Multiple access point (AP) association

Abstract

An MLE (Multilink Entity) comprising a plurality of access points (APs) is associated with a single station (STA). In the event of handover from one AP, e.g., the same MLE, to another AP, the STA is provided with sufficient information to provide seamless transitions. The links between different APs of the MLE and the STA are handled to be active or inactive.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 063,005, filed on December 7, 2022, entitled "MULTIPLE ACCESS POINT (AP) ASSOCIATION", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to multi - access point (AP) association operations. Background Art

[0004] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices (also referred to as wireless stations (STAs)). The basic building block of a WLAN that follows the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is a basic service set (BSS) managed by an AP. Each BSS is identified by a basic service set identifier (BSSID) advertised by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames so that any STA within the wireless range of the AP can establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0005] In some WLANs, a mobile STA can associate with an AP and then perform authentication with the AP. In some cases, when the STA roams or moves to a new area, the STA disassociates from the current AP, then associates with a new AP that provides a stronger signal and performs authentication with the new AP. Additionally, in at least some wireless networks, handover decisions (e.g., when to hand over the STA to a new AP and which new AP to hand over to) are typically made by the mobile station. However, the STA generally has incomplete information about the network, and thus handover decisions made by the STA may result in inefficient use of network resources or other problems. Moreover, when the STA disassociates from the current AP and associates with and authenticates with a new AP, a brief service interruption may occur. At least in some cases, improved operations may be desirable. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have several innovative aspects, none of which is solely responsible for the desired attributes disclosed herein.

[0007] Aspects relate to a multi-link entity (MLE) associated with a plurality of access points (APs) including a first AP and a second AP configured for wireless communication. In some examples, the MLE may include: a transceiver; a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions. In some examples, the instructions may cause the MLE to send, via the transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP. In some examples, the instructions may cause the MLE to receive, via the transceiver, a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the first AP. In some examples, the instructions may cause the MLE to establish: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0008] Aspects relate to a device configured for wireless communication. In some examples, the device may include: a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions. In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to output one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), where the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE). In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to obtain, from a station (STA), a request to associate with the MLE and the device. In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to establish an active link between the STA and the device.

[0009] Aspects relate to a device configured for wireless communication. The device may include: a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions. In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to obtain, from a first access point (AP) of a multi-link entity (MLE), one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and a second AP of the MLE. In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to output a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for transmission to the first AP. In some examples, the instructions may cause the device to establish: an active link between the device and the first AP, and an inactive link between the device and the second AP.

[0010] Aspects relate to a method for wireless communication by a multi-link entity (MLE) associated with a plurality of access points (APs) including a first AP and a second AP. In some examples, the method includes transmitting, via a transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP. In some examples, the method includes receiving, via the transceiver, a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the first AP. In some examples, the method includes establishing: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0011] Aspects relate to a method for wireless communication at a device. In some examples, the method includes outputting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), where the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE). In some examples, the method includes obtaining, from a station (STA), a request to associate with the MLE and the device. In some examples, the method includes establishing an active link between the STA and the device.

[0012] Aspects relate to a method for wireless communication at a device. In some examples, the method includes obtaining, from a first access point (AP) of a multi-link entity (MLE), one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and a second AP of the MLE. In some examples, the method includes outputting a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for transmission to the first AP. In some examples, the method includes establishing: an active link between the device and the first AP, and an inactive link between the device and the second AP.

[0013] Aspects relate to a device associated with a plurality of access points (APs) including a first AP and a second AP. In some examples, the device includes components for transmitting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP. In some examples, the device includes components for receiving, from a station (STA), a request to associate with an MLE and the first AP. In some examples, the device includes components for establishing an active link between the STA and the first AP and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0014] Aspects relate to an apparatus. In some examples, the apparatus includes components for outputting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the apparatus and an access point (AP), where the apparatus and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE). In some examples, the apparatus includes components for obtaining a request to associate with the MLE and the apparatus from a station (STA). In some examples, the apparatus includes components for establishing an active link between the STA and the apparatus.

[0015] Aspects relate to a method for wireless communication at an apparatus. In some examples, the method includes obtaining one or more communication parameters associated with each of a first access point (AP) of a multi-link entity (MLE) and a second AP of the MLE. In some examples, the method includes outputting a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for transmission to the first AP. In some examples, the method includes establishing: an active link between the apparatus and the first AP, and an inactive link between the apparatus and the second AP.

[0016] Aspects relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a multi-link entity (MLE) associated with a plurality of APs including a first access point (AP) and a second AP, cause the MLE to perform a method. In some examples, the method includes transmitting, via a transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP. In some examples, the method includes receiving, via the transceiver, a request to associate with the MLE and the first AP from a station (STA). In some examples, the method includes establishing: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0017] Aspects relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method. In some examples, the method includes outputting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the apparatus and an access point (AP), where the apparatus and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE). In some examples, the method includes obtaining a request to associate with the MLE and the apparatus from a station (STA). In some examples, the method includes establishing an active link between the STA and the apparatus.

[0018] Aspects relate to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method. In some examples, the method includes obtaining, from a first access point (AP) of a multi-link entity (MLE), one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and a second AP of the MLE. In some examples, the method includes outputting a request to associate with the first AP for transmission to the first AP. In some examples, the method includes establishing: an active link between the apparatus and the first AP, and an inactive link between the apparatus and the second AP.

[0019] Details of one or more specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example wireless communication network is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 An example protocol data unit (PDU) that can be used for communication between a wireless access point and one or more wireless stations is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 An example network formed by a multi-link entity (MLE) including a station (STA) and multiple access points (APs) is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A call flow diagram illustrating communication between multiple wireless APs and a wireless STA is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 A call flow diagram illustrating communication between multiple wireless APs and a wireless STA is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by an MLE via a wireless AP supporting multi-AP association is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by a wireless AP supporting multi-AP association is shown.

[0027] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an example process that can be performed by a wireless STA supporting multi-AP association is shown.

[0028] Figure 9 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device supporting multi-AP association is shown.

[0029] Figure 10 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports multi-AP association is shown.

[0030] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports multi-AP association is shown.

[0031] Figure 12 A conceptual view of the hardware components of an AP and an STA is shown.

[0032] Like reference numerals and names in different figures represent like elements. Detailed Description

[0033] The following description relates to certain specific examples and is intended to describe the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. Some or all of the described examples can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards, IEEE 802.15 standards, standards defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), or the Long-Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), etc. The described examples can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA), Rate-Split Multiple Access (RSMA), Multi-User Shared Access (MUSA), Single-User (SU) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU) MIMO. The described examples can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs), Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs), or Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

[0034] Various aspects generally relate to wireless communication and, more specifically, to seamless communication between a station (STA) and multiple access points (APs). Typically, when moving from one AP to another, the STA must re-associate with the new AP. That is, communication with the first AP is interrupted (e.g., service disruption), and all state information and data associated with the STA and the first AP are lost. Accordingly, aspects relate to methods and apparatus for transitioning to a new AP (e.g., a second AP) while maintaining an active communication link between the STA and the first AP. In other words, aspects relate to transferring the data path to the new AP without interruption. In some examples, multiple APs can be part of a logical multi-link entity (MLE). In some aspects, multiple APs can be part of a logical multi-AP entity (MAE). In another example, one or more of the STA and the AP can be a multi-link device (MLD). In some aspects, multiple MLD APs can be part of a logical multi-AP MLD.

[0035] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, one or more of the multiple APs can advertise communication parameters, such as basic service set (BSS) parameters and / or MLD parameters associated with each of the multiple APs or a subset of the multiple APs. For example, a first AP of the multiple APs can periodically send communication parameters for each of the multiple APs. In some examples, the first AP can advertise parameters only for APs that are members of an MLE. It should be noted that although some examples relate to one or more AP MLDs, the concepts and techniques described herein are equally applicable to non-MLD APs.

[0036] Because each AP advertises communication parameters for itself and other APs, STAs within range can collect information about other APs. Thus, if an STA is mobile (or the AP with which the STA is associated is mobile) and it is initially associated with a first AP, once the STA is within range of other APs, the STA may not need to re-associate with any of those other APs because the STA is already associated with the first AP and because the STA already has information about the other APs. This allows for seamless transition of a mobile STA between multiple APs.

[0037] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as a Wi-Fi network) (and will be referred to hereinafter as WLAN 100). For example, WLAN 100 may be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family (such as the standards defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or its revisions, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, 802.11bd, 802.11be, 802.11bf, and the 802.11 revisions associated with Wi-Fi 8). WLAN 100 may include a plurality of wireless communication devices, such as wireless AP 102 and a plurality of wireless STAs 104. Although only one AP 102 is shown in Figure 1 , WLAN network 100 may also include multiple APs 102, where these APs may be physically co-located (e.g., members of the same AP MLD) or not physically co-located (i.e., members of different AP MLDs). Figure 1 The shown AP 102 may represent various different types of APs, including but not limited to enterprise-level APs, single-band APs, dual-band APs, stand-alone APs, software-enabled APs (soft APs), and multi-link APs. The coverage area and capacity of a cellular network (such as LTE, 5G NR, etc.) can be further improved by small cells supported by APs acting as small base stations. In addition, small cells can also be used to establish a dedicated cellular network through a wireless regional network.

[0038] Each STA 104 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile phone, wireless phone, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or subscriber unit, etc. STA 104 may represent various devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, laptop computers, tablet computers, notebook computers, Chromebooks, extended reality (XR) headsets, wearable devices, display devices (e.g., TVs (including smart TVs), computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices (“remote controls”), printers, kitchen appliances (including smart refrigerators) or other household appliances, remote keys (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, vehicles, etc. Various STAs 104 in the network can communicate with each other via AP 102.

[0039] A single AP 102 and the associated set of STAs 104 can be referred to as a basic service set (BSS), which is managed by the corresponding AP 102. Figure 1 An example coverage area 108 of the AP 102 is additionally shown, which may represent the basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. The BSS can be identified or indicated to users by a service set identifier (SSID), and to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which can be the media access control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 can periodically broadcast beacon frames (“beacons”) including the BSSID so that any STA 104 within the wireless range of the AP 102 can “associate” or re-associate with the AP 102 to establish a corresponding communication link 106 (also referred to hereinafter as a “Wi-Fi link”) with the AP 102 or maintain the communication link 106 with the AP. For example, the beacon can include an identification or indication of the primary channel used by the corresponding AP 102 and a timing synchronization function for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 can provide access to an external network to various STAs 104 in the WLAN via the corresponding communication link 106.

[0040] To establish a communication link 106 with the AP 102, each STA 104 in the STA is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations (“scans”) on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, the STA 104 listens for beacons sent by the corresponding AP 102 at periodic time intervals, referred to as target beacon transmission times (TBTTs) (measured in time units (TUs), where one TU can be equal to 1024 microseconds (μs)). To perform active scanning, the STA 104 generates probe requests and sequentially sends these probe requests on each channel to be scanned, and listens for probe responses from the AP 102. Each STA 104 can identify, determine, detect, or select the AP 102 with which to associate based on the scan information obtained through passive or active scanning, and perform authentication and association operations to establish a communication link 106 with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operation, and the AP 102 uses the association identifier (AID) to track the STA 104.

[0041] As wireless networks become increasingly prevalent, STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within the range of the STA or among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) (including multiple connected BSSs). Extended network stations associated with the WLAN 100 can connect to a wired or wireless distribution system that permits multiple APs 102 to be connected within such an ESS. Thus, STA 104 can be covered by more than one AP 102 and can be associated with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. Additionally, after associating with an AP 102, STA 104 can also periodically scan its surroundings to look for a more suitable AP 102 to associate with. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to its associated AP 102 can perform a "roaming" scan to look for another AP 102 with more desirable network characteristics such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or reduced traffic load.

[0042] In some cases, STA 104 can form a network without an AP 102 or without other equipment other than the STA 104 itself. An example of such a network is an ad hoc network (or wireless ad hoc network). An ad hoc network may alternatively be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, an ad hoc network can be implemented within a larger wireless network such as the WLAN 100. In such examples, while STA 104 may be able to communicate with each other through an AP 102 using communication link 106, STA 104 can also communicate directly with each other via a direct wireless communication link 110. Additionally, two STA 104s can communicate via a direct communication link 110 regardless of whether the two STA 104s are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STA 104s can assume the role that an AP 102 plays in a BSS. Such a STA 104 can be referred to as a group owner (GO) and can coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of the direct wireless communication link 110 include Wi-Fi direct connections, connections established by using a Wi-Fi tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) link, and other P2P group connections.

[0043] AP 102 and STA 104 can operate and communicate (via the respective communication links 106) according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards. These standards define the WLAN radio and baseband protocols for the PHY and MAC layers. AP 102 and STA 104 send and receive wireless communications to and from each other (also hereinafter referred to as "Wi-Fi communications" or "wireless packets") in the form of PHY protocol data units (PPDUs). The AP 102 and STA 104 in the WLAN 100 can send PPDUs on an unlicensed spectrum, which can be a part of a spectrum including frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology (such as the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 60 GHz band, 3.6 GHz band, and 900 MHz band). Some examples of the AP102 and STA 104 described herein can also communicate in other frequency bands (such as the 5.9 GHz band and 6 GHz band) that can support both licensed and unlicensed communications. The AP 102 and STA 104 can also communicate on other frequency bands (such as shared licensed bands), where multiple operators can have licenses to operate in one or more of the same or overlapping frequency bands.

[0044] Each of the frequency bands can include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs compliant with the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and 802.11be standard revisions can be sent on the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands, where each band is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are sent on physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but can form larger channels through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs can be sent on physical channels with a bandwidth of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz by bonding multiple 20 MHz channels together.

[0045] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). The information provided in the preamble can be used by the receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. In instances where the PPDU is sent on a bonded channel, the preamble field can be replicated and sent in each of the multiple component channels. The PHY preamble can include both a legacy part (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy part (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble can be used for other purposes such as packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation. The legacy preamble is also typically used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format, decoding, and information provided in the non-legacy part of the preamble are associated with the specific IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used for sending the payload.

[0046] Figure 2 Illustrates an example protocol data unit (PDU) 200 that can be used for wireless communication between a wireless AP 102 and one or more wireless STAs 104. For example, PDU 200 can be configured as a physical layer PDU (PPDU). As shown, PDU 200 includes a PHY preamble 202 and a PHY payload 204. For example, the preamble 202 can include a legacy portion that itself includes a legacy short training field (L-STF) 206 that can consist of two symbols, a legacy long training field (L-LTF) 208 that can consist of two symbols, and a legacy signal field (L-SIG) 210 that can consist of two symbols. The legacy portion of the preamble 202 can be configured according to the IEEE 802.11a wireless communication protocol standard. The preamble 202 can also include a non-legacy portion that includes one or more non-legacy fields 212 that conform to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family, for example.

[0047] The L-STF 206 generally enables a receiving device to perform coarse timing and frequency tracking as well as automatic gain control (AGC). The L-LTF 208 generally enables a receiving device to perform fine timing and frequency tracking and also to perform an initial estimate of the wireless channel. The L-SIG 210 typically enables a receiving device to determine (e.g., obtain, select, identify, detect, sense, calculate, or compute) the duration of the PDU and use the determined duration to avoid transmitting over the PDU. The legacy portion of the preamble, including the L-STF 206, L-LTF 208, and L-SIG 210, can be modulated according to a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation scheme. The payload 204 can be modulated according to a BPSK modulation scheme, an orthogonal BPSK (Q-BPSK) modulation scheme, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme, or another suitable modulation scheme. The payload 204 can include a PSDU that contains a data field (DATA) 214 that can in turn carry higher layer data in the form of, for example, a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) or an aggregated MPDU (A-MPDU).

[0048] Retransmission protocols such as Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) can also provide performance gains. HARQ protocols can support various HARQ signaling between a transmitting wireless communication device and a receiving wireless communication device, as well as signaling between the PHY layer and the MAC layer to improve retransmission operations in a WLAN. HARQ uses a combination of error detection and error correction. For example, a HARQ transmission can include error detection (ED) bits added to the data to be transmitted using an ED code such as a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC). The error detection bits can be used by the receiving device to determine whether the receiving device has correctly decoded the received HARQ transmission. In some examples, the original data (information bits) to be transmitted can be encoded using a Forward Error Correction (FEC) code such as a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) decoding scheme that systematically encodes the information bits to generate parity bits. The transmitting device can send both the original information bits and the parity bits to the receiving device in a HARQ transmission. The receiving device may be able to use the parity bits to correct errors in the information bits, thereby avoiding a retransmission.

[0049] Implementing a HARQ protocol in a WLAN can improve the reliability of data transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device. The HARQ protocol can support the establishment of a HARQ session between two devices. Once the HARQ session is established, if the receiving device cannot correctly decode the first HARQ transmission received from the transmitting device (and cannot correct the error), the receiving device can send a HARQ feedback message (e.g., a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK)) to the transmitting device, which indicates that at least a portion of the first HARQ transmission was not correctly decoded. Such a HARQ feedback message can be different from the traditional block ACK feedback message type associated with conventional ARQ. In response to receiving the HARQ feedback message, the transmitting device can send a second HARQ transmission to the receiving device to convey at least a portion that further aids the receiving device in decoding the first HARQ transmission. For example, the transmitting device can include some or all of the original information bits, some or all of the original parity bits, and other different parity bits in the second HARQ transmission. The combined HARQ transmission can be processed for decoding and error correction such that the complete signal associated with the HARQ transmission can be obtained.

[0050] In some examples, the receiving device can be enabled to control whether to continue the HARQ process or revert to a non-HARQ retransmission scheme such as an ARQ protocol. By allowing a device to dynamically switch between an ARQ protocol and a HARQ protocol during a frame exchange, such switching can reduce feedback overhead and improve the flexibility of retransmissions. Some implementations can also allow multiplexing of communications using ARQ and communications using HARQ.

[0051] Some wireless communication devices (including both APs and STAs) are capable of multi-link operation (MLO). In some examples, MLO enables the establishment of multiple different communication links between an STA and an AP (such as a first link on the 2.4 GHz band, a second link on the 5 GHz band, and a third link on the 6 GHz band). Each communication link may support one or more sets of channels or logical entities. In some cases, each communication link associated with a given wireless communication device may be associated with a corresponding radio component of the wireless communication device, which may include one or more transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) chains, include one or more physical antennas or be coupled to the one or more physical antennas, or include other components such as signal processing components. A device with MLO capabilities may be referred to as a multi-link device (MLD). For example, an AP MLD may include multiple APs, each of which is configured to communicate with a corresponding one of multiple STAs of a non-AP MLD (also referred to as a "STA MLD") on a respective communication link. A STA MLD may communicate with an AP MLD via one or more of the multiple communication links at a given time.

[0052] One type of MLO is multi-link aggregation (MLA), in which traffic associated with a single STA is simultaneously transmitted in parallel across multiple communication links to maximize the utilization of available resources, thereby achieving higher throughput. That is, during at least some durations, the transmissions or portions of the transmissions may occur simultaneously in parallel over two or more links. In some examples, the parallel wireless communication links may support synchronized transmissions. In some other examples, or during some other durations, the transmissions over the links may be parallel but not synchronized or concurrent. In some examples or durations, two or more of these links may be used for communication between wireless communication devices in the same direction (such as all uplinks or all downlinks). In some other examples or durations, two or more of these links may be used for communication in different directions. For example, one or more links may support uplink communication, and one or more links may support downlink communication. In such examples, at least one of the wireless communication devices operates in full-duplex mode. Generally speaking, full-duplex operation enables two-way communication, in which at least one of the wireless communication devices may transmit and receive simultaneously.

[0053] MLA can be implemented in multiple ways. In some examples, MLA can be group-based. For group-based aggregation, frames of a single traffic flow (such as all traffic associated with a given traffic identifier (TID)) can be transmitted concurrently across multiple communication links. In some other examples, MLA can be flow-based. For flow-based aggregation, a single available communication link among multiple available communication links can be used to transmit each traffic flow (such as all traffic associated with a given TID). As an example, a single STA MLD can access a web browser while streaming a video in parallel. Traffic associated with the web browser access can be conveyed over a first communication link, while traffic associated with the video stream can be conveyed in parallel over a second communication link (such that at least some of the data can be sent over the first channel concurrently with the data sent over the second channel).

[0054] In some other examples, MLA can be implemented as a hybrid of flow-based aggregation and group-based aggregation. For example, an MLD can employ flow-based aggregation when multiple traffic flows are created and can employ group-based aggregation in other cases. The determination to switch among MLA techniques or modes can additionally or alternatively be associated with other metrics (such as the time of day, the traffic load within the network, or the battery level of a wireless communication device, as well as other factors or considerations).

[0055] To support MLO technology, an AP MLD and a STA MLD can exchange supported STA / MLO capability information (such as supported aggregation types or supported frequency bands, as well as other information). For example, STA capabilities can be provided to the AP as communication parameters. Such STA capabilities can include the bandwidth (BW) on which the STA can communicate, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) that the STA can use, an indication of the number of spatial streams (NSS) supported by the STA, which 802.11 revision the STA supports (e.g., HE, EHT, UHR), whether the STA supports capabilities such as spatial reuse, target wake time and its variants (e.g., individual, broadcast, restricted, multi-link operation (co-located)), what multi-link mode is supported by the STA (e.g., multi-link single radio (MLSR, enhanced e(MLSR), multi-link multi-radio (MLMR), enhanced MLMR, non-simultaneous transmit receive (NSTR) / STR), whether the STA supports TID-to-link mapping, and any other suitable information).

[0056] In some examples, information exchange may occur via beacon signals, probe requests or probe responses, association requests or association response frames, proprietary action frames, or other examples such as operation mode indicators (OMIs). In some examples, an AP MLD may designate a given channel in a given frequency band as an anchor channel (such as the channel on which the AP MLD transmits beacons and other management frames). In such examples, the AP MLD may also transmit beacons on other channels (such as beacons that may contain less information) for discovery purposes.

[0057] The MLO technique can provide several benefits to a WLAN. For example, MLO can improve user perceived throughput (UPT) (such as by quickly refreshing each user's transmit queue). Similarly, MLO can improve throughput by improving the utilization of available channels and can increase spectral utilization (such as increasing the bandwidth-time product). In addition, MLO can enable smooth transitions between multi-band radio components (such as where each radio component can be associated with a given RF band) or implement a framework for setting the separation of control channels and data channels. Other benefits of MLO include reducing the turn-on time of the modem, which can be beneficial to a wireless communication device in terms of power consumption. Another benefit of MLO is an increase in multiplexing opportunities in the case of a single BSS. For example, multi-link aggregation can increase the number of users per multiplexed transmission served by a multi-link AP MLD.

[0058] Some APs and STAs may be subject to power spectral density (PSD) limits. For example, some APs and STAs operating in the 6 GHz band may comply with a low power indoor (LPI) power class that limits the transmit power of the APs and STAs (in the 6 GHz band) to 5 dBm / MHz and -1 dBm / MHz, respectively. In other words, PSD limits are placed on the transmit power in the 6 GHz band on a per MHz basis.

[0059] As used herein, the term "distributed transmission" refers to the transmission of a PPDU on non - contiguous frequency tones (or sub - carriers) of a wireless channel (such as according to a "distributed tone plan"). In contrast, the term "contiguous transmission" refers to the transmission of a PPDU on an RU composed of contiguous frequency tones, as defined by existing versions of the IEEE 802.11 standard (also referred to as a "non - distributed tone plan"). Distributed transmission provides greater flexibility in terms of medium utilization of a wireless channel with a limited power spectral density (PSD). The low - power indoor (LPI) power class limits the transmission power of an AP and an STA in the 6 GHz band to 5 dBm / MHz and - 1 dBm / MHz, respectively. By allowing a wireless communication device to distribute the frequency tones allocated for PPDU transmission across non - contiguous sub - carrier indices of a wireless channel, distributed transmission can increase the total transmission power of the PPDU without exceeding the PSD limit of the wireless channel. For example, a distributed tone plan can reduce the total number of frequency tones modulated by a device on any 1 MHz sub - channel of a wireless channel. Thus, a wireless communication device can increase its per - tone transmission power without exceeding the PSD limit. Additionally, distributed transmissions by multiple wireless communication devices can be multiplexed onto a shared wireless channel, thereby increasing the transmission power of each device without sacrificing spectral efficiency. Such an increase in transmission power can be combined with some MCSs to increase the range and throughput of wireless communication on a PSD - limited wireless channel. Distributed transmission can also improve the packet detection ability and channel estimation ability of wireless communication devices.

[0060] Example of Multi-AP Association

[0061] Figure 3 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of another example wireless communication network 300. According to some aspects, wireless communication network 300 can be an example of a mesh network, an IoT network, or a sensor network according to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standard family (including the 802.11ah amendment). Wireless network 300 can include multiple APs (e.g., first AP 206, second AP 308, third AP 310) that are members of a multi - link entity (MLE) 302 that communicates with a mobile STA 318. The multiple APs form the multi - link entity 302 and can communicate with each other via a backhaul link 304. The APs and the STA can be multi - link devices.

[0062] STA 318 can communicate with multiple APs via a wireless communication link. As illustrated, STA 318 can communicate with the first AP 306 via the active link 312 (L1), and STA 318 can also establish one or more inactive links with other APs (e.g., the first inactive link 314 with the second AP 308 and the second inactive link 316 with the third AP 310). In some examples, the wireless communication link includes a Bluetooth link or other PAN or short-range communication link.

[0063] In some examples, STA 318 and / or one or more of the multiple APs can also be configured for wireless communication with other networks (such as with a Wi-Fi WLAN or a wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area network (WWAN)), which in turn can provide access to an external network (including the Internet). For example, the first AP 306 can be associated with and communicate with an external node via a WLAN network that can also serve STA 318. In some examples, one or more of the multiple APs can be configured as a network gateway, such as an IoT gateway. In this way, the AP can act as an edge bridge providing Wi-Fi core backhaul for the MLE 302. In some examples, the AP can analyze, preprocess, and aggregate the data received from STA 318, and send the data to other APs via the backhaul link 304 or to an external network via a Wi-Fi link. Each AP can use the same and / or different channels relative to another AP to communicate with the STA.

[0064] In some aspects, the backhaul link 304 can be used by an AP to facilitate sending a data link from one AP to another without service interruption. In one example, in a case where the STA 318 is configured to perform an association with multiple APs, a "light" backhaul process can be used. Here, a single AP (e.g., the first AP 306) can be designated as the serving AP. The serving AP can be configured to maintain a block ACK (BA) scoreboard and an operation context (e.g., communication parameters associated with the STA 318 and the first AP 306). Thus, the STA 318 can associate with the first AP 306 (e.g., establish an active communication link with the first AP), and the first AP 306 can operate as the serving AP. The mobile STA 318 can move to a location where the signaling from the second AP 308 is of higher quality relative to the signaling from the first AP 306 (e.g., the received signal strength of the packets transmitted by the second AP is higher than that of the packets transmitted by the first AP). It should be noted that in some examples, one or more APs can be mobile. Thus, from the perspective of the STA, the mobile AP can also affect the strength of the AP signaling. When the STA 318 senses that the signaling from the second AP 308 is stronger than that from the first AP 306, or if the STA 318 anticipates that the second AP 308 will provide higher-quality signaling based on the location of the second AP and the movement of the STA 318, the first AP 306 can transfer the context and the BA scoreboard to the second AP 308, and the second AP 308 can become the serving AP. In this way, the active link can be quickly switched back and forth without service interruption.

[0065] In some examples, a "heavy" backhaul process can be used. In this example, multiple APs can serve a single STA 318. For example, the first AP 306 and the second AP 308 can both serve the STA 318, and the two APs can maintain their own local BA scoreboards associated with the communication between the STA 318 and the corresponding APs. Since multiple APs serve the STA 318, the STA 318 can send an uplink PPDU to any of the serving APs, and any of the APs can send a downlink PPDU to the STA on any available link.

[0066] For ease of scanning and discovery by the STA 318, one or more of the plurality of APs may advertise communication parameters, such as basic service set (BSS) parameters and / or MLD parameters associated with each of the plurality of APs or a subset of the plurality of APs. For example, a first AP 306 among the plurality of APs may periodically broadcast the communication parameters of each of the plurality of APs. In some examples, the first AP 306 may advertise parameters only for APs that are members of the MLE 302, or may include APs outside of the MLE 302 but adjacent to the first AP 306. In some examples, the first AP 306 may advertise the parameters via a management frame, such as a beacon frame or a probe response frame, for example.

[0067] An AP that is a member of an MLE (e.g., MLE 302) may advertise communication parameters in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE) and / or a multi-link IE or neighbor report element. The co-located AP sub-field setting in the BSS parameter field may indicate co-location of the AP with other APs (e.g., indicate that the AP is part of the MLE). The STA 318 may expect member APs (e.g., the first AP 306, the second AP 308, and the third AP 310) to be neighbors of the reporting AP. While the MLE 302 may include multiple APs as members, any given member AP may advertise all or a subset of the plurality of APs as candidate APs.

[0068] For example, the RNR IE can be part of a beacon frame or a probe response frame sent by the AP. The RNR IE can include one or more neighbor AP information fields, and each of the one or more neighbor AP information fields contains one or more TBTT information fields in addition to other information. The AP can use the one or more TBTT information fields to inform the STA about one or more neighbor APs, including whether one or more of these APs are part of the MLE, and whether one or more of these APs are part of the same MLE as the reporting AP. In one example, the AP can include a BSS parameter subfield and / or an MLD parameter subfield in each TBTT information field to indicate whether it is the AP or an adjacent AP that is a member of the MLE. In another example, the AP can use the RNR IE to indicate that multiple APs are members of the MLE. Here, the reporting AP can set its own service set identifier (SSID) in the RNR IE and then set the same SSID in the BSS parameters to 0 to indicate that another AP is part of the same service set (e.g., a member of the same MLE). In another example, the first AP can send an RNR IE configured to identify the second AP. In this example, the AP MLD ID field identifying the second AP can be set to "0" or "1" to indicate whether the second AP is part of the same MLE as the first AP. In another example, the first AP can send multi-link elements as part of a beacon / probe transmission. Here, the first AP can use one or more STA profile subelements to identify other APs that are part of the same MLE as the first AP. There can be additional signaling to indicate that the reported AP is not co-located with the first AP but is a member of the same MLE and has the same SSID.

[0069] Because each AP can advertise communication parameters for itself and other APs, STAs within the range of one AP can collect information about other APs that may be out of range. Thus, if the location of STA 318 is changing and the STA was initially associated with the first AP 306, once STA 318 is within the range of other APs, the STA may not need to re-associate with any of these other APs because the STA is already associated with the first AP and because the STA already has information about all other member APs or a subset of the member APs.

[0070] Communication parameters may include information such as the transmit power limit of each AP (e.g., maximum transmit power, minimum transmit power, current transmit power, etc.), a link identifier associated with an AP that belongs to the AP MLD, the bandwidth of the BSS for each AP, the ADC parameters (e.g., speed, resolution, accuracy, etc.) of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for each AP, the backoff counter associated with each AP, and an enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set, and any other suitable information. Thus, the STA 318 may scan and discover one or more beacon frames transmitted from one or more of the multiple APs, and determine which link is the best (e.g., which link has a relatively high quality). If the beacon transmitted by the first AP 306 has the highest quality signal, the STA 318 may associate with the first AP 306, but may continue to listen for other APs as the STA moves to determine whether another link becomes a higher quality link.

[0071] In some aspects, the STA 318 may be associated with both the first AP 306 and the MLE 302 via the first AP 306. In other words, the STA 318 may establish an active link 312 with the first AP 306, and one or more other non-active links 314 / 316 with the MLE 302 and other APs. A non-active link is a link where there is no active communication between the AP and the STA, but is a link that may be activated. In some examples, the STA 318 may generate a candidate AP set (e.g., a list) based on information collected from the BSS / MLD parameters. Alternatively or in addition, the STA 318 may also collect information for generating the candidate AP set based on one or more of the following: scanning other APs and determining which APs are in range, measuring the communication metrics of other APs, and collecting AP communication parameters from individual APs. Some APs may utilize communication parameters that may not meet the communication requirements of the STA 318. For example, the STA 318 may require a specific quality of service that an AP cannot provide, or the AP may communicate on a frequency band that the STA cannot use. In such cases, the STA 318 may not add the AP to the candidate AP set.

[0072] In some examples, the candidate AP set may include information measured and associated with one or more of the plurality of APs, such as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and / or received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of signals (e.g., beacons) received from each AP, communication parameters for each AP, and any other suitable information. The STA may then determine which AP is best for the STA's communication needs (e.g., based on the service agreement of the AP, quality of service (QoS), capabilities, etc.). Thus, the STA may receive communication parameters via beacons, collect communication parameters and measured metrics associated with one or more of the plurality of APs, and filter the STA's candidate AP set based on the metrics and parameters.

[0073] Figure 4 is an example call flow diagram illustrating communication between a plurality of APs (e.g., Figure 3 APs) including a first AP 402 and an STA 404 (e.g., Figure 3 STA 318). In some examples, the plurality of APs may be members of an MLE (e.g., MLE 302).

[0074] At a first communication 406, the first AP 402 may broadcast a beacon or probe signal configured to announce communication parameters for the first AP 402 and one or more other APs of the plurality of APs. The STA 318 may also receive other beacons or probe signals sent by other APs.

[0075] The STA 404 may receive the announced communication parameters, and at a first process 408, the STA 404 may calculate one or more communication metrics associated with each beacon or probe signal received from the plurality of APs. For example, the STA may measure communication metrics such as the SNR and / or RSSI of each signal broadcast from the AP to determine which AP has the highest quality signal. Based on the announced communication parameters and the calculated communication metrics, the STA 404 may determine a suitable AP for association.

[0076] In the illustrated example, the STA 404 determines that the first AP 402 among the plurality of APs is the best candidate for association. Thus, at a second process 410, the STA 404 associates with the first AP 402 and, in some examples, with the MLE of which the first AP 402 is a member. The STA 404 and the first AP 402 may establish an active link for wireless communication. In examples where the plurality of APs are part of an MLE, the STA 404 may also associate with the MLE and establish one or more inactive links with other AP members of the MLE. The term "active link" refers to a link through which the STA and the AP actively communicate.

[0077] The first AP 402, which is an AP associated with the STA 404, can be configured to maintain the status information of the STA 404. For example, the associated AP can maintain information about buffer unit (BU) availability for the STA 404, block ACK scoreboard status, buffer status, current scheduling (e.g., uplink / downlink scheduling), and any other suitable information. If the STA 404 is also associated with the MLE, one or more inactive links can be established between this STA and other APs (e.g., selected from the set of AP candidates). Other APs may not maintain the current status information maintained by the associated AP, but other APs can collect information about the communication capabilities of the STA 404, the association status with the MLE, the credentials of the STA, etc. (e.g., via backhaul or from the first AP 402 through air signaling).

[0078] At the third process 412, the STA 404 can generate a set of candidate APs that includes communication parameters and measured metrics associated with each AP. If the STA 404 is mobile, it can continue to scan the air interface for beacon / probe signaling or other frames transmitted by other APs, and continue to calculate the communication metrics associated with this signaling to determine whether another AP would be more suitable for communication. For example, if the STA 404 moves closer to the second AP and farther away from the first AP 402, the STA 404 or the first AP 402 can trigger a handover.

[0079] Figure 5 is a call flow diagram illustrating an example handover procedure, where the STA 504 transfers communication to an active link with the second AP 503 via an active link between the STA 504 and the first AP 502. The first AP 502 and the second AP 503 can be members of the MLE 505.

[0080] Initially, the STA 504 can be at a first location where it receives communication parameters from one or more of the first AP 502 and the second AP 503 (e.g., as illustrated in the first communication 406 of Figure 4 ). Then, the STA 504 can calculate the communication metrics for the signaling it receives that carries the communication parameters (e.g., as illustrated in the first process 408 of Figure 4 ).

[0081] At the first process 506, the STA 504 can associate with the first AP 502 and establish an active link with this first AP (e.g., as illustrated in the second process 410 of Figure 4 ). The STA 504 can also associate with the corresponding MLE 505 to establish inactive links with the second AP 503 and any other member APs of the MLE 505.

[0082] As discussed, a handover event (e.g., a link handover event) is a process that can be triggered when a necessary condition of interest to the STA 504 that was being met by a first active link (e.g., between the STA 504 and the AP MLD) ceases to be met but can be met by another link that is currently inactive (e.g., between the STA 504 and another AP or AP MLD). In some examples, the necessary condition of interest includes a communication metric such as SNR, RSSI, or any other suitable quality / communication threshold of the STA 504.

[0083] At a second process 508, one or more of the first AP 502, the second AP 503, and the STA 504 can detect a handover event by monitoring traffic on the active link established between the STA 504 and the first AP 502. For example, the first AP 502 can maintain a log that includes an indication of the most recent and / or current uplink signal quality (e.g., SNR, RSSI, etc.) on the active link. The first AP 502 can share the log with the second AP 503 such that the second AP 503 can compare the log entry with the second AP's own measurement of the quality of the STA 504 signal on the active link. In some examples, all APs that can sense the uplink STA 504 signal on the active link can maintain a log of the signal quality. If the APs are within range of each other, the AP can provide its log to other APs via a backhaul link or via measurement reports shared in the same link. If an AP (e.g., the second AP 503) other than the first AP 502 (e.g., which maintains the only active link with the STA 504) or the first AP 502 determines that the second AP 503 can receive higher quality STA 504 signaling relative to the first AP 502, then the determining AP can initiate a link handover process to make the determining AP's inactive link an active link with the STA 504.

[0084] In one example, the second AP 503 may monitor traffic in the active link for communication between the first AP 502 and the STA 504. The second AP 503 may sense a downlink frame transmitted by the first AP 502 to the STA 504, and the second AP 503 may determine the duration of the transmission opportunity (TXOP) during which the downlink frame is transmitted. Then, the second AP 503 may wait for a response from the STA 504. The second AP 503 may estimate the SINR / RSSI of the response frame from the STA 504. Then, the second AP 503 may send an indication of the estimated SINR / RSSI to the first AP 502, and / or receive the SINR / RSSI of the response frame from the first AP 502, such that the second AP 503 may compare the two values to determine whether the active link is a higher quality link. The first AP 502 may provide the estimated SINR / RSSI of this first AP to the second AP 503 via a backhaul link or in a subsequent frame transmitted within the TXOP. At the end of the TXOP, the second AP 503 may detect a handover event (e.g., the STA 504 signal received by the second AP 503 has a higher quality than the STA 504 signal received by the first AP 502).

[0085] In another example, the STA 504 may passively monitor frames in active and inactive links, noting that these links may be in the same or different frequency channels and / or frequency bands. The STA 504 may estimate the RSSI of beacons and other frames received from other APs of the MLE 505 (e.g., the second AP 503). To standardize the RSSI estimates at the STA 504, an AP may advertise the actual transmission power of the frames it transmits, or the member APs of the MLE 505 may all transmit using the same transmission power known to the STA 504. In another example, the STA 504 may actively probe the APs of the MLE 505 (e.g., with a trigger frame or in a TDMA manner). Each AP may respond to the probe with a frame containing the estimated RSSI of the probe by the STA. Thus, the STA 504 may detect a link handover event based on passive and / or active monitoring of the link quality.

[0086] At a first communication 510, the STA 504 may send a request for an active link transfer to the first AP 502. The request may indicate that the STA 504 is requesting an active link transfer to the second AP 503. At a second communication 512, the first AP 502 may send an ACK to the STA 504 in response to the first communication 510. In some examples, the first communication 510 may be broadcast by the STA 504 and ACKed by all listening APs. Here, the second AP 503 may send an ACK to the STA 504 in a third communication 513. Broadcasting the request may reduce signaling latency because the second AP 503 (e.g., the AP to which the STA 504 is requesting to transfer) is in a state of being notified of the transfer.

[0087] At a fourth communication 514, the first AP 502 may provide the second AP 503 with any communication parameters and management information related to the communication between the first AP 502 and the STA 504. For example, the first AP 502 may provide the BA scoreboard, the TID2 link map, the negotiated schedule, and any other suitable operating parameters to the second AP 503 via a backhaul link. In some examples, the STA 504 may provide communication parameters and management information to the second AP 503 in the broadcast link transfer request of the first communication 510. Note that at this time, the active link between the first AP 502 and the STA 504 is maintained to prevent service interruption.

[0088] At a fifth communication 516, the second AP 503 may send a response to the STA 504 via the new active link. The active link between the first AP 502 and the STA 504 may still be maintained while the new active link between the second AP 503 and the STA 504 is established and used for communication. At a sixth communication 518, the STA 504 may send an ACK to the second AP 503 in response to the fifth communication 516. At this time, the active link between the STA 504 and the first AP 502 may be discarded.

[0089] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example process 600 that can be performed by an MLE having a member AP supporting multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of process 600 may be implemented by the MLE via a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 600 may be performed by a wireless communication device (such as the wireless communication device 900 described with reference to Figure 9 that acts as a wireless AP or operates within a wireless AP. In some examples, process 600 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as one of the APs 102 and Figure 1 described with reference to Figure 3 and one of the APs 306 / 308 / 310).

[0090] In some examples, at block 602, the wireless AP may send, via a transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP. For example, as illustrated in the first communication 406 of Figure 4 . In some examples, the first AP and the second AP are physically separated. In some examples, one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, which includes one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) IE, a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE. In some examples, the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response, a FILS discovery frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management, a fast BSS transition frame, and a link reconfiguration frame. In some examples, one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidth of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the transmit power limit of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the operating channel of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the link identifier of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, and an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separated members of an MLE.

[0091] At block 604, the wireless AP may receive, via a transceiver, a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the first AP. For example, as illustrated in the second procedure 410 of Figure 4 and / or Figure 5 one or more of the first procedure 506 and the first communication 510 of

[0092] At block 606, the wireless AP may establish: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP. For example, as illustrated in the second procedure 410 of Figure 4 and / or Figure 5 the first procedure 506 of

[0093] In optional block 608, the wireless AP may send an indication of the establishment of the active link between the first AP and the STA to the second AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP whether to avoid establishing another active link with the STA. In this example, the first AP may provide the indication to the second AP via a backhaul link or a broadcast message.

[0094] In optional block 610, the wireless AP may send an indication of one or more of the operating parameters and metrics of the STA to the second AP. For example, as illustrated in Figure 5Illustrated in the fourth communication 514. Here, one or more STA operation parameters and metrics may include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the MLE, and at least one STA credential.

[0095] At optional box 612, the wireless AP may receive an indication from the STA that an inactive link has been activated as a second active link, where the MLE is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link simultaneously until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or a second AP. In some examples, Figure 5 the sixth communication 518 may be an indication to terminate the first active link.

[0096] Figure 7 FIG. shows a flowchart of an example process 700 that can be performed at a wireless AP that supports multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of process 700 may be implemented by a wireless AP or components thereof as described herein. For example, process 700 may be performed by a wireless communication device that acts as or operates within a wireless AP (such as the wireless communication device 1000 described with reference to Figure 10 ). In some examples, process 700 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as one of the APs 102 and Figure 1 described with reference to Figure 3 and one of the APs 306 / 308 / 310).

[0097] In some examples, at block 702, the wireless AP may output one or more communication parameters associated with each of a device and an access point (AP), where the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE). For example, as illustrated in the first communication 406 of Figure 4 .

[0098] At block 704, the wireless AP may obtain a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the device. For example, as illustrated in the second process 410 of Figure 4 and / or Figure 5 the first process 506 of

[0099] At block 706, the wireless AP may establish an active link between the STA and the device. For example, as illustrated in the second process 410 of Figure 4 and / or Figure 5 the first process 506 of

[0100] In some aspects, one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidth of the device and the AP, the transmit power limits of the device and the AP, the operating channels of the device and the AP, the link identifiers of the device and the AP, or an indication that the device and the AP are physically separate members of an MLE.

[0101] In some aspects, one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, which includes one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

[0102] In some aspects, the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

[0103] In some aspects, the STA operation metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the device, and at least one STA credential.

[0104] In optional box 708, the wireless AP may obtain an indication from the STA or the AP that an inactive link between the STA and the AP has been activated as a second active link, where the device is configured to maintain the first active link until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the AP. Here, the STA or the AP may notify the device that the inactive link has been activated, resulting in two simultaneously active links, where each link corresponds to a different AP.

[0105] In optional box 710, the wireless AP may output an indication of the established active link between the device and the STA for transmission to the AP, where the indication is configured to notify the AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA. For example, as illustrated in Figure 4 the second process and / or Figure 5 the first process 506 of

[0106] In optional box 712, the wireless AP may output an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for transmission to the AP. For example, the wireless AP may output one or more STA metrics during Figure 4 the second process 410 and / or Figure 5 the first process 506 and / or the second process 508 of

[0107] Figure 8FIG. 800 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 800 that can be performed at a wireless STA that supports multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Operations of process 800 can be implemented by a wireless STA or components thereof as described herein. For example, process 800 can be performed by a wireless communication device that acts as a wireless STA or operates within a wireless STA, such as the wireless communication device 1100 described with reference to Figure 11 as described. In some examples, process 800 can be performed by a wireless STA, such as one of the STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1 or the STA 318 of Figure 3 .

[0108] In some examples, at block 802, the wireless STA can obtain one or more communication parameters associated with each of a first access point (AP) and a second AP of a multi-link entity (MLE).

[0109] In some examples, at block 804, the wireless STA can output a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for transmission to the first AP.

[0110] In some examples, at block 806, the wireless STA can establish: an active link between the device and the first AP, and an inactive link between the device and the second AP.

[0111] In some examples, at block 808, the wireless STA can output a request to activate the inactive link as a second active link for transmission to the second AP, where the device is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link simultaneously.

[0112] In some examples, at block 810, the wireless STA can output an indication to terminate the first active link for transmission to the first AP.

[0113] In some examples, at block 812, the wireless STA can output an indication of the established active link between the device and the first AP for transmission to the second AP, where the indication is configured to notify the second AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA.

[0114] In some examples, at block 814, the wireless STA can output an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for transmission to the first AP.

[0115] In certain aspects, the one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidths of the first AP and the second AP, the transmit power limits of the first AP and the second AP, the operating channels of the first AP and the second AP, the link identifiers of the first AP and the second AP, or an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

[0116] In some aspects, one or more communication parameters are obtained via information signaling that includes one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

[0117] In some aspects, the information signaling is obtained via a management frame, and the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

[0118] In some aspects, the STA operation metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the device, the communication capabilities of the device, the operating state of the device, the association state between the device and the MLE, and at least one credential of the device.

[0119] Figure 9 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 900 that supports multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication device 900 is configured to or capable of operating to perform the process 600 described with reference to Figure 6 In various examples, the wireless communication device 900 can be a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device, and they can include: one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem (such as a 3GPP 4GLTE or 5G compliant modem)); one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively referred to as "processors"); one or more radio components (collectively referred to as "radio components"); and one or more memories or storage blocks (collectively referred to as "memory").

[0120] In some examples, the wireless communication device 900 can be a device used in the MLE via an AP (such as the AP 102 described with reference to Figure 1 In some other examples, the wireless communication device 900 can be an AP that includes such a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 900 is capable of, for example, sending and receiving wireless communications in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device can be configured to or capable of operating to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs that conform to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family. In some examples, the wireless communication device 900 further includes an application processor or can be coupled to the application processor, and the application processor can be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 900 further includes at least one external network interface that enables communication with a core network or a backhaul network to obtain access to an external network including the Internet.

[0121] The wireless communication device 900 includes a transmitting component 902, a receiving component 904, and an establishing component 906. Portions of one or more of the components 902, 904, and 906 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. For example, the transmitting component 902 and the receiving component 904 may be implemented at least in part by a modem. In some examples, at least some of the components 902, 904, and 906 are implemented at least in part by a processor and as software stored in a memory. For example, portions of one or more of the components 902, 904, and 906 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0122] In some specific implementations, the processor may be a component of a processing system. A processing system generally may refer to a system or a series of machines or components that receive inputs and process these inputs to produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components (such as of device 900)). For example, the processing system of device 900 may refer to a system including various other components or sub-components of device 900 (such as a processor or a transceiver or a communication manager or a combination of other components of device 900). The processing system of device 900 may interface with other components of device 900 and may process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components or output information to other components. For example, a chip or a modem of device 900 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for obtaining information. In some specific implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a transmitter, such that device 900 may transmit the information output from the chip or the modem. In some specific implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a receiver, such that device 900 may obtain information or signal inputs, and the information may be passed to the processing system. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the first interface may also obtain information or signal inputs, and the second interface may also output information or signal outputs.

[0123] The transmitting component 902 is capable of, configured to, or operable to transmit, via a transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP; send an indication of the establishment of an active link between the first AP and the STA to the second AP, where the indication is configured to notify the second AP whether to avoid establishing another active link with the STA; and send an indication of one or more of the operating parameters and metrics of the STA to the second AP.

[0124] The receiving component 904 is capable of, configured to, or operable to receive, via a transceiver, a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the first AP; and receive from the STA an indication that an idle link is activated as a second active link, where the MLE is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link simultaneously until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the second AP.

[0125] The establishing component 906 is capable of, configured to, or operable to establish: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0126] Figure 10 FIG. shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1000 that supports multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1000 is configured to or operable to perform the process 700 described with reference Figure 7 In various examples, the wireless communication device 1000 may be a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device that may include: one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem (such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem)); one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively referred to as "processors"); one or more radio components (collectively referred to as "radio components"); and one or more memories or storage blocks (collectively referred to as "memory").

[0127] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1000 may be a device used in an AP (such as the AP 102 described with reference Figure 1 The wireless communication device 1000 may include a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1000 is capable of, for example, transmitting and receiving wireless communications in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured to or operable to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs that conform to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1000 further includes an application processor or may be coupled to the application processor, which may be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1000 further includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touch screen or a keypad) and a display, which may be integrated with the UI to form a touch screen display. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1000 may further include one or more sensors, such as, for example, one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors.

[0128] The wireless communication device 1000 includes an output component 1002, an obtaining component 1004, and an establishing component 1006. Portions of one or more of the components 1002, 1004, 1006 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. For example, the output component 1002 and the obtaining component 1004 may be implemented at least partially by a modem. In some examples, at least some of the components 1002, 1004, 1006 are implemented at least partially by a processor and as software stored in a memory. For example, portions of one or more of the components 1002, 1004, 1006 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or “code”) executable by a processor to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0129] In some specific implementations, the processor may be a component of a processing system. A processing system generally may refer to a system or a series of machines or components that receive inputs and process these inputs to produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components (such as those of device 1000)). For example, the processing system of device 1000 may refer to a system including various other components or sub-components of device 1000 (such as a processor or a transceiver or a communication manager or a combination of other components or components of device 1000). The processing system of device 1000 may interface with other components of device 1000 and may process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components or output information to other components. For example, a chip or a modem of device 1000 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for obtaining information. In some specific implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a transmitter, such that device 1000 may transmit the information output from the chip or the modem. In some specific implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a receiver, such that device 1000 may obtain information or signal inputs, and the information may be passed to the processing system. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the first interface may also obtain information or signal inputs, and the second interface may also output information or signal outputs.

[0130] The output component 1002 is capable of, configured to, or operable to output one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), where the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE); output an indication of an established active link between the device and a STA for transmission to the AP, where the indication is configured to notify the AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA; and output an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for transmission to the AP.

[0131] Obtaining component 1004 is capable of, configured to, or operable to obtain a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the device; and obtain an indication from the STA or the AP that an inactive link between the STA and the AP has been activated as a second active link, where the device is configured to maintain the first active link until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the AP.

[0132] Establishing component 1006 is capable of, configured to, or operable to establish an active link between the STA and the device.

[0133] Figure 11 FIG. shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1100 that supports multi-AP association in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 is configured to or operable to perform the process 800 described with reference to Figure 8 In various examples, the wireless communication device 1100 can be a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device, which may include: one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem (such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem)); one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively referred to as "processors"); one or more radio components (collectively referred to as "radio components"); and one or more memories or storage blocks (collectively referred to as "memories").

[0134] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 can be a device used in an STA (such as the STA 104 described with reference to Figure 1 In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1100 can be an STA that includes such a chip, an SoC, a chipset, a package, or a device and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1100 is capable of, for example, sending and receiving wireless communications in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device can be configured to or operable to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs that conform to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards family. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 further includes an application processor or can be coupled to the application processor, and the application processor can be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 further includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touch screen or a keypad) and a display, and the display can be integrated with the UI to form a touch screen display. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 can further include one or more sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors.

[0135] The wireless communication device 1100 includes an output component 1102, an obtaining component 1104, and an establishing component 1106. Portions of one or more of the components 1102, 1104, 1106 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. For example, the output component 1102 and the obtaining component 1104 may be implemented at least in part by a modem. In some examples, at least some of the components 1102, 1104, 1106 are implemented at least in part by a processor and as software stored in a memory. For example, portions of one or more of the components 1102, 1104, 1106 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0136] In some specific implementations, the processor may be a component of a processing system. A processing system generally may refer to a system or a series of machines or components that receive inputs and process these inputs to produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to other systems or components (such as those of device 1100)). For example, the processing system of device 1100 may refer to a system including various other components or sub-components of device 1100 (such as a processor or a transceiver or a communication manager or a combination of other components or components of device 1100). The processing system of device 1100 may interface with other components of device 1100 and may process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components or output information to other components. For example, a chip or a modem of device 1100 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for obtaining information. In some specific implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a transmitter, such that device 1100 may transmit the information output from the chip or the modem. In some specific implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or the modem and a receiver, such that device 1100 may obtain information or signal inputs, and the information may be passed to the processing system. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the first interface may also obtain information or signal inputs, and the second interface may also output information or signal outputs.

[0137] The output component 1102 is capable of, configured to, or operative to output a request to associate with a first AP and an MLE for transmission to the first AP; output a request to activate an inactive link as a second active link for transmission to the second AP, wherein the device is configured to maintain the first active link and the second active link simultaneously; output an indication to terminate the first active link for transmission to the first AP; output an indication of the established active link between the device and the first AP for transmission to the second AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA; and output an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for transmission to the first AP.

[0138] Obtain component 1104 is capable of, configured to, or operable to obtain one or more communication parameters associated with each of a first access point (AP) and a second AP of a multi-link entity (MLE) from the first AP of the MLE.

[0139] Establish component 1106 is capable of, configured to, or operable to establish: an active link between the device and the first AP, and an inactive link between the device and the second AP.

[0140] Figure 12 Block diagram 1200 of STA 1220 and AP 1210 that can be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, antennas 1224 and processors 1211, 1221, 1230, 1240, 1242 of AP 1210 and / or antennas 1252 and processors 1260, 1270, 1280, 1288, 1290 of STA 1220 can be used to perform various techniques and methods described herein, such as Figures 3 to 8 the operations depicted in

[0141] AP 1210 is equipped with antennas 1224a to 1224t. STA 1220 is equipped with antennas 1252ma to 1252mu. AP 1210 is a transmitting entity for the downlink and a receiving entity for the uplink. STA 1220 is a transmitting entity for the uplink and a receiving entity for the downlink. As used herein, a "transmitting entity" is an independently operating device or equipment capable of transmitting data via a wireless channel, and a "receiving entity" is an independently operating device or equipment capable of receiving data via a wireless channel. The term communication generally refers to transmitting, receiving, or both. In the following description, the subscript "dn" indicates the downlink, the subscript "up" indicates the uplink, N up user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the uplink, N dn user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the downlink, N up may or may not be equal to N dn and N up and N dn can be a static value or can be changed for each scheduling interval. At the access point and the user terminal, beam control or some other spatial processing technique can be used.

[0142] On the uplink at STA 1220, the TX data processor 1288m receives traffic data from the data source 1286m and control data from the controller 1280m. The TX data processor 1288m processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the traffic data for the STA based on the decoding and modulation scheme associated with the rate selected for the STA, and provides a data symbol stream. The TX space processor 1290m performs spatial processing on the data symbol stream and provides a transmit symbol stream for the antennas. Each transmitter unit (TMTR) 1254m - 1254mu receives and processes (e.g., converts to analog, amplifies, filters, and upconverts) the corresponding transmit symbol stream to generate an uplink signal. The transmitter unit 1254m provides the uplink signal for transmission from the antenna 1252m to the AP. The AP 1210 may include a memory 1232, and the STA 1220 may include a memory 1282m.

[0143] N schedulable up STA are available for simultaneous transmission on the uplink. Each of these STAs may perform spatial processing on its data symbol stream and transmit the set of transmit symbol streams of that STA on the uplink to the AP.

[0144] At the AP 1210, the antennas 1224a to 1224ap receive the uplink signals transmitted on the uplink from all N up STA. Each antenna 1224 provides the received signal to the corresponding receiver unit (RCVR) 1222a - 1222ap. Each receiver unit 1222 performs processing complementary to that performed by the transmitter unit 1254 and provides a received symbol stream. The RX space processor 1240 performs receiver spatial processing on the received symbol streams from the receiver units 1222 and provides N up recovered uplink data symbol streams. Receiver spatial processing is performed according to channel correlation matrix inversion (CCMI), minimum mean square error (MMSE), soft interference cancellation (SIC), or some other technique. Each recovered uplink data symbol stream is an estimate of the data symbol stream transmitted by the corresponding user terminal. The RX data processor 1242 processes (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) the stream according to the rate for each recovered uplink data symbol stream to obtain decoded data. The decoded data for each user terminal may be provided to the data sink 1244 for storage and / or provided to the controller 1230 for further processing.

[0145] On the downlink, at the AP 1210, the TX data processor 1211 receives, for N scheduled for downlink transmission, from the data source 1208 dnService data of a user terminal, control data from the controller 1230, and possibly other data from the scheduler 1234. Various types of data can be transmitted on different transmission channels. The TX data processor 1211 processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the service data for each user terminal based on the rate selected for the STA. The TX data processor 1211 provides N dn downlink data symbol streams for N dn STAs. The TX space processor 1221 performs space processing (such as pre-coding or beamforming as described in this disclosure) on the N dn downlink data symbol streams and provides a transmit symbol stream for the antenna. Each transmitter unit 1222 receives and processes the corresponding transmit symbol stream to generate a downlink signal. The transmitter unit 1222 provides the downlink signal for transmission from the antenna 1224 to the STA.

[0146] At the STA 1220, the antenna 1252m receives the downlink signal from the AP 1210. Each receiver unit 1254m processes the received signal from the associated antenna 1252m and provides a received symbol stream. The RX space processor 1260m performs receiver space processing on the received symbol stream from the receiver unit 1254m and provides a recovered downlink data symbol stream for the STA 1220. This receiver space processing is performed according to CCMI, MMSE, or some other technique. The RX data processor 1270m processes the recovered downlink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) to obtain the decoded data for the STA.

[0147] At the STA 1220, the channel estimator 1278m estimates the downlink channel response and provides downlink channel estimates, which may include channel gain estimates, SNR estimates, noise variance, etc. Similarly, the channel estimator 1228 of the AP 1210 estimates the uplink channel response and provides uplink channel estimates. The controller 1280m of the STA generally derives a spatial filter matrix for the STA based on the downlink channel response matrix H dn,m for the STA. The controller 1230 derives a spatial filter matrix for the access point based on the effective uplink channel response matrix H up,eff The controller 1280m of the STA may transmit feedback information (e.g., downlink and / or uplink eigenvectors, eigenvalues, SNR estimates, etc.) to the AP. The controllers 1230 and 1280m also control the operation of various processing units at the AP 1210 and the STA 1220, respectively.

[0148] Additional Precautions

[0149] The component for receiving or the component for obtaining may include a receiver, such as Figure 12 one or more of the receive spatial processor 1240, receive data processor 1242, receiver unit 1222, and antenna 1224 of the AP 1210 illustrated in Figure 12 or one or more of the receive spatial processor 1260m, receive data processor 1270m, receiver unit 1254m, and antenna 1252m of the STA 1220. The component for transmitting or the component for outputting may include

[0150] one or more of the transmit spatial processor 1221, transmit data processor 1211, transmit unit 1222, and antenna 1224 of the AP 1210 illustrated in Figure 12 and one or more of the transmit spatial processor 1290m, transmit data processor 1288m, receiver unit 1254m, and antenna 1252m of the STA 1220.

[0151] In some cases, the device may have an interface (component for outputting) for outputting a frame for transmission instead of actually transmitting the frame. For example, the processor may output the frame to the radio frequency (RF) front end via a bus interface for transmission. Similarly, the device may have an interface (component for obtaining) for obtaining a frame received from another device instead of actually receiving the frame. For example, the processor may obtain (or receive) the frame from the RF front end for receiving via a bus interface.

[0152] As used herein, the term "establishing" (or any variant thereof, such as "establish") encompasses a variety of actions. For example, "establish" may include forming, generating, setting up, initiating, creating, etc. As used herein, the term "determine" or "decide" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and thus, "determine" may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, researching, looking up (such as looking up in a table, database, or other data structure), reasoning, detecting, and similar actions. Additionally, "determine" may include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in a memory), sending (such as sending information), etc. Additionally, "determine" may include parsing, selecting, obtaining, picking, establishing, and other such similar actions.

[0153] As used herein, the phrase referring to "at least one" of a list of items means any combination of those items (which includes a single member). For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, and a - b - c. As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, "a or b" can include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b.

[0154] As used herein, unless otherwise expressly indicated, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, unless otherwise expressly indicated, "based on" can be used interchangeably with "at least partially based on", "associated with", or "in accordance with". Specifically, whether it is "based on 'one'" or "at least partially based on 'one'", it can be based solely on "one" or on a combination of "one" and one or more other factors, conditions, or pieces of information, unless the phrase in context refers to "only based on 'one'" or the like.

[0155] The various illustrative components, logical components, logical blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in connection with the examples disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or any combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been described in general functional terms and illustrated in the various illustrative components, boxes, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0156] Various modifications to the examples described in this disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but should be accorded the broadest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0157] Additionally, the various features described in the context of separate examples in this specification can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented separately or in any appropriate sub - combination in multiple examples. Thus, although the features may be described above as acting in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from the claimed combination can in some cases be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination can relate to a sub - combination or a variant of a sub - combination.

[0158] Similarly, although operations are depicted in the figures in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally, the figures may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flowchart or a flowgraph. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the example processes schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, concurrently with, or in between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Further, the separation of various system components in the examples described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all examples, but rather it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0159] In Terms of Examples

[0160] Embodiment 1 is a method of wireless communication performed by a multi-link entity (MLE) associated with a plurality of access points (APs) including a first AP and a second AP configured for wireless communication, the method comprising: transmitting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP; receiving, from a station (STA), a request to associate with the MLE and the first AP; and establishing: an active link between the STA and the first AP, and an inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

[0161] Embodiment 2 is the method according to Embodiment 1, wherein the first AP and the second AP are physically separated.

[0162] Embodiment 3 is the method according to any one of Embodiments 1 and 2, wherein the one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) IE, a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

[0163] Embodiment 4 is the method according to Embodiment 3, wherein the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response, a basic service set (BSS) transition management, and a link reconfiguration frame.

[0164] Example 5 is the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidth of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the transmit power limit of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the operating channel of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, the link identifier of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, and an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

[0165] Example 6 is the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the method further includes sending an indication of the establishment of the active link between the first AP and the STA to the second AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP whether to avoid establishing another active link with the STA.

[0166] Example 7 is the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the method further includes: sending an indication of one or more operating parameters and metrics of the STA to the second AP.

[0167] Example 8 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the operating parameters and metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the MLE, and at least one STA credential.

[0168] Example 9 is the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the method further includes: receiving an indication from the STA that the inactive link is activated as a second active link, wherein the MLE is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link simultaneously until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the second AP.

[0169] Example 10 is the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the first AP includes a transceiver, a memory, and one or more processors for performing the method.

[0170] Example 11 is a method of wireless communication at a device, the method including: outputting one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), wherein the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE); obtaining a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the device; and establishing an active link between the STA and the device.

[0171] Example 12 is the method according to Example 11, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidth of the device and the AP, the transmit power limits of the device and the AP, the operating channels of the device and the AP, the link identifier of the device and the AP, or an indication that the device and the AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

[0172] Example 13 is the method according to Example 12, wherein the one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

[0173] Example 14 is the method according to Example 13, wherein the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

[0174] Example 15 is the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 14, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the method further includes: obtaining an indication from the STA or the AP that an inactive link between the STA and the AP has been activated as a second active link, wherein the device is configured to maintain the first active link until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the AP.

[0175] Example 16 is the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 15, the method further including: outputting an indication of the established active link between the device and the STA for transmission to the AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA.

[0176] Example 17 is the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 16, the method further including: outputting an indication of one or more operating parameters and metrics of the STA for transmission to the AP.

[0177] Example 18 is the method according to Example 17, wherein the STA operating parameters and metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the device, and at least one STA credential.

[0178] Example 19 is the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 18, the method further comprising a transceiver configured to: send the one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and the AP; and receive the request to associate, wherein the device is configured as another AP.

[0179] Example 20 is a method for wireless communication at a device, the method comprising: obtaining, from a first access point (AP) of a multi-link entity (MLE), one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and a second AP of the MLE; outputting a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for sending to the first AP; and establishing: an active link between the device and the first AP, and an inactive link between the device and the second AP.

[0180] Example 21 is the method according to Example 20, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of: the bandwidths of the first AP and the second AP, the transmit power limits of the first AP and the second AP, the operating channels of the first AP and the second AP, the link identifiers of the first AP and the second AP, or an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

[0181] Example 22 is the method according to any one of Examples 20 and 21, wherein the one or more communication parameters are obtained via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

[0182] Example 23 is the method according to Example 22, wherein the information signaling is obtained via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

[0183] Example 24 is the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 23, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the method further comprises: outputting a request to activate the inactive link as a second active link for sending to the second AP, wherein the device is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link simultaneously.

[0184] Example 25 is the method according to Example 24, the method further comprising: outputting an indication to terminate the first active link for sending to the first AP.

[0185] Example 26 is the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 25, the method further comprising: outputting an indication of the established active link between the device and the first AP for sending to the second AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP to avoid establishing another active link with the device.

[0186] Example 27 is the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 26, the method further comprising: outputting an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for sending to the first AP.

[0187] Example 28 is the method according to Example 27, wherein the STA operation metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the device, the communication capabilities of the device, the operating state of the device, the association state between the device and the MLE, and at least one credential of the device.

[0188] Example 29 is an MLE, the MLE comprising: a transceiver; a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the MLE to perform the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to: send, via the transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP; and receive, via the transceiver, a request to associate with the MLE from a station (STA).

[0189] Example 30 is a device, the device comprising: a transceiver; a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the device to perform the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 19, wherein the transceiver is configured to: output one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), wherein the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE); and obtain, from a station (STA), a request to associate with the MLE and the device.

[0190] Example 31 is an apparatus that includes: a transceiver; a memory that includes instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 28, wherein the transceiver is configured to: obtain one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first access point (AP) and the second AP of the multi-link entity (MLE); and output a request to associate with the first AP for sending to the first AP.

[0191] Example 32 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes components for performing the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10.

[0192] Example 33 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes components for performing the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 19.

[0193] Example 34 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes components for performing the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 28.

[0194] Example 35 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10.

[0195] Example 36 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 19.

[0196] Example 37 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 28.

[0197] Example 38 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes: a memory that includes instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 1 to 10.

[0198] Example 38 is an apparatus for wireless communication that includes: a memory that includes instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of Examples 11 to 19.

[0199] Example 39 is a device for wireless communication, the device comprising: a memory including instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of Examples 20 to 28.

Claims

1. A multi-link entity (MLE) associated with a plurality of access points (APs) including a first AP and a second AP configured for wireless communication, the multi-link entity (MLE) comprising: A transceiver; A memory including instructions; and One or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the MLE to: Transmit, via the transceiver, one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first AP and the second AP; Receive, via the transceiver, from a station (STA) a request to associate with the MLE and the first AP; And Establish: An active link between the STA and the first AP, and An inactive link between the STA and the second AP.

2. The MLE of claim 1, wherein the first AP and the second AP are physically separated.

3. The MLE of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) IE, a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

4. The MLE of claim 3, wherein the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response, a basic service set (BSS) transition management, and a link reconfiguration frame.

5. The MLE of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of: a bandwidth of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, a transmit power limit of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, an operating channel of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, a link identifier of one or more of the first AP and the second AP, and an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separated members of the MLE.

6. The MLE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the MLE to: Send to the second AP an indication of the establishment of the active link between the first AP and the STA, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP whether to avoid establishing another active link with the STA.

7. The MLE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the MLE to: Send to the second AP an indication of one or more operating parameters and metrics of the STA.

8. The MLE of claim 7, wherein the operating parameters and metrics include one or more of: a primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the MLE, and at least one STA credential.

9. The MLE according to claim 1, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the MLE to: Receive an indication from the STA that the inactive link has been activated as a second active link, wherein the MLE is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active link until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the second AP.

10. The MLE according to claim 1, wherein the first AP includes the transceiver, the memory, and the one or more processors.

11. A device configured for wireless communication, the device comprising: A memory including instructions; and One or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the device to: Output one or more communication parameters associated with each of the device and an access point (AP), wherein the device and the AP are both members of a first multi-link entity (MLE); Obtain a request from a station (STA) to associate with the MLE and the device; And Establish an active link between the STA and the device.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidth of the device and the AP, the transmit power limit of the device and the AP, the operating channel of the device and the AP, the link identifier of the device and the AP, or an indication that the device and the AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the one or more communication parameters are output for transmission via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the information signaling is output for transmission via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to: Obtain an indication from the STA or the AP that an inactive link between the STA and the AP has been activated as a second active link, wherein the device is configured to maintain the first active link until an indication to terminate the first active link is obtained from the STA or the AP.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to: Output an indication of the established active link between the device and the STA for transmission to the AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the AP to avoid establishing another active link with the STA.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Output an indication of one or more operating parameters and metrics of the STA for transmission to the AP.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the STA operating parameters and metrics include one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the STA, the communication capabilities of the STA, the operating state of the STA, the association state between the STA and the apparatus, and at least one STA credential.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, the apparatus further comprising a transceiver configured to: Transmit the one or more communication parameters associated with each of the apparatus and the AP; and Receive the request to associate, wherein the apparatus is configured as another AP.

20. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: A memory including instructions; and One or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: Obtain one or more communication parameters associated with each of the first access point (AP) and the second AP of the multi-link entity (MLE) from the first AP of the MLE; Output a request to associate with the first AP and the MLE for transmission to the first AP; and Establish: An active link between the apparatus and the first AP, and An inactive link between the apparatus and the second AP.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the one or more communication parameters include at least one of the following: the bandwidths of the first AP and the second AP, the transmit power limitations of the first AP and the second AP, the operating channels of the first AP and the second AP, the link identifiers of the first AP and the second AP, or an indication that the first AP and the second AP are physically separate members of the MLE.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the one or more communication parameters are obtained via information signaling, the information signaling including one or more of a reduced neighbor report (RNR) information element (IE), a neighbor report IE, a multi-link IE, and a multi-AP IE.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the information signaling is obtained via a management frame, and wherein the management frame is one of a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a basic service set (BSS) transition management frame, and a link reconfiguration frame.

24. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the active link is a first active link, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Output a request to activate the inactive link as a second active link for transmission to the second AP, wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain both the first active link and the second active simultaneously.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Output an indication to terminate the first active link for transmission to the first AP.

26. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Output an indication of the established active link between the apparatus and the first AP for transmission to the second AP, wherein the indication is configured to notify the second AP to avoid establishing another active link with the apparatus.

27. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to: Output an indication of one or more STA operation metrics for transmission to the first AP.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the STA operation metric includes one or more of the following: the primary channel used by the apparatus, the communication capability of the apparatus, the operation state of the apparatus, the association state between the apparatus and the MLE, and at least one credential of the apparatus.

29. The apparatus according to claim 20, the apparatus further includes a transceiver configured to: Receive the one or more communication parameters; and Transmit the request to associate, wherein the apparatus is configured as a station (STA).

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