Method and apparatus for link operation of multi-link devices

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to a WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) technology, and provides a method and a device for link operation of a multi-link device (MLD), so as to improve the transmission performance of an establishment and / or removal program of the MLD. The method may be used for both an access point (AP) MLD and a non-AP MLD, and the MLD includes a media access control (MAC) layer management entity (MLME) and a site management entity (SME). The method comprises: indicating a selected link identifier ID to an MLME through an SME, the selected link ID being used for indicating a link for frame exchange between an AP belonging to an access point AP MLD and a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD; and exchanging the one or more frames through the link indicated by the selected link ID.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application number of the original application is 202180090407.6, and the original application date is February 23, 2021. The entire content of the original application is incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to systems and methods for link operation of multi-link devices in Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems. Background Art

[0003] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is developing a next-generation Wi-Fi standard for multi-link devices (MLDs). A wireless extremely high throughput (EHT) access point (AP) MLD and an associated EHT non-AP MLD can establish more than one link and exchange frames on more than one link (for example, one link in the 2.4 GHz band and another link in the 5 GHz band). These frame exchanges can occur simultaneously on more than one link or on a single link at a time.

[0004] For the new MLD feature, many technical issues need to be addressed in order to ensure successful utilization of MLD. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for link operation of a multi-link device (MLD), thereby improving the transmission performance of MLD establishment and / or teardown procedures.

[0006] The above and other objects are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Other forms of implementation are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile device (MLD) is disclosed. The MLD may be an AP MLD or a non-AP MLD. The MLD includes a media access control (MAC) layer management entity (MLME) and a station management entity (SME). The MLD includes a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to indicate a selected link ID to the MLME via the SME, wherein the selected link ID indicates a link for exchanging frames between an AP belonging to an access point (AP) MLD and a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD. The transceiver is configured to exchange one or more frames via the link indicated by the selected link ID.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the selected link ID is indicated in the following management services provided by the MLME to the SME: authentication, deauthentication, association, reassociation, disassociation.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the MLD includes a single MAC layer and at least two physical (PHY) layers.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, at least two PHY layers correspond to different frequency bands, and each PHY layer is managed by a physical layer management entity PLME.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the SME is configured to interact with the MLME and / or the PLME.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the selected link ID is included in a public part of the basic variant multilink element MLE.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the selected link ID is 4 bits.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for MLD is disclosed. The MLD may be an AP MLD or a non-AP MLD. The method is used in a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, and the MLD includes a Media Access Control (MAC) layer management entity (MLME) and a Site Management Entity (SME). The method includes: indicating, via the SME, a selected link ID to the MLME, wherein the selected link ID is used to indicate a link for exchanging frames between an AP (AP MLD) and a non-AP STA (non-AP MLD); and exchanging one or more frames via the link indicated by the selected link ID.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the selected link ID is indicated in the following management services provided by the MLME to the SME: authentication, deauthentication, association, reassociation, disassociation.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the MLD includes a single MAC layer and at least two physical PHY layers.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, at least two PHY layers correspond to different frequency bands, and each PHY layer is managed by a physical layer management entity PLME.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the SME interacts with the MLME and / or the PLME.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the selected link ID is included in the public part of the basic variant multilink element MLE.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the selected link ID is 4 bits.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores instructions and, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform the method for link operation of an MLD according to the second aspect or any of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform the method for link operation of an MLD according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0023] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, comprising a plurality of MLDs, including AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs, wherein the MLDs are configured to support the method for link operation of the MLDs according to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0024] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer storage medium or computer program product of any one of the methods for link operation of an MLD is configured to execute the corresponding method provided above, and therefore, for the beneficial effects that can be achieved by the device, computer storage medium, or computer program product, reference can be made to the beneficial effects of the corresponding method provided above. Details are not described herein.

[0025] Other devices, methods, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional devices, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the following claims.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments belong. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to the methods and materials described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments, exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. In the event of a conflict, this patent specification (including definitions) will be used as the criterion. In addition, materials, methods and examples are only illustrative and are not intended to be necessarily restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Some embodiments are described herein by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is emphasized that the details shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments. In this regard, the description in conjunction with the drawings will make it apparent to those skilled in the art how the embodiments may be practiced.

[0028] Figure 1 A system for link operation of MLD according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 shows the proposed management entity architecture for MLD;

[0030] Figure 3 shows examples of primitives defined for each MLME service;

[0031] Figure 4 An example of the MLD establishment procedure for non-AP MLD and AP MLD is shown;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a possible logical structure of an MLD in the present disclosure according to some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 6 An example MLE structure including a selected link ID is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Before describing at least one embodiment in detail, it should be understood that the embodiments and their application are not necessarily limited to the details of construction and arrangement of components and / or methods set forth in the following description and / or illustrated in the drawings and / or examples. The implementations described herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or performed in various ways.

[0035] Figure 1 1 shows a system for multi-link operation of MLD according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 100 includes an AP MLD 110 and one or more non-AP stations (STAs) 120. The AP MLD 110 includes multiple APs, such as Figure 1 In the figure, 111 (AP 1) works on the 2.4 GHz link, 112 (AP 2) works on the 5 GHz link, and 113 (AP 3) works on the 6 GHz link. The non-AP MLD 120 includes multiple non-AP stations (non-AP STAs), such as Figure 1 In the example, 121 (non-AP STA 1) operates on a 2.4 GHz link, 122 (non-AP STA 2) operates on a 5 GHz link, and 123 (non-AP STA 3) operates on a 6 GHz link. In some embodiments, MLDs may refer to AP MLDs, while in other embodiments, MLDs may refer to non-AP STAs. In system 100, an AP belonging to an AP MLD can use the corresponding link to communicate with a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD.

[0036] The system 100 in the present disclosure includes but is not limited to: an 802.11be system or a later system.

[0037] In the present disclosure, an MLD can be an AP MLD or a non-AP STA. A non-AP MLD can be, for example, a mobile phone, a smart terminal, a tablet computer (tablet), a notebook computer (laptop), a video game console, a multimedia player, a Wi-Fi-enabled vehicle, device-to-device (D2D) equipment, or any other smart device. An AP MLD and / or a non-AP MLD can be a fixed or mobile device.

[0038] For ease of description, the terms used in this application are defined as follows:

[0039] Multi-link device (MLD): A device that is a logical entity and has more than one attached AP / non-AP STA and a single medium access control (MAC) service access point (SAP) to the logical link control (LLC), which includes one MAC data service.

[0040] Access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD): An MLD in which each station (STA) belonging to the MLD is an AP.

[0041] Non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD): an MLD in which each station (STA) belonging to the MLD is a non-AP STA.

[0042] Each affiliated AP or non-AP STA has its own MAC address for frame exchanges performed on the link it operates on. However, an AP or non-AP MLD has its own MAC address to reflect to upper layers a single entity through which all outgoing and incoming MAC service data units (MSDUs) are transmitted, thereby fully defining multi-link operations within the MAC layer.

[0043] Parameters of AP or non-AP MLD are categorized as link-level parameters and / or MLD-level parameters. Link-level parameters can have different values ​​for each attached AP or non-AP STA depending on the link, while MLD-level parameters have a single value used by all attached APs or non-AP STAs on all links.

[0044] MLDs can use setup as the process by which a non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD. All MSDUs originating from entities connected to the network can be delivered to the non-AP MLD. Furthermore, the MSDU can be directed to any of the AP MLDs with which the non-AP MLD has performed the setup procedure. Once the MSDU is delivered to the AP MLD, it can be directed to one or more APs belonging to the AP MLD, which will initiate transmission of the MSDU via one or more setup links capable of supporting transmission to the non-AP MLD over a wireless medium (WM).

[0045] Similarly, the MLD can use the MLD removal procedure to remove the non-AP MLD from the AP MLD. MSDUs generated by entities connected to the network should be delivered to the non-AP MLD and not directed to the AP MLD with which the non-AP MLD has become unassociated. When the non-AP MLD becomes unassociated from the AP MLD, no data frames can be exchanged between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD.

[0046] A successful authentication procedure should be performed before the establishment process. The establishment process can be completed using at least one association request frame and at least one association response frame. The at least one association request frame and at least one association response frame may include a multi-link element (MLE), which may include all parameters for each attached AP or non-AP STA.

[0047] The procedure in the current MLD standard is not clearly defined. This may result in AP MLD and / or non-AP MLD initiating frame exchanges on more than one link, which will lead to inefficient procedures and duplication of operations.

[0048] To address the above issues, the present disclosure provides a method and / or apparatus for link operation in an MLD. The present disclosure provides an MLD including a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to indicate a selected link ID to an MLME via an SME, wherein the selected link ID indicates a link for exchanging frames between an access point (AP) belonging to an AP MLD and a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD. The transceiver is configured to exchange one or more frames via the link indicated by the selected link ID.

[0049] The selected link ID is indicated in the following management services provided by the MLME to the SME: authentication, deauthentication, association, reassociation, and disassociation. The MLD includes a single MAC layer and at least two physical (PHY) layers. The at least two PHY layers correspond to different frequency bands, and each PHY layer is managed by a physical layer management entity (PLME).

[0050] It should be noted that the methods and / or apparatuses provided in the present disclosure may not be limited to be used for any MLD having the same problem.

[0051] The embodiments presented in this disclosure may be systems, methods, and / or computer program products.The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to perform various aspects of the embodiments.

[0052] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0053] A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, and any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0054] Computer-readable storage media as used herein should not be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0055] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network). The network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device can receive the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forward the computer-readable program instructions to be stored in a computer-readable storage medium within the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0056] Computer-readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the embodiments may be assembly instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0057] The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0058] In some embodiments, electronic circuits including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) can execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuits to perform aspects of the embodiments.

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrates a possible logical structure of an MLD according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The MLD includes a processor 502. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 502 may be configured to control and manage one or more actions of the MLD, such as executing code for indicating a selected link ID to the MLME via the SME. Optionally, the MLD may also include a memory 501 and a communication interface 503. The processor 502, the communication interface 503, and the memory 501 may be connected to one another, or may be connected to one another using a bus 504. The communication interface 503 is configured to support the MLD in performing communications, and the memory 501 is configured to store program code and data for the communication device. The processor 502 invokes code stored in the memory 501 to perform control and management. The memory 501 may or may not be coupled to the processor 502.

[0060] The processor 502 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or another programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component or any combination thereof. The processor 502 may implement or execute the various example logic blocks, modules and circuits described with reference to the contents disclosed in this disclosure. Alternatively, the processor 502 may be a combination of processors that implement computing functions, for example, a combination of one or more microprocessors or a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor. The bus 504 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus may be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, or the like.

[0061] The communication interface 503 may be a transceiver capable of supporting transmission and / or reception of radio signals, or the communication interface 503 may be a soft interface for communication between different modules, which may be internal and / or external modules.

[0062] Figure 2 The proposed management entity architecture for MLD is shown in FIG. The management entity architecture 200 includes a station management entity (SME), a MAC layer management entity (MLME), and at least two physical (PHY) layer management entities (PLME).

[0063] The SME is the overall management entity for the MLD, including both the AP MLD and non-AP MLD. The SME is responsible for ensuring correct MAC layer operation. The SME can perform high-level management functions and implement standard management protocols. Generally, the SME is not necessarily considered a component of the MLD, while the MLME and PLME can be considered internal to the STA.

[0064] The SME can use layer-specific management entities (e.g., MLME and / or PLME) to perform specific actions or services required for STA operation. Interaction between management entities can be accomplished through service access points (SAPs). Management services performed through SAPs include authentication, association, reassociation, and disassociation. In an MLD, the SME is responsible for all management activities performed within the MLD.

[0065] The services provided by MLME to SME that may be used in the MLD establishment procedure include at least: authentication, association, reassociation, and disassociation.

[0066] SME can interact with MLME and / or PLME through the services provided by SAP. An abstract primitive is defined to provide services between different layers or sub-layers. Figure 3 Examples of primitives defined for each MLME service are shown.

[0067] like Figure 3 As shown, the primitives include:

[0068] Service.request

[0069] Service.confirm

[0070] Service.indication

[0071] Service.response

[0072] The primitives Service.request and Service.response can be generated by the SME, while the primitives Service.confirm and Service.indication can be generated by the MLME. Each primitive can be abstractly defined as a function with a set of parameters assigned by the primitive's generator (e.g., the SME and / or MLME). The service in the primitive can be, for example, one of: authentication, association, reassociation, and disassociation.

[0073] In order to solve the above problem, the SME may indicate a selected link ID to the MLME, wherein the selected link ID indicates a link used for frame exchange between the access point AP MLD and the non-AP MLD.

[0074] By indicating the selected link ID, the MLME can know the link to be used for frame exchange. The advantage is that this avoids transmitting management functions on each link, thus improving efficiency.

[0075] It should be noted that the selected link ID may have different names in different primitives. For example, the selected link ID may be called selectedSetupLinkID in the MLME-ASSOCIATE.request, MLME-REASSOCIATE.request, MLME-ASSOCIATE.response, or MLME-REASSOCIATE.response primitives; the selected link ID may be called selectedTeardownLinkID in the MLME-DISASSOCIATE.request; and the selected link ID may be called selectedAuthenticateLinkID in the MLME-AUTHENTICATE.request or MLME-DEAUTHENTICATE.request primitives.

[0076] In one embodiment, the selectedSetupLinkID may be indicated in the MLME-ASSOCIATE.request, MLME-REASSOCIATE.request, MLME-ASSOCIATE.response, or MLME-REASSOCIATE.response primitives. The selectedSetupLinkID may indicate the link ID value by which association or reassociation request / response frames may be exchanged during the MLD setup phase. This value may be one of the link ID values ​​defined in the AP MLD MLE.

[0077] The following parameters may also be indicated in the MLME-ASSOCIATE.request or MLME-REASSOCIATE.request primitive:

[0078] PeerSTAAddress: This refers to the AP MLD MAC address with which non-AP MLDs can become associated;

[0079] EHT capabilities: can be a set of capabilities defined for MLD (e.g., AP MLD or non-AP MLD);

[0080] Basic variant MLE: It includes information of each affiliated STA of the non-AP MLD (including the non-AP MLD MAC address).

[0081] Upon receiving the MLME-ASSOCIATE.request primitive, the non-AP MLD may initiate transmission of an association request frame having the basic variant MLE in the association request frame using one of the non-AP STAs belonging to the non-AP MLD, wherein the non-AP MLD operates on the link ID indicated in the MLME-ASSOCIATE.request primitive.

[0082] In this way, the MLME "translates" each service required by the SME into a specific set of management frames to be exchanged between the non-AP STA belonging to the non-AP MLD and the AP belonging to the AP MLD.

[0083] In one embodiment, the selectedAuthenticateLinkID may be indicated in the MLME-AUTHENTICATE.request or MLME-DEAUTHENTICATE.request primitives. The selectedAuthenticateLinkID may indicate the link ID value through which authentication or deauthentication frames may be exchanged during the MLD pre-establishment phase. This value may be one of the link ID values ​​defined in the AP MLD MLE.

[0084] The following parameters may also be indicated in the MLME-AUTHENTICATE.request primitive:

[0085] PeerSTAAddress: This may refer to the AP MLD MAC address that the non-AP MLD will use for authentication.

[0086] Basic variant MLE: It includes information of each affiliated STA of the non-AP MLD (including the non-AP MLD MAC address).

[0087] In one embodiment, the selectedTeardownLinkID may be indicated in the MLME-DISASSOCIATE.request primitive. The selectedTeardownLinkID may indicate the link ID value through which the corresponding disassociation frame exchange during the MLD teardown phase can be performed. This value may be one of the link ID values ​​that have been established between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD and are available for transmission.

[0088] In one embodiment, the MLD establishment process may be accomplished using the following guidelines:

[0089] The establishment process may be preceded by a successful certification process.

[0090] The establishment process can be completed using an association request frame and an association response frame. The association request frame and the association response frame include an MLE. The MLE may include all parameters of each attached AP and / or non-AP STA.

[0091] • Association request frames and association response frames may be exchanged over a single link (eg, a link selected between an attached non-AP STA and an attached AP operating on the same link).

[0092] • Each non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD will associate with an AP belonging to an AP MLD operating on the same link.

[0093] • The Association Response frame may include each affiliated AP's decision on whether to accept or reject an Association Request sent by an affiliated non-AP STA operating on the same link.

[0094] Only links that are accepted by the corresponding attached AP or non-AP can be defined as established links.

[0095] Non-AP MLD can be associated with AP MLD through multiple established links.

[0096] Since the selected link is used for the association request frame and the association response frame, transmission of the association request frame and the association response frame on each link is avoided, and efficiency is improved.

[0097] Figure 4 An example of the MLD establishment procedure for non-AP MLD and AP MLD is shown. Figure 4 In this example, AP MLD includes three subordinate APs: AP 1 operating on the 2.4 GHz band, AP 2 operating on the 5 GHz band, and AP 3 operating on the 6 GHz band. Non-AP MLD includes three subordinate non-AP STAs: STA 1 operating on the 2.4 GHz band, STA 2 operating on the 5 GHz band, and STA 3 operating on the 6 GHz band.

[0098] MLD establishment may be accomplished over a link on the 2.4 GHz band and may include sending an association request frame and receiving an association response frame. Each of these frames includes an MLE.

[0099] The MLE included in the association request frame may contain all parameters of each affiliated non-AP STA required to associate with the corresponding affiliated AP.

[0100] The MLE included in the association response frame may contain all parameters for each affiliated AP and an indication of whether the association was accepted or rejected.

[0101] When the multi-link establishment process is successful and all requests for all links have been accepted, non-AP STA 1 is associated with AP 1 , non-AP STA 2 is associated with AP 2 , and non-AP STA 3 is associated with AP 3 .

[0102] In one embodiment, the MLD removal procedure may be accomplished using the following guidelines:

[0103] • The establishment process can be completed using a disassociation frame which can be initiated by either AP MLD or non-AP MLD.

[0104] • Disassociation frames shall be exchanged over a single link (eg, a link selected between an attached non-AP STA and an attached AP operating on the same link).

[0105] • Therefore, the receiver of the disassociation frame shall prohibit each of the attached non-AP STAs / APs from sending any MSDUs to the corresponding attached AP / non-AP STA.

[0106] In this way, non-AP MLD and AP MLD can become disassociated for all links.

[0107] Since the selected link is used for disassociation frame exchange, transmission of the disassociation frame on each link is avoided and efficiency is improved.

[0108] In one embodiment, security-related keys, such as a pairwise master key (PMK) and a pairwise transient key (PTK), can be defined at the MLD level. Therefore, the PMK and PTK used for data frame encryption / decryption can be used by all non-AP STAs belonging to a non-AP MLD and all APs belonging to an AP MLD for frame exchange between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD.

[0109] In addition, the authentication procedure can generate a PMK, for example, under the simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) method. The PTK can be generated during the 4-way handshake procedure that occurs after the MLD establishment procedure. PMK generation can be accomplished through the exchange of authentication frames on the selected link. The PMK generated by a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD and the corresponding AP belonging to an AP MLD will be used by all other non-AP STAs / APs belonging to the same MLD.

[0110] By using the selected link for authentication frame exchange, transmission of the authentication frame on each link is avoided and efficiency is improved.

[0111] In one embodiment, the MLD may exchange one or more frames via the link indicated by the selected link ID. The selected link ID may be any of the selectedSetupLinkID, selectedAuthenticateLinkID, or selectedTeardownLinkID described above. It should be noted that the names selectedSetupLinkID, selectedAuthenticateLinkID, or selectedTeardownLinkID are not limiting in this disclosure.

[0112] The selected link ID may be included in the common information portion of the basic variant MLE. The selected link ID indicates a link ID value by which corresponding frame exchange may be performed when the MLE is included in such a frame (of a specific frame set).

[0113] The one or more frames used in the MLD setup and / or teardown procedure include, but are not limited to: authentication, deauthentication, association request, association response, reassociation request, reassociation response, and disassociation.

[0114] Optionally, the selected link ID is 4 bits.

[0115] Figure 6 An example frame structure including a selected link ID is shown. Figure 6 In the example embodiment, the selected link ID is included in the "Selected Link for MLD operation" field in the common information portion of the basic variant MLE. Figure 6 The TBD in the field "TBD" stands for "to be defined" and means that it has not yet been defined in the prior art. The selected link ID is a newly added field in the frame. The selected link ID can be set to 4 bits, but the number of bits set may depend on the standard definition, and the present disclosure does not limit the length of the selected link ID. For example, the selected link ID can be set to 8 bits, 16 bits, or k bits, where k is an integer.

[0116] The descriptions of various embodiments have been presented for illustrative purposes, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements over existing technologies in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0117] The terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "having" and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to."

[0118] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "a compound" or "at least one compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.

[0119] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments and / or to exclude the incorporation of features from other embodiments. The notation "A / B" may include A and B, A, or B.

[0120] The word “optionally” is used herein to mean “is provided in some embodiments and not provided in other embodiments.” Any particular embodiment may include multiple “optional” features unless such features are in conflict.

[0121] Throughout this application, various embodiments may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the embodiments.

[0122] It should be understood that certain features of the embodiments described in the context of separate embodiments for the sake of clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the embodiments described in the context of a single embodiment for the sake of brevity may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as appropriate in any other described embodiment. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments should not be considered essential features of those embodiments unless the embodiment is inoperable without those elements.

[0123] Although various embodiments have been described in conjunction with their specific embodiments, it is obvious that many alternatives, modifications and variations are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is intended to include all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

[0124] Although the present disclosure describes a solution for link operation of MLD from the perspective of an apparatus, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the problem to be solved in the present disclosure can also be achieved through a method and / or system. To avoid redundancy, the method for link operation of MLD will not be described.

[0125] It is the applicant's intention that all publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification be incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification, just as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference herein. In addition, the citation or identification of any reference in this application should not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art with respect to the embodiments. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting.

Claims

1. A method for link operation of a multi-link device (MLD), wherein: The method is used in a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, and the MLD includes a Media Access Control (MAC) layer management entity (MLME) and a Site Management Entity (SME). The method includes: The selected link identification ID is indicated to the MLME by the SME, wherein the selected link ID is indicated in an authentication management service provided by the MLME to the SME.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The selected link ID is used to indicate a link used for frame exchange between an AP belonging to an access point APMLD and a non-AP STA belonging to a non-AP MLD.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The method further comprises: One or more frames are exchanged over the link indicated by the selected link ID.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The selected link ID is also indicated in the following management services provided by the MLME to the SME: deauthentication, association, reassociation, disassociation.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The MLD includes a single MAC layer and at least two physical (PHY) layers.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The selected link ID is included in the public part of the basic variant multilink element MLE.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The selected link ID is 4 bits.

8. A multi-link device (MLD) operating in a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system, wherein: The MLD includes a media access control MAC layer management entity MLME and a site management entity SME, and the MLD includes: A processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when the processor-executable instructions are executed by a processor of a communication device, the communication device implements the method for link operation for MLD according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

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