Non-primary channel access indication transmission method and device thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a non-primary channel access indication transmission method and equipment thereof. The non-primary channel access NPCA indication transmission method may include the following steps. A first multilink device (MLD) may establish a plurality of links with a second MLD. In a case where the first MLD detects that there is overlapping basic service set (OBSS) interference in a primary channel of a first link in the plurality of links, the first MLD may transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to a second MLD in a second link in the plurality of links. The first MLD may transmit data with the second MLD in a non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA indication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to non-primary channel access (NPCA) indication. Background Technology

[0002] Unless otherwise stated herein, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below, and are not recognized as prior art by virtue of being included in this section.

[0003] With the growing demand for ubiquitous computing and networking, various wireless technologies have been developed, including Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology that allows mobile devices (such as smartphones, smart tablets, laptops, portable multimedia players, embedded devices, etc.) to obtain wireless services in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz frequency bands.

[0004] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has developed and commercialized various technical standards since the initial support of WLAN technology using the 2.4 GHz frequency. For example, IEEE 802.11ac supports multi-user (MU) transmission in the downlink (DL) direction from access point (AP) to site (STA) using a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) scheme with spatial degrees of freedom. To improve performance and meet users' demands for high-capacity and high-speed services, IEEE 802.11ax was proposed. This standard uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and MU-MIMO in both the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) directions. In addition to supporting frequency and spatial multiplexing from AP to multiple STAs, IEEE 802.11ax also supports transmission from multiple STAs to AP.

[0005] In Wi-Fi Multilink Operation (MLO), there are multiple links between two Wi-Fi Multilink Devices (MLDs), including an Access Point (AP) MLD and a non-AP MLD (e.g., a STA), which occupy different radio frequency (RF) bands. In conventional technologies, the AP MLD and STAMLD can operate in Enhanced Multilink Single Radio (EMLSR) mode between a specified set of enabled links (e.g., EMLSR links). Furthermore, in conventional technologies, when the AP MLD and STAMLD detect Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference in the primary channel, they can perform Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA), switching to the non-primary channel pre-negotiated by the AP MLD and STAMLD. However, when a hidden node scenario exists in the link (or EMLSR link) (e.g., the AP MLD detects OBSS interference in the primary channel of the link, but the STA MLD does not detect OBSS interference in the primary channel of the link), the STAMLD (or AP MLD) may be unable to perform NPCA to switch to the non-primary channel. Therefore, data transmission between AP MLD and STAMLD in the link may fail.

[0006] Therefore, how to avoid the hidden node problem in NPCA is a topic worth discussing. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. That is, the summary aims to introduce the concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Detailed embodiments will be further described in the description. Therefore, the following summary is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] One objective of this invention is to provide schemes, concepts, designs, systems, methods, and apparatus for transmitting non-primary channel access (NPCA) indications related to access points (APs) and user equipment (UEs) in multi-link operation (MLO) communications. It is believed that by implementing one or more of the schemes described herein, the aforementioned problems can be avoided or mitigated.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention provides an NPCA indication transmission method. This NPCA indication transmission method may include the following steps: The NPCA indication transmission method may include establishing multiple links between a first multi-link device (MLD) and a second MLD. The NPCA indication transmission method may also include, when the first MLD detects overlapping basic service set (OBSS) interference on the primary channel of the first link among the multiple links, the first MLD transmits an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD on a second link among the multiple links. The NPCA indication transmission method may also include the first MLD transmitting data with the second MLD on a non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA indication.

[0010] In some embodiments, the NPCA indication may include the index of the non-primary channel, the handover time, the number of spatial streams (NSS), the bandwidth (BW), the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), the transmission (TX) power, or a combination thereof.

[0011] In some embodiments, the switchback time may be related to a countdown timer for the remaining time to return to the main channel, or to a timestamp of the end time of OBSS interference.

[0012] In some embodiments, the NPCA indication may be carried on the frame exchange sequence (FES) or on the FES associated with the second MLD.

[0013] In some embodiments, NPCA instructions may be transmitted via broadcast, multicast, control frames, management frames, or broadcast management frames.

[0014] In some embodiments, broadcast management frames may include beacon frames.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first MLD is an access point (AP) MLD and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD, or the first MLD is a non-AP MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD.

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus. The apparatus may include a transceiver and a processor. During operation, the transceiver may wirelessly communicate with a transmitting device via a multi-link device (MLD). The processor may be communicatively connected to the transceiver so that it can perform the following operations during operation. The processor may establish multiple links with the MLD. If the apparatus detects Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference on the primary channel of a first link among the multiple links, the processor may transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to the MLD via a second link among the multiple links through the transceiver. The processor may then transmit data with the MLD on a non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA indication.

[0017] One embodiment of the present invention provides an NPCA indication transmission method. The NPCA indication transmission method may include the following steps: The NPCA indication transmission method may include a second multi-link device (MLD) establishing multiple links with a first MLD. The NPCA indication transmission method may also include the second MLD receiving an NPCA indication associated with a first link from the first MLD on a second link of the multiple links. The NPCA indication transmission method may further include the second MLD transmitting data with the first MLD on a non-primary channel of a first link according to the NPCA indication.

[0018] Other aspects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the NPCA instruction transmission method and apparatus. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Brief description of the drawings

[0020] The invention will become more fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a network node according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of NPCA instruction transmission according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of NPCA instruction transmission according to another embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the NPCA instruction transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an NPCA instruction transmission method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Detailed description of the invention

[0029] The following description represents the best contemplative model for carrying out the invention. This description is intended to illustrate the general principles of the invention and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the invention is best determined by referring to the dependent claims.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wireless communication system 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system 100 may include a network node (taking an access point, AP, as an example) 110 and a communication device 120. AP 110 and communication device 120 can be multi-link devices (MLDs), meaning AP 110 can be an AP MLD, and communication device 120 can be a non-AP STAMLD. In other words, AP 110 can perform multi-link operation (MLO) with communication device 120 through multiple wireless links Link 1, Link 2…Link N. Specifically, as… Figure 1 As shown, AP 110 may include multiple AP modules AP 1, AP 2, ..., AP N, and communication device 120 may include multiple workstation (STA) modules (or non-AP STA modules) STA1, STA2, ..., STAN. Each AP module and its corresponding STA module can correspond to a wireless link; for example, AP 1 and STA1 can correspond to Link 1. Each wireless link can correspond to a frequency band, such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz, but the invention is not limited thereto. It should be noted that, in order to illustrate the concept of the invention, Figure 1 A simplified block diagram is shown, illustrating only the elements relevant to the invention. However, the invention should not be limited to... Figure 1 The content shown.

[0031] According to embodiments of the invention, the MLO operation of the STA module may include a simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) mode and an enhanced multilink single radio (EMLSR) mode. Furthermore, according to embodiments of the invention, AP 110 and communication device 120 may support non-primary channel access (NPCA). That is, AP 110 and communication device 120 may negotiate one or more non-primary channels for NPCA in each link.

[0032] AP 110 may be an entity compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard to provide and manage access to wireless media for communication device 120.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, AP 110 may be an ultra-high throughput (EHT) AP compatible with the IEEE 802.11be standard. In another embodiment of the invention, AP 110 may be an AP compatible with any IEEE 802.11 standard later than 802.11be.

[0034] According to embodiments of the invention, the communication device 120 can be a user equipment (UE), a non-AP workstation (STA), a mobile phone (e.g., a feature phone or smartphone), a desktop personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, or any computing device, as long as it is compatible with the AP 110 using the same IEEE 802.11 standard. The communication device 120 can be associated with and communicate with the AP 110 to transmit or receive data in uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) multi-user physical layer protocol data units (MU-PPDUs). The MU-PPDU can be a resource element orthogonal frequency division multiple access (RU-OFDMA), a MU-multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) PPDU, or an aggregated PPDU.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a communication device 200 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 200 can be applied to the communication device 120. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the communication device 200 may include a wireless transceiver 210, a processor 220, a storage device 230, a display device 240, an input / output (I / O) device 250, and a Wi-Fi chip 260.

[0036] The wireless transceiver 210 can be configured to perform wireless transmission and reception with the communication device 120.

[0037] Specifically, the wireless transceiver 210 may include a baseband processing device 211, a radio frequency (RF) device 212, and an antenna 213, wherein the antenna 213 may include an antenna array for UL / DL MIMO.

[0038] The baseband processing device 211 can be configured to perform baseband signal processing, such as analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) / digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), gain adjustment, modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, etc. The baseband processing device 211 may include multiple hardware components, such as a baseband processor, to perform baseband signal processing.

[0039] RF device 212 can receive RF wireless signals via antenna 213, convert the received RF wireless signals into baseband signals for processing by baseband processing device 211, or receive baseband signals from baseband processing device 211 and convert the received baseband signals into RF wireless signals, which are then transmitted via antenna 213. RF device 212 may include multiple hardware elements to perform radio frequency conversion. For example, RF device 212 may include power amplifiers, mixers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) / digital-to-analog converters (DACs), etc.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the invention, RF device 212 and baseband processing device 211 can be collectively referred to as radio modules capable of communicating with a wireless network to provide wireless communication services conforming to a predetermined Radio Access Technology (RAT). Note that in some embodiments of the invention, communication device 200 may be further extended to include multiple antennas and / or multiple radio modules, and the invention should not be limited to this. Figure 2 The content shown.

[0041] Processor 220 may be a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro control unit (MCU), an application processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a holographic processing unit (HPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), etc. It contains various circuits to provide data processing and computing functions, controls wireless transceiver 210 to communicate wirelessly with AP 110, stores and retrieves data (e.g., program code) from storage device 230, sends a series of frame data (e.g., representing text messages, graphics, images, etc.) to display device 240, and receives user input or output signals through I / O device 250.

[0042] Specifically, the processor 220 coordinates the aforementioned operations of the wireless transceiver 210, storage device 230, display device 240, I / O device 250, and Wi-Fi chip 260 to execute the method of this application.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will understand that the circuitry of processor 220 may include transistors configured to operate according to the functional and operational control circuitry described herein. Further understanding will be that the specific structure or interconnection of the transistors can be determined by a compiler, such as a Register Transfer Language (RTL) compiler. An RTL compiler can be operated by the processor from a script that resembles assembly language code, compiling the script into a form suitable for final circuit placement or fabrication. Indeed, RTL plays a significant and well-known role in facilitating the design process of electronic and digital systems.

[0044] Storage device 230 may be a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including memory such as flash memory or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), or magnetic storage devices such as hard disk or magnetic tape, or optical disk, or any combination thereof for storing data, instructions and / or application code, communication protocols and / or methods of this application.

[0045] Display device 240 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode display (LED), an organic LED display (OLED), or an electronic paper display (EPD), etc., to provide display functionality. Alternatively, display device 240 may further include one or more touch sensors for sensing touch, contact, or the proximity of an object (such as a finger or stylus).

[0046] I / O device 250 may include one or more buttons, keyboards, mice, touchpads, video cameras, microphones and / or speakers, etc., to interact with the user as a human-machine interface (MMI).

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Wi-Fi chip 260 can be configured to perform Wi-Fi communication operations. In another embodiment of the present invention, the wireless transceiver 210 can also be combined with the Wi-Fi chip 260 to form a Wi-Fi chip.

[0048] It should be understood that Figure 2The components described in the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. For example, a communication device may include more components, such as another wireless transceiver for providing telecommunications services, a Global Positioning System (GPS) device for certain location-based services or applications, and / or a battery to power other components of the communication device. Alternatively, a communication device may include fewer components. For example, communication device 200 may not include display device 240 and / or I / O device 250.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating a network device 300 according to one embodiment of this application. The network device 300 can be applied to an AP 110. Figure 3 As shown, network device 300 may include wireless transceiver 310, processor 320, storage device 330 and Wi-Fi chip 340.

[0050] The wireless transceiver 310 is configured to perform wireless transmission and reception with one or more communication devices (e.g., communication device 120).

[0051] Specifically, the wireless transceiver 310 may include a baseband processing device 311, a radio frequency device 312, and an antenna 313, wherein the antenna 313 may include an antenna array for UL / DL MU-MIMO.

[0052] The baseband processing device 311 is configured to perform baseband signal processing, such as ADC / DAC, gain adjustment, modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, etc. The baseband processing device 311 may include multiple hardware components, such as a baseband processor, to perform baseband signal processing.

[0053] Radio frequency (RF) device 312 can receive RF wireless signals via antenna 313, convert the received RF wireless signals into baseband signals for processing by baseband processing device 311, or receive baseband signals from baseband processing device 311 and convert the received baseband signals into RF wireless signals, which are then transmitted via antenna 313. RF device 312 may include multiple hardware elements to perform RF conversion. For example, RF device 312 may include power amplifiers, mixers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) / digital-to-analog converters (DACs), etc.

[0054] The processor 320 may be a general-purpose processor, MCU, application processor, DSP, GPH / HPU / NPU, etc., containing various circuits to provide data processing and computing functions, controlling the wireless transceiver 310 to communicate wirelessly with the communication device 120, and storing and retrieving data (e.g., program code) from the storage device 330.

[0055] Specifically, the processor 320 coordinates the above-described operations of the wireless transceiver 310 and the storage device 330 to execute the method of this application.

[0056] In another embodiment, processor 320 may be incorporated into baseband processing device 311 as a baseband processor.

[0057] As those skilled in the art will understand, the circuitry of processor 320 may include transistors configured to operate according to the functional and operational control circuitry described herein. As further understood, the specific structure or interconnection of the transistors may be determined by a compiler, such as an RTL compiler. An RTL compiler can be run by the processor on a script very similar to assembly language code to compile the script into a form suitable for final circuit layout or fabrication. Indeed, RTL is widely known for its role and use in facilitating the design process of electronic and digital systems.

[0058] Storage device 330 may be a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including memory such as FLASH memory or NVRAM, or magnetic storage devices such as hard disk or magnetic tape, or optical disk, or any combination of data, instructions and / or application code, communication protocols and / or methods of this application.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Wi-Fi chip 340 can be configured to perform Wi-Fi communication operations. In another embodiment of the present invention, the wireless transceiver 310 can also be combined with the Wi-Fi chip 340 to form a Wi-Fi chip.

[0060] It should be understood that Figure 3 The components described in the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. For example, the AP may include more components, such as a display device for providing display functionality, and / or an I / O device for providing an MMI for user interaction.

[0061] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first MLD (e.g., AP 110 or communication device 120) can establish multiple links with a second MLD (e.g., communication device 120 or AP 110) to perform MLO. If the first MLD detects Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference in the primary channel of the first link, the first MLD can transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD in the established second link. That is, the first MLD can provide its NPCA status to the second MLD in the first link. Then, when data transmission between the first MLD and the second MLD is performed in the first link, the first MLD and the second MLD can perform data transmission in a non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA indication. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, even if the second MLD does not detect OBSS interference in the first link, the second MLD can switch to a non-primary channel (or secondary channel) of the first link according to the NPCA indication from the first MLD.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the invention, the NPCA indication includes an index of the non-primary channel, a switchback time, a number of spatial streams (NSS), bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), transmission (TX) power, or a combination thereof. In one example, based on the NPCA indication, the second MLD can know the NPCA status of the first MLD in the first link; that is, the second MLD can know in which link the NPCA is enabled based on the NPCA indication. In another example, the NPCA indication also indicates which non-primary channel (or secondary channel) of the first link should be switched to when the NPCA is enabled in the first link. Furthermore, in another example, based on the NPCA indication, the second MLD can also know when it is necessary to switch back to the primary channel of the first link. In one embodiment, the switchback time in the NPCA indication can be associated with a countdown timer to return the remaining duration of the primary channel. Therefore, when the countdown timer expires, the second MLD can switch to the primary channel in the first link based on the NPCA indication. In another embodiment, the switchback time in the NPCA indication can be associated with a timestamp of the OBSS interference end time. That is, the second MLD can know when the OBSS transmission in the first link terminates (e.g., know when the OBSS Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PDDU) or OBSS Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) ends). Therefore, the second MLD can switch to the primary channel in the first link after the OBSS interference ends, based on the NPCA.

[0063] According to one embodiment of the invention, the NPCA indication may be carried on the Frame Exchange Sequence (FES) or on the FES of the second MLD. For example, the NPCA indication may be carried in data frames and / or Contention-Free End (CFE) frames, but the invention is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the first MLD may transmit the NPCA indication associated with the first link via the FES in the second link.

[0064] According to another embodiment of the invention, the NPCA indication can be transmitted via broadcast, multicast, control frames, management frames, or broadcast management frames. For example, a broadcast management frame may include a beacon frame. In this embodiment, the first MLD can transmit the NPCA indication associated with the first link via broadcast, multicast, control frames, management frames, or broadcast management frames in the second link.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating NPCA indication transmission according to an embodiment of this application. NPCA indication transmission can be applied to AP 110 and communication device 120 in wireless communication system 100. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first MLD is an AP MLD and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD (e.g., STA), but the invention should not be limited thereto. Furthermore, in this embodiment, STA1 and STA2 of the second MLD operate in the EMLSR mode of the MLO. Figure 4 As shown, when AP 2 of the first MLD and STA2 of the second MLD use two spatial streams (SS) (or two antennas) to transmit data on the second link (e.g., link 2), AP 1 of the first MLD may detect OBSS interference in the main channel (e.g., P80) of the first link (e.g., link 1). The first MLD can transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD via FES (e.g., via data frames and / or CFE frames) between the first MLD and the second MLD in the second link; that is, the NPCA indication can be carried in the FES between the first MLD and the second MLD. Therefore, when AP 1 of the first MLD and STA1 of the second MLD need to transmit data on the first link, both AP 1 and STA1 can switch to the non-main channel (e.g., S80) of the first link for data transmission based on the NPCA indication. In other words, even if the second MLD does not detect OBSS interference in the first link (e.g., the second MLD only detects clear channel assessment (CCA) from OBSS interference or does not detect anything from OBSS interference), the second MLD can still perform NPCA in the first link based on the NPCA instruction from the first MLD. Furthermore, the second MLD's STA1 can also know when it is necessary to switch back to the primary channel of the first link based on the NPCA instruction from the first MLD.

[0066] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating NPCA indication transmission according to another embodiment of this application. NPCA indication transmission can be applied to the AP 110 and communication device 120 in a wireless communication system 100. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first MLD is an AP MLD and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD (e.g., STA), but the invention should not be limited thereto. Furthermore, in this embodiment, STA1 and STA2 of the second MLD can operate in the STR mode of the MLO. Figure 5 As shown, AP 1 of the first MLD may detect OBSS interference in the primary channel (e.g., P80) of the first link (e.g., link 1). The first MLD can then transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD via broadcast, multicast, control frames, management frames, or broadcast management frames (e.g., beacon (BCN) frames) in the second link (e.g., link 2). Therefore, when AP 1 of the first MLD and STA1 of the second MLD need to transmit data in the first link, both AP 1 and STA1 can switch to a non-primary channel (e.g., S80) of the first link for data transmission based on the NPCA indication. That is, even if the second MLD does not detect OBSS interference in the first link (e.g., the second MLD only detects CCA from OBSS interference or does not detect anything from OBSS interference), the second MLD can still perform NPCA in the first link based on the NPCA indication from the first MLD. Furthermore, STA1 of the second MLD can also know when it is necessary to switch back to the primary channel of the first link based on the NPCA indication from the first MLD.

[0067] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are illustrated using only two links, but the present invention should not be limited thereto. The first MLD may also provide NPCA instructions related to multiple links to the second MLD.

[0068] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the NPCA method 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The data transmission method can be applied to MLD devices (e.g., AP 110 or communication device 120 in wireless communication system 100). Figure 6 As shown, in step S610, the first MLD can establish multiple links with the second MLD.

[0069] In step S620, if the first MLD detects OBSS interference in the main channel of the first link among the multiple links, the first MLD may transmit an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD in the second link among the multiple links.

[0070] In step S630, the first MLD can transmit data with the second MLD in the non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA instruction.

[0071] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication may include at least one non-master channel index, switchback time, number of spatial streams (NSS), bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and transmission (TX) power.

[0072] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the switchback time may be related to a countdown timer for the remaining time of returning to the main channel, or to a timestamp of the end time of OBSS interference.

[0073] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication may be carried in the Frame Exchange Sequence (FES) or in the FES with the second MLD.

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication can be transmitted via broadcast, multicast, control frame, management frame or broadcast management frame.

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA instruction transmission method, the broadcast management frame may include a beacon frame.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA instruction transmission method, the first MLD can be an AP MLD and the second MLD can be a non-AP MLD, or the first MLD can be a non-AP MLD and the second MLD can be an AP MLD.

[0077] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an NPCA instruction transmission method 700 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The data transmission method can be applied to a device (e.g., Figure 7 The wireless communication system 100 shown includes the AP 110 or communication device 120. Figure 7 As shown, in step S710, the second MLD can establish multiple links with the first MLD.

[0078] In step S720, the second MLD may receive an NPCA indication associated with the first link among the multiple links from the first MLD in the second link among the multiple links.

[0079] In step S730, the second MLD can transmit data with the first MLD in the non-primary channel of the first link according to the NPCA instruction.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication includes at least one non-master channel index, switchback time, NSS, BW, MCS and TX power.

[0081] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the switchback time may be related to a countdown timer for the remaining duration of the return to the main channel, or to a timestamp of the end time of OBSS interference.

[0082] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication may be transmitted on a Frame Exchange Sequence (FES) or on a FES with a second MLD.

[0083] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA indication transmission method, the NPCA indication can be received via broadcast, multicast, control frame, management frame or broadcast management frame.

[0084] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA instruction transmission method, the broadcast management frame may include a beacon frame.

[0085] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the NPCA instruction transmission method, the first MLD can be an AP MLD and the second MLD can be a non-AP MLD, or the first MLD can be a non-AP MLD and the second MLD can be an AP MLD.

[0086] The NPCA instruction transmission method provided by the present invention can avoid the hidden node problem of NPCA.

[0087] Ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" used in the specification and claims are for descriptive purposes only and do not indicate any order or relationship.

[0088] Method steps related to the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module (e.g., containing executable instructions and associated data) and other data can reside in data memory, such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other known form of computer-readable storage medium. Example storage media can be coupled to a machine, such as a computer / processor (which may be referred to herein as a "processor" for convenience), enabling the processor to read information (e.g., code) from and write information to the storage medium. Example storage media can be part of a processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a UE. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as separate components in the UE. Furthermore, in some aspects, any suitable computer program product may include a computer-readable medium containing code related to one or more aspects disclosed herein. In some aspects, a computer software product may include packaging materials.

[0089] It should be noted that, although not explicitly specified, one or more steps of the methods described herein may include storage, display, and / or output steps to meet the needs of a particular application. In other words, any data, records, fields, and / or intermediate results discussed in the methods may be stored, displayed, and / or output to other devices as needed by a particular application. While the foregoing describes embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from its basic scope. The various embodiments described herein, or portions thereof, may be combined to create further embodiments. The foregoing description is an illustration of the best mode for carrying out the invention. This description is intended to illustrate the general principles of the invention and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the dependent claims.

[0090] The preceding paragraphs describe many aspects. It is evident that the teachings of this invention can be implemented in various ways, and any specific configuration or function in the disclosed embodiments presents only representative conditions. Those skilled in the art will understand that all aspects disclosed in this invention can be applied independently or in combination.

Claims

1. A method for non-master channel access NPCA indication transmission, comprising: Multiple links are established between the first multi-link device (MLD) and the second MLD; If overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference is detected on the main channel of the first link among multiple links, the second link of the first MLD transmits an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second MLD. as well as The first MLD transmits data with the second MLD on the non-primary channel of the first link according to the instructions of NPCA.

2. The NPCA indication transmission method as described in claim 1, wherein the NPCA indication includes at least one of the following: index of the non-primary channel, switchback time, number of spatial streams (NSS), bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and transmission TX power.

3. The NPCA indication transmission method as described in claim 2, wherein the switchback time is related to a countdown timer for the remaining duration of the return to the main channel, or to a timestamp of the end time of the OBSS interference.

4. The NPCA indication transmission method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the NPCA indication is carried on the frame exchange sequence (FES) or on the FES associated with the second MLD.

5. The NPCA indication transmission method as described in claim 1, wherein the NPCA indication is transmitted via broadcast, multicast, control frame, management frame, or broadcast management frame.

6. The NPCA instruction transmission method as described in claim 5, wherein the broadcast management frame includes a beacon frame.

7. The NPCA indication transmission method as described in claim 1, wherein the first MLD is an access point (AP) MLD and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD, or the first MLD is a non-AP MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD.

8. An apparatus comprising: A transceiver that communicates wirelessly with a transmission device via a multi-link device (MLD) during operation; as well as A processor that is communicatively connected to a transceiver enables the processor to perform the following operations during operation: Establish multiple links with MLD; If the device detects Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) interference on the primary channel of the first link in a multi-link configuration, it transmits an NPCA indication related to the first link to the second link of the MLD in the multi-link configuration via the transceiver; and Data transmission is performed with MLD on the non-primary channel of the first link, as instructed by NPCA.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the NPCA indication includes at least one of the following: index of the non-primary channel, switchback time, number of spatial streams (NSS), bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and transmission TX power.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the switchback time is related to a countdown timer for the remaining duration of the return to the main channel, or to a timestamp of the end time of the OBSS interference.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the NPCA indication is carried on the frame exchange sequence (FES) or on the FES with the second MLD.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the NPCA instruction is transmitted via broadcast, multicast, control frame, management frame or broadcast management frame.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the broadcast management frame includes a beacon frame.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the device is an access point (AP) MLD and the MLD is a non-AP MLD, or the device is a non-AP MLD and the MLD is an AP MLD.

15. A method for transmitting a non-master channel access indication, comprising: Multiple links are established between the second multi-link device (MLD) and the first MLD. The second MLD receives an NPCA indication associated with the first link in the multiple links from the first MLD on the second link in the multiple links; as well as The second MLD transmits data with the first MLD on the non-primary channel of the first link according to the instructions of NPCA.

16. The NPCA indication transmission method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the NPCA indication includes at least one non-master channel index, switchback time, number of spatial streams (NSS), bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and transmission TX power.

17. The NCPA indication method of claim 16, wherein the switchback time is associated with a countdown timer for the remaining time to return to the main channel, or with a timestamp of the OBSS interference end time.

18. The NCPA indication method of claim 15, wherein the NCPA indication is transmitted on a frame exchange sequence (FES) or on a FES with a second MLD.

19. The NCPA indication method of claim 15, wherein the NCPA indication is received via broadcast, multicast, control frame, management frame, or broadcast management frame.

20. The NCPA indication method of claim 19, wherein the broadcast management frame includes a beacon frame.

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