Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method, and the method comprises the steps: a first AP which transmits multicast data obtains the communication quality of a plurality of pieces of equipment connected with the first AP, and the first AP divides the plurality of pieces of equipment into at least two equipment groups according to the communication quality of the plurality of pieces of equipment, and sending data to equipment in the first equipment group and equipment in the second equipment group through a first rate, wherein the first rate is determined according to a threshold of the first equipment group and a threshold of the second equipment group. Wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent in a multicast mode. Thresholds are respectively set for devices with different communication qualities, thereby facilitating the improvement of multicast bandwidth and the improvement of multicast reliability.

Description

Communication method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] With the widespread popularity of smart devices such as smartphones, the demand for social sharing is growing. However, social sharing based on wireless local area network (WiFi) technology currently has certain limitations. For example, the available bandwidth of existing WiFi multicast is low (for example, the enterprise-level default is only 6Mbps) and the transmission performance is poor.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the transmission performance of WiFi multicast has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a communication method to improve the transmission performance of WiFi multicast.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by an access point (AP), or can be executed by a component of the AP (such as a chip or circuit). There is no limitation on this. For ease of description, the following is an example of execution by an AP.

[0007] The communication method includes: a first access point AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP; the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the multiple devices, and the communication quality of the devices in the first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, and the first rate is determined according to the threshold of the first device group and the threshold of the second device group, wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent via multicast.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can divide the multiple connected devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the devices, and set different thresholds for different device groups. The first rate adopted is determined according to the thresholds of different device groups, which is conducive to improving multicast performance and avoiding setting the rate based on the device with the worst quality in the system, affecting the transmission of high-quality devices.

[0009] For example, the first AP manages a Wi-Fi group with 10 devices, 5 of which are of high quality and 5 of which are of poor quality. The first AP can divide the 10 devices into 2 groups. If the device group threshold is a packet loss rate threshold, when setting the packet loss rate threshold, the packet loss rate threshold for the high-quality device group can be set lower because the high-quality device group is less likely to suffer packet loss.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, before the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups based on the communication quality of the multiple devices, the method also includes: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support division into at least two device groups.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups, including: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups according to a pre-configured rule; or, the first AP receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, and the authorization information is used to indicate support for being divided into at least two device groups.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the communication quality of the devices in the second device group meets a first preset condition, the method further includes: the first AP sends a rejection message to the devices in the second device group, and the rejection message is used to indicate rejection of access.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, a device with very poor communication quality (eg, the communication quality meets a first preset condition, which may be a predefined or negotiated threshold of a parameter indicating communication quality) may be prompted to deny access, thereby improving user experience.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP, including: the first AP obtains the distances between the multiple devices and the first AP respectively, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the distances between the devices and the first AP; or, the first AP obtains the packet loss rate of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the packet loss rate of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal strength of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal strength of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the transmission delay of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the synchronization delay of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the image display quality of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the image display quality of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the video playback smoothness of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the video playback smoothness of the devices.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can determine the communication quality of the connected device in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can set different thresholds to improve the flexibility of the solution.

[0018] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, when the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the packet loss rates of all devices in the first device group are less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rates of all devices in the second device group are less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

[0019] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: the first AP encodes the data to be sent according to a preset coding method to obtain at least one code block; the first AP sends redundant code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a second rate; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, including: the first AP sends signal code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at the first rate; wherein the second rate is different from the first rate.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: the first AP broadcasts the at least one code block to the device connected to the first AP; the first AP receives a feedback frame from the first device, the feedback frame being used to request retransmission of the first code block, the first code block being one of the at least one code blocks, and the first device being one of the devices connected to the first AP; the first AP sends the first code block to the first device.

[0021] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can multicast the code blocks it sends, and the device connected to the AP can unicast feedback when requesting retransmission, so that the AP can unicast retransmission and save resources.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the preset encoding method includes a fountain encoding method.

[0023] Based on the above technical solution, encoding based on fountain coding is simple, easy and has low complexity.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives updated communication quality from the device connected to the first AP; and the first AP redetermines the devices included in the first device group and the devices included in the second device group based on the updated communication quality.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can regroup based on updated information, dynamically pay attention to the communication quality of the connected devices, and avoid unreasonable grouping.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives first information from a first station STA, the first information including information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indication RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; the first AP determines the second AP to establish a connection with the first STA based on the first information, and the second AP is one of the at least one second AP; the first AP sends first indication information to the first STA, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP, wherein the first STA and the second AP are two devices among the multiple devices.

[0027] Based on the above technical solution, a hierarchical network can be established (for example, the first AP and the second AP are directly connected, and the second AP and the first STA are directly connected), achieving hierarchical transmission, end-to-end direct networking, and improving the networking scale.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first STA belongs to the second group of devices, and the at least one second AP belongs to the first group of devices.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first AP corresponds to a first frequency band, and the second AP corresponds to a second frequency band.

[0030] Based on the above technical solution, different APs in a hierarchical network can use different frequency bands to achieve multi-band communication.

[0031] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, after the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, the method also includes: the first AP obtains the updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; the first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of the data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can adjust the transmission rate according to the communication quality of the connected device, thereby improving the multicast rate and reliability and reducing the transmission delay.

[0033] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the at least one device is a device among the multiple devices whose communication quality meets a second preset condition.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the device with poor signal quality among multiple devices connected to the AP can feedback information, thereby reducing feedback overhead.

[0035] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices, including: the first AP sends a detection signal to the at least one device, and the detection signal is used to detect the communication quality of the at least one device; the first AP receives second indication information from the at least one device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the communication quality of the device.

[0036] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio SINR, air interface packet loss rate, signal strength, or decoding packet loss rate.

[0037] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first AP sends multicast parameters to the second device, the multicast parameters including a virtual multicast source address, and the virtual multicast source address is used to indicate the source address of the virtual multicast link established by the second device, wherein the second device is one of the multiple devices, and the multiple devices all transmit uplink data through the virtual multicast link.

[0038] Based on this technical solution, during the multicast process, the multicast source can send a virtual multicast source address to the devices joining the multicast. This allows the participating devices to establish a virtual multicast link, which can then feed uplink data back to the server. This eliminates the need to establish a unicast link for each participating device, breaking through chip resource bottlenecks and reducing overhead.

[0039] In combination with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: the first AP receives uplink data sent from the second device through the virtual multicast link, wherein the source address of the message carrying the uplink data is the virtual multicast source address, and the uplink data includes the media access control layer MAC address of the second device.

[0040] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first AP sends the multicast parameters through a first communication method, and the first communication method is different from the method in which the first AP sends the data.

[0041] Based on the above technical solution, multicast parameter sending can be completed collaboratively through other communication methods.

[0042] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by an access point (AP), or can be executed by a component of the AP (such as a chip or circuit). There is no limitation on this. For ease of description, the following is an example of execution by an AP.

[0043] The communication method includes: a first access point AP receives first information from a first station STA, the first information including information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indication RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; the first AP determines a second AP to establish a connection with the first STA based on the first information, the second AP being one of the at least one second AP; the first AP sends first indication information to the first STA, the first indication information being used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP, wherein the first AP is a device for sending multicast data, and the at least one second AP and the first STA are devices connected to the first AP.

[0044] Based on the above technical solution, a hierarchical network can be established (for example, the first AP and the second AP are directly connected, and the second AP and the first STA are directly connected), achieving hierarchical transmission, end-to-end direct networking, and improving the networking scale.

[0045] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first AP corresponds to a first frequency band, and the second AP corresponds to a second frequency band.

[0046] Based on the above technical solution, different APs in a hierarchical network can use different frequency bands to achieve multi-band communication.

[0047] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP; the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the multiple devices, and the communication quality of the devices in the first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, and the first rate is determined according to the threshold of the first device group and the threshold of the second device group, wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent via multicast.

[0048] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can divide the multiple connected devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the devices, and set different thresholds for different device groups. The first rate adopted is determined according to the thresholds of different device groups, which is conducive to improving multicast performance and avoiding setting the rate based on the device with the worst quality in the system, affecting the transmission of high-quality devices.

[0049] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first STA belongs to the second group of devices, and the at least one second AP belongs to the first group of devices.

[0050] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, before the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups based on the communication quality of the multiple devices, the method also includes: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support division into at least two device groups.

[0051] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups, including: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups according to pre-configured rules; or, the first AP receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, and the authorization information is used to indicate support for being divided into at least two device groups.

[0052] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the communication quality of the devices in the second device group meets the first preset condition, the method further includes: the first AP sends a rejection message to the devices in the second device group, and the rejection message is used to indicate the rejection of access.

[0053] Based on the above technical solution, devices with very poor communication quality can be prompted to deny access, thereby improving user experience.

[0054] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP, including: the first AP obtains the distances between the multiple devices and the first AP respectively, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the distances between the devices and the first AP; or, the first AP obtains the packet loss rate of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the packet loss rate of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal strength of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal strength of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the transmission delay of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the synchronization delay of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the image display quality of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the image display quality of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the video playback smoothness of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the video playback smoothness of the devices.

[0055] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can determine the communication quality of the connected device in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0056] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold.

[0057] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can set different thresholds to improve the flexibility of the solution.

[0058] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, when the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the packet loss rate of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rate of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

[0059] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: the first AP encodes the data to be sent according to a preset coding method to obtain at least one code block; the first AP sends redundant code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a second rate; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, including: the first AP sends signal code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at the first rate; wherein the second rate is different from the first rate.

[0060] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: the first AP broadcasts the at least one code block to the device connected to the first AP; the first AP receives a feedback frame from the first device, the feedback frame being used to request retransmission of the first code block, the first code block being one of the at least one code blocks, and the first device being one of the devices connected to the first AP; the first AP sends the first code block to the first device.

[0061] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can multicast the code blocks it sends, and the device connected to the AP can unicast feedback when requesting retransmission, so that the AP can unicast retransmission and save resources.

[0062] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the preset encoding method includes a fountain encoding method.

[0063] Based on the above technical solution, encoding based on fountain coding is simple, easy and has low complexity.

[0064] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives updated communication quality from the device connected to the first AP; and the first AP redetermines the devices included in the first device group and the devices included in the second device group based on the updated communication quality.

[0065] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can regroup based on updated information, dynamically pay attention to the communication quality of the connected devices, and avoid unreasonable grouping.

[0066] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, after the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, the method also includes: the first AP obtains the updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; the first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of the data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

[0067] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can adjust the transmission rate according to the feedback information of the connected devices, thereby improving the multicast rate and reliability and reducing the transmission delay.

[0068] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the at least one device is a device among the multiple devices whose communication quality meets a second preset condition.

[0069] Based on the above technical solution, the device with poor signal quality among multiple devices connected to the AP can feedback information, thereby reducing feedback overhead.

[0070] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices, including: the first AP sends a detection signal to the at least one device, and the detection signal is used to detect the communication quality of the at least one device; the first AP receives second indication information from the at least one device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the communication quality of the device.

[0071] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio SINR, air interface packet loss rate, signal strength, or decoding packet loss rate.

[0072] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the first AP sends multicast parameters to the second device, the multicast parameters including a virtual multicast source address, and the virtual multicast source address is used to indicate the source address of the virtual multicast link established by the second device, wherein the second device is one of the multiple devices, and the multiple devices all transmit uplink data through the virtual multicast link.

[0073] Based on this technical solution, during the multicast process, the multicast source can send a virtual multicast source address to the devices joining the multicast. This allows the participating devices to establish a virtual multicast link, which can then feed uplink data back to the server. This eliminates the need to establish a unicast link for each participating device, breaking through chip resource bottlenecks and reducing overhead.

[0074] In combination with the second aspect, in certain implementations of the second aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives uplink data sent from the second device through the virtual multicast link, wherein the source address of the message carrying the uplink data is the virtual multicast source address, and the uplink data includes the media access control layer MAC address of the second device.

[0075] In combination with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first AP sends the multicast parameters through a first communication method, and the first communication method is different from the method in which the first AP sends the data.

[0076] Based on the above technical solution, multicast parameter sending can be completed collaboratively through other communication methods.

[0077] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by an access point (AP), or can be executed by a component of the AP (such as a chip or circuit). There is no limitation on this. For ease of description, the following is an example of execution by an AP.

[0078] The communication method includes: a first access point AP sends data to multiple devices connected to the first AP at a first rate; the first AP obtains updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; and the first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of the data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

[0079] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can adjust the transmission rate according to the communication quality of the connected device, thereby improving the multicast rate and reliability and reducing the transmission delay.

[0080] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the at least one device is a device among the multiple devices whose communication quality meets a second preset condition.

[0081] Based on the above technical solution, the device with poor signal quality among multiple devices connected to the AP can feedback information, thereby reducing feedback overhead.

[0082] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices, including: the first AP sends a detection signal to the at least one device, and the detection signal is used to detect the communication quality of the at least one device; the first AP receives second indication information from the at least one device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the communication quality of the device.

[0083] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the second indication information includes at least one of the following: signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio SINR, air interface packet loss rate, signal strength, or decoding packet loss rate.

[0084] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the first AP sends multicast parameters to the second device, the multicast parameters including a virtual multicast source address, and the virtual multicast source address is used to indicate the source address of the virtual multicast link established by the second device, wherein the second device is one of the multiple devices, and the multiple devices all transmit uplink data through the virtual multicast link.

[0085] Based on this technical solution, during the multicast process, the multicast source can send a virtual multicast source address to the devices joining the multicast. This allows the participating devices to establish a virtual multicast link, which can then feed uplink data back to the server. This eliminates the need to establish a unicast link for each participating device, breaking through chip resource bottlenecks and reducing overhead.

[0086] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives uplink data sent from the second device through the virtual multicast link, wherein the source address of the message carrying the uplink data is the virtual multicast source address, and the uplink data includes the media access control layer MAC address of the second device.

[0087] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first AP sends the multicast parameters through a first communication method, and the first communication method is different from the method in which the first AP sends the data.

[0088] Based on the above technical solution, multicast parameter sending can be completed collaboratively through other communication methods.

[0089] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the method also includes: the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP; the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the multiple devices, and the communication quality of the devices in the first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, and the first rate is determined according to the threshold of the first device group and the threshold of the second device group, wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent via multicast.

[0090] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can divide the multiple connected devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the devices, and set different thresholds for different device groups. The first rate adopted is determined according to the thresholds of different device groups, which is conducive to improving multicast performance and avoiding setting the rate based on the device with the worst quality in the system, affecting the transmission of high-quality devices.

[0091] For example, the first AP manages a Wi-Fi group with 10 devices, 5 of which are of high quality and 5 of which are of poor quality. The first AP can divide the 10 devices into 2 groups. If the device group threshold is a packet loss rate threshold, when setting the packet loss rate threshold, the packet loss rate threshold for the high-quality device group can be set lower because the high-quality device group is less likely to suffer packet loss.

[0092] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, before the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups based on the communication quality of the multiple devices, the method also includes: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support division into at least two device groups.

[0093] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups, including: the first AP determines that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups according to pre-configured rules; or, the first AP receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, and the authorization information is used to indicate support for being divided into at least two device groups.

[0094] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, when the communication quality of the devices in the second device group meets the first preset condition, the method further includes: the first AP sends a rejection message to the devices in the second device group, and the rejection message is used to indicate the rejection of access.

[0095] Based on the above technical solution, devices with very poor communication quality can be prompted to deny access, thereby improving user experience.

[0096] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP, including: the first AP obtains the distances between the multiple devices and the first AP respectively, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the distances between the devices and the first AP; or, the first AP obtains the packet loss rate of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the packet loss rate of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal strength of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal strength of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the signal-to-noise-interference ratio of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the transmission delay of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the synchronization delay of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the image display quality of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the image display quality of the devices; or, the first AP obtains the video playback smoothness of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the video playback smoothness of the devices.

[0097] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can determine the communication quality of the connected device in different ways, thereby improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0098] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold; or, the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold.

[0099] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can set different thresholds to improve the flexibility of the solution.

[0100] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, when the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the packet loss rate of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rate of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold; when the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions: the transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

[0101] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the first AP encodes the data to be sent according to a preset encoding method to obtain at least one code block; the first AP sends redundant code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a second rate; the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, including: the first AP sends signal code blocks in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at the first rate; wherein the second rate is different from the first rate.

[0102] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the first AP broadcasts the at least one code block to the device connected to the first AP; the first AP receives a feedback frame from the first device, the feedback frame being used to request retransmission of the first code block, the first code block being one of the at least one code blocks, and the first device being one of the devices connected to the first AP; the first AP sends the first code block to the first device.

[0103] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can multicast the code blocks it sends, and the device connected to the AP can unicast feedback when requesting retransmission, so that the AP can unicast retransmission and save resources.

[0104] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the preset encoding method includes a fountain encoding method.

[0105] Based on the above technical solution, encoding based on fountain coding is simple, easy and has low complexity.

[0106] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method further includes: the first AP receives updated communication quality from a device connected to the first AP; and the first AP redetermines the devices included in the first device group and the devices included in the second device group based on the updated communication quality.

[0107] Based on the above technical solution, the AP can regroup based on updated information, dynamically pay attention to the communication quality of the connected devices, and avoid unreasonable grouping.

[0108] In combination with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the method also includes: the first AP receives first information from a first station STA, the first information including information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indication RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; the first AP determines a second AP to establish a connection with the first STA based on the first information, and the second AP is one of the at least one second AP; the first AP sends first indication information to the first STA, and the first indication information is used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP, wherein the first STA and the second AP are two devices among the multiple devices.

[0109] Based on the above technical solution, a hierarchical network can be established (for example, the first AP and the second AP are directly connected, and the second AP and the first STA are directly connected), achieving hierarchical transmission, end-to-end direct networking, and improving the networking scale.

[0110] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first STA belongs to the second group of devices, and the at least one second AP belongs to the first group of devices.

[0111] In combination with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first AP corresponds to a first frequency band, and the second AP corresponds to a second frequency band.

[0112] Based on the above technical solution, different APs in a hierarchical network can use different frequency bands to achieve multi-band communication.

[0113] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is used to perform the methods provided in aspects 1 to 3. Specifically, the communication device may include units and / or modules, such as a processing unit and a measurement unit, for performing the methods provided in aspects 1 to 4.

[0114] In one implementation, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit may be at least one processor. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0115] In another implementation, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin or related circuit on the chip, chip system or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit or logic circuit.

[0116] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a processor for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0117] For the operations such as sending and measuring / receiving involved in the processor, unless otherwise specified, or if they do not conflict with their actual functions or internal logic in the relevant descriptions, they can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, and can also be understood as sending and receiving operations performed by the RF circuit and antenna. This application does not limit this.

[0118] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores program code for execution by a device, and the program code includes code for executing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0119] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0120] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0121] Optionally, as an implementation method, the chip also includes a memory, in which a computer program or instruction is stored, and the processor is used to execute the computer program or instruction stored in the memory. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is used to execute the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0122] In a ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising the communication apparatus according to the fifth aspect and a communication device connected to the communication apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0123] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0124] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in this application.

[0125] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a packet loss rate threshold provided in this application.

[0126] FIG4 is a schematic diagram illustrating dual-rate transmission provided by the present application.

[0127] Figures 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of setting a packet loss rate provided by this application.

[0128] FIG6 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided in the present application.

[0129] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a hierarchical networking provided by this application.

[0130] FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in this application.

[0131] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in this application.

[0132] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0133] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0134] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0135] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0136] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems or future communication systems.

[0137] The following is an exemplary description of the application scenario and the method of the embodiment of the present application by taking a WLAN system as an example.

[0138] Specifically, the embodiments of the present application can be applied to WLANs, and can be applied to any of the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols currently used by WLANs. A WLAN system may include one or more access points (APs) and stations (STAs). STAs may also be referred to as non-AP STAs.

[0139] In the embodiments of the present application, a user station may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, an access terminal, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, a user device, or user equipment (UE). The STA may be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless local area network (e.g., Wi-Fi) communication capabilities, a wearable device, a computing device, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

[0140] In addition, the AP in the embodiment of the present application can be used to communicate with the access terminal through the wireless local area network, and transmit data from the access terminal to the network side, or transmit data from the network side to the access terminal.

[0141] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail using the communication system shown in Figure 1 as an example. The scenario system shown in Figure 1 can be a WLAN system. The WLAN system in Figure 1 can include one or more APs and one or more STAs. Figure 1 takes communication between an AP (the AP shown in Figure 1) and three STAs (STA#1, STA#2, and STA#3 shown in Figure 1) as an example.

[0142] Wireless communication between APs and STAs can be carried out in various ways. For example, the uplink transmission method between APs and STAs includes but is not limited to orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA), multi-site channel multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), or a hybrid transmission method of OFDMA and MU-MIMO, or single-user multiple-input multiple-output (SU-MIMO).

[0143] An AP is also called a wireless access point or hotspot. It's the access point for mobile users to access wired networks and is primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, but can also be deployed outdoors. An AP acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, an AP can be a terminal device or network device equipped with a wireless fidelity (WiFi) chip. Alternatively, an AP can support multiple WLAN standards, such as 802.11.

[0144] The AP can be multi-antenna or single-antenna. The AP includes a physical layer (PHY) processing circuit and a media access control (MAC) processing circuit. The physical layer processing circuit can be used to process physical layer signals, and the MAC layer processing circuit can be used to process MAC layer signals.

[0145] STAs can be terminal products that support the 802.11 series of standards, such as mobile phones and laptops. In practical scenarios, STAs can also have multiple antennas, and can have more than two antennas. STAs include PHY processing circuitry and MAC processing circuitry. The physical layer processing circuitry processes physical layer signals, while the MAC layer processing circuitry processes MAC layer signals.

[0146] It should be noted that the internal structure of AP and STA can refer to the introduction of existing technology or the internal structure of AP and STA after future technological development. This application does not limit the internal structure of AP and STA and will not elaborate on it.

[0147] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, several basic concepts involved in the embodiments of the present application are briefly explained. It should be understood that the basic concepts introduced below are briefly explained using the basic concepts specified in the WLAN protocol as an example, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited to being applicable only to WLAN systems. Therefore, the standard names that appear when describing the WLAN system as an example are all functional descriptions. The specific names are not limited and only indicate the functions of the device. They can be extended to other systems, such as NR or future communication systems.

[0148] 1. Soft AP: The soft AP referred to in this application can be a terminal product that supports the 802.11 series of standards, such as a mobile phone or laptop computer. For example, a soft AP uses a central processing unit (CPU) to connect to a wireless network client. Compared to a hard AP (i.e., a hardware device that connects to a wireless network client), a soft AP is more focused on resource consumption.

[0149] It should be understood that the AP involved in the embodiments of the present application includes but is not limited to soft AP.

[0150] 2. Digital Fountain Code: In the embodiment of the present application, the device receiving multicast data can decode the data using the fountain code. First, a brief introduction to the fountain code involved in the present application is given.

[0151] The sender can generate any number of coded packets from k original packets. As long as the receiver receives any (1+ε)k coded packets, it can successfully recover all the original packets with a high probability. The carefully designed digital fountain code not only has a very small decoding overhead ε, but also has a simple encoding and decoding method and a very low encoding and decoding complexity.

[0152] 3. WiFi multicast: During the advancement of WiFi standards, the unicast capability of WiFi6 has evolved to 10Gbps. The multicast standard is outdated (for example, 802.11aa 2012 version) and is in a serious stagnant state. WiFi7 currently has no expansion plan for WiFi multicast, does not support high-speed transmission, has unreliable transmission, no confirmation and retransmission mechanism, and no conflict confirmation mechanism.

[0153] Furthermore, Wi-Fi multicast is primarily used to transmit management messages (e.g., Beacon frames). Enterprise products support a theoretical maximum speed of 55 Mbps, but the default speed is only 6 Mbps, making them susceptible to interference. Consumer products (e.g., home access points) do not support multicast and default to group-to-unicast. Group-to-unicast refers to a home access point sending multicast data to multiple receiving devices in sequence using unicast.

[0154] 4. WiFi Multi-Band: WiFi 7 is developing standards for Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which enables devices to transmit and receive simultaneously across different frequency bands and channels. The receiving devices involved in the embodiments of this application can also operate in different frequency bands. This application does not limit how to enable devices to operate in different frequency bands.

[0155] 5. Active retransmission: The current WiFi multicast protocol introduces the concept of active retransmission to ensure data transmission reliability. Specifically, active retransmission includes the default retransmission of all frames R times.

[0156] However, this active retransmission method only stays at the protocol level and is not actually supported by APs. In addition, ensuring transmission reliability through this active retransmission method wastes bandwidth when network conditions are good, and cannot guarantee 100% reliability when network conditions are poor.

[0157] 6. Block Acknowledgement: The current Wi-Fi multicast protocol also includes the concept of block acknowledgment to ensure data transmission reliability. Specifically, after the source broadcasts a window of data, it polls each receiver to see if it has received the data. The receiver returns a list of successful sequence numbers, and the source then unicasts any frames that failed to be sent to the corresponding receiver.

[0158] However, this block acknowledgment method is only at the protocol level and is not actually supported by APs. Furthermore, while this block acknowledgment method ensures transmission reliability, each polling operation imposes a high overhead on multicast performance.

[0159] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the following explanations are made.

[0160] First, in this application, "used to indicate" can include being used for direct indication and being used for indirect indication. When describing that a certain indication information is used to indicate A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but it does not mean that the indication information must include A.

[0161] The information indicated by the indication information is referred to as the pending indication information. In specific implementations, there are many ways to indicate the pending indication information. The pending indication information can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately. The transmission period and / or timing of these sub-information can be the same or different. This application does not limit the specific transmission method.

[0162] Second, "at least one" shown in the present application refers to one or more, and "a plurality of" refers to two or more. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, "first", "second" and various digital numbers (for example, "#1", "#2", etc.) are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. The size of the sequence number of each process below does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the schemes other than the embodiments of the present application can be described. In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "210", "220" are only for the convenience of description and are not used to limit the order of execution of steps.

[0163] Third, in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0164] Fourth, the term "storage" used in the embodiments of this application may refer to storage in one or more memories. The one or more memories may be provided separately or integrated into an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories may also be provided in part separately and in part integrated into a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The memory may be any type of storage medium, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0165] Fifth, the term "and / or" in this document simply describes a relationship between related objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0166] The above text briefly introduces the scenarios in which the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied in combination with Figure 1, and introduces the basic concepts that may be involved in the embodiment of the present application.

[0167] As can be seen from the introduction of the above basic concepts, the development of the Wi-Fi multicast protocol is currently stagnant, and the related reliable transmission solutions promoted in the protocol are not used in actual products, and there are also some uncertainties. This application provides a communication method to improve the performance of Wi-Fi multicast, for example, to increase the working bandwidth and transmission reliability of Wi-Fi multicast.

[0168] It should be understood that the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to a WLAN communication system, for example, the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 .

[0169] It should also be understood that the embodiments described below do not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application may be the first AP, the second AP, and the STA, or a functional module in the first AP, the second AP, and the STA that is capable of calling and executing the program.

[0170] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below by taking the interaction between the first AP, the second AP and the STA as an example.

[0171] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided by the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0172] S210: A first AP obtains communication qualities of multiple devices connected to the first AP.

[0173] As a possible implementation manner, the device connected to the first AP actively reports the current communication quality to the first AP.

[0174] For example, the device connected to the first AP periodically reports the current communication quality to the first AP.

[0175] For another example, after receiving the multicast information sent by the first AP, the device connected to the first AP reports the current communication quality to the first AP. For example, the first AP sends multicast information for requesting feedback on the communication quality to the device connected to the first AP.

[0176] As another possible implementation manner, the first AP may obtain the communication quality of the device connected to the first AP from other devices (eg, a management device).

[0177] As another possible implementation manner, the first AP may determine the communication quality of the device connected to the first AP through other means (eg, a predefined means).

[0178] It should be understood that the above-mentioned possible implementation methods are only examples of how the first AP obtains the communication quality of the device connected to the first AP, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The first AP can also obtain the communication quality of the device connected to the first AP through other methods, which will not be explained one by one here.

[0179] For example, the first AP is connected to devices #1, #2, and #3. Devices #1, #2, and #3 send information #1, #2, and #3 to the first AP, respectively. Information #1 indicates the communication quality of device #1, information #2 indicates the communication quality of device #2, and information #3 indicates the communication quality of device #3.

[0180] Exemplarily, the first AP is an AP that sends multicast data, and devices connected to the first AP include but are not limited to STAs or APs.

[0181] Exemplarily, the first AP obtains the communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP in the following possible ways:

[0182] Method 1: The first AP obtains the distances between the multiple devices and the first AP respectively, and determines the communication quality of the device according to the distances between the device and the first AP.

[0183] For example, the device connected to the first AP periodically feeds back the distance information between itself and the first AP. The device that is close to the first AP (for example, the distance is less than or equal to threshold #1, which is predefined or determined by negotiation and is not limited in this embodiment) is a device with good communication quality, and the device that is far from the first AP (for example, the distance is greater than threshold #1) is a device with poor communication quality. For another example, multiple thresholds can be set, and the distance is compared with different thresholds to determine the communication quality of different devices.

[0184] Method 2: The first AP obtains packet loss rates of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices based on the packet loss rates of the devices. For video transmission, the packet loss rate can also be understood as a frame loss rate.

[0185] For example, the device connected to the first AP periodically feeds back packet loss rate information of channel #1, where channel #1 is a transmission channel (or transmission link) between the first AP and the device connected to the first AP.

[0186] For another example, the packet loss rate may be the packet loss rate corresponding to multicast information of different rate levels. For example, if the first AP sends multicast frames at rate #1, the device connected to the first AP may feed back the packet loss rate corresponding to rate #1.

[0187] Method three: The first AP obtains the signal strengths of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the signal strengths of the devices.

[0188] For example, the device connected to the first AP periodically feeds back its own signal strength, and the device with weak signal strength (e.g., signal strength is less than or equal to threshold #2, which is predefined or determined by negotiation and is not limited in this embodiment) is a device with poor communication quality, and the device with strong signal strength (e.g., signal strength is greater than threshold #2) is a device with good communication quality; for another example, multiple thresholds can be set, and the signal strength is compared with different thresholds to determine the communication quality of different devices.

[0189] Method 4: The first AP obtains the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the devices.

[0190] Method 5: The first AP obtains the transmission delays of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the synchronization delays of the devices; or

[0191] Method 6: The first AP obtains the image display quality (eg, degree of screen distortion) of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the image display quality of the devices.

[0192] Method 7: The first AP obtains the video playback fluency of the multiple devices (eg, the degree of video playback freeze), and determines the communication quality of the device according to the video playback fluency of the device.

[0193] For example, the above-mentioned packet loss rate, delay, signal strength, etc. can be understood as the communication capability information of the device. A device with strong communication capability has higher communication quality than a device with weak communication capability.

[0194] It should be understood that the above-mentioned packet loss rate, delay, signal strength, etc. are only examples of possible forms of determining the communication quality of the device, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Other methods that can be used to determine the communication quality of the device are also within the scope of protection of this application, and will not be given examples one by one here.

[0195] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the first AP obtains the communication qualities of the multiple devices connected to the first AP, the multiple connected devices may be divided into different device groups according to the communication qualities of the multiple devices. The method flow shown in FIG2 further includes:

[0196] S220: The first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups according to communication qualities of the multiple devices.

[0197] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first AP may not divide the multiple connected devices into device groups, but may only consider the transmission of the device with better communication quality among the connected devices.

[0198] For example, the first AP is connected to 10 devices, of which the communication quality of 8 devices meets the requirements (for example, the latency meets the requirements, the packet loss rate meets the requirements, or the distance is close, etc.). When the first AP subsequently performs downlink data multicast, it can only consider that the 8 devices can receive the multicast data normally, and the other 2 devices can be ignored (for example, the access can be denied by indicating a rejection message).

[0199] This embodiment mainly considers the differences between devices with different communication qualities. The following mainly introduces a solution in which the first AP divides multiple devices into at least two device groups based on their communication qualities:

[0200] The communication quality of devices in a first device group of the at least two device groups is higher than the communication quality of devices in a second device group.

[0201] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first AP may deny access to devices with poor communication quality through a denial message. For example, when the communication quality of a device in the second device group meets a first preset condition, the first AP may send a denial message to the device in the second device group, where the denial message indicates denial of access. The first AP may deny access to at least one device through the denial message, and the first preset condition may be a predefined or negotiated threshold value of a parameter indicating communication quality (e.g., a packet loss rate threshold, a latency threshold, or an image display quality threshold).

[0202] For example, in this embodiment, before the first AP divides the multiple devices into at least two device groups, it may determine whether the device groups can be divided in the following manner:

[0203] Method 1: The first AP determines, according to a pre-configured rule, that the multiple devices support being divided into at least two device groups.

[0204] Method 2: The first AP receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, and the authorization information is used to indicate support for division into at least two device groups. It can be understood as: in order to dispel user-related doubts, a user authorization switch and a configuration interface are provided for setting and adjusting parameters related to device grouping. For example, relevant switch buttons are provided at relevant operations such as multicast settings, prompting authorization to be turned on, and prompting the system to automatically group by default, thereby ensuring that the device group with high communication quality has almost no packet loss (or freezes, and has the lowest delay), and the device group with low communication quality allows a certain amount of packet loss (or freezes, and has a delay), and users with poor quality are advised not to access for the time being.

[0205] Specifically, the number of groups in the device group and the number of devices included in the device group are default (eg, the default group is 2) or can be adjusted within a certain range (eg, the group setting is adjustable and can be adjusted within 1-N). This is not limited in this embodiment.

[0206] As a possible implementation manner, when the first AP determines the communication qualities of the multiple devices according to the packet loss rates of the multiple devices, the first AP may divide the devices connected to the first AP into multiple device groups based on the packet loss rates.

[0207] For example, the devices connected to the first AP include: device #1, device #2, and device #3. The packet loss rate of device #1 is packet loss rate #1, the packet loss rate of device #2 is packet loss rate #2, and the packet loss rate of device #3 is packet loss rate #3. The first AP groups the devices corresponding to packet loss rates less than packet loss rate threshold #1 among packet loss rates #1, #2, and #3 into one device group, and groups the devices corresponding to packet loss rates greater than packet loss rate threshold #1 among packet loss rates #1, #2, and #3 into another device group. For example, if packet loss rates #1 and #2 are less than packet loss rate threshold #1, then devices #1 and #2 are in device group #1; if packet loss rate #3 is greater than packet loss rate threshold #1, then device #3 is in device group #2. It can be understood that a high packet loss rate indicates poor communication quality, so the communication quality of devices in device group #1 is higher than that of devices in device group #2.

[0208] As another possible implementation, when the first AP determines the communication qualities of the multiple devices according to the distances between the multiple devices, the first AP may divide the devices connected to the first AP into multiple device groups based on the distances.

[0209] For example, the devices connected to the first AP include: device #1, device #2, and device #3. The distance between device #1 and the first AP is distance #1, the distance between device #2 and the first AP is distance #2, and the distance between device #3 and the first AP is distance #3. The first AP divides the devices corresponding to distances less than distance threshold #1 among distance #1, distance #2, and distance #3 into one device group, and divides the devices corresponding to distances greater than distance threshold #1 among distance #1, distance #2, and distance #3 into another device group. For example, if distance #1 and distance #2 are less than distance threshold #1, device #1 and device #2 are in device group #1, and if distance #3 is greater than distance threshold #1, device #3 is in device group #2. It can be understood that the longer the distance, the worse the communication quality, so the communication quality of the devices in device group #1 is higher than the communication quality of the devices in device group #2.

[0210] The above is just an example of how the first AP divides the devices connected to the first AP into multiple device groups, and does not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of this application. In this embodiment, the specific division method of the first AP is not limited, and the devices can be divided into multiple device groups according to the different communication quality of the devices.

[0211] In this embodiment, after the first AP divides the multiple devices connected to the first AP into multiple device groups, the first AP may send data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate. The method shown in FIG2 further includes:

[0212] S230: The first AP sends data to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate.

[0213] Specifically, the first rate is determined based on a threshold of a first device group and a threshold of a second device group, wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent via multicast.

[0214] As a possible implementation manner, the first AP sets different packet loss rate thresholds for multiple device groups respectively.

[0215] For example, a first AP sets a first packet loss rate threshold for a first device group among the multiple device groups, and sets a second packet loss rate threshold for a second device group among the multiple device groups. Because the communication quality of the devices in the first device group is higher than that of the devices in the second device group, the first packet loss rate threshold is set lower than the second packet loss rate threshold. In other words, in this embodiment, packet loss rate thresholds can be set separately for device groups with different communication qualities, rather than setting a single packet loss rate threshold for all devices.

[0216] For example, the first AP can determine the first packet loss rate threshold based on the communication quality of devices in the first device group. For example, the first packet loss rate threshold can be determined by taking the average packet loss rate of the devices in the first device group as the first packet loss rate threshold; another example is the median packet loss rate of the devices in the first device group as the first packet loss rate threshold. Similarly, the first AP can determine the second packet loss rate threshold based on the communication quality of devices in the second device group. This is not further described here.

[0217] As another possible implementation, the first AP sets different redundancy thresholds for the multiple device groups.

[0218] For example, a first AP sets a first redundancy threshold for a first device group among the multiple device groups, and sets a second redundancy threshold for a second device group among the multiple device groups. Because the communication quality of the devices in the first device group is higher than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, the first redundancy threshold is set higher than the second redundancy threshold. In other words, in this embodiment, redundancy thresholds can be set separately for device groups with different communication qualities, rather than setting a single redundancy threshold for all devices.

[0219] As another possible implementation, the first AP sets different transmission delay thresholds for the multiple device groups.

[0220] For example, a first AP sets a first transmission delay threshold for a first device group among the multiple device groups, and sets a second transmission delay threshold for a second device group among the multiple device groups. Because the communication quality of the devices in the first device group is higher than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, the first transmission delay threshold is set lower than the second transmission delay threshold. In other words, in this embodiment, transmission delay thresholds can be set separately for device groups with different communication qualities, rather than setting a single transmission delay threshold for all devices.

[0221] It should be understood that the above-mentioned packet loss rate threshold, redundancy threshold, and transmission delay are merely examples of the possible thresholds that can be configured by the first AP, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Other threshold values ​​related to communication quality can also be set, and they will not be illustrated one by one here.

[0222] It should also be understood that the setting of the first rate needs to meet the threshold requirements of different device groups.

[0223] For example, when the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions:

[0224] The packet loss rates of all devices in the first device group are less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rates of all devices in the second device group are less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold.

[0225] For another example, when the threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions:

[0226] The redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold.

[0227] For another example, when the threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold, the first rate satisfies the following conditions:

[0228] The transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

[0229] For ease of description, the following description is made with the threshold being the packet loss rate threshold. When the threshold is other thresholds, the description is similar to the case where the threshold is the packet loss rate threshold, and is not repeated.

[0230] Specifically, setting packet loss rate thresholds for device groups with different communication qualities ensures that devices in the high-quality group experience almost no post-decoding packet loss, while devices in the low-quality group experience post-decoding packet loss below a certain rate, compared to setting a single packet loss rate threshold for all devices. If all devices are set to the same packet loss rate, the first AP considers a uniform packet loss rate (e.g., the packet loss rate of devices with poor communication quality) when sending multicast data, preventing devices with good communication quality from leveraging their strengths.

[0231] For example, the first AP can set redundancy to ensure that the devices in the high-quality device group have almost no packet loss after decoding, while the packet loss after decoding for the devices in the low-quality device group only needs to be lower than a certain packet loss rate.

[0232] Specifically, after determining the packet loss rate thresholds corresponding to different device groups, the first AP can determine the transmission rate for multicast data based on the packet loss rate thresholds for the different device groups. Specifically, the first AP first encodes the multicast data to be transmitted according to a preset coding method to obtain at least one code block. The preset coding method includes, but is not limited to, the fountain coding method described above. It should be understood that this embodiment does not limit the coding method.

[0233] For ease of description, fountain coding is used as an example for illustration below, that is, the code blocks obtained after coding include signal code blocks and redundant code blocks.

[0234] In this embodiment, the first AP determines the sending rate of multicast data including the following two implementations:

[0235] Implementation #1: The first AP sends multicast data at a single rate. For example, the first AP sends signal code blocks at a first rate.

[0236] In this implementation #1, when determining the rate at which the first AP sends code blocks, it selects a rate that can meet the packet loss rate thresholds corresponding to different device groups. Taking the first and second device groups mentioned above as an example, the first rate meets the following conditions:

[0237] The packet loss rate of the received code blocks of the devices in the first device group is less than the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rate of the received code blocks of the devices in the second device group is less than the second packet loss rate threshold.

[0238] For ease of understanding, the packet loss rate threshold under Implementation #1 is described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a packet loss rate threshold provided by this application. It can be seen from Figure 3 that the packet loss rate of received code blocks of devices in the first device group is less than the first packet loss rate threshold, the packet loss rate of received code blocks of devices in the second device group is less than the second packet loss rate threshold, and the first packet loss rate threshold is less than the second packet loss rate threshold.

[0239] Implementation #2: The first AP uses multiple rates to send multicast data.

[0240] Exemplarily, the first AP may divide at least one code block obtained by encoding the multicast data to be sent into multiple code block groups, and different code block groups are sent using different transmission rates.

[0241] As a possible implementation method, the first AP can divide at least one code block into multiple code block groups based on the importance of different code blocks in at least one code block for decoding, and the transmission rate of the code block group with high importance meets the packet loss rate threshold requirement of the receiving device.

[0242] As another possible implementation, the first AP may divide the at least one code block into multiple code block groups based on different code block types in the at least one code block. For example, signal code blocks in the at least one code block may be grouped as one code block group, and redundant code blocks in the at least one code block may be grouped as one code block group, where a transmission rate of the signal code blocks meets a packet loss rate threshold requirement of the receiving device.

[0243] It should be understood that in this embodiment, there is no restriction on the number of code block groups into which the first AP divides the at least one code block, or the number of transmission rates used for transmission. For ease of description, the following example uses the case where the first AP transmits signal code blocks and redundant code blocks at dual rates. The method where the first AP transmits multicast data at multiple (e.g., greater than two) transmission rates is similar to the method where the first AP transmits multicast data at dual rates, and thus is not further described.

[0244] For example, the first AP sends signal code blocks at a first rate and sends redundant code blocks at a second rate, where the second rate is different from the first rate.

[0245] In this implementation #2, when determining the first rate for sending signal code blocks, the first AP selects a rate that can meet the packet loss rate thresholds corresponding to different device groups. Taking the first device group and the second device group as an example, the first rate meets the following conditions:

[0246] The packet loss rate of the received signal code blocks of the devices in the first device group is less than the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rate of the received signal code blocks of the devices in the second device group is less than the second packet loss rate threshold.

[0247] For ease of understanding, the packet loss rate threshold under implementation #2 is illustrated in conjunction with Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a dual-rate transmission provided by the present application. It can be seen from Figure 4 that rate 1 (MCS1) is the transmission rate of signal code blocks (or source symbols), rate 2 (MCS2) is the transmission rate of redundant code blocks (or redundant symbols), n1 is the number of signal code blocks sent, n2 is the number of redundant code blocks sent, p1 is the packet loss rate of signal code blocks, p2 is the packet loss rate of redundant code blocks, and N is the number of code blocks that can be fully decoded, where MCS1 / MCS2=n1 / n2.

[0248] For the devices in the first device group, n1*(1-p1)+n2*(1-p2)>=N, p1<packet loss rate threshold 1 (as shown in FIG5(a)), where p1 and p2 are both packet loss rates for the devices in the first device group. P1 is the packet loss rate of signal code blocks received by the devices in the first device group, and p4 and p2 are the packet loss rates of redundant code blocks received by the devices in the first device group.

[0249] For the devices in the second device group, n1*(1-p3)+n2*(1-p4)>=N, p3<packet loss rate threshold 2 (as shown in FIG5(b)). p3 and p4 are both packet loss rates for the devices in the second device group. p3 is the packet loss rate of signal code blocks received by the devices in the second device group, and p4 is the packet loss rate of redundant code blocks received by the devices in the second device group.

[0250] Furthermore, after determining the transmission rate, the first AP may transmit the at least one code block in a multicast manner, and the receiving end may feed back the code blocks that have not been received in a unicast manner.

[0251] For example, a first AP broadcasts (or multicasts) at least one code block to devices connected to the first AP. A first device among the devices connected to the first AP receives the code block broadcast by the first AP and decodes it. When decoding is unsuccessful, the device sends a custom feedback frame (e.g., a first feedback frame) to the first AP requesting retransmission of a code block (e.g., a first code block) of a specified numbered frame, where the first code block is one of the at least one code block and the first device is one of the devices connected to the first AP. The first AP can retransmit the first code block to the first device via unicast.

[0252] In addition, it should be noted that the devices connected to the first AP can periodically report the communication quality, that is, when the communication quality of the device changes, the first AP can be notified by sending the updated communication quality, and the first AP can re-determine the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group based on the received updated communication quality.

[0253] In the communication method shown in Figure 2, the first AP can set different thresholds for device groups with different communication qualities, and when determining the sending rate of multicast data, the different thresholds corresponding to different device groups are considered. When the two threshold requirements are respectively met for multiple device groups, the multicast data is sent at the maximum sending rate that meets this situation, which is beneficial to improving the multicast bandwidth.

[0254] This application also provides another communication method for establishing a hierarchical network. The following describes this communication method in detail with reference to FIG6 . FIG6 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided by this application. The method includes the following steps:

[0255] S610: A first AP receives first information from a first site, or in other words, the first site sends first information to the first AP.

[0256] Specifically, the first information includes information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first station, and RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator) information of the at least one beacon frame.

[0257] For example, the first station may measure whether there are second APs around it, and inform the first AP of the second APs around it and the RSSI strengths of beacon frames sent by these second APs through an action frame.

[0258] Optionally, the first station may also inform the first AP of packet loss rate information through the first information, that is, the first information also includes packet loss rate information, wherein the packet loss rate information includes packet loss rates of multicast frames at different rate levels.

[0259] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first AP is a multicast source for transmitting multicast data. Specifically, the first AP can trigger the multicast (or broadcast) function of the first AP through an upper layer application.

[0260] For example, the first AP is a mobile phone, and the mobile phone screen projection broadcast triggers the activation of the soft AP function and starts multicasting the screen projection data.

[0261] Other terminals in the communication system are triggered by upper-layer applications to search for services, for example, multicast screen projection, and join the service to start obtaining multicast data; the terminal that joins first becomes the second AP (or called a connected terminal); the terminal that joins later becomes a site (also called a connectionless terminal, or connectionless STA).

[0262] As a possible implementation manner, the operating frequency band of the first AP and the operating frequency band of the second AP are different.

[0263] Furthermore, the first AP may determine, based on the received first information, that the first station is connected to a second AP. The method flow shown in FIG6 further includes:

[0264] S620: The first AP determines, based on the first information, a second AP to which the first station is connected.

[0265] Exemplarily, the first AP may select a second AP with the best signal quality for the station from among the at least one second AP included in the first information as the second AP to which the first station is connected.

[0266] It should be understood that the first AP can receive the first information sent by each station in the system. The first AP can determine the second AP connected to each station based on the first information reported by different stations. For ease of description, this embodiment is described as an example of the first AP receiving the first information sent by a station.

[0267] For example, the system includes four stations (e.g., station #1, station #2, station #3, and station #4), and the first AP can receive four first information (e.g., first information #1, first information #2, first information #3, and first information #4) respectively sent by the four stations. For example, the first AP receives first information #1 from station #1, where the first information #1 includes information about a second AP measured by station #1 and information indicating the signal strength of the second AP; the first AP receives first information #2 from station #2, where the first information #2 includes information about the second AP measured by station #2 and information indicating the signal strength of the second AP; the first AP receives first information #3 from station #3, where the first information #3 includes information about the second AP measured by station #3 and information indicating the signal strength of the second AP; and the first AP receives first information #4 from station #4, where the first information #4 includes information about the second AP measured by station #4 and information indicating the signal strength of the second AP.

[0268] In this embodiment, the first AP can also be called a master AP, and the second AP can be called a slave AP. Through the above networking process, a multi-level AP and station network is formed. In addition, the above first AP and second AP can be soft APs.

[0269] Furthermore, to build a multi-level network, the first AP can also select an AP (e.g., a third AP) to connect to for the second AP. For example, if the first AP selects the second AP as the AP to connect to for the first station, the first AP can also determine the third AP to which the second AP is connected based on the information reported by the second AP. Similarly, the first AP can also determine the AP to which the second AP is connected based on the information reported by the second AP, thereby building a multi-level network.

[0270] The method flow shown in FIG6 provides a multi-level AP and site networking method, which realizes end-to-end direct networking and improves the networking scale.

[0271] For ease of understanding, the networking established by the process shown in Figure 6 is described by taking the construction of a two-level network as an example with reference to Figure 7. The network shown in Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a two-layer network and two frequency bands.

[0272] The network shown in Figure 7 includes three roles: master AP, slave AP (slave AP#1, slave AP#2 and slave AP#3 as shown in Figure 7) and pure STA (STA#1, STA#2, STA#3 and STA#4 as shown in Figure 7). The master AP is the multicast source, and the slave AP can be understood as the STA of the master AP and is an AP of pure STA.

[0273] Specifically, WiFi air interface band #1 covers all devices (e.g., master APs, slave APs, and pure STAs). One device serves as the master AP, and devices within the master AP's connection capacity serve as slave APs. A slave AP is a device that has a connection to the master AP, while the remaining devices are unconnected. Devices with a better connection to the master AP are selected as slave APs.

[0274] WiFi air interface frequency band #2, between the slave AP and pure STAs, there is a connection between the slave AP and pure STAs.

[0275] In addition, this application also provides a communication method to improve the reliability of WiFi multicast transmission. The communication method will be described in detail below in conjunction with Figure 8.

[0276] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method provided by the present application, comprising the following steps:

[0277] S810: A first AP sends data to multiple devices connected to the first AP at a first rate.

[0278] Illustratively, in this embodiment, the first rate may be a transmission rate determined according to the communication method shown in FIG. 2 , or may be an arbitrarily determined rate.

[0279] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first AP can adjust the rate and / or redundancy of the entire data to be sent based on the updated communication quality of at least one device. The method shown in FIG8 also includes:

[0280] S820: The first AP obtains updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices.

[0281] As a possible implementation manner, in this embodiment, the first AP may obtain the updated communication quality of at least one device by using the method for obtaining the communication quality of multiple devices shown in the communication method shown in FIG. 2 .

[0282] As another possible implementation, since in this embodiment, the first AP has established communication connections with multiple devices connected to the first AP, the first AP may obtain the updated communication quality of at least one device by detecting.

[0283] For example, the first AP sends a detection signal to the at least one device, and the detection signal is used to detect the communication quality of the at least one device (such as detecting packet loss); the first AP receives second indication information from the at least one device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the communication quality of the device.

[0284] As a possible implementation, the at least one device may be any at least one device among the multiple devices connected to the first AP. For example, the first AP detects reception conditions of all connected devices.

[0285] As another possible implementation, at least one device may be a device whose communication quality meets the second preset condition among the devices connected to the first AP. For example, the first AP may detect only the 10-30% of devices with the lowest signal strength among the multiple devices connected to the first AP. This can significantly reduce air interface overhead.

[0286] In addition, the first AP may periodically detect the reception status of the device connected to the first AP, for example, 2-5 times per second.

[0287] Illustratively, the second indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0288] SINR, air interface packet loss rate and decoding packet loss rate.

[0289] S830: The first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of the data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of at least one device.

[0290] As a possible implementation manner, the second indication information indicates that the signal strength decreases and the packet loss rate increases, and the first AP determines to reduce the transmission rate.

[0291] As another possible implementation manner, the second indication information indicates that the noise intensity and the packet loss rate increase, and the first AP determines to increase the redundancy of the multicast information encoding.

[0292] As another possible implementation, the second indication information indicates that the air interface packet loss rate is lower than a first preset threshold, and the first AP determines to increase the transmission rate. The first preset threshold can be any predefined or negotiated value, which is not limited in this application.

[0293] In another possible implementation, the second indication information indicates that the decoding packet loss rate is lower than a second preset threshold, and the first AP determines to increase the transmission rate and / or reduce the redundancy of the multicast information encoding. The second preset threshold can be any predefined or negotiated value and is not limited in this application.

[0294] It should be understood that the above-mentioned several implementation methods are only examples to illustrate that the first AP can adjust the transmission rate according to the updated communication quality of at least one device, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The first AP can also have other adjustment methods, which are no longer limited here.

[0295] The embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 8 above involve multicast communication. This application also provides another communication method that can reduce the overhead of multicast communication. For ease of understanding, the method for establishing multicast communication in this application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figure 9.

[0296] FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in this application.

[0297] It should be understood that after the server establishes a multicast group, it can send multicast-related parameters to the client that the server actively invites to join the multicast or actively requests to join the multicast. Among them, this embodiment does not limit the process of the server establishing a multicast group, but mainly involves how to reduce the overhead of multicast transmission.

[0298] The server in this embodiment may be the AP (eg, the first AP) that sends multicast information in the above embodiments, and the client may be the AP (eg, the second AP) or station (eg, STA) that receives multicast information.

[0299] Specifically, in this embodiment, the server sends multicast parameters to the client in the following two ways:

[0300] Method 1: The server actively sends an invitation message to the client to join the multicast.

[0301] For example, the server actively sends the multicast parameters in the following manner: As shown in S910 in FIG9 , the server sends an invitation message, and the invitation message includes the multicast parameters.

[0302] Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the server can send an invitation message through a communication method other than the current multicast communication link. For example, if 5G WiFi multicast communication is currently being used, the invitation message can be sent through another WiFi channel (such as 2.4G WiFi), green tooth, Bluetooth, millimeter wave, ZigBee, etc.

[0303] Specifically, after a multicast group is established, the server can proactively send a multicast invitation to invite clients to join the multicast. For example, the server sends an invitation message that carries multicast parameters so that clients receiving the invitation message can obtain multicast-related information and join the multicast.

[0304] As a possible implementation, in this embodiment, the client may establish a virtual multicast link, so that the client can feed back information (eg, uplink data) to the server via the virtual multicast link.

[0305] In this implementation, the multicast parameters include but are not limited to:

[0306] Multicast key, multicast rate, virtual multicast source address, multicast destination address, multicast destination port, multicast source port, multicast type, etc.

[0307] It should be understood that this implementation is different from the current multicast establishment in that the invitation message includes a virtual multicast source address, so that the client can establish a virtual multicast link according to the virtual multicast source address.

[0308] Specifically, under this implementation, if the client agrees to the server's invitation, it can establish a virtual multicast link with the server through the virtual multicast source address and send information to the server through the virtual multicast link. If the client disagrees with the server's invitation, it can reject the server's invitation through a rejection message.

[0309] For example, if multiple clients and a server actually maintain a single link (e.g., a unicast link between the first client that joins the multicast and the server), the format of the uplink data sent by the client to the server can be:

[0310] DMACSMAC uplink data, including actual SMAC

[0311] Among them, DMAC indicates the destination MAC address of the uplink data (which can be understood as the MAC address of the server, that is, the multicast destination address carried in the invitation message), and SMAC indicates the virtual source MAC address of the uplink data (that is, the virtual multicast source address carried in the invitation message). The actual source MAC address (such as the MAC address of different clients) is reflected in the uplink data. The server can distinguish which client the uplink data belongs to based on the actual MAC in the uplink data.

[0312] The virtual source MAC addresses of uplink data sent by different clients are the same, and the actual source MAC addresses of different clients are carried in the uplink data of the clients.

[0313] By carrying the virtual multicast source address in the invitation message, a unicast link can be established between multiple clients and servers (for example, a unicast link is established between the first client to join the multicast and the server) for transmitting uplink data. There is no need to establish a unicast link for each client separately, thereby reducing air interface overhead.

[0314] As another possible implementation, in this embodiment, a virtual multicast link may be established on both the client and the server, so that the client can feed back information to the server via the virtual multicast link, and the server can also send information to the server via the virtual multicast link.

[0315] In this implementation, the multicast parameters include but are not limited to:

[0316] Multicast key, multicast rate, virtual multicast source address, virtual multicast destination address, multicast destination port, multicast source port, multicast type, etc.

[0317] It should be understood that the difference between this implementation and the current multicast establishment is that the invitation message includes a virtual multicast source address and a virtual multicast destination address, so that the client can establish a virtual multicast link based on the virtual multicast source address, and the server can also establish a virtual multicast link based on the virtual multicast destination address.

[0318] Specifically, under this implementation, if the client agrees to the server's invitation, it can establish a virtual multicast link #1 with the server through the virtual multicast source address, and send information to the server through the virtual multicast link #1, and the server can establish a virtual multicast link #2 with the client through the virtual multicast destination address, and send information to the client through the virtual multicast link #2.

[0319] For example, if a link is actually maintained between the client and the server (e.g., a unicast link between the first client that joins the multicast and the server), the format of the downlink multicast data sent by the server to the client can be:

[0320] DMACSMAC downstream data, including actual DMAC

[0321] The DMAC indicates the virtual destination MAC address of the multicast data (that is, the virtual multicast destination address carried in the invite message), and the SMAC indicates the source MAC address of the multicast data (which can be understood as the server's MAC address). The actual destination MAC address (such as the MAC address of different clients) is reflected in the downlink data. The client can use the actual destination MAC address in the downlink data to distinguish which client or clients the downlink data is sent to.

[0322] For another example, if a link is actually maintained between the client and the server (e.g., a unicast link between the first client to join the multicast and the server), the format of the uplink data sent by the client to the server may be:

[0323] DMACSMAC uplink data, including actual SMAC

[0324] Among them, DMAC indicates the destination MAC address of the uplink data (which can be understood as the MAC address of the server, that is, the multicast destination address carried in the invitation message), and SMAC indicates the virtual source MAC address of the uplink data (that is, the virtual multicast source address carried in the invitation message). The actual source MAC address (such as the MAC address of different clients) is reflected in the uplink data. The server can distinguish which client the uplink data belongs to based on the actual MAC in the uplink data.

[0325] Method 2: The client actively requests to join the multicast.

[0326] In the second method, the process shown in FIG9 includes:

[0327] S920: The first client sends a request message #1 to the server.

[0328] The request message #1 is used to request to join the multicast. The first client in this embodiment may be a device connected to the first AP involved in the previous embodiment (e.g., a second AP or a first station). The request message #1 carries the actual MAC address, IP address, etc. of the first client.

[0329] Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the first client can send a request message #1 through a communication method other than the current multicast communication link. For example, the invitation message is sent through a communication method other than the current multicast communication link. If 5G WiFi multicast communication is currently being prepared, the request message #1 can be sent through another WiFi channel (such as 2.4G WiFi), green tooth, Bluetooth, millimeter wave, ZigBee, etc.

[0330] Furthermore, after receiving the request message #1 sent by the first client, the server determines that the first client is the first client requesting to join the multicast. The server may first establish a unicast link with the first client requesting to join the multicast. The method shown in FIG9 further includes:

[0331] S930: The server sends an approval message #1 to the first client.

[0332] The approval message #1 is used to indicate approval for the first client to join the multicast.

[0333] Specifically, after the server agrees that the first client can join the multicast, a unicast link may be established between the first client and the server, and multicast parameters may be negotiated.

[0334] The method flow shown in FIG9 further includes:

[0335] S940: The server and the first client negotiate multicast parameters.

[0336] Exemplarily, the server and the first client may negotiate multicast parameters via WiFi communication.

[0337] As a possible implementation manner, in this embodiment, a virtual multicast link is established on the client, so that the client can feed back information to the server through the virtual multicast link.

[0338] In this implementation, the multicast parameters negotiated between the server and the first client include but are not limited to:

[0339] Multicast key, multicast rate, virtual multicast source address, multicast destination address, multicast destination port, multicast source port, multicast type, etc.

[0340] It should be understood that this implementation differs from the current multicast establishment in that the negotiated multicast parameters include a virtual multicast source address, so that the client can establish a virtual multicast link based on the virtual multicast source address.

[0341] As another possible implementation, in this embodiment, a virtual multicast link is established on both the client and the server, so that the client can feed back information to the server through the virtual multicast link, and the server can also send information to the server through the virtual multicast link.

[0342] In this implementation, the multicast parameters negotiated between the server and the first client include but are not limited to:

[0343] Multicast key, multicast rate, virtual multicast source address, virtual multicast destination address, multicast destination port, multicast source port, multicast type, etc.

[0344] It should be understood that the difference between this implementation method and the current multicast establishment is that the negotiated multicast parameters include a virtual multicast source address and a virtual multicast destination address, so that the client can establish a virtual multicast link based on the virtual multicast source address, and the server can also establish a virtual multicast link based on the virtual multicast destination address.

[0345] In this embodiment, the virtual multicast source addresses corresponding to different devices are the same, not the address of a specific client. This is equivalent to establishing a virtual multicast link. For the second client requesting to join the multicast to the Nth client requesting to join the multicast, the server does not need to establish an actual multicast link. Instead, it can send multicast parameters to the client requesting to join the multicast.

[0346] For example, the second client requests to join the multicast. The method flow shown in FIG9 also includes:

[0347] S950: The second client sends a request message #2 to the server.

[0348] S960: The server sends an approval message #2 to the second client.

[0349] Specifically, the consent message #2 carries the multicast parameters negotiated between the first client and the server. It should be noted that the multicast communication process shown in FIG9 differs from existing multicast communications in that a virtual link is established on the client (e.g., the source address in the uplink data format is a virtual multicast source address, while the actual source address is carried in the uplink data), and link quality information is fed back to the server via the virtual multicast channel, eliminating the need to establish a Wi-Fi unicast channel for each client. This overcomes the chip resource bottleneck and reduces air interface overhead.

[0350] The above communication method can be implemented by providing a debugging application programming interface (API) or a debugging log, which is easy to debug.

[0351] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the above processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0352] It should also be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their internal logical relationships.

[0353] For example, any one or more of the communication method shown in FIG2 , the communication method shown in FIG6 , the communication method shown in FIG8 , and the communication method shown in FIG9 can be combined to form a new embodiment. For example, a hierarchical network can be established based on the communication method shown in FIG6 , and the master AP can use the communication method shown in FIG2 to set different packet loss rate thresholds for slave APs and STAs in the hierarchical network. The master AP can also use the communication method shown in FIG8 to detect the reception status of the slave APs and / or STAs to facilitate adjustment of the transmission rate.

[0354] The combinations of the above embodiments will not be described one by one.

[0355] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, devices in existing network architectures are mainly used as examples for illustrative description (such as a first AP, a second device, etc.), and it should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the specific form of the devices. For example, devices that can achieve the same functions in the future are applicable to the embodiments of the present application.

[0356] It is understandable that in the above-mentioned various method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by a device (such as the first AP, the second device, etc.) may also be implemented by components of the device (such as a chip or circuit).

[0357] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 2 to 9. The communication method is primarily described from the perspective of a first AP. It is understood that, in order to implement the aforementioned functions, the first AP includes hardware structures and / or software modules that perform the respective functions.

[0358] Those skilled in the art should be aware that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is performed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0359] The following describes in detail the first AP provided in the embodiment of the present application in conjunction with Figures 10 to 12. It should be understood that the description of the apparatus embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for details not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiment above. For the sake of brevity, some details will not be repeated.

[0360] In the embodiments of the present application, the functional modules of the first AP can be divided according to the above-mentioned method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into a single processing module. The above-mentioned integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods can be used. The following example uses the division of each functional module according to each function as an example.

[0361] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The device 10 includes a transceiver module 11 and a processing module 12. The transceiver module 11 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 12 is used to process data. In other words, the transceiver module 11 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, while the processing module 12 is used to perform operations other than receiving and sending. The transceiver module 11 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0362] Optionally, the device 10 may further include a storage module 13, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 12 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the device implements the actions of the devices in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0363] In a first design, the apparatus 10 may correspond to the first AP in the above method embodiment, or a component (such as a chip) of the first AP.

[0364] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those executed by the first AP in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the first AP in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the first AP in the above method embodiment.

[0365] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used to obtain the communication quality of the device connected to the communication device; the processing module 12 is used to divide the multiple devices into at least two device groups according to the communication quality of the multiple devices, and the communication quality of the devices in the first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of the devices in the second device group; the transceiver module 11 is used to send data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, and the first rate is determined according to the threshold of the first device group and the threshold of the second device group, wherein the threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group, the threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group, and the data is sent via multicast.

[0366] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used to receive first information from a first station STA, where the first information includes information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indication RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; the processing module 12 is used to determine a second AP to establish a connection with the first STA based on the first information, where the second AP is one of the at least one second AP; the transceiver module 11 is used to send first indication information to the first STA, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP, wherein the first AP is a device for sending multicast data, and the at least one second AP and the first STA are devices connected to the first AP.

[0367] In another possible implementation, the transceiver module 11 is used to send data to multiple devices connected to the first AP at a first rate; the transceiver module 11 is used to obtain updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; and the processing module 12 is used to adjust the first rate and / or redundancy of the data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

[0368] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG. 2 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S210 and S230 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S220 .

[0369] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG6 , the transceiver module 11 may be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as step S610 ; the processing module 12 may be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S620 .

[0370] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 8, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S810 and S820; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S830.

[0371] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in Figure 9, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S910, S920, S930, S940, S950 and S960; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0372] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0373] It should also be understood that the device 10 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the device 10 may be specifically the mobile management network element in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the mobile management network element in the above-mentioned method embodiments; or, the device 10 may be specifically the terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the terminal device in the above-mentioned method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0374] The apparatus 10 of each of the above-described solutions has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the device (e.g., the first AP) in the above-described method. This function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (e.g., the transmitting unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor to respectively perform the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0375] In addition, the transceiver module 11 may also be a transceiver circuit (for example, may include a receiving circuit and a sending circuit), and the processing module may be a processing circuit.

[0376] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Device 20 includes a processor 21, which is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in memory 22, or read data / signaling stored in memory 22, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 21.

[0377] Optionally, as shown in FIG11 , the device 20 further includes a memory 22 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 22 may be integrated with the processor 21 or may be separately provided. Optionally, there may be one or more memories 22.

[0378] Optionally, as shown in Figure 11, the device 20 further includes a transceiver 23, which is used to receive and / or send signals. For example, the processor 21 is used to control the transceiver 23 to receive and / or send signals.

[0379] As a solution, the device 20 is used to implement the operations performed by the first AP in the above various method embodiments.

[0380] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0381] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory and / or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0382] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0383] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0384] 12 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 30 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 31 and an input / output interface 32.

[0385] The logic circuit 31 may be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 may be coupled to a storage unit and call instructions in the storage unit so that the chip system 30 can implement the methods and functions of the various embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 32 may be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting information processed by the chip system 30 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0386] As a solution, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the first AP in the above various method embodiments.

[0387] For example, the logic circuit 31 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the first AP in the above method embodiment; the input / output interface 32 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the first AP in the above method embodiment.

[0388] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first AP in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0389] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the method performed by the first AP in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0390] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned first AP and a device connected to the first AP.

[0391] The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0392] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0393] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)). For example, the aforementioned available medium includes, but is not limited to, various media that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0394] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: A first access point AP obtains communication quality of multiple devices connected to the first AP; The first AP divides the plurality of devices into at least two device groups according to communication quality of the plurality of devices, wherein the communication quality of devices in a first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of devices in a second device group; The first AP sends data to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate, where the first rate is determined according to a threshold of the first device group and a threshold of the second device group. The threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group. The threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group. The data is sent via multicast.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein When the communication quality of the devices in the second device group meets a first preset condition, the method further includes: The first AP sends rejection information to the devices in the second device group, where the rejection information is used to indicate access rejection.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first AP obtains communication qualities of multiple devices connected to the first AP, including: The first AP obtains the distances between the plurality of devices and the first AP respectively, and determines the communication quality of the device according to the distances between the device and the first AP; or The first AP obtains packet loss rates of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the packet loss rates of the devices; or The first AP obtains the signal strengths of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the signal strengths of the devices; or The first AP obtains the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the devices; or The first AP obtains the transmission delays of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the synchronization delays of the devices; or The first AP obtains image display qualities of the plurality of devices and determines communication qualities of the devices according to the image display qualities of the devices; or The first AP obtains the video playback fluency of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the video playback fluency of the devices.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold; or, The threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold; or, The threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein When the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The packet loss rates of all devices in the first device group are less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rates of all devices in the second device group are less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold; When the threshold of the first device group is the first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is the second redundancy threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold; When the threshold of the first device group is the first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is the second transmission delay threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first AP encodes the data to be transmitted according to a preset encoding method to obtain at least one code block; The first AP sends a redundant code block in the at least one code block to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a second rate; The first AP sends data to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate, including: The first AP sends a signal code block in the at least one code block to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate; The second rate is different from the first rate.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first AP receives first information from a first station STA, where the first information includes information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indicator RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; The first AP determines, according to the first information, a second AP to establish a connection with the first STA, where the second AP is one of the at least one second AP; The first AP sends first indication information to the first STA, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP. The first STA and the second AP are two devices among the multiple devices.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The first STA belongs to the second group of devices, and the at least one second AP belongs to the first group of devices.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that After the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at the first rate, the method further includes: The first AP obtains updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; The first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The at least one device is a device among the multiple devices whose communication quality meets a second preset condition.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first AP sends multicast parameters to the second device, where the multicast parameters include a virtual multicast source address, where the virtual multicast source address is used to indicate a source address of a virtual multicast link established by the second device. The second device is one of the multiple devices, and the multiple devices all transmit uplink data through the virtual multicast link.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The method further comprises: The first AP receives uplink data sent by the second device through the virtual multicast link, The source address of the message carrying the uplink data is the virtual multicast source address, and the uplink data includes the media access control layer MAC address of the second device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first AP determining that the plurality of devices support being divided into at least two device groups includes: The first AP determines, according to a preconfigured rule, that the plurality of devices support being divided into at least two device groups; or The first AP receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, where the authorization information is used to indicate support for division into at least two device groups.

14. A communication device, characterized in that: include: An acquiring unit, configured to acquire the communication quality of a device to which the communication device is connected; a processing unit, configured to divide the plurality of devices into at least two device groups according to communication quality of the plurality of devices, wherein the communication quality of devices in a first device group of the at least two device groups is better than the communication quality of devices in a second device group; a sending unit, configured to send data to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate, wherein the first rate is determined according to a threshold of the first device group and a threshold of the second device group; The threshold of the first device group is different from the threshold of the second device group. The threshold of the first device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the first device group, and the threshold of the second device group is determined based on the communication quality of the devices in the second device group. The data is sent via multicast.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein When the communication quality of the device in the second device group meets the first preset condition, the sending unit is further configured to send rejection information to the device in the second device group, where the rejection information is used to indicate rejection of access.

16. The device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The acquiring unit acquires the communication quality of the device connected to the communication apparatus, including: The acquiring unit acquires the distances between the plurality of devices and the communication apparatus respectively, and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the distances between the devices and the communication apparatus; or The acquiring unit acquires the packet loss rates of the plurality of devices and determines the communication quality of the device according to the packet loss rates of the device; or The acquiring unit acquires the signal strengths of the plurality of devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the signal strengths of the devices; or The acquiring unit acquires the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the multiple devices, and determines the communication quality of the device according to the signal-to-noise-interference ratios of the device; or The acquiring unit acquires the transmission delays of the plurality of devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the synchronization delays of the devices; or The acquiring unit acquires the image display qualities of the plurality of devices and determines the communication quality of the devices according to the image display qualities of the devices; or The acquisition unit acquires the video playback fluency of the multiple devices and determines the communication quality of the device according to the video playback fluency of the device.

17. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that The threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold; or, The threshold of the first device group is a first redundancy threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second redundancy threshold; or, The threshold of the first device group is a first transmission delay threshold, and the threshold of the second device group is a second transmission delay threshold.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein When the threshold of the first device group is a first packet loss rate threshold and the threshold of the second device group is a second packet loss rate threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The packet loss rates of all devices in the first device group are less than or equal to the first packet loss rate threshold, and the packet loss rates of all devices in the second device group are less than or equal to the second packet loss rate threshold; When the threshold of the first device group is the first redundancy threshold and the threshold of the second device group is the second redundancy threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The redundancy of all devices in the first device group is greater than or equal to the first redundancy threshold, and the redundancy of all devices in the second device group is greater than or equal to the second redundancy threshold; When the threshold of the first device group is the first transmission delay threshold and the threshold of the second device group is the second transmission delay threshold, the first rate meets the following conditions: The transmission delay of all devices in the first device group is less than or equal to the first transmission delay threshold, and the transmission delay of all devices in the second device group is less than or equal to the second transmission delay threshold.

19. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that The processing unit is further configured to encode the data to be transmitted according to a preset encoding method to obtain at least one code block; The sending unit sends the redundant code block in the at least one code block to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a second rate; The sending unit sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, including: The sending unit sends a signal code block in the at least one code block to devices in the first device group and devices in the second device group at a first rate; The second rate is different from the first rate.

20. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that The device further comprises: a receiving unit, configured to receive first information from a first station STA, wherein the first information includes information of at least one second AP corresponding to at least one beacon frame received by the first STA, and signal strength indicator RSSI information of the at least one beacon frame; The processing unit is further configured to determine, based on the first information, a second AP to establish a connection with the first STA, where the second AP is one of the at least one second AP; The sending unit sends first indication information to the first STA, where the first indication information is used to instruct the first STA to establish a connection with the second AP. The first STA and the second AP are two devices among the multiple devices.

21. The device according to claim 20, characterized in that The first STA belongs to the second device group, and the at least one second AP belongs to the first device group.

22. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that After the first AP sends data to the devices in the first device group and the devices in the second device group at a first rate, the apparatus further includes: The first AP obtains updated communication quality of at least one device among the multiple devices; The first AP adjusts the first rate and / or redundancy of data to be sent according to the updated communication quality of the at least one device.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein The at least one device is a device among the multiple devices whose communication quality meets a second preset condition.

24. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that The sending unit is further configured to send multicast parameters to the second device, wherein the multicast parameters include a virtual multicast source address, and the virtual multicast source address is used to indicate a source address of a virtual multicast link established by the second device. The second device is one of the multiple devices, and the multiple devices all transmit uplink data through the virtual multicast link.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein The receiving unit is further configured to receive uplink data sent from the second device via the virtual multicast link, The source address of the message carrying the uplink data is the virtual multicast source address, and the uplink data includes the media access control layer MAC address of the second device.

26. The device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, characterized in that The processing unit determines, according to a preconfigured rule, that the plurality of devices support being divided into at least two device groups; or The receiving unit receives authorization information from each of the multiple devices, where the authorization information is used to indicate support for division into at least two device groups.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions, which, when the computer program product is executed on a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

29. A chip, characterized in that: The chip is installed in a communication device, and the chip includes a processor and a communication interface. When the processor reads instructions through the communication interface and runs, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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