Relay retransmission method and device and communication system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a relay retransmission method and device and a communication system. The method comprises the following steps: the first device sends a first data frame to a second device; the first equipment receives a first wireless frame from the second equipment, and the first wireless frame identifies the receiving state of the second equipment on the first data frame; the first equipment receives a second wireless frame from the second equipment, and the second wireless frame identifies the receiving state of third equipment on the first data frame forwarded from the second equipment; and the first equipment determines a retransmission data frame in the first data frame based on the first wireless frame, the second wireless frame and the time for performing retransmission operation.

Description

Relay retransmission method, device and communication system Technical Field

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

[0002] Currently, Wi-Fi technology research focuses on Ultra High Reliability (UHR), with the goal of improving the reliability of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) connections, reducing latency, improving manageability, increasing throughput at different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, and reducing device-level power consumption.

[0003] In order to achieve high-quality data transmission under different SINRs, a relay method can be used in UHR. However, the current block acknowledgement (BA) is not suitable for data transmission using the relay method.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a relay retransmission method and device, and a communication system, so that the BA mechanism is applicable to relay communication.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for relay retransmission, the method comprising:

[0007] The first device sends a first data frame to the second device;

[0008] The first device receives a first radio frame from the second device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device;

[0009] The first device receives a second radio frame from the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by the third device;

[0010] The first device determines a retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and a time when a retransmission operation is performed.

[0011] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a method for relay retransmission, the method comprising:

[0012] The second device receives a first data frame from the first device;

[0013] The second device sends a first radio frame to the first device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device;

[0014] The second device forwards the first data frame to a third device;

[0015] The second device receives a second radio frame from the third device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device;

[0016] The second device forwards the second radio frame to the first device;

[0017] The second device receives a retransmission data frame from the first device, wherein the retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a relay retransmission method, the method comprising:

[0019] The third device receives a first data frame from the second device, wherein the first data frame is received by the second device from the first device;

[0020] The third device sends a second radio frame to the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and wherein the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device through the second device;

[0021] The third device receives a retransmitted data frame from the second device, wherein the retransmitted data frame is determined by the first device based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time of performing the retransmission operation, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent by the second device to the first device.

[0022] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a first device for relay retransmission, the first device comprising:

[0023] a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to: send a first data frame to a second device, receive a first radio frame from the second device, and receive a second radio frame from the second device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device, and the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by a third device;

[0024] A determination module is configured to determine a retransmission data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

[0025] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a second device for relay retransmission, the second device including:

[0026] a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to: receive a first data frame from a first device, send a first radio frame to the first device, forward the first data frame to a third device, receive a second radio frame from the third device, forward the second radio frame to the first device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the first device,

[0027] The first wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device.

[0028] The second wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device.

[0029] The retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame and the time for performing the retransmission operation.

[0030] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a third device for relay retransmission, the third device comprising:

[0031] a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to: receive a first data frame from a second device, send a second wireless frame to the second device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the second device;

[0032] The first data frame is received by the second device from the first device.

[0033] The second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device via the second device.

[0034] The retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and the time of performing the retransmission operation.

[0035] The first wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent from the second device to the first device.

[0036] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a first relay retransmission device, including:

[0037] one or more processors;

[0038] The first device is used to execute the method provided in the first aspect described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a second relay retransmission device, including:

[0040] one or more processors;

[0041] The second device is used to execute the method provided in the second aspect described in the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0042] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a third device for relay retransmission, including:

[0043] one or more processors;

[0044] The third device is used to execute the method provided in the third aspect described in the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0045] An embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a communication system, including a first device, a second device and a third device; wherein, the first device is configured to implement the method provided in the first aspect described in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second device is configured to implement the method provided in the second aspect described in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the third device is configured to implement the method provided in the third aspect described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the first, second or third aspect of the method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] In the disclosed embodiment, the signaling process for retransmitting a data frame when it is not correctly received during relay data transmission is improved, thereby increasing the system throughput and making it suitable for UHR requirements.

[0048] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description or be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG2 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG3 is an exemplary interaction diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary interaction of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary interaction of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary interaction of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG7 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a relay retransmission method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG10 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0060] FIG11 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a first device for relay retransmission proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a second device for relay retransmission proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0063] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a third device for relay retransmission proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0064] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0065] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a relay retransmission method, a method, and a communication system.

[0067] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a relay retransmission method, the method comprising:

[0068] The first device sends a first data frame to the second device;

[0069] The first device receives a first radio frame from the second device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device;

[0070] The first device receives a second radio frame from the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by the third device;

[0071] The first device determines a retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and a time when a retransmission operation is performed.

[0072] In the above embodiment, determining the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame includes:

[0073] If the time of performing the retransmission operation is in the same time period as the time when the first device receives the second radio frame, the first device determines the incorrectly received data frame identified in the first radio frame as the retransmitted data frame; or

[0074] If the time of performing the retransmission operation is not in the same time period as the time when the first device receives the second radio frame, the first device determines the data frame that is not correctly received and is identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame as the retransmitted data frame.

[0075] In some embodiments, the method provided in the first aspect further comprises:

[0076] The first device sends a third radio frame to the third device, wherein the third radio frame includes a first identification bit, and the first identification bit indicates that the first device supports relay transmission and / or reception.

[0077] In some embodiments, the method provided in the first aspect further comprises:

[0078] In a case where the first device is an access point device, the first device sends a radio frame for triggering relay transmission to the second device and the third device;

[0079] In a case where the first device is a non-access point device, the first device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the third device.

[0080] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a relay retransmission method, the method comprising:

[0081] The second device receives a first data frame from the first device;

[0082] The second device sends a first radio frame to the first device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device;

[0083] The second device forwards the first data frame to a third device;

[0084] The second device receives a second radio frame from the third device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device;

[0085] The second device forwards the second radio frame to the first device;

[0086] The second device receives a retransmission data frame from the first device, wherein the retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

[0087] In the above embodiment, if the time of performing the retransmission operation is in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second radio frame to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is the data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received.

[0088] In some embodiments, the method provided in the second aspect further comprises:

[0089] The second device sends the retransmitted data frame and the incorrectly received data frame identified in the second radio frame to the third device.

[0090] In some embodiments, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second wireless frame to the first device, then the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame that was not correctly received.

[0091] In some embodiments, the method provided in the second aspect further comprises:

[0092] The second device sends the retransmission data frame to the third device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the method provided in the second aspect further comprises:

[0094] In a case where the first device is an access point device, the second device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device;

[0095] In a case where the third device is an access point device, the second device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the third device.

[0096] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a relay retransmission method, the method comprising:

[0097] The third device receives a first data frame from the second device, wherein the first data frame is received by the second device from the first device;

[0098] The third device sends a second radio frame to the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and wherein the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device through the second device;

[0099] The third device receives a retransmitted data frame from the second device, wherein the retransmitted data frame is determined by the first device based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time of performing the retransmission operation, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent by the second device to the first device.

[0100] In some embodiments, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is in the same time period as the time when the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received.

[0101] In some embodiments, the receiving, by the third device, the retransmitted data frame from the second device comprises:

[0102] The third device receives the retransmitted data frame and the incorrectly received data frame identified in the second radio frame from the second device.

[0103] In some embodiments, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second wireless frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame that was not correctly received.

[0104] In some embodiments, the method provided in the third aspect further comprises:

[0105] In a case where the third device is an access point device, the third device sends a radio frame for triggering relay transmission to the first device and the second device;

[0106] In a case where the third device is a non-access point device, the third device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device.

[0107] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a first device for relay retransmission, wherein the first device includes at least one of a sending module and a determining module; wherein the first device is used to execute an optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0108] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a second device for relay retransmission, comprising: a transceiver module; wherein the above-mentioned second device is used to execute an optional implementation method of the second aspect.

[0109] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a third device for relay retransmission, comprising: a transceiver module; wherein the above-mentioned third device is used to execute an optional implementation method of the third aspect.

[0110] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a first relay retransmission device, including:

[0111] one or more processors;

[0112] The first device is used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0113] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a second device for relay retransmission, including:

[0114] one or more processors;

[0115] The second device is used to execute an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0116] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a third device for relay retransmission, including:

[0117] one or more processors;

[0118] The third device is used to execute an optional implementation of the third aspect.

[0119] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a communication system, comprising a first device, a second device, and a third device; wherein, the first device is configured to perform the optional implementation method as described in the first aspect, the second device is configured as the optional implementation method as described in the second aspect, and the third device is configured as the optional implementation method as described in the third aspect.

[0120] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute an optional implementation method as described in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0121] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0122] In a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0123] In a fourteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0124] It is understandable that the first device, second device, third device, communication system, storage medium, program product, computer program, chip, or chip system described above are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0125] The present disclosure provides a method and device for relay retransmission and a communication system. In some embodiments, the terms "relay retransmission method" and "signal transmission method" and "radio frame transmission method" are interchangeable, and the terms "information processing system" and "communication system" are interchangeable.

[0126] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0127] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0128] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0129] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0130] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0131] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0132] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0133] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0134] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0135] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0136] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0137] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0138] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0139] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0140] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0141] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0142] As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a source device (which may be a station (STA) or an access point (AP)) 101, a relay device (Relay STA) 102, and a target device (which may be the other of the station (STA) or the access point (AP)) 103.

[0143] In some embodiments, the source device 101 or the target device 103 can be an access point for a mobile terminal to enter a wired network. The AP is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, the AP can be a terminal device or a network device with a wireless fidelity chip. Optionally, the AP can support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a, 802.11bf, 802.11bn, and support the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to this.

[0144] In some embodiments, the source device 101, the relay device 102, or the target device 103 may be, for example, a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal that supports WiFi communication. Optionally, the wireless communication terminal may be, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device that supports WiFi communication, a car with WiFi communication, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0145] Specifically, source device 101, relay device 102, or target device 103 may be a terminal device or network device with a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) chip. Optionally, source device 101 or relay device 102 may support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as support the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited thereto.

[0146] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP and STA may be devices supporting multiple connections, for example, they may be represented as a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) and a multi-connection site device (Non-Access Point Multi-Link Device, Non-AP MLD), respectively; the AP MLD may represent an access point supporting multi-connection communication functions, and the non-AP MLD may represent a site supporting multi-connection communication functions.

[0147] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0148] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0149] The various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those using the 802.11 series of protocols. In a WLAN, a Basic Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental component of a WLAN. A BSS network consists of station devices with some association within a specific coverage area. One scenario of association is that stations communicate directly with each other in an ad hoc network, which is called an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Another more common scenario is that in a BSS network, there is only one central station dedicated to managing the BSS, called an access point, and all other STAs in the network are associated with it. Other stations in the BSS network that are not the central station are called terminals, also called non-AP STAs. Terminals and non-AP STAs are collectively referred to as STAs. When describing STAs, there is no need to distinguish between APs and non-AP STAs. In the same BSS network, due to distance, transmission power, and other factors, a STA cannot detect other STAs that are farther away from it, and the two STAs are each other's hidden nodes.

[0150] According to an embodiment, in uplink communication, the source device 101 may be a station (STA) and the target device 103 may be an access point (AP); in downlink communication, the source device 101 may be an access point (AP) and the target device 103 may be a station (STA).

[0151] Referring to Figure 1 , for example, in downlink communication, an AP (source device 101) transmits data to a relay STA (relay device 102), which then transmits the data to a target STA (target device 103). In uplink communication, a source STA (source device 101) transmits data to a relay STA (relay device 102), which then forwards the data to a target AP (target device 103). In UHR, during the relay process, data frames may not be correctly received. For example, in downlink communication (also referred to as downlink relaying), data frames are transmitted from the AP to the relay STA and from the relay STA to the target STA, and the data frames may not be correctly received by the relay STA or the target STA. In uplink communication (also referred to as uplink relaying), data frames are transmitted from the STA to the relay STA and from the relay STA to the target AP, and the data frames may not be correctly received by the relay STA or the target AP. When a data frame is not correctly received, source device 101 needs to retransmit it to target device 103 via relay device 102. According to the existing BA mechanism, the reception status of each data frame is confirmed after it is sent. However, during the relay process, there are BAs sent by relay device 102 to source device 101 and BAs from target device 103 forwarded by relay device 102 to source device 101. Therefore, source device 101 needs to consider both BAs received from relay device 102 during retransmission. However, according to the existing mechanism, the source device only considers one BA, so signaling enhancement is required.

[0152] FIG2 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] As shown in FIG2 , in 210, the source device 101 may send a first data frame to the relay device 102. Although FIG2 shows only a single first data frame, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and the first data frame may include one or more data frames, that is, the source device 101 may send one or more data frames simultaneously or sequentially to the relay device 102. For example, but not limited to, the first data frame (one or more data frames) may be a PPDU (physical layer protocol data unit).

[0154] In 220, the relay device 102 may send a first radio frame to the source device 101. The first radio frame may identify the reception status of the relay device 102 for the first data frame. For example, the first radio frame may be a BA (Block ACK) (hereinafter referred to as the first BA). After receiving the first data frame sent by the source device 101, the relay device 102 sends the BA to the source device 101 after a SIFS (Short Interframe Space). After receiving the BA, the source device 101 records the reception status of each data frame. For example, but not limited to, the source device 101 may confirm (record) the reception status of each MSDU (MAC Service Data Unit) in the PPDU by the relay device 102 after receiving the first radio frame.

[0155] In 230 , the relay device 102 may forward the first data frame received from the source device 101 to the destination device 103 . For example, but not limited to, the relay device 102 forwards the PPDU received from the source device 101 to the destination device 103 .

[0156] In 240, the destination device 103 may send a second radio frame to the relay device 102; in 250, the relay device 102 may forward the second radio frame from the destination device 103 to the source device 101. The second radio frame may indicate the reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the relay device 102 by the destination device 103. For example, the second radio frame may be a BA (hereinafter referred to as a second BA). For example, after sending (forwarding) the PPDU from the source device 101 to the destination device 103, the relay device 102 receives the second BA from the destination device 103 after a SIFS, and then forwards the second BA to the source device 101. Based on the received second radio frame (second BA), the source device 101 may confirm the reception status of the first data frame (e.g., the PPDU or each MSDU in the PPDU) by the destination device 103.

[0157] In 260, source device 101 may determine a retransmitted data frame in the first data frame. For example, source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and the time when the retransmission operation was performed. For example, source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the time when source device 101 received the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA), as well as the time when the retransmission operation was performed. In 270, source device 101 may send the determined retransmitted data frame to relay device 102.

[0158] The operations of 260 and 270 are described in detail below with reference to Figure 3. In Figure 3, the operations in 210 to 250 are similar to those in Figure 2, and for the sake of simplicity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0159] In 260, for example, the source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and the time of the retransmission operation to be performed. For example, the source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the time when the source device 101 receives the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA) and the time of the retransmission operation.

[0160] Relay communication in UHR is used to improve latency and jitter. Therefore, the channel quality and access for the relay device forwarding to the target device must be guaranteed in advance (i.e., the channel must be occupied in advance when sending data frames to the relay device). To achieve this, the TXOP (Transmission Opportunity) mechanism can be used. The occupied TXOP can be shared between the source device 101, the relay device 102, and the target device 103 for data transmission, such as, but not limited to, non-triggered (non-TB) PPDU transmission or P2P transmission.

[0161] For example, the source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame based on the TXOP for performing the initial transmission operation of the first data frame (i.e., the TXOP occupied by 210 to 250) and the TXOP for performing the retransmission operation. For example, the source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the TXOP of the second radio frame (second BA) received by the source device 101 and the TXOP for performing the retransmission operation.

[0162] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in 271, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is in the same time period as the time when the source device 101 receives the second wireless frame (second BA), the source device 101 can determine the data frame that is not correctly received in the first wireless frame as a retransmitted data frame.

[0163] In 272, source device 101 may send a retransmitted data frame to relay device 102. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the TXOP in which the retransmission operation is performed is in the same TXOP as the TXOP in which source device 101 receives the second radio frame (second BA), source device 101 only needs to retransmit the data frame that was not correctly received, as identified in the BA (first BA) first sent from relay device 102. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, source device 101 may determine the retransmitted data frame based on information identified by the first radio frame and the second radio frame, the time when source device 101 receives the second radio frame, and the time when source device 101 performs the retransmission operation. For example, if the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA) are within the TXOP (i.e., within the TXOP) and the retransmission operation, source device 101 only needs to retransmit the data frame that was not correctly received, as identified in the first radio frame (first BA), to relay device 102. In this case, relay device 102 needs to buffer the first data frame (PPDU) to be forwarded.

[0164] In operations 271 to 272 , since only the data frames that are not correctly received and are identified in the first radio frame are retransmitted, the amount of retransmitted data can be reduced.

[0165] In 273 , the relay device 102 sends the retransmitted data frame received from the source device 101 and the incorrectly received data frame identified in the second radio frame (second BA) to the target device 103 .

[0166] For example, the first radio frame (first BA) indicates that MSDU1 and MSUD3 are not correctly received, and the second radio frame (second BA) indicates that MSDU4 and MSDU8 are not correctly received. In this case, within the TXOP, the source device 101 only needs to retransmit MSDU1 and MSUD3 to the relay device 102 (as the retransmission data determined in 260), and the relay device 102 retransmits MSDU1 and MSUD3 as well as MSDU4 and MSDU8 to the target device 103.

[0167] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, in 281, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the source device 101 receives the second radio frame (second BA), the source device 101 may determine the data frame that was not correctly received, identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame, as a retransmitted data frame. In 282, the source device 101 may send the retransmitted data frame to the relay device 102, and in 283, the relay device 102 may forward the retransmitted data frame to the destination device 103. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the TXOP for performing the retransmission operation is not in the same TXOP as the TXOP for receiving the second radio frame (second BA), the source device 101 needs to retransmit the data frame that was not correctly received, identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame (i.e., the two BAs (first BA and second BA) received by the source device 101), to the relay device 102. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the source device 101 can determine the retransmission data frame based on the information identified by the first radio frame and the second radio frame, the time when the source device 101 receives the second radio frame, and the time when the source device 101 performs the retransmission operation. For example, if the reception and retransmission operations of the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA) are not within the same TXOP (i.e., outside the TXOP), the source device 101 needs to integrate the two received BA situations, that is, the source device 101 retransmits the data frames that were not correctly received identified in the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA) to the relay device 102. In this case, the relay device 102 does not need to cache the first data frame (PPDU). In the operations from 281 to 282, the correct reception of the data frame can be guaranteed.

[0168] For example, the first radio frame (first BA) indicates that MSDU1 and MSDU3 are not correctly received, and the second radio frame (second BA) indicates that MSDU4 and MSDU8 are not correctly received. Then, outside the TXOP, the source device 101 needs to retransmit MSDU1, MSUD3, MSDU4 and MSDU8 to the relay device 102 (as the retransmission data determined in 260), and the relay device 102 retransmits MSDU1, MSUD3, MSDU4 and MSDU8 to the target device 103.

[0169] According to the relay retransmission method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, by determining the retransmission data sent by the source device to the relay device based on the first wireless frame, the second wireless frame, and the time of the retransmission operation, the amount of retransmitted data can be reduced and the efficiency of relay retransmission can be improved.

[0170] FIG4 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0171] In 400 , the source device 101 sends a third radio frame to the target device 103 , where the third radio frame may include a first identification bit (also referred to as first identification information).

[0172] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first flag may indicate that the source device 101 supports relay transmission and / or reception. In this case, the first flag may indirectly (implicitly) indicate that the source device 101 supports receiving a secondary BA (i.e., the source device 101 supports receiving a first radio frame sent by the relay device 102 to the source device 101 and a second radio frame forwarded by the relay device 102 to the source device 101).

[0173] 4 , source device 101 may indicate that it supports relay transmission and / or reception before receiving the first and second radio frames, thereby indirectly indicating that source device 101 supports receiving a secondary BA. That is, operations 210 to 270 described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 may be performed after step 400 .

[0174] 4 may refer to a process of establishing an association between an AP and a STA. That is, during the process of establishing an association between the AP and the STA, the AP and the STA may indicate that they support relay communication, thereby indirectly indicating that they support receiving secondary BAs when acting as source devices. Specifically, the AP may carry a first identification bit (as a non-limiting example, also referred to as a secondary identification bit) in a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a multi-link probe response (ML probe response) frame, an association response frame, or a re-association response frame, which are examples of third radio frames. The STA may carry a first identification bit (as a non-limiting example, also referred to as a secondary identification bit) in a probe request frame, a multi-link probe request (ML probe request) frame, an association request frame, or a re-association request frame, which are examples of third radio frames, to indicate that the AP or STA supports relay transmission and / or reception when acting as a source device, thereby indirectly indicating that they support receiving secondary BAs forwarded by a relay device. The first identification bit can ensure the effective execution of relay communication.

[0175] FIG5 is an interactive diagram illustrating a method for relay retransmission according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG5 , a source device 101 may be an AP 101 , and a target device 103 may be a target STA 103 .

[0176] In 500, AP 101, as a source device, may transmit a radio frame for triggering relay transmission to relay device 102 and target STA 103. As a non-limiting example, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a multi-user (MU) request to send (RTS) transmission opportunity sharing (TXOP sharing, TXS) frame. For example, in one TXOP, AP 101 may transmit a MU-RTS TXS frame to relay device 102 and target STA 103 to trigger relay transmission (i.e., after 500, operations 210 to 270 described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are performed). Transmission of the radio frame for triggering relay transmission can ensure efficient execution of relay communication.

[0177] FIG6 is an interactive diagram illustrating a method for relay retransmission according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG6 , the source device 101 may be a source STA 101 , and the target device 103 may be an AP 103 .

[0178] In 600, the AP 103 as the target device may send a radio frame for triggering relay transmission to the relay device 102 and the source STA 101. In other words, the source STA 101 and the relay device 102 may receive the radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the AP 103 as the target device. As a non-limiting embodiment, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a multi-user (MU) request to send (RTS) transmission opportunity sharing (TXOP sharing, TXS) frame. For example, in one TXOP, the source STA 101 and the relay device 102 may receive a MU-RTS TXS frame from the AP 103 to trigger relay transmission (i.e., after 600, operations 210 to 270 described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 are performed). The transmission of the radio frame for triggering relay transmission can ensure the effective execution of relay communication.

[0179] The relay retransmission method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 260 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps 271 to 273 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of steps 281 to 283 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 400 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 500 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; step 600 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0180] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 to FIG. 6 .

[0181] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0182] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0183] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform may be used interchangeably.

[0184] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0185] In some embodiments, the determination, judgment or judgement can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0186] FIG7 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0187] As shown in FIG. 7 , the above method may be applied to a first device (eg, source device 101 ), and the above method includes steps 710 to 740 .

[0188] In step 710 , the first device sends a first data frame to the second device. For example, the second device may be the relay device 102 .

[0189] In step 720, the first device receives a first radio frame from the second device, where the first radio frame identifies the second device's reception status of the first data frame. For example, the first radio frame may be a BA (first BA). After receiving the first radio frame (first BA), the first device records the reception status of each data frame in the second device. For example, but not limited to, after receiving the first radio frame, the first device may confirm (record) the second device's reception status for each MSDU.

[0190] In step 730, the first device receives a second radio frame from the second device, where the second radio frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by the third device. The second radio frame may be from the third device and forwarded by the second device to the first device. The third device may be the target device 103. For example, the second radio frame may be a BA (second BA). The first device may confirm the reception status of the first data frame by the third device based on the received second radio frame (second BA).

[0191] In step 740, the first device determines a retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and the time when the retransmission operation is performed. For example, the first device may determine the retransmitted data frame based on the time when the first device receives the second radio frame (second BA) and the time when the retransmission operation is performed. For example, the first device may determine the retransmitted data frame based on information of the first radio frame (first BA) and the second radio frame (second BA), the time when the first device receives the second radio frame, and the time when the retransmission operation is performed.

[0192] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, step 740 includes: if the time of performing the retransmission operation is in the same time period as the time when the first device receives the second wireless frame, the first device determines the data frame that is not correctly received in the first wireless frame as a retransmitted data frame.

[0193] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, step 740 includes: if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the first device receives the second wireless frame, the first device determines the data frame that is not correctly received in the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame as the transmission data frame.

[0194] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first device may determine the retransmission data frame based on the TXOP of the second radio frame (second BA) received by the first device and the TXOP of the retransmission operation.

[0195] For example, if the TXOP for the retransmission operation is in the same TXOP as the TXOP in which the first device receives the second wireless frame (second BA), the first device only needs to retransmit the data frame that was not correctly received and identified in the BA (first BA) received for the first time from the second device. Therefore, the first device can determine the data frame that was not correctly received and identified in the first wireless frame as a retransmitted data frame.

[0196] For example, if the TXOP in which the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same TXOP as the TXOP in which the first device receives the second radio frame (the second BA), the first device needs to retransmit the incorrectly received data frame identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame (i.e., the two BAs (the first BA and the second BA) received by the first device) to the second device. Therefore, the first device can determine that the incorrectly received data frame identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame is a retransmitted data frame.

[0197] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the method shown in Figure 7 also includes: the first device sends a third wireless frame to the third device, wherein the third wireless frame includes a first identification bit, and the first identification bit indicates that the first device supports relay transmission and / or reception. In this case, the first identification bit can indirectly (implicitly) identify that the first device supports receiving a secondary BA (i.e., the first device supports receiving the first wireless frame sent by the second device to the first device and the second wireless frame forwarded by the second device to the first device). The content of the third wireless frame and the first identification bit can be similar to the description made above with reference to Figure 4. For the sake of simplicity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0198] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the method shown in Figure 7 further includes: when the first device is an access point device, the first device sends a radio frame for triggering relay transmission to the second device and the third device. As a non-limiting embodiment, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a MU-RTS TXS frame. For example, in a TXOP, the first device as an AP may send a MU-RTS TXS frame to the second device and the third device to trigger relay transmission. The content of the radio frame may be similar to the description made above with reference to Figure 5. For the sake of simplicity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0199] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the method shown in FIG7 further includes: when the first device is a non-access point device, the first device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from a third device. As a non-limiting embodiment, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a MU-RTS TXS frame. For example, in a TXOP, the first device as a source STA may receive a MU-RTS TXS frame from a third device as an AP to trigger relay transmission. The content of the radio frame may be similar to the description above with reference to FIG6 . For the sake of simplicity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0200] The relay retransmission method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 710 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 720 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 730 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 740 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of steps 720 to 740 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0201] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 7 .

[0202] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0203] As shown in FIG. 8 , the above method may be applied to the second device (ie, the relay device 102 ), and the above method includes steps 810 to 860 .

[0204] In step 810 , a second device receives a first data frame from a first device. For example, the first device may be the source device 101 .

[0205] In step 820, the second device sends a first radio frame to the first device, where the first radio frame indicates the second device's reception status of the first data frame. For example, the first radio frame may be a BA (first BA). After receiving the first data frame sent by the first device, the second device sends the first BA to the first device after a SIFS.

[0206] Step 830 : The second device forwards the first data frame to a third device. For example, the third device may be the target device 103 .

[0207] Step 840: The second device receives a second radio frame from the third device, wherein the second radio frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the third device. For example, the second radio frame may be a BA (second BA).

[0208] Step 850: The second device forwards the second radio frame to the first device.

[0209] Step 860: The second device receives a retransmission data frame from the first device, wherein the retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and the time for performing the retransmission operation.

[0210] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the time of performing the retransmission operation is in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second wireless frame to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first wireless frame as not correctly received.

[0211] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second wireless frame to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame that was not correctly received.

[0212] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the second device may determine the data frame to be transmitted to the third device based on the received retransmitted data frame. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG9 and FIG10 below.

[0213] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first device is an access point device, the second device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device. As a non-limiting embodiment, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a MU-RTS TXS frame. For example, in a TXOP, the second device may receive a MU-RTS TXS frame from the first device as an AP to trigger relay transmission. The content of the radio frame may be similar to the description above with reference to FIG. 6 , and for the sake of brevity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0214] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the third device is an access point device, the second device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the third device. As a non-limiting embodiment, the radio frame for triggering relay transmission may be a MU-RTS TXS frame. For example, in a TXOP, the second device may receive a MU-RTS TXS frame from a third device that is an AP to trigger relay transmission. The content of the radio frame may be similar to the description above with reference to FIG. 6 , and for the sake of simplicity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0215] FIG9 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0216] As shown in FIG. 9 , the above method may be applied to the second device (ie, the relay device 102 ), and the above method includes steps 810 to 910 .

[0217] Steps 810 to 860 are similar to the description with reference to FIG. 8 , and for the sake of brevity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0218] If the retransmitted data frame received by the second device from the first device in step 860 is the data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received (i.e., the retransmission operation is performed at the same time as the time when the second device sends the second radio frame to the first device), then in step 910, the second device sends the retransmitted data frame and the data frame identified in the second radio frame as not correctly received to the third device. In this case, the second device needs to buffer the first data frame forwarded to the third device in step 830.

[0219] For example, the first wireless frame (first BA) indicates that MSDU1 and MSUD3 are not correctly received, and the second wireless frame (second BA) indicates that MSDU4 and MSDU8 are not correctly received. If the time of the retransmission operation is in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second wireless frame to the first device, the second device only needs to re-receive MSDU1 and MSUD3 (as retransmission data) from the first device, and the second device can retransmit MSDU1 and MSUD3 as well as MSDU4 and MSDU8 to the third device.

[0220] FIG10 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0221] As shown in FIG. 10 , the above method may be applied to the second device (ie, the relay device 102 ), and the above method includes steps 810 to 1010 .

[0222] Steps 810 to 860 are similar to the description with reference to FIG. 8 , and for the sake of brevity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0223] If the retransmitted data frame received by the second device from the first device in step 860 is a data frame identified as not correctly received in the first radio frame and the second radio frame (i.e., the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second radio frame to the first device), then in step 1010, the second device sends the received retransmitted data frame to the third device. In this case, the second device does not need to buffer the first data frame.

[0224] For example, the first wireless frame (first BA) indicates that MSDU1 and MSUD3 are not received correctly, and the second wireless frame (second BA) indicates that MSDU4 and MSDU8 are not received correctly. If the time of the retransmission operation is not in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second wireless frame to the first device, the second device can re-receive MSDU1, MSUD3, MSDU4 and MSDU8 (as retransmission data) from the first device, and the second device can retransmit MSDU1, MSUD3, MSDU4 and MSDU8 to the third device.

[0225] FIG11 is a schematic flow chart of a relay retransmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0226] As shown in FIG. 11 , the above method may be applied to a third device (ie, the target device 103 ), and the above method includes steps 1110 to 1130 .

[0227] In step 1110 , the third device receives a first data frame from the second device, where the first data frame is received by the second device from the first device. For example, the first device is the source device 101 and the second device is the relay device 102 .

[0228] In step 1120, the third device sends a second radio frame to the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device by the second device. For example, the second radio frame can be a BA (second BA).

[0229] Step 1130: The third device receives a retransmitted data frame from the second device. The retransmitted data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame, the second radio frame, and the time of the retransmission operation. The first radio frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent by the second device to the first device. For example, the first radio frame may be a BA (first BA).

[0230] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is in the same time period as the time when the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is the data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received. In this case, although not shown, step 1130 may include: the third device receiving the retransmitted data frame and the data frame identified in the second radio frame as not correctly received from the second device.

[0231] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second wireless frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame that was not correctly received.

[0232] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the method shown in FIG. 11 may further include: when the third device is an AP, the third device sends a wireless frame for triggering relay transmission to the first device and the second device.

[0233] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, although not shown, the method shown in Figure 11 may further include: when the third device is a non-access point device (non-AP STA), the third device receives a wireless frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device.

[0234] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radio frame used to trigger relay transmission may be a MU-RTS TXS frame. This may be similar to the description made above with reference to FIG5 and FIG6 , and for the sake of brevity, repeated descriptions are omitted here.

[0235] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0236] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0237] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the above hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by a processor as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0238] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG12 , the first device 1200 may include a transceiver module 1201 and a determination module 1202 .

[0239] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 1201 is configured to: send a first data frame to a second device, receive a first wireless frame from the second device, and receive a second wireless frame from the second device, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the second device for the first data frame, and the second wireless frame identifies the reception status of the third device for the first data frame forwarded from the second device; the determination module 1202 is configured to: determine the retransmitted data frame in the first data frame based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time when the retransmission operation is performed.

[0240] Optionally, the transceiver module 1201 may execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps 210, 220, 250, 270, 272, 282, step 400, step 500, step 600, and steps 710-730, but not limited thereto) performed by the first device (source device 101) in any of the above methods, which are not described in detail here. The determination module 1202 is configured to execute at least one of steps 260, 271, 281, and 740.

[0241] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG13 , the second device 1300 may include a transceiver module 1301 .

[0242] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned transceiver module 1301 is configured to: receive a first data frame from a first device, send a first wireless frame to the first device, forward the first data frame to a third device, receive a second wireless frame from the third device, forward the second wireless frame to the first device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the first device, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device, wherein the second wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and wherein the retransmitted data frame is determined by the first device based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time for performing the retransmission operation.

[0243] Optionally, the transceiver module 1301 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps performed by the second device (relay device 102 ) in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0244] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a third device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG14 , the third device 1400 may include: a transceiver module 1401 .

[0245] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned transceiver module 1401 is configured to: receive a first data frame from a second device, send a second wireless frame to the second device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the second device, wherein the first data frame is received by the second device from the first device, wherein the second wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the third device, wherein the second wireless frame is forwarded to the first device through the second device, wherein the retransmitted data frame is determined by the first device based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time for performing the retransmission operation, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent by the second device to the first device.

[0246] Optionally, the transceiver module 1401 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps performed by the third device (target device 103 ) in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0247] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 700 (e.g., user equipment) proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Terminal 700 can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal implementing any of the above methods. Terminal 700 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0248] As shown in Figure 7, terminal 700 includes one or more processors 701. Processor 701 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control communication devices (such as base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Terminal 700 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0249] In some embodiments, the terminal 700 further includes one or more memories 702 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 702 may be located outside the terminal 700.

[0250] In some embodiments, the terminal 700 further includes one or more transceivers 704. When the terminal 700 includes one or more transceivers 704, the transceiver 704 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, steps 710-730, steps 810-850, step 910, step 1010, and steps 1110-1130, but not limited thereto), and the processor 701 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step 260, step 271, step 281, and step 740, but not limited thereto).

[0251] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0252] In some embodiments, terminal 700 may include one or more interface circuits 703. Optionally, interface circuit 703 is connected to memory 702. Interface circuit 703 may be configured to receive signals from memory 702 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to memory 702 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 703 may read instructions stored in memory 702 and send the instructions to processor 701.

[0253] The terminal 700 described in the above embodiment may be a communication device such as a user device, but the scope of the terminal 700 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the terminal 700 may not be limited by FIG. 7 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0254] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the terminal 700 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 800 shown in FIG8 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0255] The chip 800 includes one or more processors 801 , and the chip 800 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0256] In some embodiments, chip 800 further includes one or more circuits 803. Optionally, interface circuit 803 is connected to memory 802. Interface circuit 803 can be used to receive signals from memory 802 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 802 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 803 can read instructions stored in memory 802 and send the instructions to processor 801.

[0257] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 803 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, steps 710-730, steps 810-850, step 910, step 1010, steps 1110-1130, but not limited to these), and the processor 801 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step 260, step 271, step 281, step 740, but not limited to these).

[0258] In some embodiments, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver may be used interchangeably.

[0259] In some embodiments, the chip 800 further includes one or more memories 802 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memory 802 may be external to the chip 800.

[0260] The present disclosure also provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the terminal 700, the terminal 700 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a transient storage medium.

[0261] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the terminal 700, enables the terminal 700 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0262] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A relay retransmission method, applied to a first device, the method comprising: The first device sends a first data frame to the second device; The first device receives a first radio frame from the second device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device; The first device receives a second radio frame from the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by the third device; The first device determines a retransmission data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining a retransmitted data frame in the first data frame includes: If the time of performing the retransmission operation and the time of receiving the second radio frame by the first device are in the same time period, the first device determines the data frame that is not correctly received and is identified in the first radio frame as the retransmission data frame; or, If the time of performing the retransmission operation is not in the same time period as the time when the first device receives the second radio frame, the first device determines the data frames that are not correctly received and are identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame as the retransmission data frames.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: The first device sends a third radio frame to the third device, wherein the third radio frame includes a first identification bit, and the first identification bit indicates that the first device supports relay transmission and / or reception.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: In a case where the first device is an access point device, the first device sends a wireless frame for triggering relay transmission to the second device and the third device; In a case where the first device is a non-access point device, the first device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the third device.

5. A relay retransmission method, applied to a second device, the method comprising: The second device receives a first data frame from the first device; The second device sends a first radio frame to the first device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device; The second device forwards the first data frame to a third device; The second device receives a second radio frame from the third device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device; The second device forwards the second radio frame to the first device; The second device receives a retransmission data frame from the first device, wherein the retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: If the time of performing the retransmission operation and the time when the second device sends the second radio frame to the first device are in the same time period, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device sends the retransmitted data frame and the data frame that is not correctly received and is identified in the second radio frame to the third device.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein: If the time of performing the retransmission operation is not in the same time period as the time when the second device sends the second radio frame to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame that is not correctly received.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device sends the retransmission data frame to the third device.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The method further comprises: In a case where the first device is an access point device, the second device receives a wireless frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device; In a case where the third device is an access point device, the second device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the third device.

11. A relay retransmission method, applied to a third device, the method comprising: The third device receives a first data frame from the second device, wherein the first data frame is received by the second device from the first device; The third device sends a second radio frame to the second device, wherein the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and wherein the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device through the second device; The third device receives a retransmission data frame from the second device, wherein the retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first wireless frame and the second wireless frame and the time for performing a retransmission operation, wherein the first wireless frame identifies the reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent by the second device to the first device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: If the time when the retransmission operation is performed is in the same time period as the time when the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first radio frame as not correctly received.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The third device receiving the retransmitted data frame from the second device includes: The third device receives the retransmitted data frame and the incorrectly received data frame identified in the second radio frame from the second device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: If the time when the retransmission operation is performed is not in the same time period as the time when the second radio frame is forwarded to the first device, the retransmitted data frame is a data frame identified in the first radio frame and the second radio frame that is not correctly received.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further comprises: In a case where the third device is an access point device, the third device sends a wireless frame for triggering relay transmission to the first device and the second device; In a case where the third device is a non-access point device, the third device receives a radio frame for triggering relay transmission from the first device.

16. A first device for relay retransmission, wherein: The first device comprises: a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to: send a first data frame to a second device, receive a first radio frame from the second device, and receive a second radio frame from the second device, wherein the first radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device, and the second radio frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame forwarded from the second device by a third device; A determination module is configured to determine a retransmission data frame in the first data frame based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and a time for performing a retransmission operation.

17. A second device for relaying retransmission, wherein: The second device comprises: a transceiver module, wherein the transceiver module is configured to: receive a first data frame from a first device, send a first radio frame to the first device, forward the first data frame to a third device, receive a second radio frame from the third device, forward the second radio frame to the first device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the first device, The first wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device. The second wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device. The retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and the time for performing a retransmission operation.

18. A third device for relay retransmission, wherein: The third device comprises: a transceiver module, the transceiver module being configured to: receive a first data frame from a second device, send a second wireless frame to the second device, and receive a retransmitted data frame from the second device, The first data frame is received by the second device from the first device. The second wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the third device, and the second wireless frame is forwarded to the first device through the second device. The retransmission data frame is determined by the first device based on the first radio frame and the second radio frame and the time for performing the retransmission operation. The first wireless frame identifies a reception status of the first data frame by the second device and is sent from the second device to the first device.

19. A relay retransmission device, wherein: The device comprises: one or more processors; The first device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

20. A storage medium storing instructions, wherein: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, or execute the method according to any one of claims 5 to 10, or execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

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