target time for transmitting a first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a bandwidth (BW) field, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field, wherein the stream number field includes a value indicating the number of streams used for transmitting each CSI report frame on a corresponding link, the BW field includes a value indicating the BW used by the second wireless communication device for transmitting each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field includes a value indicating the MCS rate for transmitting each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and the multiple CSI report frames are transmitted cyclically to the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

14. A wireless communication device, wherein, comprises: A wireless transceiver configured to perform wireless transmission to a second wireless communication device and wireless reception from the second wireless communication device; and a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver for sending, via the wireless transceiver, an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame to the second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to send multiple CSI report frames via a single link or via multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the multiple links; and receiving, via the wireless transceiver, multiple CSI report frames from the second wireless communication device via a single link or via multiple links.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 14, wherein the ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time to send CSI report frames on a corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames sent on the corresponding link, wherein the time information includes the target time to send a first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link.

16. The wireless communication device according to claim 14, wherein the ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a Bandwidth (BW) field, and a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) field, wherein the stream number field is used to indicate the number of streams for sending each CSI report frame on a corresponding link, the BW field is used to indicate the BW used by the second wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field is used to indicate the MCS rate for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

17. The wireless communication device according to claim 14, wherein the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and the multiple CSI report frames are received from the second wireless communication device cyclically in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

18. A wireless communication device, wherein it includes: a wireless transceiver configured to perform wireless transmission to a second wireless communication device and wireless reception from the second wireless communication device; and a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver for: receiving, via the wireless transceiver, an Advanced Channel State Information (ACSI) request frame from the second wireless communication device, where the ACSI request frame instructs the second wireless communication device to send multiple CSI report frames via a single link or via multiple links, and the ACSI request frame includes information indicating the number of CSI report frames on each of the single link or the multiple links; and sending, according to the ACSI request frame, multiple CSI report frames to the second wireless communication device via a single link or via multiple links via the wireless transceiver.

19. The wireless communication device according to claim 18, wherein The ACSI request frame includes: time information for indicating the time to send the CSI report frame on the corresponding link and information for indicating the number of CSI report frames sent on the corresponding link, wherein the time information includes the target time to send the first CSI report frame on the corresponding link and the time interval between two consecutive CSI report frames on the corresponding link; and wherein, the ACSI request frame further includes at least one of a stream number field, a bandwidth (BW) field, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) field, wherein the stream number field is used to indicate the number of streams for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, the BW field is used to indicate the BW used by the wireless communication device to send each CSI report frame on the corresponding link, and the MCS field is used to indicate the MCS rate for sending each CSI report frame on the corresponding link.

20. The wireless communication device according to claim 18, characterized in that the multiple links include a first link, a second link, and a third link, and the multiple CSI report frames are cyclically sent to the second wireless communication device in the order of the first link, the second link, and the third link.

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