Communication apparatus and communication method for enhanced tunnel direct link setup

Abstract

Communication devices and methods for enhanced tunnel direct link setup (TDLS) are provided. One exemplary embodiment provides a first wireless communication device associated with a first access point (AP), the first wireless communication device including: a transmitter that transmits a request frame for peer-to-peer communication to a second wireless communication device associated with a second AP; and a receiver that receives a response frame from the second wireless communication device in response to the request frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to communication methods and apparatuses, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for enhanced tunnel direct link setup (TDLS). Background Art

[0002] Tunnel direct link setup (TDLS) allows direct peer-to-peer communication between two non-access point (non-AP) stations (STAs) in an 802.11 basic service set (BSS). All management frames involved in the TDLS setup process (except the TDLS discovery response) are encapsulated in data frames, so the setup of TDLS is completely transparent to the AP associated with the non-AP STA. In fact, the AP does not even need to have TDLS capabilities.

[0003] However, discussions on communication apparatuses and methods for enhanced TDLS are still limited.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for communication apparatuses and methods that can solve the above problems. In addition, by combining the accompanying drawings and the background of the present disclosure, other desired features and characteristics will become apparent in the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Non-limiting exemplary embodiments help to provide a communication apparatus and a communication method for enhanced TDLS.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a first wireless communication apparatus associated with a first access point (AP), the first wireless communication apparatus including: a transmitter that sends a request frame for peer-to-peer communication to a second wireless communication apparatus associated with a second AP; and a receiver that receives a response frame from the second wireless communication apparatus in response to the request frame.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a second wireless communication apparatus associated with a second AP, the second wireless communication apparatus including: a receiver that receives, via a first AP associated with the first wireless communication apparatus and the second AP, a request frame from the first wireless communication apparatus, the request frame indicating a request for peer-to-peer communication with the second wireless communication apparatus; and a transmitter that sends a response frame to the first wireless communication apparatus in response to the request frame.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication method, the method including: sending, via a first AP associated with a first wireless communication apparatus and a second AP associated with a second wireless communication apparatus, a request frame from the first wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus, the request frame indicating a request for peer-to-peer communication with the second wireless communication apparatus; and receiving, in response to the request frame, a response frame from the second wireless communication apparatus.

[0009] It should be noted that the general or specific embodiments can be implemented as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, a storage medium, or any optional combination thereof. The additional benefits and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the specification and the drawings. These benefits and / or advantages can be obtained individually through the various embodiments and features of the specification and the drawings. In order to obtain one or more such benefits and / or advantages, it is not necessary to provide all of these embodiments and features. Description of the Drawings

[0010] In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or functionally similar elements in the various different views, and are incorporated into the specification and form a part thereof together with the following detailed description, for illustrating the various embodiments and explaining the various principles and advantages according to the present embodiment.

[0011] Figure 1 An example schematic diagram depicting a tunnel direct link setup (TDLS) scenario is shown.

[0012] Figure 2A An example schematic diagram depicting a TDLS discovery process using TDLS discovery frames is shown.

[0013] Figure 2B An example schematic diagram depicting a TDLS discovery process using an access network query protocol (ANQP) frame is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An example schematic diagram depicting an extended service set (ESS) network is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 An example schematic diagram depicting a basic service set (BSS) network is shown.

[0016] Figure 5 An example schematic diagram depicting an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) network is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 A schematic diagram depicting an enhanced TDLS establishment process according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 7A A schematic diagram depicting a TDLS discovery request frame format according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 7B A schematic diagram depicting a TDLS discovery response frame format according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 A signaling flow diagram of TDLS discovery frame exchange for AP-to-AP wired backhaul according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 9Depicts a TDLS discovery frame exchange signaling flowchart for AP-to-AP wireless backhaul according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 10 Depicts a schematic diagram of a 4-address data frame format for AP-to-AP communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 11 Depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the link identifier element in the TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSS identifier (BSSID) of the BSS associated with the TDLS initiator.

[0024] Figure 12 Depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the link identifier element in the TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSSID of the BSS associated with the TDLS peer STA.

[0025] Figure 13 Depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the link identifier element in the TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSSID of the BSS associated with the TDLS initiator and the BSSID of the BSS associated with the TDLS peer STA.

[0026] Figure 14A Depicts according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for Figure 11 Link identifier element of the schematic diagram.

[0027] Figure 14B Depicts according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for Figure 12 Link identifier element of the schematic diagram.

[0028] Figure 14C Depicts according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for Figure 13 Link identifier element of the schematic diagram.

[0029] Figure 15 Depicts a schematic diagram of the overall signaling details of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 16 Depicts a security negotiation process for a TDLS link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 17 Depicts a schematic diagram of a fast BSS transition (FTE) element for deriving a TDLS peer key (TDK) during the TDLS link security negotiation process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 18Depicts a variant of the TDLS discovery response frame format according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 19 Depicts a schematic diagram of a TDLS implementation with multiple BSSIDs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 20 Depicts a block diagram of a STA suitable for communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 21 Shows a flowchart of an enhanced TDLS method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 22 Shows a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a STA that can be implemented for enhanced TDLS according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the figures are shown for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Detailed Description

[0038] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments or the application and uses of the embodiments. There is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the foregoing background or this detailed description. Additionally, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the background of the present disclosure.

[0039] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described only by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals and characters in the drawings refer to like elements or equivalents.

[0040] In the following paragraphs, certain exemplary embodiments will be explained with reference to an access point (AP) and a station (STA) for enhanced TDLS.

[0041] In the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, a station (interchangeably referred to as STA) is a communication device having the ability to use the 802.11 protocol. According to the definition of IEEE 802.11-2016, a STA can be any device that includes a media access control (MAC) and a wireless medium (WM) physical layer (PHY) interface compliant with IEEE 802.11.

[0042] For example, in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) environment, a station can be a laptop, a desktop personal computer (PC), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), whether an Access Point (e.g., AP STA or non-AP STA), or a Wi-Fi phone. A station can be fixed or mobile. In a WLAN environment, the terms "STA", "non-AP STA", "wireless client", "user", "user equipment", and "node" are generally used interchangeably.

[0043] Similarly, in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology, an AP (interchangeably referred to as a Wireless Access Point (WAP)) is a communication device that allows STAs in a WLAN to connect to a wired network. An AP is typically connected to a router as a standalone device (via a wired network), but it can also be integrated within or used in a router.

[0044] As described above, an STA in a WLAN may act as an AP in different situations and vice versa. This is because a communication device compliant with the IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology may contain both STA hardware components and AP hardware components. In this way, the communication device can switch between STA mode and AP mode based on the actual WLAN situation and / or requirements.

[0045] Figure 1 Example schematic diagram 100 depicts the establishment of a Tunnel Direct Link Setup (TDLS) between STA 102 and STA 104 associated with AP 106. In this example, STA 102 initiates the TDLS establishment and is thus referred to as the TDLS initiator, while STA 104 is referred to as the TDLS responder or peer STA. The establishment generally includes STA 102 sending a TDLS discovery or establishment request to STA 104 via AP 106, and then STA 104 sending a TDLS discovery or establishment response to STA 102 via AP 106 as a reply. After the TDLS establishment is successfully completed, STA 102 and STA 104 can communicate directly with each other without going through AP 106.

[0046] TDLS discovery can be performed using TDLS discovery frames, such as Figure 2Aas shown in the schematic diagram 200. The TDLS initiator STA 202 sends a TDLS discovery request frame to the STA 204 via the AP 206. If the STA 204 supports TDLS, it directly (e.g., via a direct link or path that does not pass through the AP 206) sends a TDLS discovery response frame to the STA 202. TDLS discovery can also be performed by exchanging Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) request / response frames (e.g., group address GAS request / response frames) on the direct path, as shown in Figure 2B the schematic diagram 208. For example, the STA 210 directly (e.g., via a direct link or path that does not pass through the AP 214) sends an ANQP request frame to the STA 212. If the STA 212 supports TDLS, it directly sends an ANQP response to the STA 210.

[0047] In home and enterprise scenarios, there may be multiple APs in the vicinity and multiple STAs available, thus forming an Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS). In the OBSS scenario, there may be multiple clients very close to each other. Future revisions of mainstream Wi-Fi can take advantage of this to enable clients in the OBSS to peer with each other.

[0048] In addition, in the current home or enterprise scenario, the network may include multiple APs that form an ESS (Extended Service Set). An ESS refers to a collection of one or more Basic Service Sets (BSSs) interconnected by a single Distribution System (DS). An ESS appears as a single IEEE 802 access domain at the Logical Link Control (LLC) sublayer. Figure 3 The example schematic diagram 300 depicting the ESS network is shown, where the APs 302, 304, and 306 (each having a BSS 310, 312, and 314 respectively) are interconnected via the DS 308. To increase throughput, 802.11 also makes provisions for co-located APs. For example, the same physical device can have 2 APs operating on different channels.

[0049] In the current IEEE specification, Tunnel Direct Link Setup (TDLS) is a procedure that "encapsulates the setup frame in a data frame so that it can be sent via the AP". For example, referring to Figure 4 the schematic diagram 400, the STA 402 is wirelessly connected to the AP 406 and the STA 404 is wirelessly connected to the AP 408. The APs 406 and 408 are connected via a backhaul link, so they are part of an ESS. TDLS establishment can be performed so that the STA 402 and 404 can directly communicate with each other via a direct link without passing through the APs 406 and 408.

[0050] In the current 802.11 standard, the TDLS mechanism is only used for peer - to - peer communication within the same BSS. This disclosure presents a solution that enables the TDLS mechanism to establish a peer - to - peer (P2P) link with a client in an OBSS scenario. As shown in the schematic diagram 500 of Figure 5 Figure 500, where STA 502 (associated with AP 506 in the BSS) can communicate directly with STA 504 (associated with AP 508 in the OBSS).

[0051] A solution for enabling a TDLS initiator to establish a TDLS connection with a TDLS responder in an OBSS is as follows. The TDLS initiator discovers the client in the OBSS by forwarding a TDLS discovery frame from its AP to the OBSS AP. If the OBSS STA (e.g., the TDLS responder) is within the radio range of the TDLS initiator, the TDLS initiator receives a TDLS discovery response on a direct link. The TDLS initiator performs TDLS link establishment by forwarding a TDLS establishment request from its AP to the OBSS AP. For security purposes, a TDLS peer key (TPK) security key incorporating the link identifier element considering the OBSS AP can be generated for the two peer STAs.

[0052] Figure 6FIG. 600 depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS establishment process according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The TDLS initiator STA 602 encapsulates the TDLS discovery request frame 610 to be transparent to the AP and sends it to the peer STA 604 in the OBSS through the AP 606 (e.g., associated with the STA 602) and the AP 608 (e.g., associated with the STA 608). For example, the TDLS discovery request frame 610 is forwarded from the AP 606 to the AP 608. The TDLS discovery response frame 612 (from the STA 604 to the STA 602) is received on the direct link between the STA 604 and the STA 602. This verifies that the STAs are within radio range of each other and can initiate TDLS establishment. The OBSS STA 604 is thus identified during the discovery phase. After receiving the TDLS discovery response frame 612, the TDLS initiator STA 602 can establish a TDLS link with the peer STA 604. Then, TDLS-related parameters are exchanged during the exchange of the TDLS establishment request frame 614 and the response frame 616. During TDLS establishment, security-related negotiation can be performed for the direct link to establish a secure direct link for data communication. The TPK key can be generated based on the information contained in the link identifier element, which may have the BSS identifiers (BSSIDs) of two BSSs (e.g., the BSS associated with the STA 602 and the AP 606, and the BSS associated with the STA 604 and the AP 608) or at least one BSSID.

[0053] The enhanced TDLS (eTDLS) is characterized by encapsulating the establishment frames in data frames, thereby allowing them to be sent transparently through one or more APs. Thus, each AP does not need to have direct link capabilities and does not have to support the same functions used on the TDLS link between two TDLS peer STAs. The eTDLS also includes energy-saving functions in the form of TDLS peer PSM (scheduled) and TDLS peer TPU (unscheduled). The STAs establishing the eTDLS direct link will remain associated with their BSSs but can choose to send frames directly on the direct link. Class 3 data frames can be used for data frames sent between STAs in an infrastructure BSS or a multi-BSS (MBSS), as well as data frames between TDLS peer STAs in different BSSs. The management frames for eTDLS will follow the same rules as traditional TDLS.

[0054] During the eTDLS discovery process, the TDLS initiator can encapsulate the TDLS discovery request frame in the payload of a data frame with an Ethernet type of 89-0d and then send it to the peer STA in the OBSS. Since the peer STA is in the OBSS, the TDLS discovery request frame will be sent to the peer STA through multiple APs. The TDLS discovery request frame will be relayed from the AP within the BSS where the TDLS initiator is located to the AP where the peer STA is located (frame relay between APs is not within the scope of the 802.11 standard). The peer STA that receives the TDLS discovery request frame shall respond to the TDLS discovery response frame to the TDLS initiator through a direct link. The BSSID of the peer STA and / or the BSSID of the TDLS initiator may appear in the exchanged TDLS discovery and establishment frames to identify that the TDLS establishment belongs to the peer STA between these BSSIDs. In addition, it is assumed that the peer STA and the TDLS initiator operate on the same channel.

[0055] Figure 7A FIG. 4 depicts a schematic diagram of a TDLS discovery request frame format 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the TDLS discovery request frame 706 is encapsulated in an Ethernet type 89-0d data frame. The payload type field 702 is set to enhanced TDLS, which indicates that the data frame is used for enhanced TDLS. Optionally, the payload type field can be set to TDLS, which is the same as traditional TDLS. In this case, some signaling is included in the payload field 704 to indicate eTDLS capabilities or preferences as explained later. These options for the payload type field can also be applied to other TDLS frames. The payload field 704 includes the TDLS discovery request frame 706, which includes a category field 708 set to TDLS, a TDLS action field 710 indicating that the frame 706 is for a TDLS discovery request, and a link identifier element 712. The TDLS discovery request frame format 700 can be used as Figure 6 the encapsulated TDLS discovery request frame 610. If an aggregated media access control (MAC) service data unit (A-MSDU) is used to encapsulate the TDLS discovery request frame 706, the source and destination addresses are carried in the subframe header instead of the address fields. In this case, the destination address (DA) and the source address (SA) are included in the subframe header.

[0056] Figure 7B FIG. 10 depicts a schematic diagram of a TDLS discovery response frame format 714 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A common action frame is used for the TDLS discovery response frame format 714. The common action field 716 indicates that the frame is for an enhanced TDLS discovery response. The TDLS discovery response frame 714 also includes a link identifier element 718.

[0057] Figure 8Depicts a TDLS discovery frame exchange signaling flowchart 800 for AP-to-AP wired backhaul according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process starts with the TDLS initiator STA 802 sending a TDLS discovery request 810 to its associated AP 806 under BSS1. The TDLS discovery request 810 can adopt the same format as the TDLS discovery request frame format 700, where the address 1 field indicates the BSSID of AP 806 as the receiving address (RA), the address 2 field indicates the address of STA 802 as the transmitting address (TA), the address 3 field indicates the address of STA 804 (e.g., the TDLS responder) as the destination address (DA), and the payload type field indicates enhanced TDLS. Then, the TDLS discovery request 810 is relayed from AP 806 to AP 808 (e.g., AP 806 and AP 808 are connected by a wired backhaul) under BSS2 (e.g., an OBSS) through the wired backhaul, and then forwarded from AP 808 to STA 804. When using Ethernet (or other wired backhaul) between AP 806 and AP 808, RA and TA are not required because AP 806 and AP 808 are included in the same L2 broadcast segment. The TDLS discovery request 810 received by STA 804 from AP 808 is now different, where the address 1 field indicates the address of STA 804 as RA, the address 2 field indicates the BSSID of AP 808 as TA, and the address 3 field indicates the address of STA 802 as SA. The payload type field remains unchanged. In response, STA 804 sends a TDLS discovery response 812 to STA 802 on the direct link. The TDLS discovery response 812 can adopt the same format as the TDLS discovery response frame format 714, where the address 1 field indicates the address of STA 802 as RA, the address 2 field indicates the address of STA 804 as TA, the address 3 field indicates the BSSID of AP 806, and the payload type field indicates enhanced TDLS. Other options for the address 3 field of the TDLS discovery response 812 can be the BSSID to which the TDLS responder (e.g., STA 808) belongs, or can be the unique ID assigned by the TDLS initiator (e.g., STA 802) for the TDLS discovery request. Before attempting TDLS discovery, STA 802 may have discovered STA 804 as the expected service peer STA through some method. A typical example is through a high-level or application layer service discovery such as UPnP or Bonjour. After identifying the IP address of the peer STA through service discovery, STA 802 can determine the MAC address of STA 804 through the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). However, in this process, STA 802 may not know any information about AP2 and BSS2 (or even their existence).

[0058] Figure 9 FIG. 900 depicts a TDLS discovery frame exchange signaling flow diagram for AP-to-AP wireless backhaul according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process begins with the TDLS initiator STA 902 sending a TDLS discovery request 910 to its associated AP 906 under BSS1. The TDLS discovery request 910 may be in the same format as the TDLS discovery request frame format 700, where the address 1 field indicates the BSSID of AP 906 as the RA, the address 2 field indicates the address of STA 902 as the TA, the address 3 field indicates the address of STA 904 (e.g., the TDLS responder) as the DA, and the payload type field indicates enhanced TDLS. Then, the TDLS discovery request 910 is forwarded from AP 906 under BSS2 (e.g., an OBSS) to AP 908 (e.g., AP 906 and AP 908 are connected via wireless backhaul) via the wireless backhaul. The TDLS discovery request 910 received by AP 908 from AP 906 is now configured differently, where the address 1 field indicates the BSSID of AP 908 as the RA, and the address 2 field indicates the BSSID of AP 906 as the TA. The address 3 field and the payload type field remain unchanged.

[0059] The TDLS discovery request 910 received by AP 908 is then forwarded from AP 908 to STA 904. The TDLS discovery request 910 received by STA 904 from AP 908 is also configured differently, where the address 1 field indicates the address of STA 904 as the RA, the address 2 field indicates the BSSID of AP 908 as the TA, and the address 3 field indicates the address of STA 902 as the SA. In response, STA 904 sends a TDLS discovery response 912 to STA 902 on the direct link. The TDLS discovery response 912 may be in the same format as the TDLS discovery response frame format 714, where the address 1 field indicates the address of STA 902 as the RA, the address 2 field indicates the address of STA 904 as the TA, the address 3 field indicates the BSSID of AP 906, and the payload type field indicates enhanced TDLS.

[0060] When using wireless backhaul (e.g., connecting AP 906 and AP 908), AP 906 can use a three-address format, where the address 1 field is set to the MAC address of AP 908 as the RA, the address 2 field is set to the MAC address of AP 906 itself as the TA, and the address 3 field is set to the MAC address of STA 904 as the DA. However, the TDLS responder STA 904 needs to know the MAC address of the TDLS initiator STA 902 as the SA, which is missing in the MAC header. In this case, the TDLS initiator STA 902 can include the MAC address of STA 902 (as the SA) in the payload by adding an SA field outside the TDLS discovery request action field, or by modifying the TDLS discovery request action field format for eTDLS to include the SA field. Alternatively, AP 906 can use the three-address format (RA / TA / DA) to disguise the TA as the MAC address of STA 902. AP 908 treats it as a frame from the DS. For example, AP 908 forwards a frame with the SA set to the MAC address of STA 902 (the TA of the received frame). Special security processing can be implemented for this link, such as using a possibly proprietary security method. In another embodiment, the content of the TDLS discovery request 910 can be encapsulated in a forwarding frame indicating the SA (e.g., the MAC address of STA 902), which is configured to be sent to AP 908. AP 908 parses the forwarding frame and forwards the content to STA904 via a data frame. Using the information embedded in the forwarding frame, the SA of the data frame forwarded to STA 904 is set to the MAC address of STA 902. From the perspective of 802.11, these AP-AP link embodiments are out of scope and are implementation-specific. In yet another embodiment, a four-address format can be used to include RA / TA / DA / SA as shown below. These options for AP-AP links can also be applied to other TDLS frames forwarded by the AP.

[0061] Figure 10FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a four - address data frame format 1000 for AP - to - AP communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Taking FIG. 900 as an example, the addressing in frame format 1000 is used for communication between APs as follows (e.g., between AP 906 and AP 908). The From DS field and the To DS field (not shown) are both set to 1. The Address 1 field 1002 is set to the BSSID of BSS2 (e.g., the BSS associated with AP 908) as the RA. The Address 2 field 1004 is set to the BSSID of BSS1 (e.g., the BSS associated with AP 906) as the TA. The Address 3 field 1006 is set to the address of STA904 as the DA. The Address 4 field 1008 is set to the address of STA 902 as the SA. In addition, the Payload Type field 1010 is set to TDLS.

[0062] Figure 11 FIG. shows a schematic diagram 1100 of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, where the link identifier element in the TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSS identifier (BSSID) of the BSS associated with the TDLS initiator. STA 1102 initiates the TDLS process (e.g., TDLS initiator) in a manner similar to the traditional TDLS process, except that an enhanced TDLS flag (indicating the enhanced TDLS capabilities or preferences of STA 1102) is included in the TDLS discovery request frame 1110. This flag can be carried in a capabilities element (e.g., extended capabilities element) or a newly defined extended TDLS element. In the TDLS discovery request frame 1110 sent from STA 1102 to the associated AP 1106, the Address 1 field is set to the address of AP 1106 as the RA, the Address 2 field is set to the address of STA 1102 as the TA, the Address 3 field is set to the address of STA 1104 (e.g., TDLS responder) as the DA, and the link identifier element indicates BSSID1 (e.g., the identifier of the BSS associated with AP 1106, or the MAC address of AP 1106). Then, the TDLS discovery request frame 1110 is forwarded by AP 1106 to AP 1108 (e.g., the AP associated with TDLS responder STA 1104). The AP - to - AP path between AP 1106 and AP 1108 can be a wired or wireless backhaul, wireless relay, or other similar paths.

[0063] After receiving the TDLS discovery request frame 1110, the AP 1108 then sends the frame to the STA 1104. At this time, the TDLS discovery request frame 1110 received by the STA 1104 is configured in a different form such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1104 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1110 will be received by the STA 1104), the address 2 field is set to the address of the AP 1108 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1110 is sent by the AP 1108), the address 3 field is set to the address of the STA 1102 as the SA (e.g., the frame 1110 originates from the TDLS initiator STA 1102), and the link identifier element indicates BSSID1. However, at this time, the STA 1104 does not know whether BSS1 is a trusted network (e.g., whether the AP-to-AP path is secure). Therefore, the STA 1104 can check whether the BSS with BSSID1 is trustworthy by sending a probe request frame 1112 to the AP 1108 to request a list of trusted AP BSSs, and the requested list can be provided in the probe response frame 1114 sent by the AP 1108 to the STA 1104. An example of a trusted AP (or BSS) is the AP 1106 (or BSS1) in the ESS to which the TDLS initiator STA 1102 belongs. If the STA 1104 finds BSSID1 in the list of trusted APs, the STA 1104 can send a TDLS discovery response frame 1116 to the STA 1102 via a direct link. The TDLS response frame 1116 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1102 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1116 will be received by the STA 1102), the address 2 field is set to the address of the STA 1104 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1116 is sent by the STA 1104), the address 3 field indicates BSSID1, and the link identifier element also indicates BSSID1. After receiving the response frame 1116, the STA 1102 can accept the establishment of the TDLS direct link.

[0064] In one embodiment, STA 1104 may already have information about a trusted AP, for example, by listening to beacon frames or probe response frames from AP 1108 that contain the trusted AP information. In this case, the exchange of probe request / response frames can be omitted after receiving the TDLS discovery request frame 1110. In another embodiment, STA 1104 can also learn about the trusted AP during the association process by receiving the trusted AP information carried in the association response frame. In another embodiment, the trusted AP information can be included in some elements (such as the reduced neighbor report (RNR) or neighbor report element). In multi-AP operation, a specific element (such as the multi-AP element) may contain the trusted AP information. This information can be included, for example, in the RNR element carried by the multi-AP element, or directly in a field outside the RNR element in the multi-AP element.

[0065] Figure 12FIG. 1200 depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The link identifier element in a TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSSID of the BSS associated with a TDLS peer STA. In this example, it is assumed that TDLS initiator STA 1202 has discovered STA 1204 as a potential TDLS peer STA and has also somehow learned which AP and BSS STA 1208 is associated with (e.g., AP 1208 and BSS2 here). For example, this can be achieved by leveraging a fast initial link setup (FILS) discovery frame for peer STA discovery. However, at this time, STA 1202 does not know whether BSS2 is a trusted network (e.g., whether the AP-to-AP path is secure). Thus, STA 1202 can check whether the BSS with BSSID2 is trusted by sending a probe request frame 1210 to the associated AP1206 requesting a list of trusted AP BSSs, and the requested list can be provided to STA 1202 in a probe response frame 1212 from AP 1206. If STA 1202 knows that the potential TDLS peer STA (STA 1204) is associated with a trusted AP / BSS (AP 1208 / BSS2; e.g., in the same ESS), then STA 1202 can perform a TDLS discovery / establishment process with the BSSID field in its address field or link identifier element set to BSSID2. For example, STA 1202 can send a TDLS discovery request frame 1214 to AP 1206 to initiate a TDLS with STA 1204. The TDLS discovery request frame 1214 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of AP 1206 as the RA, the address 2 field is set to the address of STA 1202 (e.g., the TDLS initiator) as the TA, the address 3 field is set to the address of STA 1204 (e.g., the TDLS responder) as the DA, and the link identifier element indicates BSSID2 (e.g., the identifier of BSS2 associated with AP1206, or the MAC address of AP 1206). Then, the TDLS discovery request frame 1214 is forwarded by AP1206 to AP 1208 (e.g., the AP associated with the TDLS responder STA 1204). The AP-to-AP path between AP 1206 and AP 1208 can be a wired or wireless backhaul, a wireless relay, or other similar paths.

[0066] After receiving the TDLS discovery request frame 1214, the AP 1208 then sends the frame to the STA 1204. The TDLS discovery request frame 1214 received by the STA 1204 is now configured differently such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1204 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1214 will be received by the STA 1204), the address 2 field is set to the address of the AP 1208 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1214 is sent from the AP 1208), the address 3 field is set to the address of the STA 1202 as the SA (e.g., the frame 1214 originates from the TDLS initiator STA 1202), and the link identifier element indicates BSSID2. Since the link identifier element contains BSSID2, e.g., the BSS associated with the STA 1204, the actions of the STA 1204 can be similar to the traditional TDLS process. The STA 1204 can send a TDLS discovery response frame 1216 to the STA 1202 over the direct link. The TDLS discovery response frame 1216 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1202 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1216 will be received by the STA 1202), the address 2 field is set to the address of the STA 1204 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1216 is sent from the STA 1204), the address 3 field indicates BSSID2, and the link identifier element also indicates BSSID2. After receiving the response frame 1216, the STA 1202 can accept the establishment of the TDLS direct link.

[0067] Figure 13FIG. 1300 depicts a schematic diagram of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The link identifier element in the TDLS discovery frame indicates the BSSID of the BSS associated with the TDLS initiator and the BSSID of the BSS associated with the TDLS peer STA. STA 1302 initiates the TDLS process in a manner similar to the traditional TDLS process (e.g., as a TDLS initiator), except that an enhanced TDLS flag (indicating the enhanced TDLS capability or preference of STA 1302) is included in the TDLS discovery request frame 1310. This flag can be carried in a capability element (e.g., an extended capability element) or a newly defined extended TDLS element. In the TDLS discovery request frame 1310 sent from STA 1302 to the associated AP 1306, the address 1 field is set to the address of AP 1306 as the RA, the address 2 field is set to the address of STA 1302 as the TA, the address 3 field is set to the address of STA 1304 (e.g., the TDLS responder) as the DA, and the link identifier element indicates BSSID1 (e.g., the identifier of BSS1 associated with AP 1306, or the MAC address of AP 1306). Then, the TDLS discovery request frame 1310 is forwarded by AP 1306 to AP 1308 (e.g., the AP associated with the TDLS responder STA 1304). The AP-to-AP path between AP 1306 and AP 1308 can be a wired or wireless backhaul, a wireless relay, or other similar paths.

[0068] After receiving the TDLS discovery request frame 1310, the AP 1308 then sends the frame to the STA 1304. The TDLS discovery request frame 1310 received by the STA 1304 is now configured differently such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1304 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1310 will be received by the STA 1304), the address 2 field is set to the address of the AP 1308 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1310 is sent from the AP 1308), the address 3 field is set to the address of the STA 1302 as the SA (e.g., the frame 1310 originates from the TDLS initiator STA 1302), and the link identifier element indicates BSSID1. However, at this time, the STA 1304 does not know whether BSS1 is a trusted network (e.g., whether the AP-to-AP path is secure). Therefore, the STA 1304 can send a probe request frame 1312 to check whether the BSS with BSSID1 is trustworthy by requesting a list of BSSs of trusted APs from the AP 1308, and the requested list can be provided in a probe response frame 1314 sent from the AP 1308 to the STA 1304. An example of a trusted AP (or BSS) is the AP 1306 (or BSS1) in the ESS to which the TDLS initiator STA 1302 belongs. If the STA 1304 finds BSSID1 in the list of trusted APs, the STA 1304 can send a TDLS discovery response frame 1316 to the STA 1302 on the direct link. The TDLS response frame 1316 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of the STA 1302 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1316 will be received by the STA 1302), the address 2 field is set to the address of the STA 1304 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1316 is sent from the STA 1304), the address 3 field indicates BSSID2 (e.g., the identifier of BSS2 associated with the AP 1306, or the MAC address of the AP 1306), and the link identifier element also indicates BSSID2. After receiving the response frame 1316, the STA 1302 can accept the establishment of the TDLS direct link. In one implementation, if the STA 1302 receives a valid TDLS discovery response frame with an invalid BSSID field in its link identifier element (e.g., other address fields, conversation token fields, etc. are valid), the STA 1302 can still recognize that BSSID2 (e.g., indicated in the address 3 field of the TDLS discovery response frame 1316) is trustworthy. Then, the STA 1302 can include BSSID1 in the BSSID field of the frame being sent and accept BSSID2 in the BSSID field when receiving frames from the STA 1304 during TDLS establishment.

[0069] During TDLS establishment, STA 1302 can send a TDLS establishment request frame 1318 and a TDLS establishment confirmation frame 1322 to STA 1304 via AP 1306 and AP 1308. In one embodiment, when sent from STA 1302 to AP 1306 and from AP 1308 to STA 1304, the address fields and link identifier elements in the TDLS establishment request frame 1318 and the TDLS establishment confirmation frame 1322 can be configured to be the same as the address fields and link identifier elements in the TDLS discovery request frame 1310 when sent from STA 1302 to AP 1306 and from AP 1308 to STA 1304. In addition, STA 1304 can send a TDLS establishment response frame 1320 to STA 1302 via AP 1308 and AP 1306. The TDLS establishment response frame 1320 sent from STA 1304 to AP 1308 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of AP 1308 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1320 will be received by AP 1308), the address 2 field is set to the address of STA 1304 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1320 is sent from STA 1304), the address 3 field is set to the address of STA 1302 as the DA, and the link identifier element indicates BSSID2. The TDLS establishment response frame 1320 sent from AP 1306 to STA 1302 can be configured such that the address 1 field is set to the address of STA 1302 as the RA (e.g., the frame 1320 will be received by STA 1302), the address 2 field is set to the address of AP1306 as the TA (e.g., the frame 1320 is sent from AP 1306), the address 3 field is set to the address of STA 1304 as the SA, and the link identifier element indicates BSSID2.

[0070] Figure 14A depicts, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for Figure 11 Example of the link identifier element 1400. For example, the BSSID field 1402 in the link identifier element 1400 (e.g., included in the TDLS discovery request / response frames 1110 and 1116) can indicate the BSSID of the initiator (e.g., BSSID1 in example 1100). Figure 14B depicts, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for Figure 12 Example of the link identifier element 1404. For example, the BSSID field 1406 in the link identifier element 1404 (e.g., included in the TDLS discovery request / response frames 1214 and 1216) can indicate the BSSID of the responder (e.g., BSSID2 in example 1200). In addition, Figure 14C depicts, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, forFigure 13 The link identifier element 1408 in the example. For example, the BSSID1 field 1410 and the BSSID2 field 1412 in the link identifier element 1408 (e.g., included in the TDLS discovery request / response frames 1314 and 1316 and the TDLS establishment request / response frames 1318, 1322, and 1320) may respectively indicate the BSSID of the initiator (e.g., BSSID1 in example 1300) and the BSSID of the responder (e.g., BSSID2 in example 1300).

[0071] Figure 15 Example 1500 depicts the overall signaling details of an enhanced TDLS discovery process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, when sent from STA 1502 (e.g., the TDLS initiator) to AP 1506 (e.g., the AP associated with STA 1502) and from AP 1508 (e.g., the OBSS AP associated with the peer STA 1504) to STA 1504 (e.g., the TDLS responder), the address fields of the TDLS discovery request frame 1510, the TDLS establishment request frame 1514, and the TDLS establishment confirmation frame 1518 can be configured to be the same as the address fields in the TDLS discovery request frames 1110, 1214, and 1310 and the TDLS establishment request frames 1318 and 1322 when sent from their respective TDLS initiator STAs (through their respective APs) to their respective TDLS responder STAs. However, the link identifier elements in the TDLS discovery request frame 1510, the TDLS establishment request frame 1514, and the TDLS establishment confirmation frame 1518 can be configured to indicate BSSID1 (e.g., the BSSID of BSS1 associated with AP 1506), BSSID2 (e.g., the BSSID of BSS2 associated with AP 1508), or both BSSID1 and BSSID2 according to the desired implementation.

[0072] Similarly, the address field of the TDLS discovery response frame 1512 (e.g., when sent from STA 1504 to AP 1508 and from AP 1506 to STA 1502) can be configured to be substantially the same as the address fields in the TDLS discovery response frames 1116, 1216, and 1316 when sent from their respective TDLS responder STAs (through their respective APs) to their respective TDLS initiator STAs. However, the address 3 field and the link identifier element in the TDLS discovery response frame 1512 can be respectively configured to indicate BSSID1, BSSID2, or both BSSID1 and BSSID2 according to the desired implementation.

[0073] In addition, the address field of the TDLS setup response frame 1516 (e.g., when sent from STA 1504 to AP 1508 and from AP 1506 to STA 1502) can be configured to be the same as the address field of the TDLS setup response frame 1320 when it is sent from its respective TDLS responder STA (through its respective AP) to its respective TDLS initiator STA. However, the link identifier element in the TDLS setup response frame 1516 can be configured to indicate BSSID1, BSSID2, or both BSSID1 and BSSID2 according to the required implementation. After STA 1504 receives the TDLS setup confirmation frame 1518, TDLS direct link communication can be performed between STA 1502 and STA 1504 on the direct path until a TDLS teardown operation is executed.

[0074] Peer STAs in the OBSS may operate on a channel different from the channel on which the TDLS initiator is operating. In this case, the peer STA (TDLS responder) will switch its channel to the primary channel of the BSS of the TDLS initiator and respond on the switched channel. The signaling for the channel switch request can be performed in the TDLS discovery or TDLS setup phase. For example, the TDLS initiator includes its operating channel in the TDLS discovery request or TDLS setup request. The TDLS responder can perform the channel switch procedure and respond to the TDLS initiator by sending a TDLS discovery response or TDLS setup response on the operating channel of the TDLS initiator. If the TDLS responder is to switch its operating channel, the TDLS responder should be in the power save (PS) mode with the associated AP so that the AP can identify that the TLDS responder STA will not receive traffic from the AP for a period of time. Optionally, if needed, an enhanced TDLS channel switch procedure can be defined to negotiate out-of-channel TDLS, which is similar to the traditional TDLS channel switch procedure but is performed through the AP rather than the direct link.

[0075] Security negotiation can be performed for the TDLS link. As described in the following section, a three-party TPK handshake protocol executed on the established link can be used to derive a security key, such as the TDLS peer key (TPK), which is used to provide confidentiality and authentication for all frames exchanged on the direct link. To establish a secure TDLS link with a peer STA in the OBSS, it is assumed that the OBSS peer STA is in the same ESS as the TDLS initiator. A key advantage is that this will help protect the entire path between the TDLS initiator and the TDLS responder, including the AP-to-AP path. Alternatively, if the AP-AP link may be insecure, a four-way handshake can be used instead of the three-way handshake, for example, by adding the transmission of an authentication frame encapsulated in a data frame after the TDLS setup confirmation frame or before the TDLS setup request frame.

[0076] Figure 16 Depicts the security negotiation process of a TDLS link according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the TDLS initiator STA1602 sends a TDLS establishment request 1610 to the OBSS peer STA 1604 (e.g., the TDLS responder) through the associated AP 1606 and the OBSS AP 1608. In the TDLS establishment request 1610, the BSSID of AP1 is designated as the RA (e.g., in the address 1 field), the address of STA 1602 is designated as the TA (e.g., in the address 2 field), and the address of STA 1604 is designated as the DA (e.g., in the address 3 field). The TDLS establishment request 1610 may include a Fast BSS Transition (FTE) element for deriving the TPK in the security negotiation, where the TDLS establishment request 1610 may be referred to as the TDLS Pairwise Master Key (PMK) handshake message 1. In response to the request 1610, STA 1604 may send a TDLS establishment response 1612 (e.g., the TDLS PMK handshake message 2) to STA 1602 through AP 1608 and AP 1606. In the TDLS establishment response 1612, the address of AP1 is designated as the RA (e.g., in the address 1 field), the address of STA 1604 is designated as the TA (e.g., in the address 2 field), and the address of STA 1602 is designated as the DA (e.g., in the address 3 field). The TDLS establishment response 1612 may also include an FTE element. In response to the response 1612, STA 1602 may send a TDLS establishment confirmation 1614 (e.g., the TDLSPMK handshake message 3) to STA 1604 through AP 1606 and AP 1608. In the TDLS establishment confirmation 1614, the BSSID of AP 1606 is designated as the RA (e.g., in the address 1 field), the address of STA 1602 is designated as the TA (e.g., in the address 2 field), and the address of STA 1604 is designated as the DA (e.g., in the address 3 field). The TDLS establishment confirmation 1614 may also include an FTE element. It should be understood that each of the frames 1610, 1612, and 1614 also includes a link identifier element, and the BSSID specified in each link identifier element depends on the desired implementation similar to that shown in FIG. 1500.

[0077] Figure 17A schematic diagram depicting an FTE element for deriving a TDK during TDLS link security negotiation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The FTE element 1700 may include a Message Integrity Code (MIC) field, an Anonce field 1704, and an Snonce field 1706. For example, the contents of the Anonce field 1704 and the Snonce field 1706 are used to generate the TPK-KEY-Input as follows:

[0078] • TPK-Key-Input = Hash(min (SNonce, ANonce) || max (SNonce, ANonce))

[0079] • TPK = KDF-Hash-Length(TPK-Key-Input, “TDLS PMK”, min (MAC_I, MAC_R)|| max (MAC_I, MAC_R) || BSSID)

[0080] • TPK-KCK = L(TPK, 0, 128)

[0081] • TPK-TK = L(TPK, 128, Length – 128)

[0082] The Key Confirmation Key (KCK) is used to provide data origin authenticity in the TDLS Establishment Response frame and the TDLS Establishment Confirmation frame, while the same TPK-TK is used to provide confidentiality for all protected frames sent over the direct link. Here, BSSID, MAC_I, and MAC_R are the values of the BSSID, the TDLS initiator STA address, and the TDLS responder STA address fields of the link identifier element carried in the TDLS establishment frame, respectively.

[0083] MIC values can be calculated for TPK handshake messages 2 and 3 (e.g., TDLS Establishment Response 1612 and TDLS Establishment Confirmation 1614, respectively). The values of the TDLS initiator STA address and the TDLS responder STA address fields of the link identifier element carried in the TDLS establishment frame are used as the TDLS initiator STA MAC address and the TDLS responder STA MAC address, respectively. The MIC should calculate the concatenated content in the following order:

[0084] • TDLS initiator STA MAC address (6 octets)

[0085] • TDLS responder STA MAC address (6 octets)

[0086] • Transaction sequence number (1 octet), and this value should be set to 2 or 3

[0087] • Link identifier element

[0088] • RSNE

[0089] • Timeout interval element

[0090] • FTE, and the MIC field of the FTE is set to 0.

[0091] The TPK-KCK and AES-128-CMAC algorithms can be used to calculate the MIC.

[0092] When two non-APs exchange data frames through a direct link, during the encapsulation / de-encapsulation of the Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol (CCMP) or Galois / Counter Mode Protocol (GCMP), the rules for calculating the Additional Authentication Data (AAD) and nonce are as follows. The MAC address of the receiving party is used as the address 1 field for AAD construction. The MAC address of the sending AP is used as the address 2 field for AAD and nonce construction. If the non-AP STA is associated with an AP, the MAC address of the OBSS AP is used as the address 3 field for AAD construction. Otherwise, the address 3 field of the protected frame is used for AAD construction. Alternatively, the TDLS initiator STA address, TDLS responder STA address, and the addresses carried in the BSSID field of the link identifier element carried in the TDLS setup frame can be used for AAD and nonce construction.

[0093] In one embodiment, TDLS can be extended to a Virtual BSS (VBSS) architecture. A VBSS scenario where multiple APs in an ESS belonging to a "multi-AP group" form a virtual BSS can be considered. Each AP can belong to a corresponding Multi-Link Device (MLD). Alternatively, the virtual BSS can be composed of MLDs instead of multiple APs. The APs in the multi-AP group can follow multi-AP coordinated operations, which may be specified in a future IEEE 802.11 standard. Such a multi-AP group can be referred to as a "coordinated AP group". The multi-AP group can form a virtual AP device or an extended MLD, where each AP or MLD belonging to the virtual device may not be collocated. The multi-AP group can also be a group of APs in Wi-Fi EasyMesh. The virtual BSS has an ID similar to the BSSID. It can be called a "VBSSID" or a "multi-AP group ID". In this way, TDLS can be extended to an OBSS scenario where the peer STAs are not in the same BSS but in a VBSS. For example, the TDLS initiator is in one BSS and the TDLS responder is in another BSS, but both are part of the same VBSS. In one implementation, if both STAs support enhanced TDLS, the BSSID field of the Link Identifier element shall set the BSSID to the VBSSID. Each capable STA shall indicate the enhanced TDLS capability during the TDLS discovery phase.

[0094] For the VBSS scenario, STA1 sends a TDLS discovery request frame encapsulated in an Ethernet type 89-0d data frame in BSS1 with the following parameters: To DS field = 1, From DS field = 0, Address 1 field: RA = BSSID (e.g., AP1, or the AP associated with the TDLS initiator), Address 2 field: TA = STA1 (e.g., the address of the TDLS initiator), Address 3 field: DA = STA2 (e.g., the address of the TDLS responder in the OBSS). AP1 (in BSS1) forwards the data frame through the DS to AP2 (e.g., the AP associated with the TDLS responder in BSS2). AP1 and AP2 may belong to an ESS and be connected to the same common DS. The DS can be implemented in various ways (e.g., in a wired or wireless backhaul), but the source address (STA1 MAC address) and destination address (STA2 MAC address) information is transferred from AP1 to AP2, e.g., through the Ethernet frame header on a wired backhaul or the four-address format data frame header on a wireless backhaul. The four-address format is used for some devices that support co-channel relay and for AP-AP communication in some EasyMesh implementations. Additionally, AP2 sends the data frame to STA2 in BSS2 with the following parameters: To DS field = 0, From DS field = 1, Address 1 field: RA = BSSID (AP1), Address 2 field: TA = STA1, Address 3 field: DA = STA2 (in the OBSS).

[0095] Figure 18 Depicts a variant of the TDLS discovery response frame format 1800 that can be used in a VBSS ID setting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The payload type field 1802 indicates that the data frame is for TDLS. The payload field 1804 contains a TDLS discovery response frame 1806 including a category field 1808 set to TDLS, a TDLS action field 1810 indicating that frame 1806 is a TDLS discovery response, and a link identifier element 1812. The link identifier element 1812 can indicate the VBSSID in the BSSID field 1814.

[0096] In one embodiment, AP1 (the AP associated with TDLS initiator STA1) and AP2 (the AP associated with TDLS responder STA2) can be co-located in a multi-BSSID set (e.g., in a single wireless router). For example, AP1 belongs to the primary BSS (BSS1) with a transmitting BSSID, and AP2 belongs to the guest BSS (BSS2) with a non-transmitting BSSID, and they each belong to different VLANs. In this case, these APs do not belong to a single ESS, but the requirements are lower than those of independent APs because both STAs know a common transmitting BSSID, and since both APs are implemented in a single device (e.g., a wireless router), the data path from AP1 to AP2 is considered secure. In this scenario, the TDLS initiator can learn about the data path from AP1 to AP2 and that AP2 is secure from the information (signaling) in the multi-BSSID set. The signaling can be defined in the TDLS discovery request frame and other TDLS frames (e.g., in reserved bits or elements), and these signals indicate the "enhanced TDLS" capability (e.g., using a frame format similar to Figure 7A and 7B . For example, the BSSID field in the link identifier element is set to the transmitting BSSID. If the TDLS responder supports enhanced TDLS and the BSSID in the link identifier element is the transmitting BSSID, the responder can return a TDLS discovery response frame to the initiator. Similar signaling and guidelines can also be applied to TDLS establishment or other TDLS processes. Since the BSSs in the multi-BSSID set are intentionally separated (e.g., for guest users), additional security processing can be implemented.

[0097] Figure 19FIG. 1900 depicts a schematic diagram of a TDLS implementation with multiple BSSIDs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. AP 1908 (e.g., an AP associated with STA 1902), AP 1910 (e.g., an AP associated with STA 1904), and AP 1912 (e.g., an AP associated with STA 1906) are implemented in the same physical AP device in wireless router 1914. AP 1908 is the AP that sends the BSSID, while AP 1910 and AP 1912 are non - sending BSSID APs. AP 1908 and AP 1910 belong to logically independent VLANs but allow traffic to be forwarded between each other. AP 1912 is isolated from other co - located APs by a security policy. For example, forwarding is not allowed between AP 1912 and AP 1908 and between AP 1912 and AP 1910. For example, a direct link can be established between STA 1902 and STA 1904 through enhanced TDLS (instead of traditional TDLS), but a direct link cannot be established between STA 1906 and STA 1902 and STA 1904. The neighbor report or RNR method for security confirmation is also applicable to this implementation. For example, each STA can collect information about trusted APs (e.g., the path between its own BSS and the peer BSS) from its respective associated AP.

[0098] Figure 20 FIG. 2000 depicts a block diagram of a STA 2000 suitable for communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, STA 2000 can be implemented as a non - AP STA or a STA suitable for enhanced TDLS. STA 2000 may include a power supply 2002, a memory 2004, a central processing unit (CPU) 2006, and an auxiliary storage device 2008. STA 2000 also includes a wired interface 2010 and a wireless interface 2012 (including a MAC layer 2014 and a physical (PHY) layer 2016) for sending / receiving signals for enhanced TDLS with other communication devices (e.g., other STAs / APs).

[0099] Figure 21 FIG. 2100 shows a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to various embodiments. In step 2102, a request frame is sent from a first wireless communication device to a second wireless communication device via a first AP associated with the first wireless communication device and a second AP associated with the second wireless communication device, the request frame representing a request for peer - to - peer communication with the second wireless communication device. In step 2104, in response to the request frame, a response frame is received from the second wireless communication device.

[0100] Figure 22Shows a partial cross-sectional view of a communication device 2200 that can be used for enhanced TDLS according to various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the communication device 2200 can be implemented as a STA or an AP.

[0101] The various functions and operations of the communication device 2200 are arranged into respective layers according to a layered model. In this model, the lower layers report to and receive instructions from the higher layers in accordance with IEEE specifications. For simplicity, the details of the layered model are not discussed in this disclosure.

[0102] As Figure 22 shown, the communication device 2200 can include a circuit 2214, at least one radio transmitter 2202, at least one radio receiver 2204, and a plurality of antennas 2212 (for simplicity, Figure 22 only one antenna is depicted for illustrative purposes). The circuit can include at least one controller 2206 for software and hardware-assisted execution of the tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling communication with one or more other devices in a wireless network. The at least one controller 2206 can control at least one transmit signal generator 2208 for generating frames to be transmitted to one or more other STAs or APs via the at least one radio transmitter 2202, and at least one receive signal processor 2210 for processing frames received from one or more other STAs or APs via the at least one radio receiver 2204. The at least one transmit signal generator 2208 and the at least one receive signal processor 2210 can be separate modules of the communication device 2200 that communicate with the at least one controller 2206 to implement the above functions. Alternatively, the at least one transmit signal generator 2208 and the at least one receive signal processor 2210 can be included in the at least one controller 2206. Those skilled in the art can understand that the arrangement of these functional modules is flexible and may vary according to actual needs and / or requirements. Data processing, storage, and other related control devices can be provided on appropriate circuit boards and / or chip sets.

[0103] In various embodiments, the at least one radio transmitter 2202, the at least one radio receiver 2204, and the at least one antenna 2212 can be controlled by the at least one controller 2206. Additionally, although only one radio transmitter 2202 is shown, it can be understood that there can be multiple such transmitters.

[0104] In various embodiments, the at least one radio receiver 2204 and the at least one receive signal processor 2210 together constitute the receiver of the communication device 2200. The receiver of the communication device 2200 provides the functions required for enhanced TDLS. Although only one radio receiver 2204 is shown in the figure, it should be understood that there can be multiple such receivers.

[0105] The communication device 2200 provides the functions required for enhanced TDLS in operation. For example, the communication device 2200 can be a first wireless communication device. The transmitter 2202 can send a request frame for peer communication to a second wireless communication device associated with a second AP. The receiver 2204 can receive a response frame from the second wireless communication device in response to the request frame in operation.

[0106] The request frame can be a Tunnel Direct Link Setup (TDLS) discovery request frame, an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) request frame, or a TDLS setup request frame. The first AP can be connected to the second AP through a wireless backhaul or a wired backhaul. The first wireless communication device and the first AP can belong to a first Basic Service Set (BSS), and the second wireless communication device and the second AP can belong to a second BSS different from the first BSS. The first and second wireless communication devices can be part of a Virtual Basic Service Set (VBSS) sharing the same Virtual BSSID (VBSSID).

[0107] The circuit 2214 can generate a request frame with a link identifier element that indicates the first BSSID associated with the first wireless communication device, the second BSSID associated with the second wireless communication device, or both the first and second BSSIDs. The second wireless communication device can be a STA in an Extended Service Set (ESS), where the circuit 2214 can also be configured to generate a request frame with an FTE element for deriving a TDLS peer key, the FTE element indicating a MIC value; and calculate the MIC value based on the link identifier element.

[0108] The first and second wireless communication devices can be part of a multi-BSSID set, and the first wireless communication device is configured to collect information about one or more APs on the path between the BSS associated with the first wireless communication device and the peer BSS associated with the second wireless communication device from the first AP. The first and second APs can be part of a plurality of co-located APs implemented in the same physical AP device.

[0109] For example, the communication device 2200 can be a second wireless communication device associated with a second AP. The receiver 2204 can receive a request frame indicating a request for peer communication with the second wireless communication device from the first wireless communication device through a first AP associated with the first wireless communication device and the second AP. The transmitter 2202 can send a response frame to the first wireless communication device in response to the request frame.

[0110] The response frame can be a TDLS discovery response frame, an ANQP response frame, or a TDLS establishment response frame. The response frame can be a TDLS discovery response frame, and the transmitter 2202 can be configured to send the response frame to the first wireless communication device via a direct link. The response frame can be a TDLS establishment response frame in a data frame payload, and the transmitter 2202 can be configured to send the response frame to the first wireless communication device via the second AP and the first AP.

[0111] The second wireless communication device can be an OBSS STA, and when receiving a request frame (the request frame is a TDLS discovery request frame), it can also be configured to obtain information about adjacent BSSs from its associated AP. The information obtained from its associated AP can include a reduced neighbor report (RNR) or a neighbor report element that reports a list of trusted APs.

[0112] The circuit 2214 can generate a response frame with a link identifier element that indicates the first BSSID associated with the first wireless communication device, the second BSSID associated with the second wireless communication device, or both the first and second BSSIDs. The second wireless communication device can be a STA in an ESS, where the circuit 2214 is also configured to generate a response frame with an FTE element for deriving a TDLS peer key, the FTE element indicating a MIC value and calculating the MIC value based on the link identifier element.

[0113] The present disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Each functional block used in the above-described embodiments can be partially or entirely implemented by an LSI such as an integrated circuit, and each process described in the embodiments can be partially or entirely controlled by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI can be made into a single chip, or can be made into a single chip to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI can include data input and output connected thereto. Here, the LSI can be referred to as an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, a very large scale LSI, or a system on a chip (SoC) according to the degree of integration. However, the technology for implementing integrated circuits is not limited to LSIs, and dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or dedicated processors can also be used. In addition, an FPGA (field programmable gate array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connection and setting of circuit units provided inside the LSI can be used. The present disclosure can be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. If in the future, due to the progress of semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, integrated circuit technology replaces LSIs, then future integrated circuit technology can be used to integrate the functional blocks. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0114] The present disclosure can be implemented by any device, apparatus, or system having communication capabilities, and such devices, apparatuses, or systems are referred to as communication devices.

[0115] Some non-limiting examples of such communication devices include telephones (e.g., cellular phones, smart phones), tablet computers, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktop computers, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smart watches, tracking devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), smart glasses), gaming consoles, digital book readers, remote health / telemedicine devices, and transportation vehicles with communication capabilities (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), as well as various combinations of the above devices.

[0116] The communication devices are not limited to being portable or movable, and can also include any non-portable or fixed devices, apparatuses, or systems, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other "things" in the "Internet of Things (IoT)" network.

[0117] Communication can include data exchange through, for example, cellular systems, wireless local area network systems, satellite systems, etc., as well as various combinations of the above systems.

[0118] The communication device can include devices such as controllers or sensors that are coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in the present disclosure. For example, the communication device can include a controller or sensor that generates control signals or data signals for use by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication device.

[0119] The communication device can also include infrastructure devices, such as base stations, access points, and any other devices, apparatuses, or systems that communicate with or control the devices in the above non-limiting examples.

[0120] Thus, this embodiment provides a communication device and method for enhanced TDLS.

[0121] Although exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description of this embodiment, it should be understood that there are a large number of variations. It should also be understood that these exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, operation, or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Instead, the foregoing detailed description will provide a convenient guide for those skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments, and it should be understood that various changes can be made to the functions and arrangements of the steps and operating methods described in the exemplary embodiments and to the modules and structures of the devices described in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the subject matter described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A first wireless communication device associated with a first access point (AP), the first wireless communication device comprising: A transmitter that transmits a request frame for peer communication to a second wireless communication device associated with a second AP; And A receiver that receives a response frame from the second wireless communication device in response to the request frame.

2. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the request frame is a tunnel direct link setup (TDLS) discovery request frame, an access network query protocol (ANQP) request frame, or a TDLS setup request frame.

3. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first AP is connected to the second AP via a wireless backhaul or a wired backhaul.

4. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device and the first AP belong to a first basic service set (BSS), and the second wireless communication device and the second AP belong to a second BSS different from the first BSS.

5. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising circuitry that generates the request frame with a link identifier element that indicates a first BSSID associated with the first wireless communication device, a second BSSID associated with the second wireless communication device, or both the first BSSID and the second BSSID.

6. The first wireless communication device according to claim 5, wherein the second wireless communication device is a station (STA) in an extended service set (ESS), and wherein the circuitry is further configured to: Generate a request frame with a FTE element for deriving a TDLS peer key, the FTE element indicating a MIC value; and Calculate the MIC value based on the link identifier element.

7. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are part of a virtual basic service set (VBSS) sharing the same virtual BSSID (VBSSID).

8. The first wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are part of a multi-BSSID set, and the first wireless communication device is configured to collect information related to one or more APs on a path between a BSS associated with the first wireless communication device and a peer BSS associated with the second wireless communication device from the first AP.

9. The first wireless communication device according to claim 8, wherein, The first AP and the second AP are part of a plurality of co-located APs implemented in the same physical AP device.

10. A second wireless communication device associated with a second AP, the second wireless communication device comprising: A receiver that receives a request frame from the first wireless communication device via a first AP associated with the first wireless communication device and the second AP, the request frame indicating a request for peer communication with the second wireless communication device; And A transmitter that transmits a response frame to the first wireless communication device in response to the request frame.

11. The second wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein the response frame is a TDLS discovery response frame, an ANQP response frame, or a TDLS establishment response frame.

12. The second wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein: the response frame is a TDLS discovery response frame, and the transmitter is configured to send the response frame to the first wireless communication device via a direct link; or the response frame is a TDLS establishment response frame in the payload of a data frame, and the transmitter is configured to send the response frame to the first wireless communication device via the second AP and the first AP.

13. The second wireless communication device according to claim 10, the second wireless communication device being an OBSS STA and further configured to obtain information about an adjacent BSS from its associated AP after receiving the request frame, the request frame being a TDLS discovery request frame.

14. The second wireless communication device according to claim 13, wherein the information obtained from its associated AP includes a reduced neighbor report (RNR) reporting a list of trusted APs or a neighbor report element.

15. The second wireless communication device according to claim 10, further comprising circuitry that generates the response frame with a link identifier element that indicates a first BSSID associated with the first wireless communication device, a second BSSID associated with the second wireless communication device, or both the first BSSID and the second BSSID.

16. The second wireless communication device according to claim 15, the second wireless communication device being a STA in an ESS, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: generate the response frame with an FTE element for deriving a TDLS peer key, the FTE element indicating a MIC value, and calculate the MIC value based on the link identifier element.

17. A communication method, comprising: sending, from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, a request frame via a first AP associated with the first wireless communication device and a second AP associated with the second wireless communication device, the request frame indicating a request for peer communication with the second wireless communication device; and receiving, in response to the request frame, a response frame from the second wireless communication device.

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