Communication method and related device

Abstract

A communication method and a related device, the method can be applied to a wireless local area network system supporting an IEEE 802.11 ax next generation WiFi protocol, such as 802.11 be, Wi-Fi 7 or EHT, and then 802.11 series protocols such as 802.11 be next generation, Wi-Fi 8 and the like, and can also be applied to a UWB-based wireless personal local area network system and a sensing system. The method comprises the following steps: a first device receives first information from a second device on a first channel, wherein the first information is used for triggering the first device to send second information; the first device sends second information, wherein the second information is used for indicating that the first device has a transmission demand on the second channel; the first device communicates with a third device on the second channel, the third device being a device associated with the first device. By adopting the scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the communication performance can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0002] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 is one of the current mainstream wireless access standards and has been extremely widely applied. In the IEEE 802.11a standard, only 20 MHz bandwidth is supported, and the bandwidth has been continuously increasing during the subsequent standard evolution process. The maximum supported bandwidth in the 802.11n standard is 40 MHz, and the maximum supported bandwidth in the 802.11ac / ax standards is 160 (80 + 80) MHz. To ensure backward compatibility during the standard evolution process, regardless of the bandwidth size, there is a unique primary 20 MHz channel, and this primary 20 MHz channel must be included when sending data using any bandwidth. One problem caused by this is that when this unique primary 20 MHz channel is busy, all other idle secondary channels cannot be used, resulting in a reduction in system efficiency. Based on this, related technologies have proposed a solution that can switch from the primary channel to a secondary channel for channel access when the primary channel is busy, but this solution may have a problem of inconsistent cognition on the access point (AP) and station (STA) sides regarding the primary and secondary channel switching. For example, assume that STA1 is the transmission target user of AP1, and STA1 is a hidden node of AP2 (i.e., STA1 cannot receive the transmission of AP2). Therefore, only AP1 can detect that the primary channel is busy and switch to the secondary channel, while STA1 cannot detect that the primary channel is busy and thus cannot be triggered to switch to the secondary channel, resulting in the missed transmission between AP1 and STA1. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and related devices, which are beneficial to improving communication performance.

[0004] The following introduces this application from different aspects. It should be understood that the implementation manners and beneficial effects of the following different aspects can be referred to each other.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first device. The first device may be the first device itself, or a module or chip in the first device. Exemplarily, the first device may be AP1. The method includes:

[0006] Receiving first information from a second device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0007] Transmit the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0008] Communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0009] In the embodiment of the present application, the second device that successfully seizes the channel provides the first device with an opportunity to declare its transmission requirement on the second channel (i.e., the secondary channel) (i.e., provides the first device with an opportunity to transmit the second information), so that the third device associated with the first device can synchronously switch to the second channel for transmission based on the received second information, thereby solving the problem of inconsistent cognition on the side of the first device and the third device during channel switching, which is beneficial to improving communication reliability / communication performance.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel. That is to say, the second device can also declare to surrounding devices the channel it uses, i.e., the first channel.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the transmitting of the second information includes:

[0012] Transmit the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or,

[0013] Transmit the second information on the second channel of the first link and the second link, where the first link and the second link are included in multiple links between the first device and the third device.

[0014] In this implementation manner, the first device can specifically transmit the second information on the first channel and the second channel, or, for a first device with multi-link capabilities, it can also transmit the second information on the second channel of the first link and the second link to declare its transmission requirement on the second channel (i.e., the secondary channel), so that the third device that receives the second information can synchronously switch to the second channel for transmission based on the received second information, and also has the function of notifying other devices unrelated to the first device not to seize the second channel.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0016] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel.

[0017] In this implementation manner, the first device may also indicate a specified channel, a specified time, and / or a specified transmission participant through the second information. Taking the second information may also indicate a specified channel, a specified time, and a specified transmission participant as an example, this can enable only the specified transmission participant to communicate with the first device on the specified channel at the specified time, which is beneficial to improving the flexibility of the solution.

[0018] In a possible implementation, one or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

[0019] In this implementation manner, the specified channel, the specified time, and / or the specified transmission participant may also not be indicated through the second information, but be predefined by the protocol, or may also be preconfigured, without limitation, which is beneficial to saving transmission overhead.

[0020] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the method further includes:

[0021] Sending third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0022] In this implementation manner, the first device may also pre - send to the second device its ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, so that if the second device successfully seizes the channel subsequently, the second device may send the first information before the end of its TXOP, and the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0024] At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or the time information of the first device supporting switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0025] In this implementation manner, the first device may also inform the second device of one or more second channels it supports, and / or the time information of supporting channel switching for transmission, so that the second device may send the first information when it determines that the time is sufficient and / or the bandwidth is sufficient, which is beneficial to saving transmission overhead.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the sending of the second information includes:

[0027] After receiving the first information, waiting for the duration of the Short Inter - Frame Space (SIFS) and then sending the second information.

[0028] In this implementation, after receiving the first information, the first device waits for the duration of the SIFS and then sends the second information to continue the information frame interaction process, effectively avoiding conflicts.

[0029] In a possible implementation, communicating with the third device on the second channel includes:

[0030] Switching from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0032] Sending a fourth information to the second device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0033] Optionally, the frame type for carrying the first information / second information / third information / fourth information may be a request to send (RTS) frame, a clear to send (CTS) frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol. Optionally, taking the second information as an example, the frame header of the frame for carrying the second information may include the identifier of the first device and the channel occupancy time of the first device for the second channel. The channel occupancy time of the first device for the second channel may be the same as the remaining time of the channel occupancy time of the second device for the first channel. Alternatively, the channel occupancy time of the first device for the second channel may also be less than or equal to the remaining time of the channel occupancy time of the second device for the first channel. Optionally, the channel occupancy time may be represented by a network allocation vector (NAV).

[0034] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second device. The second device may be the second device itself, or a module or chip in the second device. Exemplarily, the second device may be AP2. The method includes:

[0035] Determining the first information;

[0036] Sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0038] Receiving the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0040] In the case that the second information is not received within the Point Coordination Function Inter-Frame Space (PIFS) after the first information is sent, communicate with a fourth device on the first channel, where the fourth device is a device associated with the second device.

[0041] In this implementation, a scheme is proposed in which after the second device sends the first information, it reserves at most the time of PIFS for the first device to send the second information. If the second device does not receive the second information from the first device within PIFS, then the second device can communicate with the fourth device on the first channel, which is beneficial to improving the system efficiency.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the receiving the second information includes:

[0044] Receive the second information on the first channel.

[0045] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0046] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0047] In a possible implementation, one or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

[0048] In a possible implementation, before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the method further includes:

[0049] Receive third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0051] At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or the time information for the first device to support transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0053] Receive fourth information from the first device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0054] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be the first device, or a module or chip in the first device. The communication device includes:

[0055] A transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from a second device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0056] The transceiver unit is configured to send the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0057] The transceiver unit is configured to communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0059] In a possible implementation, when sending the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0060] Send the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or,

[0061] Send the second information on the second channel of the first link and the second link, where the first link and the second link are included in multiple links between the first device and the third device.

[0062] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0063] Identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel.

[0064] In a possible implementation, one or more of the identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

[0065] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0066] Send third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel.

[0067] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0068] At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information indicating that the first device supports transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel.

[0069] In a possible implementation, when sending the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0070] After receiving the first information, wait for a short inter-frame space (SIFS) duration and then send the second information.

[0071] In a possible implementation, when communicating with a third device on the second channel, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0072] Switch from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device.

[0073] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0074] Send fourth information to the second device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0075] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a second device, or a module or chip in the second device. The communication device includes:

[0076] A processing unit, configured to determine first information;

[0077] A transceiver unit, configured to send the first information to a first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

[0078] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0079] Receive the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0080] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0081] In the case that the second information is not received within a point coordination function inter-frame space (PIFS) after sending the first information, communicate with a fourth device on the first channel, where the fourth device is a device associated with the second device.

[0082] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0083] In a possible implementation, when receiving the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0084] Receive the second information on the first channel.

[0085] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0086] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0087] In a possible implementation, one or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

[0088] In a possible implementation, before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0089] Receive a third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0090] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0091] At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or the time information for the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0092] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0093] Receive a fourth information from the first device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0094] Fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor for executing any method in the above first aspect or second aspect, or the method shown in any possible implementation of any of these aspects. Alternatively, the processor is used to execute a program stored in a memory, and when the program is executed, the method shown in the above first aspect or second aspect, or any possible implementation of any of these aspects is executed.

[0095] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the memory is located outside the above communication device.

[0096] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the memory is located inside the above communication device.

[0097] In the present application, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together.

[0098] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, which is used to send or receive information.

[0099] Sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be implemented in the form of a chip. The communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is used to implement any method in the first aspect or second aspect, or the method shown in any possible implementation of any of these aspects through logic circuits or by executing code instructions.

[0100] Seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program or instruction is stored. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a computer, it implements any method in the first aspect or second aspect, or the method shown in any possible implementation of any of these aspects.

[0101] Eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, it causes the computer to execute any method in the first aspect or second aspect, or the method shown in any possible implementation of any of these aspects.

[0102] Ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which may include a first device and a second device. The first device is used to execute the method shown in the above first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second device is used to execute the method shown in the above second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. Description of the Drawings

[0103] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a wireless local area network provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0104] Figure 2 It is another schematic diagram of a system architecture of a wireless local area network provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0105] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0106] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a station provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0107] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a 320 MHz channel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0108] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a scenario where there is a cognitive inconsistency in the switching of the primary and secondary channels on the AP and STA sides provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0109] Figure 7 It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0110] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0111] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of another common scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0112] Figure 10 It is another schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0113] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of yet another common scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0114] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0115] Figure 13 It is another schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0116] Figure 14 It is yet another schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0117] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0118] In the description of this application, "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, unless otherwise specified, " / " means "or". For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" herein is only a correlative relationship describing related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "At least one (item)" or its similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a, b, and c. Wherein a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0119] The terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device, etc. that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally further includes steps or units not listed, or optionally further includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices, etc.

[0120] In this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design solution described as "exemplary", "for example", or "such as" in this application should not be construed as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary", "for example", or "such as" is intended to present relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0121] It can be understood that in this application, "when", "if", and "in case" all refer to the situation where the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, not limited to time, and it is not required that the device must have a judgment action when implemented, nor does it mean there are other limitations.

[0122] In this application, elements represented in the singular are intended to mean "one or more", rather than "one and only one", unless otherwise specified.

[0123] It can be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that there is a corresponding relationship between A and B, and B can be determined according to A. Determining B according to A does not mean that B is determined only according to A, but B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0124] To better understand the embodiments of this application, the system architecture involved in the embodiments of this application will be introduced first as follows:

[0125] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Fifth Generation (5G) systems such as New Radio (NR), systems evolved after 5G such as Sixth Generation (6G) systems, Wireless Local Area Network (WALN), and can also be applied to Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) systems based on Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), sensing systems, etc., which are not limited herein. For ease of understanding, the system architecture of the wireless local area network provided by the embodiment of the present application will be briefly described hereinafter.

[0126] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a wireless local area network provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 1 shown, the wireless local area network may include an AP (such as AP1 in Figure 1 ) and one or more stations (such as STA11, STA12, and STA13 in Figure 1 ). The AP can access the Internet in a wired or wireless manner. The AP (such as AP1 in Figure 1 ) can be associated with multiple STAs (such as STA11, STA12, and STA13 in Figure 1 ). Uplink and downlink communication can be performed between the AP and the associated multiple STAs through the 802.11 protocol. Among them, the 802.11 protocol may include IEEE802.11be (or Wi-Fi 7, EHT protocol), and may also include protocols such as IEEE 802.11ax and IEEE 802.11ac. Of course, with the continuous evolution and development of communication technologies, the 802.11 protocol may also include the next-generation protocol of IEEE 802.11be. In the wireless local area network, the device for implementing the method of the present application may be an access point or a station in the WLAN, or a chip or processing system installed in the access point or the station.

[0127] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2It is another schematic diagram of the system architecture of the wireless local area network provided by the embodiments of the present application. Generally speaking, the network architecture of the wireless local area network may further include multiple basic service sets (BSSs), for example Figure 2 shows two BSSs, namely BSS#1 and BSS#2. A BSS is composed of an AP and multiple STAs associated with the AP. Generally, the STAs within the wireless signal coverage range of the AP are associated with the AP. In actual applications, it is very common for multiple BSSs to overlap in the coverage area, thus forming an overlapping BSS (OBSS), as Figure 2 the overlapping coverage area of the two BSSs in is the OBSS.

[0128] such as Figure 2 shown, BSS#1 includes AP1, STA11, STA12, and STA13, and BSS#2 includes AP2, STA21, STA22, and STA23. STA11, STA12, STA22, and STA23 are the overlapping parts of the two BSSs. Each BSS is composed of an AP and multiple STAs. Within one BSS, data can be transmitted between the AP and each STA, and data can also be transmitted between multiple STAs. Communication can also be carried out between AP1 and AP2, and communication can also be carried out between the STAs included in the two BSSs.

[0129] It should be understood that the above Figure 1 and Figure 2 are only exemplary and should not limit the network architecture of the wireless local area network applicable to the present application. For example, the network architecture may further include more BSSs, each BSS may further include more STAs, or some BSSs may not include an AP. The overlapping area of multiple BSSs may also include more STAs, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not make limitations here.

[0130] Next, a brief description will be given to the access point (AP) and non-access point station (non-AP STA) involved in the present application.

[0131] In this article, unless otherwise specified, the non-access point station (non-AP STA) may also be abbreviated as a station (STA), and the two can be used interchangeably. Optionally, the station can also be a general term for an AP and a non-AP STA.

[0132] The access point (as described above Figure 1The AP1) in it is a device with wireless communication function, supporting communication using the WLAN protocol, having the function of communicating with other devices (such as stations or other access points) in the WLAN network. Of course, it can also have the function of communicating with other devices. In the WLAN system, the access point can be called an access point station (AP STA). This device with wireless communication function can be a whole-device equipment, or can also be a chip or processing system installed in the whole-device equipment. The equipment installed with these chips or processing systems can, under the control of the chip or processing system, implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. The AP in the embodiments of the present application is a device that provides services for the STA and can support the 802.11 series of protocols. For example, the AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, router, switch, bridge, etc.; the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be the chips and processing systems in these various forms of devices, so as to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0133] The station (such as STA11, STA12, STA13 mentioned above Figure 1 is a device with wireless communication function, supporting communication using the WLAN protocol, having the ability to communicate with other stations or access points in the WLAN network. In the WLAN system, the station can be called a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For example, the STA is any user communication device that allows users to communicate with the AP and thus communicate with the WLAN. This device with wireless communication function can be a whole-device equipment, or can also be a chip or processing system installed in the whole-device equipment. The equipment installed with these chips or processing systems can, under the control of the chip or processing system, implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. For example, the STA can be a tablet computer, desktop, laptop, notebook computer, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), handheld computer, netbook, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone and other networkable user devices, or an Internet of Things node in the Internet of Things, or a vehicle-mounted communication device in the vehicle-to-vehicle network, or an entertainment device, game device or system, a global positioning system device, etc. The STA can also be the chips and processing systems in the above-mentioned terminals.

[0134] WLAN systems can provide high-speed and low-latency transmission. With the continuous evolution of WLAN application scenarios, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries. For example, they will be applied to the Internet of Things industry, the vehicle-to-everything industry, or the banking industry, as well as enterprise offices, stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, wards, classrooms, shopping malls, squares, streets, production workshops, and warehouses. Of course, devices that support WLAN communication (such as access points or stations) can be sensor nodes in a smart city (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air detection nodes), smart devices in a smart home (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, speakers, etc.), vehicle-to-everything devices in the vehicle-to-everything industry, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-guided navigation desks in shopping malls, self-checkout devices, self-ordering machines, etc.), and devices in large sports and music stadiums. In the embodiments of this application, the specific forms of stations and access points are not limited, and this is only an exemplary illustration here.

[0135] It should be understood that the 802.11 standard focuses on the physical layer (PHY) and the medium access control (MAC) layer parts. In one example, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 which is a schematic structural diagram of an access point provided by the embodiments of this application. Among them, the AP can be multi-antenna / multi-radio frequency or single-antenna / single-radio frequency, and the antenna / radio frequency is used to send / receive data packets (in this article, data packets can also be referred to as physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs)). In one implementation, the antenna or radio frequency part of the AP can be separated from the main body part of the AP and has a remote layout structure. Figure 3 In Figure 4 , Figure 4 the AP can include a physical layer processing circuit and a medium access control 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. In another example, refer to Figure 4A schematic diagram of a single-antenna / single-RF STA structure is shown. In an actual scenario, the STA can also be a multi-antenna / multi-RF one and can be a device with more than two antennas, and the antenna / RF is used to send / receive data packets. In one implementation, the antenna or RF part of the STA can be separated from the main body part of the STA and has a remote layout structure. Figure 4 In Figure 4 , the STA can include a PHY processing circuit and a 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.

[0136] In a WLAN, channels are usually divided into a primary channel and secondary channels. Among them, the secondary channels can contain one or more sub-channels. In one example, if divided with 20 MHz as the basic bandwidth unit, when the channel bandwidth is 20 MHz, there is only one primary channel with a bandwidth of 20 MHz; when the channel bandwidth is greater than 20 MHz, the channel with a bandwidth of 20 MHz is the primary channel, and the remaining one or more 20-MHz channels are secondary channels. For example, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a 320-MHz channel is shown. As Figure 5As shown in the figure, the 320 MHz channel includes a 160 MHz primary channel and a 160 MHz secondary channel. The 320 MHz channel is numbered as channel 1 to channel 16 in sequence, and each number represents a 20 MHz channel; among them, channel 1 represents a 20 MHz primary channel (primary 20 MHz channel, P20), channel 2 represents a 20 MHz secondary channel (secondary 20 MHz channel, S20), a 40 MHz secondary channel (secondary 40 MHz channel, S40) includes two sub-channels with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, namely channel 3 and channel 4, an 80 MHz secondary channel (secondary 80 MHz channel, S80) includes four sub-channels with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, namely channel 5, 6, 7, 8, among which, channel 5 and 6, channel 6 and 7, channel 7 and 8 are adjacent respectively. A 160 MH primary channel includes channels 1 to 8, and a 160 MHz secondary channel includes channels 9 to 16. It can be understood that the meaning of a 160 MHz secondary channel is that the bandwidth of this secondary channel is 160 MHz, and the meaning of a 160 MHz primary channel is that the bandwidth of this primary channel is 160 MHz. In the embodiments of the present application, the secondary channel can also be called a sub-channel, and the 160 MHz secondary channel can also be called a secondary 160 MHz channel. The primary channel is the common operating channel of stations (for example, here the stations can refer to APs and non-AP STAs) that are members of a basic service set, or the primary channel is the common operating channel of stations (or called legacy stations, or stations that do not support the multi-primary channel capability, or stations that do not support the secondary channel access capability, here the stations can refer to APs and non-AP STAs) that are legacy members of a basic service set. The access points or stations in the basic service set can compete for channels on the primary channel to preempt channel resources. As Figure 2 shown, AP1, STA11, STA12, and STA13 in BSS#1 and AP2, STA21, STA22, and STA23 in BSS#2 can compete for channels on channel 1 to preempt channel resources.

[0137] In an example, the arrangement of channels 1 to 16 can be as Figure 5As shown, it can also be in many other ways, which are not limited in this application. For the convenience of introduction, in all embodiments of this application, for the channel division in WLAN, channel 1 is used as the primary channel. It should be noted that the 802.11 system supports various different channel bandwidths, and the channel can be a continuous bandwidth of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or a non - continuous bandwidth of 80MHz + 80MHz, or 320MHz, 240MHz + 80MHz, 160MHz + 160MHz, etc. In the next - generation 802.11 standard, the channel bandwidth can also be other bandwidths. Optionally, the channel division method can be similar to the above - mentioned 320MHz channel, which will not be elaborated here.

[0138] Optionally, in some other examples, the channel can also be divided with a basic bandwidth unit greater than 20MHz. For example, the primary channel can also be 40MHz, 80MHz, or 160MHz, etc., which is not limited here. For the convenience of understanding, this application mainly takes the channel division with 20MHz as the basic bandwidth unit as an example for illustrative description.

[0139] Currently, in order to ensure backward compatibility during the standard evolution process, regardless of the bandwidth size, there is a unique primary 20MHz channel, and this primary 20MHz channel must be included when sending data using any bandwidth. One problem caused by this is that when this unique primary 20MHz channel is busy, all other idle secondary channels cannot be used, resulting in a reduction in system efficiency. Based on this, related technologies have proposed a solution that when the primary channel is busy, the channel access can be switched from the primary channel to the secondary channel, as Figure 6 shown, when the primary channel is occupied by AP2, that is, when AP2 is sending on the primary channel, STA21, STA22, and STA23 associated with AP2 listen on the primary channel. When AP1, STA11, and STA12 detect that the primary channel is occupied by AP2, AP1, STA11, and STA12 will use the secondary channel for transmission, so the utilization rate of the secondary channel can be improved. However, there may be a problem of inconsistent cognition on the AP and STA sides for the primary - to - secondary channel switch. Please also refer to Figure 6 If the transmission target user STA13 of AP1 on the secondary channel is a hidden node of AP2, that is, STA13 cannot receive the transmission of AP2, then only AP1, STA11, and STA12 can detect that the primary channel is busy and switch to the secondary channel, while STA13 cannot detect that the primary channel is busy, so it cannot be triggered to switch to the secondary channel, resulting in the missed transmission between AP1 and STA13.

[0140] Based on this, the present application proposes a communication method, which can solve the problem of inconsistent cognition on the AP and STA sides during the master-slave channel switching, and is beneficial to improving the reliability of communication.

[0141] The technical solution provided by the present application will be described in detail below with reference to more accompanying drawings.

[0142] In the present application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between various embodiments or implementation manners can be referred to each other. In each embodiment of the present application, as well as in each implementation manner / implementation method / realization method in each embodiment, if there is no special specification and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments, as well as between each implementation manner / implementation method / realization method in each embodiment, are consistent and can be mutually referred to, and the technical features in different embodiments, as well as in each implementation manner / implementation method / realization method in each embodiment, can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation manners, implementation methods, or realization methods according to their internal logical relationships. The following implementation manners of the present application do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0143] It should be noted that the message names introduced in the present application, or the names of each parameter / field in the message, etc. are only examples, and other names can also be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0144] It should be noted that the first device involved in the embodiments of the present application can be an AP, or can also be an STA; the second device can be an AP, or can also be an STA. For the convenience of understanding, hereinafter, mainly for the sake of understanding, both the first device and the second device are taken as APs as an example. For example, the first device can be AP1, the second device can be AP2, the third device associated with the first device can be an STA, and the fourth device associated with the second device can also be an STA. Taking Figure 2 the scenario shown as an example, assume that the first device is Figure 2 AP1 shown in Figure 2 and the second device is

[0145] Please refer to Figure 7 Figure 7 which is a schematic flowchart of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 7 ​As shown in the figure, the communication method includes the following steps S701 to S703. It should be understood that the scenario applicable to this application is a scenario where the primary channel used by the first device is occupied by other devices (such as the second device), or a scenario where the first device and the second device have the same primary (20 MHz) channel and the second device successfully preempts the channel first. It should be noted that Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of the method embodiment of this application, showing the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiments of this application can also perform other operations or Figure 7 variations of various operations in. In addition, Figure 7 each step in can be executed respectively in a different order from that presented in Figure 7 and it is possible that not all the operations in Figure 7 need to be executed. Among them:

[0146] S701. The second device sends the first information to the first device on the first channel. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first information from the second device on the first channel.

[0147] Understandably, the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information, or it can be described as the first information is used to inquire whether the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, or it can be described as the first information is used to inquire whether the first device has a usage / occupation requirement for the second channel. Optionally, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel, or it can be said to include information declaring the use of the first channel. Exemplarily, the first information can be transmitted in a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). Optionally, the frame type used to carry the first information can be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application. It should be understood that a PPDU can include one frame or multiple frames.

[0148] Optionally, the first channel involved in this application can also be referred to as the primary channel, and the second channel can also be referred to as the secondary channel, or the sub-channel, or the auxiliary primary channel, or the candidate primary channel, etc., which is not limited in this application. It should be understood that the primary channel involved in this application can refer to the primary 20 MHz channel, or it can also refer to a set of multiple 20 MHz channels including the primary 20 MHz channel, such as the primary 40 MHz channel (or 40 MHz primary channel), the primary 80 MHz channel (or 80 MHz primary channel), etc., which are not listed one by one here.

[0149] Optionally, in the present application, the second device may send the first information by broadcasting, or may also send the first information by multicasting, or may also send the first information by unicasting. The present application does not limit this. It should be understood that when sending by multicasting, the multicast destination address includes the address of the first device; when sending the first information by unicasting, the destination address included in the PPDU carrying the first information is the address of the first device.

[0150] Optionally, in the present application, the header of the PPDU carrying the first information may further include an indication information (hereinafter referred to as the second indication information for convenience of description), and the second indication information is used to indicate that the PPDU can be received by devices in other BSSs (such as the first BSS) other than the BSS to which the first device belongs.

[0151] Optionally, in some feasible embodiments, if prior negotiation is carried out between the first device and the second device. For example, the first device may inform the second device of its capabilities or its desired channel occupancy requirements in advance. Therefore, the second device may send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the capabilities / requirements of the first device are met. For example, the second device may send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the time for the first device to switch to the second channel for transmission is less than the remaining time of the second device's channel occupancy time for the first channel. For another example, the second device may send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the channel bandwidth desired by the first device is less than or equal to the idle channel bandwidth. For yet another example, the second device may send the first information to the first device when it is determined that there is a second channel desired by the first device in the idle second channels. Optionally, the foregoing listed conditions may also be combined with each other. The present application does not limit this, that is, the second device may send the first information when meeting some or all of the requirements of the first device.

[0152] S702. The first device sends the second information.

[0153] In some feasible embodiments, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, then the first device may send the second information; if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, then the first device may not send the second information. Generally speaking, if there is a transmission requirement on the second channel, then the first device may send the second information after waiting for a very short time after receiving the first information. For example, the first device may send the second information after waiting for the duration of the short interframe space (SIFS) after receiving the first information. This embodiment mainly takes the example that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel for illustrative purposes.

[0154] In a possible implementation, the first device may send second information on a first channel and a second channel. Here, the first channel and the second channel may be a set of basic channels. For example, a wideband channel composed of multiple 20 MHz channels. Correspondingly, a third device associated with the first device may receive the second information from the first device. The second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel. Therefore, the third device may switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device based on the received second information. The third device's reception of the second information includes, but is not limited to, the following cases: 1. The third device receives the second information on the first channel, that is, the third device only listens on the first channel; 2. The third device may also receive the second information on the first channel and the second channel, that is, the third device may listen on a multi-channel combination including the first channel; 3. If the third device supports multi-channel parallel reception, then the third device may also receive the second information in parallel on the first channel or the second channel; 4. For the third device that has already switched to the second channel, the third device may receive the second information on the second channel. Taking Figure 2 the scenario shown as an example, assume that the first device is Figure 2 the AP1 shown in, and the STAs associated with AP1 are STA11, STA12, and STA13. If AP1 sends second information on the first channel and the second channel, then STA11, STA12, and STA13 may receive the second information from the first device on the first channel and / or the second channel. For ease of understanding, the following mainly takes the third device as STA13 as an example for illustrative purposes.

[0155] Optionally, the second device may also receive the second information from the first device. Exemplarily, the second device may receive the second information from the first device on the first channel.

[0156] For example, as Figure 8As shown, it is assumed that when AP1 transmits on the 80MHz primary channel (i.e., P80, which includes P40 and the 40MHz secondary channel (i.e., S40)), it makes relatively full use of the frequency. If AP2 preempts the channel first and AP2 transmits on the 40MHz primary channel (i.e., P40), then after AP2 successfully preempts the channel, it will send a first message on P40 before the end of its transmission opportunity (TXOP). This first message is used to trigger an AP with secondary channel transmission capabilities to send a second message as a response. Correspondingly, when AP1 receives the first message on P40, if AP1 has a secondary channel transmission requirement, then AP1 can first send the second message on the channel that includes this primary channel and the target secondary channel (such as P80), and further transmit to the served users on the secondary channel. When STA13 receives the second message, STA13 can perform reception and listening on the indicated secondary channel (such as S40) at a specified time. Optionally, if AP2 successfully preempts the channel again later, then AP1 can continue to transmit on P80. Optionally, STA13 can receive the second message on P40, or STA13 can receive the second message on P20, or STA13 can receive the second message on P80, etc., and this is not limited.

[0157] In another possible implementation, the first device can send the second message on the second channel of the first link and the second link. Here, the first link (such as an optical link) and the second link (such as Bluetooth) are included in multiple links between the first device and the third device. That is to say, for the first device with multi-link capabilities, the first device can declare on the second link that the first device has a secondary channel transmission requirement on the first link. Correspondingly, after receiving this declaration, the third device with multi-link capabilities can communicate with the first device on the second channel. Optionally, in the case where the second device is a multi-link device, the second device can also receive the second message from the first device on the second link and determine that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel based on the received information.

[0158] For example, as Figure 9As shown, taking the first link as Link 1 and the second link as Link 2 as an example, assume that when AP1 transmits on P80 of Link 1, it makes relatively full use of the frequency. If AP2 preempts the channel on Link 1 first and AP2 transmits on P40 of Link 1. It should be understood that after AP2 successfully preempts the channel, it will send the first information on P40 before the end of its TXOP, and this first information is used to trigger an AP with the ability to transmit on a secondary channel to send the second information as a response. Correspondingly, when AP1 receives the first information on P40, if AP1 has a transmission requirement on the secondary channel, then AP1 can send the second information on S40 of Link 2 and Link 1. Further, AP1 then transmits to the served users on the secondary channel. Correspondingly, when STA13 receives the second information on Link 2, STA13 can perform reception and listening on the indicated secondary channel (such as S40) at a specified time. Optionally, if AP2 later successfully preempts the channel on Link 1 again, then AP1 can continue to transmit on P80 of Link 1.

[0159] It should be noted that in this application, the first device needs to send the second information on the second channel to declare its transmission requirement on the second channel, thereby avoiding other devices from preempting the second channel.

[0160] Optionally, in addition to indicating that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the second information involved in this application can also be used to indicate one or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel, etc. That is to say, the second information can also be used to specify the channel, the specified time, and / or the specified transmission participants, etc. For example, the second information can indicate that the specified transmission participant communicates / transmits on the specified channel at the specified time.

[0161] Optionally, the identification information of the second channel can be the channel frequency of the second channel, or the channel number, or the channel index, etc., which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the identification information of the second channel can be specifically indicated by a bitmap.

[0162] Optionally, the indication method of the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel can be direct indication, or it can also be indirect indication. For example, the direct indication can be that the second information includes the device list information (hereinafter referred to as device list 1) of the devices allowed / able to communicate with the first device on the second channel. Therefore, the receiving party can determine whether its own device identifier is included in the decoded device list 1 based on the received second information. Generally speaking, if its own device identifier is not included in the device list 1, the receiving party ignores the second information; if its own device identifier is included in the device list 1, the receiving party can switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device.

[0163] For another example, the indirect indication may be that the second information includes a list of devices (hereinafter referred to as device list 2) that are not allowed / cannot communicate with the first device on the second channel. Therefore, the receiving party can determine whether its own device identifier is included in the decoded device list 2 based on the received second information. Generally speaking, if the device list 2 includes its own device identifier, the receiving party ignores the second information; if the device list 2 does not include its own device identifier, the receiving party can switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device.

[0164] It should be understood that the above second information can be carried in a PPDU. Optionally, the second information can also be carried in two PPDUs respectively. That is to say, the second information involved in this application can include second information 1 and second information 2, where second information 1 is carried in one PPDU and second information 2 is carried in another PPDU. Exemplarily, second information 1 is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, and second information 2 is used to indicate one or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel, etc. This application does not limit this.

[0165] Optionally, the frame type used to carry the second information can specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol. This application does not limit this. Optionally, when the second information can include second information 1 and second information 2, second information 1 and second information 2 can also be carried in two frames of a PPDU, or second information 1 and second information 2 can also be carried in one frame of a PPDU.

[0166] Optionally, the second information may not have the function of indicating the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel, etc. That is, the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel, etc. may not be indicated by the first device through the second information, but are predefined or preconfigured by the protocol. For the convenience of description, the following mainly takes the protocol predefined as an example for exemplary illustration. For example, the protocol can predefine the second channel as a specific channel. When there is a transmission requirement on the secondary channel, the first device and the third device default to switch to the specific second channel for transmission. For another example, the protocol can also predefine multiple second channels and stipulate the channel selection rules. Therefore, when there is a transmission requirement on the secondary channel, the first device and the third device can select a second channel from multiple second channels based on the agreed channel selection rules and communicate on the selected same second channel.

[0167] Similarly, the channel occupancy time of the second channel can also be predefined by the protocol. For example, the protocol can predefine that it starts at a certain moment before the end of the TXOP of the second device and ends at the end of the TXOP as the channel occupancy time of the second channel. Similarly, the protocol can predefine that the second device with certain characteristics or belonging to a certain specific type can be the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel, that is, it is stipulated that only the second device with certain characteristics or belonging to a certain specific type can be allowed to switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device. This application does not limit this.

[0168] S703. The first device communicates with the third device on the second channel.

[0169] Generally speaking, when the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, after sending the second information, the first device can switch to the specified second channel at the specified time. Correspondingly, when the third device learns that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the third device can also switch to the specified second channel at the specified time. Therefore, the first device and the third device can communicate on the second channel.

[0170] In a possible implementation, the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be understood as: the first device switches from the main channel of the first device to the second channel (i.e., the slave channel) to communicate with the third device, or it can be described as the first device switches from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device. It should be understood that the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be: the first device sends data to the third device on the second channel. Correspondingly, the third device receives data from the first device on the second channel (or the third device listens on the second channel); or the third device sends data to the first device on the second channel. Correspondingly, the first device receives data from the third device on the second channel (or the first device listens on the second channel).

[0171] Optionally, after the channel occupancy time of the second channel ends, the first device and the third device can also synchronously switch from the second channel to the first channel (or the main channel) to continue communication, or it can be described as after the channel occupancy time of the second channel ends, the first device and the third device switch to the first channel (or the main channel) within the specified time to continue communication. Generally speaking, the specified time is related to the end time when the first device occupies the second channel, or the specified time is related to the end time when the second device occupies the first channel. For example, the specified time starts from the end time when the first device occupies the second channel (or the end time when the second device occupies the first channel) and ends at the switching time agreed upon through capability negotiation to complete the switching to the first channel.

[0172] Optionally, before the foregoing step S701, the following steps S7001 and / or step S7002 may further be included ( Figure 7 not shown in

[0173] S7001. The first device sends third information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the third information from the first device.

[0174] Understandably, the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel, or described as the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission switching from the primary channel to the secondary channel, or described as the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission on a secondary channel other than the primary channel, or described as the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission on multiple channels, or described as the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission on an auxiliary primary channel, or described as the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support transmission on a candidate primary channel. The first channel and the second channel do not overlap. Exemplarily, the third information may be indicated by 1 bit (bit). For example, when the 1 bit is 1, it means that the first device supports the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, and when the 1 bit is 0, it means that the first device does not support the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0175] Optionally, the third information may further indicate one or more of the identification of the first device, at least one second channel supported by the first device, the time information of the first device supporting the transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel, the channel bandwidth supported by the first device, the number of spatial streams supported by the first device during the second channel transmission, etc. Among them, the time information of the first device supporting the transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel may include the channel occupancy time of the second channel (for example, the time for data transmission on the second channel). Optionally, the time information of the first device supporting the transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel may further include the switching time from the first channel to the second channel, etc., which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the time information of the first device supporting the transmission switching from the first channel to the second channel may also refer to the sum of the channel occupancy time of the second channel and the switching time for channel switching, that is, the total duration of the secondary channel concession. Optionally, the duration of the switching time may be 0 (that is, no additional switching time is required), or the duration of the switching time may also be greater than 0. For example, the specific duration of the switching time may be determined by the device capabilities, which is not limited in this regard.

[0176] Exemplarily, for a first device and a second device with multi-link capabilities (i.e., when the first device and the second device are multi-link devices), assuming that the first channel and the second channel are channels on a link (e.g., the first link, and the first link can be an optical link), then: In one implementation, the first device can send the third information to the second device on the channel of the first link (e.g., the first channel). In another implementation, the first device can send the third information to the second device through another link (e.g., the second link, and the second link can be Bluetooth).

[0177] Optionally, the frame type for carrying the third information can specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application.

[0178] S7002. The first device sends the fourth information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the first device.

[0179] Wherein the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information, or the fourth information is used to request the second device to send the first information. Optionally, the fourth information can also indicate one or more of the following information: the second channel that the first device expects to occupy, the channel occupancy time that the first device expects, the channel bandwidth that the first device expects to occupy, or the number of spatial streams that the first device expects during transmission on the second channel. Generally speaking, the second channel that the fourth information indicates the first device expects to occupy is a subset of at least one second channel supported by the first device indicated by the third information. Similarly, the channel occupancy time that the fourth information indicates the first device expects is a subset of the channel occupancy time supported by the first device indicated by the third information, the channel bandwidth that the fourth information indicates the first device expects is a subset of the channel bandwidth supported by the first device indicated by the third information, and the number of spatial streams that the fourth information indicates the first device expects during transmission on the second channel is a subset of the number of spatial streams supported by the first device during transmission on the second channel indicated by the third information.

[0180] Optionally, after the second device receives the fourth information, the second device can send the first information to the first device on the first channel when it determines that one or more of the following conditions are met. For example, the conditions that are met include: 1. The remaining time of the channel occupancy time of the second device for the first channel is greater than or equal to the channel occupancy time that the first device expects; 2. The remaining / idle channel bandwidth is greater than or equal to the channel bandwidth that the first device expects; 3. There is a second channel that the first device expects to occupy among the idle second channels.

[0181] Optionally, the frame type for carrying the fourth information can specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application.

[0182] Optionally, to achieve fast information interaction and sub-channel sharing, the third information and the fourth information in steps S7001 and S7002 in this application may be carried in one PPDU or one frame, or the third information and the fourth information may also be carried in 2 PPDUs or 2 frames respectively. This application does not limit this.

[0183] Specifically, in a possible implementation, this application may include 3 stages, namely the interaction ability stage (i.e., step S7001), the requirement negotiation stage (i.e., step S7002), and the sub-channel access execution stage (i.e., steps S701 to S703). A specific implementation method may be: after learning through the interaction ability stage that the first device and the second device have the ability to support sub-channel access, if the first device determines that it has a sub-channel transmission requirement based on service load requirements, or sub-channel interference conditions, or the channel state of associated STAs to be served, etc., the first device may send the fourth information to the second device. After receiving the fourth information, if the second device successfully seizes the channel, the second device may send the first information to the first device on the first channel under certain conditions to provide the first device with a sub-channel access opportunity. For example, the satisfied conditions include that the remaining time of the second device's channel occupancy time for the first channel is greater than or equal to the channel occupancy time expected by the first device, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0184] In another possible implementation, this application may also include 2 stages, namely the interaction ability stage (i.e., step S7001) and the sub-channel access execution stage (i.e., steps S701 to S703). A specific implementation method may be: after learning through the interaction ability stage that the first device and the second device have the ability to support sub-channel access, if the second device successfully seizes the channel, the second device may send the first information to the first device on the first channel to provide the first device with a sub-channel access opportunity.

[0185] In the embodiments of this application, by enabling the second device occupying the primary channel to provide the first device with an opportunity for the first device to declare its sub-channel transmission requirement, the third device associated with the first device can synchronously switch to the sub-channel for transmission based on the declaration of the first device received (i.e., the second information), thereby solving the problem of inconsistent cognition on the side of the first device and the third device associated with the first device regarding the primary and sub-channel switching, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of communication. Exemplarily, taking the first device as Figure 6 AP1 in Figure 6 the second device as Figure 6Taking STA13 in [description] as an example, after AP2 successfully seizes the channel, it provides a transmission opportunity for AP1 to send the second piece of information through AP2, enabling STA13 that originally resided on the primary channel to switch to the secondary channel for listening based on the second piece of information. Therefore, the communication reliability can be improved.

[0186] Please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 which is another schematic flowchart of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As Figure 10 shown, the communication method includes the following steps S1001 to S1006. It should be understood that the applicable scenario of the present application is a scenario where the primary channel used by the first device is occupied by other devices (such as the second device), or a scenario where the first device and the second device have the same primary (20MHz) channel and the second device seizes the channel successfully first. It should be noted that Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of the method embodiment of the present application, showing the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples. The embodiments of the present application can also perform other operations or Figure 10 transformations of various operations in [description]. In addition, Figure 10 each step in [description] can be executed in a different order from that presented in Figure 10 , and it is possible not to execute all the operations in Figure 10 [description]. Among them:

[0187] S1001. The first device sends the third piece of information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the third piece of information from the first device.

[0188] Among them, this step S1001 is an optional step. The understanding of step S1001 can refer to the relevant description in the foregoing step S7001 and will not be elaborated here.

[0189] S1002. The first device sends the fourth piece of information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth piece of information from the first device.

[0190] Among them, this step S1002 is an optional step. The understanding of step S1002 can refer to the relevant description in the foregoing step S7002 and will not be elaborated here.

[0191] S1003. The second device sends the first piece of information to the first device on the first channel. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first piece of information from the second device on the first channel.

[0192] The understanding of step S1003 can refer to the relevant description in the foregoing step S701 and will not be elaborated here.

[0193] It should be understood that after the first device receives the first information on the first channel, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may send the second information; if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may not send the second information. Correspondingly, for the second device, after the second device sends the first information, the second device may reserve a certain time (such as the first time interval) to provide a transmission opportunity for the first device to send the second information. For example, the first time interval may be the point coordination function interframe space (PIFS), the priority interframe space (PIFS), or SIFS + additional time specified by the protocol, etc., which is not limited in this application. For the convenience of description, hereinafter, the first time interval being PISF is mainly used as an example for illustrative explanation. The following respectively makes illustrative explanations for the cases where the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel and the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel.

[0194] The first branch, the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel:

[0195] S1004. After receiving the first information, the first device waits for the duration of SIFS and then sends the second information.

[0196] Generally speaking, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may wait for the duration of SIFS and then send the second information after receiving the first information. It should be understood that SIFS is shorter than PIFS, or PIFS is longer than SIFS. Here, the specific understanding of the first device sending the second information in step S1004 can refer to the relevant description in the foregoing step S702 and will not be elaborated here.

[0197] Optionally, for the second device, in the case where the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the second device may wait for the second time interval after sending the first information and then communicate with the fourth device on the first channel. The fourth device is a device associated with the second device, or it can be said that the fourth device is associated with the second device. The first time interval and the second time interval are different. Generally speaking, the first time interval is greater than / longer than the second time interval. Exemplarily, the second time interval may be equal to the sum of the duration of twice SIFS and the time consumed for the first device to send the second information.

[0198] S1005. The first device communicates with the third device on the second channel.

[0199] It should be understood that when the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, after the first device sends the second information, the first device and the third device that receives the second information can communicate on the second channel. Here, for the specific understanding of step S1005, reference can be made to the relevant description in the foregoing step S703, which will not be elaborated here.

[0200] The second branch is that the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel:

[0201] S1006. When the second device does not receive the second information within the PIFS after sending the first information, the second device communicates with the fourth device on the first channel.

[0202] Generally speaking, if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, then the first device will not send the second information. Correspondingly, for the second device, the second device can wait for the PIFS. If the second device does not listen / monitor / receive the second information within the PIFS after sending the first information, then the second device can communicate with the fourth device on the first channel. Optionally, the situation that the second device does not receive the second information within the PIFS after sending the first information can also be described as: the second device detects that the channel is busy within the PIFS after sending the first information, or does not detect the start of the second information, or does not detect the start of the PPDU.

[0203] It should be understood that for the fourth device associated with the second device, after the fourth device receives the first information on the first channel, there may be the following two situations: One situation 1 is that after the fourth device receives the first information and waits for the first time interval (such as PIFS), it starts to detect the transmission from the second device, as shown in Figure 11 in (a). It should be understood that this situation 1 corresponds to the scenario where the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel; One situation 2 is that after the fourth device receives the first information and waits for the second time interval, it starts to detect the transmission from the second device, as shown in Figure 11 in (b). It should be understood that this situation 2 corresponds to the scenario where the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel.

[0204] Optionally, in situation 2, for the first device, the start time of the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be aligned with the start time of the second device communicating with the fourth device on the first channel (that is, the start time of the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel is equal to the start time of the second device communicating with the fourth device on the first channel), as shown in Figure 11As shown in Fig. (c), this is because if the first device or the third device has a strong ability to perform channel switching, it can complete the channel switching within the SIFS duration after sending or receiving the second information, that is, the switching time is less than or equal to SIFS.

[0205] Optionally, in case 2, the start time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel can also be later than the start time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel, as Figure 11 shown in Fig. (d), this is because if the first device or the third device has a weak ability to perform channel switching, the channel switching time may be greater than SIFS.

[0206] Optionally, the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel can be earlier than the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel, or, the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel can also be equal to the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel (that is, the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel is aligned with the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel), which is specifically determined according to the communication requirements between the first device and the third device and is not limited herein. And the foregoing Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 11 mainly shows the case where the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel is equal to the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel.

[0207] It should be noted that when this embodiment defaults to the scheme of reserving the first time interval (for example, taking PIFS as an example) to provide a transmission opportunity for the first device to send the second information (that is, declaring the transmission requirement on the second channel), there may be the above two cases in the transmission between the second device and the fourth device. Optionally, whether to adopt the scheme of reserving the PIFS time to provide a transmission opportunity for the first device to send the second information can also be flexibly configured. For example, the second device can send the first indication information on the first channel, and the first indication information indicates whether to enable the PIFS-based transmission scheme. When the fourth device receives the first indication information on the first channel, it can perform listening on the first channel based on the first indication information. Generally speaking, when the first indication information indicates to enable the PIFS-based transmission scheme, there may be the above two cases in the listening of the fourth device to the first channel; when the first indication information indicates not to enable the PIFS-based transmission scheme, the listening of the fourth device to the first channel can be the above case 2, which will not be elaborated herein. Exemplarily, the first indication information and the first information can be carried in the same PPDU for transmission.

[0208] In an embodiment of the present application, a solution is proposed in which after the second device sends the first information, it reserves a maximum of a first time interval for the first device to send the second information (or for the first device to declare its transmission requirement on the secondary channel), which is beneficial to improving system efficiency.

[0209] The above content elaborates in detail the method of the present application. To facilitate better implementation of the above solution of the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a corresponding device or equipment.

[0210] The present application divides functional modules for the first device, the second device, etc. according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. It should be noted that the division of modules in the present application is schematic, only a logical function division, and there can be other division methods in actual implementation. The following will be combined with Figures 12 to 14 Describe in detail the communication device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0211] Please refer to Figure 12 , Figure 12 which is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 12 shown, the communication device includes: a transceiver unit 10 and a processing unit 20.

[0212] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be the first device (such as AP1) shown above or a chip therein, such as a Wi-Fi chip, etc. That is, Figure 12 the communication device shown can be used to execute the steps or functions, etc. performed by the first device (such as AP1) in the above method embodiment.

[0213] In one design, the transceiver unit 10 is configured to receive the first information from the second device on the first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information; the transceiver unit 10 is configured to send the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap; the transceiver unit 10 is configured to communicate with a third device on the second channel, and the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0214] The processing unit 20 is configured to process the information received through the transceiver unit 10, such as the first information, and generate the information that needs to be sent through the transceiver unit 10, such as the second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0215] Among them, for the specific descriptions of the first information, the second information, etc., reference can be made to the method embodiments shown above, and details will not be repeated here one by one.

[0216] It can be understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver unit and the processing unit shown in the embodiments of the present application are only examples. For the specific functions or steps performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details will not be repeated here.

[0217] Multiplexing Figure 12 , in some other embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be the second device (such as AP2) shown above or a chip therein, such as a Wi-Fi chip. That is Figure 12 the shown communication device may be used to execute the steps or functions performed by the second device (such as AP2) in the above method embodiments.

[0218] A design, a processing unit 20, is configured to determine the first information; a transceiver unit 10 is configured to send the first information to a first device on a first channel, and the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

[0219] Optionally, the transceiver unit 10 is further configured to receive the second information, and the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0220] Among them, the processing unit 20 is used to generate information to be sent through the transceiver unit 10, such as the first information, and process the information received through the transceiver unit 10, such as the second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0221] Among them, for the specific descriptions of the first information, the second information, etc., reference can be made to the method embodiments shown above, and details will not be repeated here one by one.

[0222] It can be understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver unit and the processing unit shown in the embodiments of the present application are only examples. For the specific functions or steps performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments, and details will not be repeated here.

[0223] The communication device of the embodiments of the present application is introduced above. The possible product forms of the communication device are introduced below. It should be understood that any product form with the functions of the above Figure 12 described communication device falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. It should also be understood that the following introduction is only for example and does not limit the product form of the communication device of the embodiments of the present application to this.

[0224] In a possible implementation manner, such as Figure 12In the communication device shown, the processing unit 20 may be one or more processors, the transceiver unit 10 may be a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 10 may also be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit may be a transmitter, and the receiving unit may be a receiver. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiments of the present application, the processor and the transceiver may be coupled, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the connection manner between the processor and the transceiver. During the execution of the above method, the process of transmitting information (such as transmitting various frames or elements) in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver for transmission by the transceiver. After the above information is output by the processor, other processing may be required before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information (such as receiving various frames or elements) in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input above information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it to the processor. Further, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed otherwise before it is input to the processor.

[0225] Please refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 which is another schematic structural diagram of the communication device provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication device may be: a first device, a second device, or a chip therein. Figure 13 Only the main components of the communication device are shown. In addition to the processor 1301 and the transceiver 1302, the communication device may further include a memory 1303 and an input / output device (not shown in the figure).

[0226] The processor 1301 is mainly used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data of software programs. The memory 1303 is mainly used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1302 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and the processing of radio frequency signals. The antenna is mainly used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input / output device, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., is mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0227] After the communication device is powered on, the processor 1301 can read the software program in the memory 1303, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be wirelessly transmitted, after the processor 1301 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted, it outputs a baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1301. The processor 1301 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0228] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna can be set independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna can be independent of the communication device and arranged in a remote manner.

[0229] The transceiver 1302 can include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is used to perform the receiving function (or operation), and the transmitter is used to perform the transmitting function (or operation). And the transceiver is used to communicate with other devices / equipment through a transmission medium.

[0230] Among them, the processor 1301, the transceiver 1302, and the memory 1303 can be connected through a communication bus.

[0231] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the above-mentioned first device:

[0232] The transceiver 1302 is used to receive first information from a second device on a first channel, and the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0233] The transceiver 1302 is used to send the second information, and the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0234] The transceiver 1302 is used to communicate with a third device on the second channel, and the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0235] Optionally, the processor 1301 is used to process the information received through the transceiver 1302, such as the first information, and generate the information that needs to be sent through the transceiver 1302, such as the second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0236] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the above-mentioned second device:

[0237] The transceiver 1302 is configured to send first information to a first device on a first channel, wherein the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0238] The transceiver 1302 is used to receive the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0239] Optionally, the processor 1301 is used to generate information that needs to be sent through the transceiver 1302, such as first information, and process information received through the transceiver 1302, such as second information, etc., without limitation.

[0240] In the embodiment of the present application, the description of the first information and the second information can refer to the description in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here. It is understood that the specific description of the processor and the transceiver can also refer to Figure 12 The description of the processing unit and the transceiver unit shown will not be repeated here.

[0241] Optionally, the processor 1301 may store instructions, which may be computer programs. The computer programs run on the processor 1301, and may enable the communication device to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. The computer program may be fixed in the processor 1301, in which case the processor 1301 may be implemented by hardware.

[0242] In one implementation, the communication device may include a circuit, which may implement the functions of transmitting, receiving, or communicating in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in this application may be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed-signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver may also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), BiCMOS, silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0243] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of this application may also have more components, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this. The methods executed by the processor and transceiver shown above are only examples. For the specific steps executed by the processor and transceiver, reference may be made to the description of the method embodiments above. Figure 13 In another possible implementation,

[0244] In the communication device shown, the processing unit 20 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver unit 10 may be an input / output interface, or may be referred to as a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 10 may also be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit may be an output interface, and the receiving unit may be an input interface. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one unit, such as an input / output interface. Figure 12

[0245] Please refer to Figure 14 Figure 14 Figure 14 Figure 14 ​​​​The communication device shown includes a logic circuit 1401 and an interface 1402. That is, the above-mentioned processing unit 20 can be implemented by the logic circuit 1401, and the transceiver unit 10 can be implemented by the interface 1402. Among them, the logic circuit 1401 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit, or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1402 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, etc. Exemplarily, Figure 14 Taking the above communication device as a chip as an example, the chip includes a logic circuit 1401 and an interface 1402.

[0246] In the embodiments of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. For the specific connection manner between the logic circuit and the interface, the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations.

[0247] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the above-mentioned first device, the interface 1402 is used to receive the first information and send the second information. Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 is used to process the first information and generate the second information.

[0248] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the above-mentioned second device, the interface 1402 is used to send the first information and receive the second information. Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 is used to generate the first information and process the second information.

[0249] In the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of the first information, the second information, the first device, the second device, etc. can refer to the introductions in the above method embodiments, and will not be elaborated here. It can be understood that the specific descriptions of the logic circuit 1401 and the interface 1402 can also refer to Figure 12 the introductions of the processing unit and the transceiver unit shown, which will not be repeated here.

[0250] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiments of the present application can implement the method provided in the embodiments of the present application in the form of hardware, or can also implement the method provided in the embodiments of the present application in the form of software, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not make any limitations in this regard.

[0251] For Figure 14 the specific implementation manners of the various embodiments shown, reference can also be made to the above various embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0252] An embodiment of the present application also provides a wireless communication system, which includes a first device and a second device, and the first device and the second device can be used to execute the methods in the foregoing method embodiments. Optionally, the wireless communication system may further include a third device associated with the first device, and / or a fourth device associated with the second device. For the specific implementation of the third device and the fourth device, reference may be made to the descriptions of the third device and the fourth device in the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0253] In addition, the present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processes executed by the first device in the method provided by the present application.

[0254] The present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processes executed by the second device in the method provided by the present application.

[0255] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer code is stored. When the computer code runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the operations and / or processes executed by the first device in the method provided by the present application.

[0256] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer code is stored. When the computer code runs on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the operations and / or processes executed by the second device in the method provided by the present application.

[0257] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program. When the computer code or the computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processes executed by the first device in the method provided by the present application are caused to be executed.

[0258] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program. When the computer code or the computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processes executed by the second device in the method provided by the present application are caused to be executed.

[0259] In several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between each other can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, and can also be in the form of electrical, mechanical, or other connections.

[0260] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated. The components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0261] In addition, each functional unit in various embodiments of the present application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated units can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0262] If the above-mentioned integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes: USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), magnetic disks, or optical discs, etc., which can store program codes.

[0263] The above is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first device, including: Receiving first information from a second device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information; Sending the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap; Communicating with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The sending of the second information includes: Sending the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or, Sending the second information on the second channel of a first link and a second link, where the first link and the second link are included in multiple links between the first device and the third device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that One or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the method further includes: Sending third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein The third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or the time information for the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second device, including: Determining first information; Sending the first information to a first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: In the case where the second information is not received within the point coordination function inter-frame space (PIFS) after sending the first information, communicating with a fourth device on the first channel, where the fourth device is a device associated with the second device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, The receiving of the second information includes: Receiving the second information on the first channel.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, The second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, One or more of the identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that, Before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the method further includes: Receiving third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate the ability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information indicating that the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

16. A communication device, comprising a unit or module for performing the method according to any one of claims 1-7, or comprising a unit or module for performing the method according to any one of claims 8-15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, the processor being configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-7 through logic circuits or by executing code instructions, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 8-15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, A computer program or instruction is stored in the storage medium, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by a communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1-7 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 8-15 is implemented.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that, Comprising computer program code which, when run on a computer, implements the method according to any one of claims 1-7, or implements the method according to any one of claims 8-15.

Images